The Spaniard drove the F60, used by Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa throughout the 2009 season, on a 1480-metre street circuit built around the Soccer City stadium, situated in the Soweto suburb of Johannesburg.

"That was great," commented Gené, who raced in Formula 1 for Minardi and Williams. "It's always fun to bring a Formula 1 car up close to the people, which is something that never happens at a Grand Prix.

"I am pleased to have been able to do this for the South African people, especially the youngest ones, to show them the excitement of these types of car that haven't been seen in this country for a while."

South Africa hosted a total of 23 Formula 1 races between the 1962 and 1993 campaigns.