President George Abela yesterday came up to speed with his role in the community - literally - as he bolted down the length of an airstrip in a red Ferrari F355 during Malta's largest-ever motoring show, Paqpaqli għall-Istrina.

Thousands of punters flocked to the fundraising event at Luqa airfield, with attendance at €5 a pop, making a substantial contribution to this year's Istrina campaign, which the Community Chest Fund organises annually. In fact, organiser Tonio Darmanin estimated the show could make as much as €50,000.

Off-roaders battled it out on a dirt track, riders squatted on their mini motorcycles as they buzzed around a makeshift circuit while people took a close look at vehicles ranging from tricked-out boy racers to vintage classics and huge trucks in an event that took a "solid three months" to coordinate.

Mr Darmanin, known for his role as presenter on the popular television show PaqPaq was very satisfied with outcome, saying it was "a beautiful manifestation, the first of its kind in Malta", with attendance surpassing even the highly popular air show.

For the Malta Motorsport Federation, this event was a "huge success" and a clear indication that motorsports were thriving in Malta, despite the limited resources.

Federation secretary George Abdilla said that currently, motorsports enthusiasts, who were ordinary people with a passion for cars, did not have the adequate facilities to practise their sport, calling for the construction of a track where cars could be raced properly.

At the moment, Mr Abdilla said, motorsport enthusiasts were "playing football in the street - and a potholed one at that".