Ferrari running in Monaco today?

[davewilson]

Residents of Monaco might be excused for checking their calendars today, when they awoke to the sounds of a Ferrari F1 car in the streets of the principality.

The occasion is the filming of a Shell television commercial that is to celebrate the sixtieth aniversary of Ferrari, and Shell's longstanding relationship with the Maranello constructor. The spot is to feature a variety of important Ferrari F1 cars from, with filming to be done of cars driving through New York, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Honk Kong and Rome. As previously reported on grandprix.com, London was planned, but was cancelled when pre-event leaks created a situation that Police considered unworkable. That segment was thus moved to Monaco.

Our spies tell us that FIA GT1 Champion and Ferrari tester Andrea Bertolini handled driving chores in Rome. Our spies in Monaco today have indentified the drivers at the Hotel de Paris as two Irishmen, former Irish Touring Car Champion and 2005 Ferrari Challenge Champion Michael Cullen and Paddy Shovlin. They appear to be driving an F2003 GA loaded down with camera equipment, filming segments at the entrance of the tunnel, the swimming pool and Casino Square.

The Shell television ad campaign is part of the worldwide celebration of Ferrari's sixty year anniversary that will culminate with festivities in Modena in June. It is ambitious and logistically difficult filming which should be a milestone of TV advertisment as well.

The Stig