Who do you think you are...Michael Schumacher?

The final lap of the Monaco Grand Prix. I navigate the tight first corner at Sainte Devote, accelerating hard on the exit, the scenery flashing past as I fly through Casino square and into the tight hairpin of Mirabeau. I pass through the tunnel and head onwards, the feeling of victory slowly creeping in. After negotiating the swimming pool and screaming round La Rascasse, I cross the finish line. The crowd erupts in chorus as Stefano Domenicali screams over the radio 'Fantasico Simon, Fantasico'. I had done it. I had won the blue ribbon event, the Monaco Grand Prix.

This is a dream I have experienced a number of times, victory at the most glamourous circuit on the Formula One calendar. I was not only representing my country, but Ferrari, a team very close to my heart.

You can therefore imagine my excitement when offered the chance to be a part of the Ferrari and Shell family for a few days, living the dream I had always thought would elude me.

Beginning in the board room at the famous Maranello headquarters, we sat conversing. There was a sense of grandeur and power lingering in the room.  This is where Luca di Montezemolo mulls over ideas and where his predecessors plotted strategy for the world's most recognisable motoring brand.

Jean-Jacques His, one of the most influential figures in the world of performance vehicles, graced us with his presence too, and discussed the importance of the Ferrari-Shell partnership, a marriage which dates back to the racing days of Enzo Ferrari, the company's founder. His words hit home as I began to understand that Ferrari is more than company which caters for the elite. It is a philosophy; a way of life.

After a stroll around the Maranello compound, seeing the V8 and V12 road cars in production, as well as the imperious Formula One cars, I felt as though I was being shown my own vehicles. As if back in a dream, an Italian voice said in my head, 'Mr. Knights, this is what you will be driving as your road car, and here, of course, is your F150° car for the 2011 season.' I was dumbstruck by the production of these finely-tuned engines, but there was more to come.

As I entered the 'Room of Sleeping Giants', there was an overwhelming feeling as Formula One cars through the ages sat undisturbed in a big, hanger-like like room. Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of machinery were crammed into one room, alongside memories even more precious. Cars celebrating the unrivaled success of Michael Schumacher, the brilliance of Gerhard Berger and the near glories of Felipe Massa.

That evening we were wined and dined at the Ristorante Montana, a favoured haunt of Messrs. Alonso and Massa, as well as the mercurial Schumacher. The walls were lined with caricatures and autographs from some of the greatest drivers of all time. Possibly one day, my own John Hancock may feature, I thought to myself. Accompanying those were signed helmets, race suits, front wings and photographs of Alonso and Schumacher with the restaurant's owner Rosella, taking pride of place in the centre of the building.

If my first day as a part of the Ferrari-Shell family was one of amazement, the second was one I will truly never forget. In a nutshell, it was a day of driving Ferraris really fast, but to me it felt like much more than that. Being briefed at the world famous Fiorano test circuit, we were educated in weight distribution, breaking zones, turning angles and the movement of the car. Despite being in a room with at least a dozen other writers and bloggers, my mind wandered as I felt like I was being briefed ahead of my first testing session as a Ferrari driver.

We were then taken to our vehicles, Ferrari 458 Italias. Phenomenal machines, powered by Shell fuel; the type of performance car that dreams really are made of. Under the stewardship of the accompanying Michele Rugolo and Fausto Zannoni, Le Mans and Rallying drivers in their own right, I was steering tight, kissing apexes, accelerating and braking hard. In my eyes I was on the ragged edge, or at least I thought I was (just check out the video below).

After meeting Ferrari's numero uno test driver Raffaele de Simone, a man who once smashed the lap record round the grueling Nurburgring in a Ferrari 599XX, I realised I was more damp squib than hot lap. Watching him thrash the 458 round Fiorano was mesmeric. Now that was driving on the edge.

The evening concluded with the ultimate gesture for any red-blooded petrol-head, a free-reign of the Ferrari Museum. Following this was a meal in the room of victories, a pantheon of greatness chronicling every Ferrari victory. On the right was a homage to the team's success, as trophies from around the world adorned the wall. Directly opposite sat every championship-winning car from the modern age, providing the perfect setting.

It was a spectacular end to a spectacular few days. And although I left feeling downbeat that I will never drive for this magnificent manufacturer, I took away my own little slice of Ferrari.

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