The 2005 World Finals kicked off for real on Saturday with the first of the Shell Historic Challenge races. The title winner still had to be decided. The first to line up on the grid were the B group cars who competed in race 1 in the morning. Irvine Laidlaw and his Maserati 250S took an immediate lead but was tracked closely by the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa of Gary Pearson and Lukas Huni’s Maserati A6GCS.

The Scottish driver put up fierce resistance to Pearson's repeated attacks but had to give way to the Ferrari man who went on to win the race. Laidlaw thus had to be content with a podium place. He was followed across the finish line by Lukas Huni, the Maserati 300S of Andrea Burani and Carlo Voegele’s Maserati A6GCS.

It was the turn for race 1 in the C group, one dominated by Patrick Stieger’s Ferrari 512 M. The Swiss driver started well and built an early that gradually grew as he sped to victory. Paul Knapfield's Ferrari 512 BB LM was engaged in some close quarter combat with the 312P of Irvine Laidlaw early on, that is until he ran off the track and retired on lap three. Jean Guikas also made the podium after a solid drive in the other Ferrari 512 BB LM.

The only Maserati to line up was the Type 61 Birdcage driven by Carlo Voegele who ended the race an honourable twelfth.

The opening race in the A group was also an exciting affair with Matt Grist's Alfa Romeo Type B (P3) getting off fastest at the rolling start. Close behind was the Maserati 6CM driven by Stefan Schollwoeck. The two were neck and neck over the first three laps, both braking extremely late and taking curves right on the limit.

Thanks to its greater power, the Alfa was able to pull away in the straights but the Trident driver closed in during the curved sections to attack the lead car. Towards the end of lap three, Schollwoeck managed to pull off one of his tradmark overtaking moves for which he is well known in the Shell Historic Challenge. The German could thus cruise to victory while Matt Grist had to be content with second. Third came Peter Heuberger after a consistent drive in his Maserati 250F. Gigi Baulini came home in fourth.

The group A cars opened proceedings on the Sunday. Matt Grist's Alfa Romeo P3 was absent owing to a radiator problem. Stefan Schollwoeck was given an easy ride in a race he controlled well, holding off an aggressive Peter Heuberger late on. Gigi Baulino's Maserati 250F claimed a merited third.

Patrick Stieger collected another win in the second group C race. He again displayed his car's stength and his superiority did the rest. In second came Raimond Lipps' 512 BB LM while third was occupied by Jean Guikas on board the same type of car.