Corsa Pilota 2022 Review

Level7 · May 13, 2022

paulchua said: ↑

What a wonderful review, appreciate you writing this up.
Kindest regards.
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Thanks. Happy to share with the community.

Nbatra · May 14, 2022

Thanks for the great review. Can someone tell me about going to Italy for the corsa pilota? Thinking of doing that instead of the US based version.

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FerrariCognoscenti · May 14, 2022

What mannetino mode did they require you to keep the car in?

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Nospinzone · May 14, 2022

Nbatra said: ↑

Thanks for the great review. Can someone tell me about going to Italy for the corsa pilota? Thinking of doing that instead of the US based version.
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Exactly my thoughts. We're in Italy from mid=September to mid-October, but all the courses are sold out. Does anyone know when they post the 2023 courses?

Level7 · May 14, 2022

FerrariCognoscenti said: ↑

What mannetino mode did they require you to keep the car in?

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Day One on the track we kept the mannetino in Sport. On Day Two for the second half of the day we switched to Race. For the skills exercises either CT off or ESC off.

USMCS6 · May 14, 2022

Ive not done the course but have done a fair amount of Ferrari factory events. Ferrari WILL take your money, but you come away feeling good about it. No warm hot dogs and dirty silverware. I encourage folks go to a challenge event. Amazing hospitality and elite class service. One day I want to do the Corsa. I have done a few FCA track days. No better value but not many frills. JMTC

wthensler · May 15, 2022

dmcgill said: ↑

Nice review, but for the money do you really think it's worth it? From what I'm reading it costs anywhere from $17k-$30k?
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I did the course at Concours FL last November. It was everything the OP stated, but I have since joined Chin Racing and FCA.

You can access many tracks at their organized events with an instructor. And
Classroom training also. They’re about $500 per day with much more track time.

It is your own car, gas, insurance, etc. But for me a better way to move up the ranks faster. I have attended about 15 events since at tracks such as VIR, Sebring, Homestead, Watkins Glen…….

LorenzoOO · Aug 10, 2022

USMCS6 said: ↑

Ive not done the course but have done a fair amount of Ferrari factory events. Ferrari WILL take your money, but you come away feeling good about it. No warm hot dogs and dirty silverware. I encourage folks go to a challenge event. Amazing hospitality and elite class service. One day I want to do the Corsa. I have done a few FCA track days. No better value but not many frills. JMTC
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Corso Pilota - First Graduating Class 1994. 5 day course. $4000 hotels and meals included.

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Level7 · Aug 10, 2022

LorenzoOO said: ↑

View attachment 3376607 View attachment 3376608 View attachment 3376609 View attachment 3376610

Corso Pilota - First Graduating Class 1994. 5 day course. $4000 hotels and meals included.

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Wow fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

craze · Aug 12, 2022

Thank you for taking the time to write your post

tickerhound · Oct 22, 2022

The only issue with any of the cars during sport/advanced back to back was an upper console came loose on an F8. It dislodged from the headliner during the autocross. A set of Pirelli tires also were shredded on the wet skidpad. Those cars are driven very hard during these sessions, idle during hot weather with ac on, etc. They do get warm down laps but it's one group after another driving hard. The support and staff and all the other aspects of the program are amazing. I'd recommend it to all owners.

ScottS · Oct 22, 2022

Ty for the write up. You are spot on. I imagine COTA was spectacular.

We just finished the Corso at Concurs club. It was everything above and more. Worth the price of admission. Period.

Two things
No 812 anymore. It’s the 296. While it’s not as much seat time as the F8 it’s enough. Truly a great car. Driving it also made me appreciate the F8 more and more. The F8 is destined to be the 308/328 of the future. The standard to which others will be judged .

The exercises also made me understand the dynamics of the car and how trustworthy it is. Actually until I felt the the limits of the car, I wasn’t going to go faster and become faster.

The race instruction in the car and the step by step was what I needed to learn and move in to the next level quickly.
Alessandro and the staff instructors were excellent. And the telemetry really showed

The exercises were key as was the camaraderie of the other drivers. Discussing and watching others progress was helpful and instructive.

Lastly the Corso made me rethink my choices in ordering and colors moving forward. Didn’t notice stitching carbon or options in the incredible cars that we put through their paces and some abuse. Brake lights, temperature warnings etc. they just kept going.

Swag has changed to master and dynamic headphones and the CP shirts now white.

Townshend · Oct 28, 2022

Great review thank you! On my bucket list for sure

Also that $350k doesn’t look so bad when you get a LaFerrari at sticker

Ferarrista2 · Oct 29, 2023

Level7 said: ↑

I recently attended the Corsa Pilota course at COTA and wanted to share some of my experiences in the hope that my notes might help others with their decision, or not, to participate in the program. If anyone wants to speak with me directly, please PM me.

Summary: If you have an F8 or 812SF, attending the Corsa Pilota is a phenomenal way to truly understand and experience the engineering and dynamics of these awesome machines. Everyone knows that a Ferrari is fast in a straight line. But these days so is almost any electric vehicle. What was incredible to experience on the track is the “magic” of the manettino and how these cars are designed to perform in hard braking, cornering, weight shifting, etc. I have a new appreciation for the engineering, science, and data that goes into the design and build of each Ferrari. The electric cars may be fast in a straight line, but they don’t compare to the engineering, components, design, etc. that Ferrari takes from the track and puts into each car they build.

