Grapevine: Ferrari Spend a Night at the Opera

The famous La Scala theatre in Milan provided an unusual backdrop to Ferrari's latest success, as it dedicated last night an evening to the 2001 Formula One World Champions.

The famous opera house staged a special performance of the ballet "Giselle", under the musical direction of Riccardo Muti. Mayor Albertini of Milan welcomed on stage Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Luca di Montezemolo, Piero Ferrari and the F2001 car which won the world titles. Schumacher was greeted with a standing ovation by the crowd.

"Our victory comes from depth," declared di Montezemolo. "It has come about thanks to a united and solid team. It is really great to be here to celebrate, for the third consecutive year, our winning of the Constructors' title and for the second time in a row the Drivers' Championship."

"I really enjoyed it," commented Schumacher today, when asked about the event at La Scala, "although I feel I might still be too young to really appreciate a performance like that."