Passion
A tribute like no other
For 30 years, the Mille Miglia represented the ultimate test of driving skill and nerve – a 1000-mile road race that criss-crossed Italy, with the winners taking as little as 10 hours.
A series of tragic accidents ultimately sealed the race’s demise, and the final competitive Mille Miglia was held in 1957. Today the Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia honours arguably the most beautiful road race of them all – and allows entrants to experience the route at a rather more sensible pace over five remarkable days.
Taking place from 17-21 June, the sixteenth edition of the event covered 1900km on a figure-of-eight loop stretching south from Brescia to Rome and back.
When guests lined up to receive race numbers and road maps in Desenzano del Garda on Tuesday afternoon, it became clear just how diverse the entry list was. A 1964 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso was the earliest Ferrari to tackle the demanding route, the most recent included a trio of SP3 Daytonas, and every decade between was well represented – from Dino to Testarossa, F40 to Enzo, all made their way out of the scenic town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda.
Click to see highlights of this year’s Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia
And with Europeans, Americans, Kuwaitis, Australians and Lebanese among those taking part, owner nationalities were equally diverse.
By the time the group had navigated through Ferrara and onto a late evening finish at San Lazzaro, they’d enjoyed fabulous roads and beautiful views. But while racing was strictly forbidden on these public roads, there was a competitive element too. The Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia is run as a regularity rally, meaning drivers must pass through time controls and checkpoints at precise intervals – a test of accuracy and navigation, not outright speed.
A test of timing and navigation, the Ferrari Tribute follows the Mille Miglia route as a regularity rally, not a race
At exactly 5.15am on day two, the first Ferrari left the start, as competitors headed to the legendary Raticosa and Futa passes for a fabulous day’s driving that ended with a well-deserved meal and overnight stay in Rome.
The following days saw guests return north and into San Marino – the independent republic located between the Apennine mountains and Adriatic coast – then thread East to West to clock in at Livorno, a western port city that looks over the Ligurian Sea.
Many historical Ferrari models took part in the 1000 Miglia
Heading north again later on day four, the Ferraris now traced the shimmering Italian coastline and headed back inland to be greeted by crowds as they crossed the finish line in Brescia – finish of the first Mille Miglia some 98 years before, and once home to the race’s original founders: the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi.
For the crowds who welcomed the competitors back to Brescia, it was a rare chance to see the most diverse collection of Ferraris imaginable. For those who took part, the Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia 2025 provided five days to remember forever – and an all-new perspective on the bravery of those incredible road races of the past.