The entire experience from the hotel, food, Corsa Pilota representatives, track teams, and instruction is first class. And, while the course is not inexpensive, after attending the program it is abundantly clear why it is priced as such and the value one gains from attending. I have not attended the other driving programs (Porsche, BMW, etc.) for a direct comparison but, I have a feeling that Ferrari sets a very high bar/mark.

Program Representatives: About 35 students attended the program. I would estimate that the vast majority were men, but there were one or two women as well. Most people were in their 40s – 60s. However, I met someone who was late twenties and someone who was 82!

From Ferrari there were:

1. At least seven reps who assist with overall program coordination. We were broken into 5 teams of 7 students. Each team has a dedicated coordinator who is responsible to get you to the right place at the right time at the track. They also help to coordinate any issues that you might have.

2. Each team of 7 students is assigned two professional racing instructors. The two instructors that I worked with were incredible. One was 25 years old (F2 driver) and the other was a seasoned professional who has made a +30 year career of all things racing. I thoroughly enjoyed essentially working with someone my son’s age who was amazing on the track as well as someone who has spent a career in the industry. Both instructors made racing look so easy.

3. In addition to the two instructors for each team, there are four other professional drivers who review telemetry recorded each time you drive on the track. The telemetry was amazing – every time you brake, accelerate, turn the steering wheel, and speak the data is recorded. Each lap is also video recorded.

4. There were multiple people from Pirelli checking the tires each time the cars came into pit lane. There were also Pirelli reps constantly changing tires.

5. There were five “helpers” who assisted with getting in and out of the cars, getting your SD card from the instructor, keeping the car clean between the students, etc.

6. My guess is there were probably two or three mechanics on hand to assist with any mechanical issues.

7. There were three people power-washing the cars at the end of each day.

8. One professional photographer.

9. I am sure I am missing some people. The bottom line – the Ferrari team is very impressive. Everyone was professional, knew exactly what they had to accomplish, and was experienced. There is no expense spared in terms of having an experienced team to make the overall program top-notch.

The Night Before Day One at the track: The night before day one, you check into the hotel and meet part of the Ferrari coordination team. There are some forms to complete, and you get a team shirt, baseball cap, and Ferrari swag. For dinner there is an open bar where you have a chance to meet the drivers and the other students. I found that the drivers made an effort to meet as many of the students as possible. When we sat down to dinner, the drivers also tried to spread out with two drivers per table. Eating dinner with the drivers and the students was a great informal ice breaker.

Day One: Breakfast is included as part of the program – order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. All students meet at 8am and are shuttled to the track. We started with about 45 minutes of introductions and classroom information – proper race posture/seating, the various driving lines, etc. We were then led to the main area located at pit row.

View attachment 3330552

The room is very nicely appointed with plenty of space to spread out, constant food (five people assisting with all things food related), multiple computers for telemetry review, and restrooms.
View attachment 3330548

View attachment 3330549

View attachment 3330551

Lap One is in a new F8. I learned a few interesting things about the cars used in the Corsa Pilota program. Currently, the base car is an F8. My guess is this will begin to change with the introduction of the 296GTB. There were also two 812SFs. The cars are new at the beginning of the program. They start with the typical 40 or 50 miles and are retired at about 4,000 miles – reconditioned (fluids, tires, etc.) and sold. They have the basic options – various interior styles, chair lift, passenger display, etc. These cars are machines. They are run hard from 8:30am to 5:00pm. I did not notice one car that had any “new car” issues. The outside temperature was moderate 80-85 degrees, so the AC was also constantly running. No modifications are made to the tires, brakes, etc. Nothing to make these cars any different from a new car you can order direct from Ferrari.

View attachment 3330553

View attachment 3330554

The instructor drives you around the track for Lap One to orient each student. COTA is a large track – I had a tough time remembering each corner. As they tell you in class – there are 20 corners. Each corner has three specific positions/locations associated with it – so 60 positions/locations in total to remember. Not to worry though, as each position/location is marked with cones as reference points. They also mark foot off the gas and foot on the brakes.

After the instructor lap, it is time for each student to do 3 laps in a round robin. The round robin goes fairly quickly – there is time to reflect on the laps, get something to eat/drink, review telemetry, restroom break, and then get ready for another three laps. BTW the manettino is in Sport mode for all track laps Day One. Each driver can drive the car as fast as you want. The instructors are able to “size up” each student very quickly and initially help with steering, guidance on speed, braking, etc. On the straight portions of the track it is easy to get to speeds of over 150mph – obviously depending on your comfort level, etc. For me personally, I did not have a hands-on appreciation for the limits of the F8 in the corners. What I learned is that if you hit the apex correctly, you can take the corners very fast. And, if you miss the apex, then the car’s engineering certainly helps you to stay on the track!

Lunch was catered at the track in a separate dining area.

After lunch we moved from the track to a separate area set up for skills-based training – emergency braking, counter steering, etc.

View attachment 3330556

Day One ended with final laps back at the track.

In terms of learning experiences from Day 1:

1. Driving on a track is the opposite of typical daily driving. For daily driving it is easy on the gas and the brakes. For racing, it is initially very hard on the brake with a gradual release of pressure and then hard on the gas. To be fast around the track, this skill took a while to learn. I was never really hard on the brakes or hard on the gas – instead I tended to ease into both.

