Enzo Ferrari: that victory with a car that never raced

When you’re a leader, you have to be able to act like a leader. It’s no surprise, then, that the name of the oldest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500, periodically appears in Ferrari’s history. The first time was in 1952. The rules of Formula One had changed, and Enzo Ferrari had the magnificent 4,500cc V12 from the 375 F1s that had given him his first world title at Silverstone. What should he to do with it? Well since it could be fairly easily be reduced to 4,400cc, the maximum displacement allowed back then at the Indiana oval, why not try their luck at Indianapolis? Readers should know that in those years, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the series of races to qualify for the World Championships, even if it was governed by different regulations, and for Ferrari, which was discovering America as its primary market, this would have been an opportunity to build a strong presence there.