A visiting Ferrari driver who tried to emulate a motorcycle by swooping in and out of traffic queues overtaking lines of cars will have to retake his test if he ever wants to drive in the Isle of Man again.

Martin Wilhelm Luding Schaper, of Bad Hamburg, Hohe, Am Taunengrabem, Germany, was not even the owner of the foreign registered car he was driving, Douglas magistrates were told.

For the prosecution, Michael Jelski said one witness, an off-duty policeman sitting in his car in a line of traffic, was so horrified by 56-year-old Schaper’s antics he put a call in to the police.

In fact, the German’s performance at the wheel of the car was so extreme, no fewer than three calls were made to police to report his behaviour.

To make matters worse, the court noted it was a left-hand drive car which meant the driver had to swerve even further out to the middle of the road before he could see if the route ahead was clear before over taking.

At least one witness described it as a miracle no accident occurred.

Mr Jelski said the Ferrari driver’s antics were first noted by the policeman about 3.30pm near Glen Vine on the TT course. He said the cars were travelling at about 30mph in a queue when Schaper pulled out, overtook three cars and forced his way back crossing a solid white line. He repeated the manoeuvre by the Highwayman then apparently tried to race a motorcycle as it passed the queue, pulling out and following it, only forcing its way back into the queue again crossing the line on a blind crest approaching Ballacraine. He only just avoided a collision with an approaching car.

Schaper was also reported overtaking on a blind bend near Barregarroo, passing through the bend at the bottom of Barregarroo still on the wrong side of the road, passing another line of cars.

He was finally pulled over by a police patrol on Douglas Road corner in Kirk Michael.

He told police his driving was not dangerous and put his behaviour down to lack of knowledge of the TT course.

Defending him, Peter Taylor said there had been no accident and Schaper was of previous good character.

Magistrates’ chairman Julian Ashcroft told him: ’We do not consider this to be a low-end offence. It is only by chance there was no serious injury.’

He was fined £5,000 with £125 costs after admitting dangerous driving on June 11. He received an18-month driving ban.