2. I was blown away about how fast the F8 can take corners. Initially I was “slow” around the corners – 60mph. My 25-year-old instructor would tell me to push and go faster. My “seasoned” instructor would tell me his mother could drive faster on the corners, and she has any number of medical conditions! I finally got comfortable with having a general sense of the F8 limits and when to back off the gas (never braking on the curves!). By Day 2 I was closer to 75-80mph on some rather tight curves.

3. For the initial laps on Day 1, you start in automatic mode – it is enough to concentrate on the braking, gas, corners, etc. By the end of the day you move to the paddles – if you want. Again, my “seasoned” instructor made sure I was well aware of his mother’s ability to work the paddles. Working quickly and constantly with brakes, paddles, gas, and the track dynamics is a lot to concentrate on – not like highway driving or spirited drives through the mountains, etc.

4. I did not know that under hard braking if you hold the downshift paddle, the F8 will automatically run down through the gears.

5. I will end Day One notes with the 812SF. I think that the F8 is fairly loud – at least on the track. Every time the 812SF went by at +150mph it screamed. You did not even need to look up – you just knew an 812SF just flew by.

At the end of the Day, we were shuttled back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. Again, the instructors did a great job of mingling and making conversations – same at dinner. I did notice that many of the students were tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed.

Day Two. Day Two began with breakfast to order, a shuttle ride to the track, and another 30 minutes or so of classroom instruction. The instruction focused on vehicle dynamics – weight shifts, the manettino, and a review of the track. For Day One – we used only ½ of the track. For Day Two the full track is used – so 20 corners and 60 positions to be comfortable with.

Like Day One, the first lap was with the instructor driving the full track – at “race-ish” speeds. The instructors just make it look so easy. Each student drove 4 or 5 laps around the track, as opposed to only three laps on Day One. I found myself able to go faster on Day Two as I had a much better feeling for the F8 limits in the corners. I also was able to focus on very hard braking, and quicker/harder accelerations. I learned to treat each small straight zone as an opportunity to get to speed quickly and then hard brake before the corner. Initially, I tended to want to drive “smoother” without the hard transitions, which make for faster lap times.

Also for Day Two, the instructors drove one lap around the track with telemetry on so that we could compare our data to the instructor’s. The idea is to have the same pattern of braking, acceleration, etc. I found that in general I was at least 20 mph slower around the track corners and in some of the short straight track sections. Again, they make it look so easy.

Day Two skills instruction focused on drifting with an F8 and skid pad practice. For these exercises we turned off all nannies. My main take away from these exercises is that even with the nannies off and a wet track area, the F8 has incredible grip on the road surface. I was actually a bit surprised especially having seen the YouTube videos with idiots crashing their new cars on day one after leaving the dealerships. I had never drifted a car in a circle, and it is very hard. Skid pad work was a bit easier. I learned that in a skid, look to where you want to go – never take your eyes off where you want to go. If you do, the car is just going to spin. Again, this is just another skill that takes practice.

After skills-based training, it was back to the track for the final few round-robins behind both the F8 and 812SF. Between the instructors who review the telemetry data, the videos, and the in-car instructors virtually everyone made dramatic improvements in comparison to Day One.

Day Two ended with a nice awards/graduation ceremony where all students are given a professional photo and certificate. (The individual professional photos were taken on Day One.)

Ending Notes:

1. The outside temperature was approximately 85 degrees. We were running the cars fast and hard – not your typically city or highway driving. The air-conditioning was constantly running as well. Not one car overheated, lost fluids, etc.

2. Since we were doing hard braking, the discs get very hot. I was able to experience a warning light to let the brakes cool, which I thought was interesting. When the light came on, we would typically just slow down a bit during the last lap and use less brakes – more coasting around the corners. But, coasting at rather high speeds!

3. It seemed that the tires were perhaps run on slightly lower pressures. When we would start in the car, the pressure warning lights were on at times. But, once we got on the track, the warning lights went off.

4. I was told that Ferrari gathers a lot of car data from this program and reviews to assist with engineering, quality control, etc.

5. I know that many owners barely drive their cars – and certainly not on a track – garage queens, etc. That is ok. But it was a great experience to see these cars as machines and as opposed to works of art, barely driven. The cars in this program are really pushed hard, with all sorts of different drivers and the cars really perform.

As mentioned, I am happy to speak with anyone and provide additional program insights, etc. Just PM me.
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Fantastic review! Thank you for taking time to educate everyone. What type of attire do you recommend for CPS?

Level7 · Oct 30, 2023

I would recommend comfortable casual clothes for the entire event. Attendees wore jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc. Definitely reasonable soft shoes.

At COTA the weather was warm to hot, so being comfortable is important.

There are two evening dinner events - when I attended - one was at the hotel and the second night was at a great steak restaurant. Again, nice casual is fine.

Ferarrista2 · Nov 5, 2023

Level7 said: ↑

I would recommend comfortable casual clothes for the entire event. Attendees wore jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc. Definitely reasonable soft shoes.

At COTA the weather was warm to hot, so being comfortable is important.

