Engine Cap Missing - 2007 Ferrari F430

Hey crew,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have a 2007 Ferrari F430, 20k miles. Last had it out for a drive two days ago and everything seemed to be working fine. Parked in the garage since then and this morning when I went to start it she stalled after the engine turned over. Second attempt to restart was successful but the exhaust was sputtering and I couldn’t generate any power by trying to rev the accelerator.

A quick inspection of the engine bay reveals what appears to be a missing cap or plug for the engine.

My questions are:
What is this cap for, and what is it called?
Have I done any major damage to the engine by attempting to start it a couple times while this cap was missing?
Assuming I can simply replace the plug, is there any other preventative maintenance to be done now that the engine has been started a couple times with this plug missing?

thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!
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Thanks so much for the information.

I’m not sure how long this cap has been missing for, but can only assume it’s been a short time since everything has been working normally with no sign of trouble, and then all of a sudden there was such a stark difference on start up.

The only problem with that logic is if it’s possible for the engine to function normally for a time without that cap before problems occur; if that’s the case then I have no idea how long the cap has been missing for.

I agree, the photo looks like there’s oil around the inlet, but it’s dry. I think it’s just the reflection and lighting making it appear that way.

I’ve searched the engine bay for the cap, but haven’t found it yet. I’m going to order in a new cap and see if replacing it solves the problem.