Horse power parade

What better way to start a Friday morning than a double strength espresso, a couple of crisp cornetti, and the sound of 70 Ferraris being warmed up outside? This was the scene at Al Tayer Motors showroom on Shaikh Zayed Road before the departure of the largest convoy of Ferraris ever assembled in the Middle East.

They were all there, from a gorgeous 355 Spider to the California, with every size and model of Ferrari in between. F360s, F430s, 16M Scuderias, 599GTBs and a number of 612 Scagliettis, all clean and shiny in the early morning sun, being liveried up for the run to Abu Dhabi. There were Ferrrari Owners Club cars, Marshalls cars, a fully kitted F430 convertible on duty as a camera car, and one car at the head of the parade intriguingly covered in a red Ferrari blanket.

This turned out to belong to one of the attendees, but she didn't know it yet. The car in question had been delivered only hours before, and the team at Al Tayer worked through the night to get it prepped, registered and ready for the road. And it was only during the morning safety briefing that we found out who would be sat behind the wheel — Ilona Kamperman, wife of FOC President Fred Kamperman. She wasn't expecting this car to be delivered for a week or more, so this was a complete (and pleasant) surprise.

"This was such an amazing surprise, I really didn't expect to get it in time for the drive today. Everybody from Al Tayer kept it a secret. I was overwhelmed," said Kamperman. "The California is just beautiful. With Ferraris, it doesn't matter if you've driven one before, each one you drive is a new experience, it's exciting, it's wow."

With the close cooperation of Dubai Police and the RTA, the parade went under escort towards Abu Dhabi and the first of several special events. Leading the parade was Paolo Dionisi, Italian Ambassador to the UAE. The first stop was for coffee and snacks at the showroom of Poltrona Frau, Italian furniture specialists, who are responsible for the leather interiors of every current Ferrari. It was here that Felipe Massa made a brief appearance, much to the delight of all the drivers present. And it was here that a number of additional Abu Dhabi-based cars joined the parade, bringing the total to an amazing 90 cars.

Next it was on to the Corniche for a parade in front of thousands of Ferrari fans and spectators, before finally arriving under escort at Yas Island and the circuit itself.

The parade finished at the new Crowne Plaza Hotel on Yas Island where the drivers and their guests enjoyed refreshments and a chance to relax before going on towards the final event of the day.

They all had a chance to watch the very first free practice session at the circuit, with on-track cars experiencing the transition from daylight into nighttime conditions.

Then it was on to the glitz and glamour of An Evening At The Races, a gala event in the Yas Hotel hosted by Ferrari in the presence of former world F1 champion Michael Schumacher and Ferrari chairman Luca De Montezemolo.

Also present were Scuderia Ferrari drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Gianfranco Fisichella. Not a bad way to spend a Friday.