There are two evening dinner events - when I attended - one was at the hotel and the second night was at a great steak restaurant. Again, nice casual is fine.
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Thank you

LorenzoOO · Nov 6, 2023

Ferarrista2 said: ↑

Thank you
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Take Corsa Pilota at Mugello if at all possible. You will not be disappointed.

mdarwin · Nov 7, 2023

Level7 said: ↑

I figured I would add more context to my original posting. I am not trying to sell anyone on the course/program and figured I would offer perspective of why someone might choose the Ferrari program as opposed to a competing one.

As I mentioned, the Ferrari program is not inexpensive, and I am sure there are less expensive ways to learn similar content and even to get a racing license. However, I am not sure that the people going through this program are doing so to become race car drivers. There are certainly some who want to perhaps compete in the Ferrari Challenge program and use the four Corsa Pilota classes to do so. There were multiple people in my beginning class who were paying and attending four back-to-back classes to get to this level. On the other hand, I met one person who does not own a Ferrari, and who is “lurking”. His dealer told him to attend the beginning class to get a real appreciation for the brand and the cars. My guess is that many of the people in the class were there as a bucket list item – just to attend the first 2-day program.

Listed in no order – reasons to consider the Ferrari Corsa Pilota.

1. Requirement/desire to drive and learn in an F8 and 812SF. I took delivery of a new F8 last summer and specifically wanted to be understand the limits of an F8 on the track. While I could have taken a lesson and learned about proper entry and exit points in any other car, I wanted to experience track driving in an F8. I think that the Ferrari program is probably the best way to accomplish this by driving someone else’s car. And, as others have stated, I am not interested in tracking my F8. Perhaps a different Ferrari. I now have an incredible appreciation of how my car can perform.

2. Requirement/desire to drive on an iconic F1 racetrack. I took the program at COTA. For the two days that I was there, there was no one else at the track – the Ferrari program took over the entire track facility. I was able to really experience pit lane, see all the various viewing stands, eat in the VIP restaurant at the track, walk on the track, etc. Having driven at COTA, I will now have a new appreciation and understanding when watching races at COTA on TV. I can say that the incline into the first corner is very impressive – incredibly steep. Unfortunately, my photos just do not do it justice. You really need to be there to have the correct perspective.

View attachment 3331446

View attachment 3331447

3. Requirement/desire for a total experience as opposed to only learning a particular skill set. The focus of this program is on the track/racing aspect. But you get to meet other perhaps like/similar minded people, have a lot of fun, drive at an iconic venue, and to be surrounded by all things Ferrari. I made friends with one of the instructors during dinner on the first night. He is going to be at the Watkins Glen Ferrari event later this month. He gave me his cell phone number and offered to introduce me to his racing team so that I could watch from “behind the scenes”. The Corsa Pilota is really an experience.

4. Finally, for some people (not me) money is no object. So, price does not matter. There was one group – four in one family – going through all four classes. My guess is this is a +$350,000 commitment. For $350,000 you could buy a great used Ferrari, pay an instructor one year salary to be dedicated 100% to teaching you how to drive on a racetrack, and have some $$$ left for gas and maintenance. Yet this particular family in my class chose the complete Ferrari program for a family of four. And, like all things Ferrari, I do not believe that there is a family discount program! My sense is that the $350,000 was not material – and I say good for them.
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Thank you for taking the time to write-up this amazing review. It really gives a great sense of what to expect. It is much appreciated.

Jonathan Knight · Nov 9, 2023

Level7 said: ↑

I recently attended the Corsa Pilota course at COTA and wanted to share some of my experiences in the hope that my notes might help others with their decision, or not, to participate in the program. If anyone wants to speak with me directly, please PM me.

Summary: If you have an F8 or 812SF, attending the Corsa Pilota is a phenomenal way to truly understand and experience the engineering and dynamics of these awesome machines. Everyone knows that a Ferrari is fast in a straight line. But these days so is almost any electric vehicle. What was incredible to experience on the track is the “magic” of the manettino and how these cars are designed to perform in hard braking, cornering, weight shifting, etc. I have a new appreciation for the engineering, science, and data that goes into the design and build of each Ferrari. The electric cars may be fast in a straight line, but they don’t compare to the engineering, components, design, etc. that Ferrari takes from the track and puts into each car they build.

The entire experience from the hotel, food, Corsa Pilota representatives, track teams, and instruction is first class. And, while the course is not inexpensive, after attending the program it is abundantly clear why it is priced as such and the value one gains from attending. I have not attended the other driving programs (Porsche, BMW, etc.) for a direct comparison but, I have a feeling that Ferrari sets a very high bar/mark.

Program Representatives: About 35 students attended the program. I would estimate that the vast majority were men, but there were one or two women as well. Most people were in their 40s – 60s. However, I met someone who was late twenties and someone who was 82!

From Ferrari there were:

1. At least seven reps who assist with overall program coordination. We were broken into 5 teams of 7 students. Each team has a dedicated coordinator who is responsible to get you to the right place at the right time at the track. They also help to coordinate any issues that you might have.

2. Each team of 7 students is assigned two professional racing instructors. The two instructors that I worked with were incredible. One was 25 years old (F2 driver) and the other was a seasoned professional who has made a +30 year career of all things racing. I thoroughly enjoyed essentially working with someone my son’s age who was amazing on the track as well as someone who has spent a career in the industry. Both instructors made racing look so easy.

