| Author |
Message |
Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member
Username: Amar360
Post Number: 57
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 5:08 am: | |
Lee, I heard it was a nice drive up to KL... something to keep in mind if we decide to spend a couple of years in Singapore!
My Pilota was the first of 2002 in April. The course was allocated to UK dealers and customers but there were a couple of people from other countries; don't remember anyone from Singapore though. |
Lung (Lung7707)
Junior Member
Username: Lung7707
Post Number: 108
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 5:11 pm: | |
Amar,
I live in Singapore but do a lot of work in KL Malaysia. 350km of North South highway, A great drive. I track the car in Sepang too.
BTW was your Pilota course early last year. The 360 crash sounded familiar. Was there any guys from Singapore in your batch? |
Tazio Nuvolari (Nuvolari)
Junior Member
Username: Nuvolari
Post Number: 91
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 2:04 pm: | |
Two years ago I was slated to teach at the Pilota School but a work legality (I had Italian citezenship but never did any military service because I was born and raised in Canada) kept me from doing it. I did other work for Ferrari but no other school is organized like that one. As an instructor you are required to push the cars very very hard and mistakes are not tollerated at all. For participants, they love it because they are pushed hard without the legal concerns that exist in the US. If I get a chance this year or next, I'll go back as I am now legally exempt and can go back there to work. |
Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member
Username: Amar360
Post Number: 55
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 1:09 pm: | |
The Advanced course sounds great with the chasing and telemetry analysis, I think I'll get myself on the waiting list. One of the drivers on my Pilota banged a 360 into a barrier pretty badly with lots of damage and no one from the Ferrari side said anything remotely nasty to him... but he was the slowest guy on the track after that!
By the way it must be neat to have a Testarossa in Singapore, there can't be many others there? Do you take it to Malaysia a lot? |
Lung (Lung7707)
Junior Member
Username: Lung7707
Post Number: 107
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 7:41 am: | |
I had 3 problems during these course...
1. The cars used were the 355 and the 550 back in 99' and the 360 and the 575M currently. All 4 cars I had never before the course. I was driving a 328GTS back in 99 and currently my Testa. so you can imagine the lack of feel on the track...though I must say it wasn't difficult to get use to a 575M or 360 with traction control and all.
The 2nd issue was our cars back home are right hand drive while in Italy they are left. So until it was my turn for the F1 pedal cars, my left hand kept hitting the door when I wanted to change gears.
3rd problem was....I could never understand what these Italian instructors were yelling at me...really bad Italian-English...."more power! more power ah you! Dontcha brakah into the turning!! Smooth Lee smooth...like Michael ah!!" |
Ansgar Schürmeyer (Taunus)
Junior Member
Username: Taunus
Post Number: 86
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 7:22 am: | |
Here in germany we have a ordinary driving school wich offers lessons in a black Testarossa. I will search the homepage this evening. |
Lung (Lung7707)
Junior Member
Username: Lung7707
Post Number: 105
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 6:53 am: | |
The Advanced is a wonderful course. You go on the track and chase the instructor, your telemetry is then downloaded from the onboard computer (just like Shumi)you go into a room and have a discussion with an instuctor on your 1. braking 2. speed (not important to them) 3. your lines (very important), 4 roll of the car , etc, etc. Lots of track time and exercises.
While I was there, it was raining alot, so a lot of wet track work. At the end of the 2nd day, there is a mini race against the clock. All drivers compete against each others times. Winner gets a prize.
Mugello is a far nicer track than Fiorano. Fiorano is basically a test track...not very wide, flat but challenging...I mean it has to be rite? Ferrari test their F1 cars there.
BTW I got a video of me losing a 575 Maranello 360 degrees off turn 11 at Fiorano. Now thats a Kodak moment. |
Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member
Username: Amar360
Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 5:54 am: | |
Hi Lung, yes I did. He doesn't train directly anymore but since our Pilota was constrained by rain most of the two days, he took some of us around after the course was over - which was just when the rain was clearing and a dry line emerging on the track! - with the track free of cones. That was an unforgettable blast!!!
How was the Advanced course compared to the Basic, did you experience a major step up? And how was Fiorano compared to Mugello? |
Lung (Lung7707)
Junior Member
Username: Lung7707
Post Number: 104
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 5:26 am: | |
Amar...I know Ivan Capelli was one of the two former F1 drivers. Who was the second? Andrea was a F1 driver himself. Did you mean him? |
Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member
Username: Amar360
Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 5:12 am: | |
Shawn, waiting times are variable from a few months to years and, like waiting times for the cars, depend on country/dealer allocation etc. It's a great experience being trained by mostly racedrivers (including 2 who are ex-F1) who know Ferraris very well and how to get the best out of them. Mugello is a fun track and even in this controlled situation it is worth experiencing. More than anything the Pilota course makes you learn much more about the capabilities of our great cars and how to get more out of them without doing completely stupid things!
A factory tour can also be arranged through the dealer at the same time. Good luck and have fun!
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Lung (Lung7707)
Junior Member
Username: Lung7707
Post Number: 102
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 1:29 am: | |
Yes, Ferrari conducts the "Pilota" course in Mugello 6 times a year. The "Advanced Pilota" is conducted in Fiorano 4 times a year. The courses are directed by Andrea de Adamich and his staff. Cost back in 99' for Pilota was about 5000 Euros. The Advanced Pilota was 7000 Euros last year. Cost includes track time, insurance, cars Modena and 575s, insturctors, hotel and food for two days. At the end of the two days you get a certificate and a helmet. You have to go thru your dealer to get a place. I waited 2 years to get a place in the Advanced course. These courses are open to Ferrari owners in the whole world and there are only about 15 students per course....so about 90 Basic and 60 Advanced drivers get trained per year. Here's the catch...u must complete their basic Pilota before you can do the Advanced. It doesn't matter if you have done Skip Barber, Porsche Mount Cotton, etc. They want you to be trained their way. |
William Huber (Solipsist)
Member
Username: Solipsist
Post Number: 581
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 10:46 pm: | |
Welcome back NIKA! We missed you here, we need someone like you to keep us in line. I hope your doing well. |
Nika (Racernika)
Member
Username: Racernika
Post Number: 747
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 9:15 pm: | |
at Mugello they do ( only about 6 times a year I think) - a large waiting list and the price it not cheap.......talk to your dealer. It's probably the only way to get on the list is thru them |
Shawn Cowan (Jeru)
New member
Username: Jeru
Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 9:06 pm: | |
Hello all,
I am a new user, and I have a question.
My father and I would like to attend a Ferrari Driving School. Does Ferrari offer such a thing?
We would also like to tour the facility at the same time. Any help would be greatly appricated.
Regards,
Jeru 2001 996 C2 / 2000 360 Modena
http://www.986host.com/gallery/Jeru
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