F1 | Ferrari fans of yesterday and today inaugurate the new era of the "Cavallino" restaurant in Maranello

The Cavallino Restaurant officially inaugurated its new era by hosting a lunch among the protagonists of yesterday and today in the history of Scuderia Ferrari. Together with President John Elkann, Vice President Piero Ferrari and the drivers who today defend the colors of the Prancing Horse in Formula 1, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, many champions from the past and other characters who have left a mark in the history of the House of Maranello, either because they are part of the management or as a partner of the team or because they have told their story through the news in print and on television.

Il Cavallino, which reopened its doors last June 15, has been completely renovated thanks to the collaboration with the famous Franco-Iranian architect India Mahdavi, who took care of every detail, and can count on the management of the multi-starred chef Massimo Bottura who decided to focus on this historic venue to offer "a new perspective and a new way of bringing Modena cuisine to life".

The Cavallino is an iconic place in the history of Ferrari. At its tables Enzo Ferrari used to have lunch with his collaborators and it was always here that the founder often met potential new drivers and technicians who could join the team. The walls of this restaurant have witnessed handshakes which were then formalized into contracts, they have witnessed discussions - even heated ones - during the lunches with journalists that were organized at the end or on the eve of the sports seasons, in which Enzo he defended his Ferrari from the criticism of those who talked about it in the columns of newspapers and weeklies. From here Enzo also attended the events that took place on the slopes, following the live television broadcasts from the private room located inside the restaurant and which today bears his name.

Sitting at the tables of the Cavallino Restaurant, drivers, managers, marketing guests and journalists rediscovered the warmth of this place in a completely new way: a contemporary trattoria rooted in the territory that hosts it, just like Ferrari, which over the years it has increasingly made use of talents from all over the world but has managed to remain profoundly Italian and Emilian. Inside and outside the restaurant, every design and furnishing detail has been tailor-made, taking inspiration from the traditional Italian trattoria, but has been developed through the expressive codes of the Ferrari world and this is why it can be considered in all respects a further expression of the brand's excellence.

An exceptional reunion like this could only be a splendid opportunity to relive and share many events and make even the youngest discover the importance of the Cavallino. The drivers of the seventies, such as Jacky Ickx, Arturo Merzario, René Arnoux and the 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter therefore found themselves telling the young Leclerc and Sainz what the atmosphere was like here when Maranello was their home. To their words were added the voices of historic journalists, who spoke to those who tell the races on TV today about their special stories. Among the drivers present also Gerhard Berger, who together with Michele Alboreto was part of the last team of the Scuderia chosen personally by Enzo Ferrari before his death - which occurred in 1988 -, Giancarlo Fisichella, the last Italian to have raced for the Scuderia Ferrari , and Luca Badoer, historic test driver of Michael Schumacher's golden era.