3. In addition to the two instructors for each team, there are four other professional drivers who review telemetry recorded each time you drive on the track. The telemetry was amazing – every time you brake, accelerate, turn the steering wheel, and speak the data is recorded. Each lap is also video recorded.

4. There were multiple people from Pirelli checking the tires each time the cars came into pit lane. There were also Pirelli reps constantly changing tires.

5. There were five “helpers” who assisted with getting in and out of the cars, getting your SD card from the instructor, keeping the car clean between the students, etc.

6. My guess is there were probably two or three mechanics on hand to assist with any mechanical issues.

7. There were three people power-washing the cars at the end of each day.

8. One professional photographer.

9. I am sure I am missing some people. The bottom line – the Ferrari team is very impressive. Everyone was professional, knew exactly what they had to accomplish, and was experienced. There is no expense spared in terms of having an experienced team to make the overall program top-notch.

The Night Before Day One at the track: The night before day one, you check into the hotel and meet part of the Ferrari coordination team. There are some forms to complete, and you get a team shirt, baseball cap, and Ferrari swag. For dinner there is an open bar where you have a chance to meet the drivers and the other students. I found that the drivers made an effort to meet as many of the students as possible. When we sat down to dinner, the drivers also tried to spread out with two drivers per table. Eating dinner with the drivers and the students was a great informal ice breaker.

Day One: Breakfast is included as part of the program – order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. All students meet at 8am and are shuttled to the track. We started with about 45 minutes of introductions and classroom information – proper race posture/seating, the various driving lines, etc. We were then led to the main area located at pit row.

View attachment 3330552

The room is very nicely appointed with plenty of space to spread out, constant food (five people assisting with all things food related), multiple computers for telemetry review, and restrooms.
View attachment 3330548

View attachment 3330549

View attachment 3330551

Lap One is in a new F8. I learned a few interesting things about the cars used in the Corsa Pilota program. Currently, the base car is an F8. My guess is this will begin to change with the introduction of the 296GTB. There were also two 812SFs. The cars are new at the beginning of the program. They start with the typical 40 or 50 miles and are retired at about 4,000 miles – reconditioned (fluids, tires, etc.) and sold. They have the basic options – various interior styles, chair lift, passenger display, etc. These cars are machines. They are run hard from 8:30am to 5:00pm. I did not notice one car that had any “new car” issues. The outside temperature was moderate 80-85 degrees, so the AC was also constantly running. No modifications are made to the tires, brakes, etc. Nothing to make these cars any different from a new car you can order direct from Ferrari.

View attachment 3330553

View attachment 3330554

The instructor drives you around the track for Lap One to orient each student. COTA is a large track – I had a tough time remembering each corner. As they tell you in class – there are 20 corners. Each corner has three specific positions/locations associated with it – so 60 positions/locations in total to remember. Not to worry though, as each position/location is marked with cones as reference points. They also mark foot off the gas and foot on the brakes.

After the instructor lap, it is time for each student to do 3 laps in a round robin. The round robin goes fairly quickly – there is time to reflect on the laps, get something to eat/drink, review telemetry, restroom break, and then get ready for another three laps. BTW the manettino is in Sport mode for all track laps Day One. Each driver can drive the car as fast as you want. The instructors are able to “size up” each student very quickly and initially help with steering, guidance on speed, braking, etc. On the straight portions of the track it is easy to get to speeds of over 150mph – obviously depending on your comfort level, etc. For me personally, I did not have a hands-on appreciation for the limits of the F8 in the corners. What I learned is that if you hit the apex correctly, you can take the corners very fast. And, if you miss the apex, then the car’s engineering certainly helps you to stay on the track!

Lunch was catered at the track in a separate dining area.

After lunch we moved from the track to a separate area set up for skills-based training – emergency braking, counter steering, etc.

View attachment 3330556

Day One ended with final laps back at the track.

In terms of learning experiences from Day 1:

1. Driving on a track is the opposite of typical daily driving. For daily driving it is easy on the gas and the brakes. For racing, it is initially very hard on the brake with a gradual release of pressure and then hard on the gas. To be fast around the track, this skill took a while to learn. I was never really hard on the brakes or hard on the gas – instead I tended to ease into both.

2. I was blown away about how fast the F8 can take corners. Initially I was “slow” around the corners – 60mph. My 25-year-old instructor would tell me to push and go faster. My “seasoned” instructor would tell me his mother could drive faster on the corners, and she has any number of medical conditions! I finally got comfortable with having a general sense of the F8 limits and when to back off the gas (never braking on the curves!). By Day 2 I was closer to 75-80mph on some rather tight curves.

3. For the initial laps on Day 1, you start in automatic mode – it is enough to concentrate on the braking, gas, corners, etc. By the end of the day you move to the paddles – if you want. Again, my “seasoned” instructor made sure I was well aware of his mother’s ability to work the paddles. Working quickly and constantly with brakes, paddles, gas, and the track dynamics is a lot to concentrate on – not like highway driving or spirited drives through the mountains, etc.

4. I did not know that under hard braking if you hold the downshift paddle, the F8 will automatically run down through the gears.

5. I will end Day One notes with the 812SF. I think that the F8 is fairly loud – at least on the track. Every time the 812SF went by at +150mph it screamed. You did not even need to look up – you just knew an 812SF just flew by.

At the end of the Day, we were shuttled back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. Again, the instructors did a great job of mingling and making conversations – same at dinner. I did notice that many of the students were tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed.

Day Two. Day Two began with breakfast to order, a shuttle ride to the track, and another 30 minutes or so of classroom instruction. The instruction focused on vehicle dynamics – weight shifts, the manettino, and a review of the track. For Day One – we used only ½ of the track. For Day Two the full track is used – so 20 corners and 60 positions to be comfortable with.

Like Day One, the first lap was with the instructor driving the full track – at “race-ish” speeds. The instructors just make it look so easy. Each student drove 4 or 5 laps around the track, as opposed to only three laps on Day One. I found myself able to go faster on Day Two as I had a much better feeling for the F8 limits in the corners. I also was able to focus on very hard braking, and quicker/harder accelerations. I learned to treat each small straight zone as an opportunity to get to speed quickly and then hard brake before the corner. Initially, I tended to want to drive “smoother” without the hard transitions, which make for faster lap times.

Also for Day Two, the instructors drove one lap around the track with telemetry on so that we could compare our data to the instructor’s. The idea is to have the same pattern of braking, acceleration, etc. I found that in general I was at least 20 mph slower around the track corners and in some of the short straight track sections. Again, they make it look so easy.

Day Two skills instruction focused on drifting with an F8 and skid pad practice. For these exercises we turned off all nannies. My main take away from these exercises is that even with the nannies off and a wet track area, the F8 has incredible grip on the road surface. I was actually a bit surprised especially having seen the YouTube videos with idiots crashing their new cars on day one after leaving the dealerships. I had never drifted a car in a circle, and it is very hard. Skid pad work was a bit easier. I learned that in a skid, look to where you want to go – never take your eyes off where you want to go. If you do, the car is just going to spin. Again, this is just another skill that takes practice.

After skills-based training, it was back to the track for the final few round-robins behind both the F8 and 812SF. Between the instructors who review the telemetry data, the videos, and the in-car instructors virtually everyone made dramatic improvements in comparison to Day One.

Day Two ended with a nice awards/graduation ceremony where all students are given a professional photo and certificate. (The individual professional photos were taken on Day One.)

Ending Notes:

1. The outside temperature was approximately 85 degrees. We were running the cars fast and hard – not your typically city or highway driving. The air-conditioning was constantly running as well. Not one car overheated, lost fluids, etc.

2. Since we were doing hard braking, the discs get very hot. I was able to experience a warning light to let the brakes cool, which I thought was interesting. When the light came on, we would typically just slow down a bit during the last lap and use less brakes – more coasting around the corners. But, coasting at rather high speeds!

3. It seemed that the tires were perhaps run on slightly lower pressures. When we would start in the car, the pressure warning lights were on at times. But, once we got on the track, the warning lights went off.

4. I was told that Ferrari gathers a lot of car data from this program and reviews to assist with engineering, quality control, etc.

5. I know that many owners barely drive their cars – and certainly not on a track – garage queens, etc. That is ok. But it was a great experience to see these cars as machines and as opposed to works of art, barely driven. The cars in this program are really pushed hard, with all sorts of different drivers and the cars really perform.

As mentioned, I am happy to speak with anyone and provide additional program insights, etc. Just PM me.
Click to expand...

Thank

ryalex · Mar 4, 2024

I'm driving down to Thermal tonight for the Sport Course 5th and 6th. Who else is going to be there?

SF1000 · May 1, 2024

Level7 said: ↑

I recently attended the Corsa Pilota course at COTA and wanted to share some of my experiences in the hope that my notes might help others with their decision, or not, to participate in the program. If anyone wants to speak with me directly, please PM me.

Summary: If you have an F8 or 812SF, attending the Corsa Pilota is a phenomenal way to truly understand and experience the engineering and dynamics of these awesome machines. Everyone knows that a Ferrari is fast in a straight line. But these days so is almost any electric vehicle. What was incredible to experience on the track is the “magic” of the manettino and how these cars are designed to perform in hard braking, cornering, weight shifting, etc. I have a new appreciation for the engineering, science, and data that goes into the design and build of each Ferrari. The electric cars may be fast in a straight line, but they don’t compare to the engineering, components, design, etc. that Ferrari takes from the track and puts into each car they build.

The entire experience from the hotel, food, Corsa Pilota representatives, track teams, and instruction is first class. And, while the course is not inexpensive, after attending the program it is abundantly clear why it is priced as such and the value one gains from attending. I have not attended the other driving programs (Porsche, BMW, etc.) for a direct comparison but, I have a feeling that Ferrari sets a very high bar/mark.

Program Representatives: About 35 students attended the program. I would estimate that the vast majority were men, but there were one or two women as well. Most people were in their 40s – 60s. However, I met someone who was late twenties and someone who was 82!

From Ferrari there were:

1. At least seven reps who assist with overall program coordination. We were broken into 5 teams of 7 students. Each team has a dedicated coordinator who is responsible to get you to the right place at the right time at the track. They also help to coordinate any issues that you might have.

2. Each team of 7 students is assigned two professional racing instructors. The two instructors that I worked with were incredible. One was 25 years old (F2 driver) and the other was a seasoned professional who has made a +30 year career of all things racing. I thoroughly enjoyed essentially working with someone my son’s age who was amazing on the track as well as someone who has spent a career in the industry. Both instructors made racing look so easy.

3. In addition to the two instructors for each team, there are four other professional drivers who review telemetry recorded each time you drive on the track. The telemetry was amazing – every time you brake, accelerate, turn the steering wheel, and speak the data is recorded. Each lap is also video recorded.

4. There were multiple people from Pirelli checking the tires each time the cars came into pit lane. There were also Pirelli reps constantly changing tires.

5. There were five “helpers” who assisted with getting in and out of the cars, getting your SD card from the instructor, keeping the car clean between the students, etc.

6. My guess is there were probably two or three mechanics on hand to assist with any mechanical issues.

7. There were three people power-washing the cars at the end of each day.

8. One professional photographer.

9. I am sure I am missing some people. The bottom line – the Ferrari team is very impressive. Everyone was professional, knew exactly what they had to accomplish, and was experienced. There is no expense spared in terms of having an experienced team to make the overall program top-notch.

The Night Before Day One at the track: The night before day one, you check into the hotel and meet part of the Ferrari coordination team. There are some forms to complete, and you get a team shirt, baseball cap, and Ferrari swag. For dinner there is an open bar where you have a chance to meet the drivers and the other students. I found that the drivers made an effort to meet as many of the students as possible. When we sat down to dinner, the drivers also tried to spread out with two drivers per table. Eating dinner with the drivers and the students was a great informal ice breaker.

Day One: Breakfast is included as part of the program – order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. All students meet at 8am and are shuttled to the track. We started with about 45 minutes of introductions and classroom information – proper race posture/seating, the various driving lines, etc. We were then led to the main area located at pit row.

View attachment 3330552

The room is very nicely appointed with plenty of space to spread out, constant food (five people assisting with all things food related), multiple computers for telemetry review, and restrooms.
View attachment 3330548

View attachment 3330549

View attachment 3330551

Lap One is in a new F8. I learned a few interesting things about the cars used in the Corsa Pilota program. Currently, the base car is an F8. My guess is this will begin to change with the introduction of the 296GTB. There were also two 812SFs. The cars are new at the beginning of the program. They start with the typical 40 or 50 miles and are retired at about 4,000 miles – reconditioned (fluids, tires, etc.) and sold. They have the basic options – various interior styles, chair lift, passenger display, etc. These cars are machines. They are run hard from 8:30am to 5:00pm. I did not notice one car that had any “new car” issues. The outside temperature was moderate 80-85 degrees, so the AC was also constantly running. No modifications are made to the tires, brakes, etc. Nothing to make these cars any different from a new car you can order direct from Ferrari.

View attachment 3330553

View attachment 3330554

The instructor drives you around the track for Lap One to orient each student. COTA is a large track – I had a tough time remembering each corner. As they tell you in class – there are 20 corners. Each corner has three specific positions/locations associated with it – so 60 positions/locations in total to remember. Not to worry though, as each position/location is marked with cones as reference points. They also mark foot off the gas and foot on the brakes.

After the instructor lap, it is time for each student to do 3 laps in a round robin. The round robin goes fairly quickly – there is time to reflect on the laps, get something to eat/drink, review telemetry, restroom break, and then get ready for another three laps. BTW the manettino is in Sport mode for all track laps Day One. Each driver can drive the car as fast as you want. The instructors are able to “size up” each student very quickly and initially help with steering, guidance on speed, braking, etc. On the straight portions of the track it is easy to get to speeds of over 150mph – obviously depending on your comfort level, etc. For me personally, I did not have a hands-on appreciation for the limits of the F8 in the corners. What I learned is that if you hit the apex correctly, you can take the corners very fast. And, if you miss the apex, then the car’s engineering certainly helps you to stay on the track!

Lunch was catered at the track in a separate dining area.

After lunch we moved from the track to a separate area set up for skills-based training – emergency braking, counter steering, etc.

View attachment 3330556

Day One ended with final laps back at the track.

In terms of learning experiences from Day 1:

1. Driving on a track is the opposite of typical daily driving. For daily driving it is easy on the gas and the brakes. For racing, it is initially very hard on the brake with a gradual release of pressure and then hard on the gas. To be fast around the track, this skill took a while to learn. I was never really hard on the brakes or hard on the gas – instead I tended to ease into both.

2. I was blown away about how fast the F8 can take corners. Initially I was “slow” around the corners – 60mph. My 25-year-old instructor would tell me to push and go faster. My “seasoned” instructor would tell me his mother could drive faster on the corners, and she has any number of medical conditions! I finally got comfortable with having a general sense of the F8 limits and when to back off the gas (never braking on the curves!). By Day 2 I was closer to 75-80mph on some rather tight curves.

3. For the initial laps on Day 1, you start in automatic mode – it is enough to concentrate on the braking, gas, corners, etc. By the end of the day you move to the paddles – if you want. Again, my “seasoned” instructor made sure I was well aware of his mother’s ability to work the paddles. Working quickly and constantly with brakes, paddles, gas, and the track dynamics is a lot to concentrate on – not like highway driving or spirited drives through the mountains, etc.

4. I did not know that under hard braking if you hold the downshift paddle, the F8 will automatically run down through the gears.

5. I will end Day One notes with the 812SF. I think that the F8 is fairly loud – at least on the track. Every time the 812SF went by at +150mph it screamed. You did not even need to look up – you just knew an 812SF just flew by.

At the end of the Day, we were shuttled back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. Again, the instructors did a great job of mingling and making conversations – same at dinner. I did notice that many of the students were tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed.

Day Two. Day Two began with breakfast to order, a shuttle ride to the track, and another 30 minutes or so of classroom instruction. The instruction focused on vehicle dynamics – weight shifts, the manettino, and a review of the track. For Day One – we used only ½ of the track. For Day Two the full track is used – so 20 corners and 60 positions to be comfortable with.

Like Day One, the first lap was with the instructor driving the full track – at “race-ish” speeds. The instructors just make it look so easy. Each student drove 4 or 5 laps around the track, as opposed to only three laps on Day One. I found myself able to go faster on Day Two as I had a much better feeling for the F8 limits in the corners. I also was able to focus on very hard braking, and quicker/harder accelerations. I learned to treat each small straight zone as an opportunity to get to speed quickly and then hard brake before the corner. Initially, I tended to want to drive “smoother” without the hard transitions, which make for faster lap times.

Also for Day Two, the instructors drove one lap around the track with telemetry on so that we could compare our data to the instructor’s. The idea is to have the same pattern of braking, acceleration, etc. I found that in general I was at least 20 mph slower around the track corners and in some of the short straight track sections. Again, they make it look so easy.

Day Two skills instruction focused on drifting with an F8 and skid pad practice. For these exercises we turned off all nannies. My main take away from these exercises is that even with the nannies off and a wet track area, the F8 has incredible grip on the road surface. I was actually a bit surprised especially having seen the YouTube videos with idiots crashing their new cars on day one after leaving the dealerships. I had never drifted a car in a circle, and it is very hard. Skid pad work was a bit easier. I learned that in a skid, look to where you want to go – never take your eyes off where you want to go. If you do, the car is just going to spin. Again, this is just another skill that takes practice.

After skills-based training, it was back to the track for the final few round-robins behind both the F8 and 812SF. Between the instructors who review the telemetry data, the videos, and the in-car instructors virtually everyone made dramatic improvements in comparison to Day One.

Day Two ended with a nice awards/graduation ceremony where all students are given a professional photo and certificate. (The individual professional photos were taken on Day One.)

Ending Notes:

1. The outside temperature was approximately 85 degrees. We were running the cars fast and hard – not your typically city or highway driving. The air-conditioning was constantly running as well. Not one car overheated, lost fluids, etc.

2. Since we were doing hard braking, the discs get very hot. I was able to experience a warning light to let the brakes cool, which I thought was interesting. When the light came on, we would typically just slow down a bit during the last lap and use less brakes – more coasting around the corners. But, coasting at rather high speeds!

3. It seemed that the tires were perhaps run on slightly lower pressures. When we would start in the car, the pressure warning lights were on at times. But, once we got on the track, the warning lights went off.

4. I was told that Ferrari gathers a lot of car data from this program and reviews to assist with engineering, quality control, etc.

5. I know that many owners barely drive their cars – and certainly not on a track – garage queens, etc. That is ok. But it was a great experience to see these cars as machines and as opposed to works of art, barely driven. The cars in this program are really pushed hard, with all sorts of different drivers and the cars really perform.

As mentioned, I am happy to speak with anyone and provide additional program insights, etc. Just PM me.
Click to expand...

Fantastic feedback, review and insight. I'll keep you in mind when the time comes

Level7 · Jun 25, 2024

Level7 said: ↑

I recently attended the Corsa Pilota course at COTA and wanted to share some of my experiences in the hope that my notes might help others with their decision, or not, to participate in the program. If anyone wants to speak with me directly, please PM me.

Summary: If you have an F8 or 812SF, attending the Corsa Pilota is a phenomenal way to truly understand and experience the engineering and dynamics of these awesome machines. Everyone knows that a Ferrari is fast in a straight line. But these days so is almost any electric vehicle. What was incredible to experience on the track is the “magic” of the manettino and how these cars are designed to perform in hard braking, cornering, weight shifting, etc. I have a new appreciation for the engineering, science, and data that goes into the design and build of each Ferrari. The electric cars may be fast in a straight line, but they don’t compare to the engineering, components, design, etc. that Ferrari takes from the track and puts into each car they build.

The entire experience from the hotel, food, Corsa Pilota representatives, track teams, and instruction is first class. And, while the course is not inexpensive, after attending the program it is abundantly clear why it is priced as such and the value one gains from attending. I have not attended the other driving programs (Porsche, BMW, etc.) for a direct comparison but, I have a feeling that Ferrari sets a very high bar/mark.

Program Representatives: About 35 students attended the program. I would estimate that the vast majority were men, but there were one or two women as well. Most people were in their 40s – 60s. However, I met someone who was late twenties and someone who was 82!

From Ferrari there were:

1. At least seven reps who assist with overall program coordination. We were broken into 5 teams of 7 students. Each team has a dedicated coordinator who is responsible to get you to the right place at the right time at the track. They also help to coordinate any issues that you might have.

2. Each team of 7 students is assigned two professional racing instructors. The two instructors that I worked with were incredible. One was 25 years old (F2 driver) and the other was a seasoned professional who has made a +30 year career of all things racing. I thoroughly enjoyed essentially working with someone my son’s age who was amazing on the track as well as someone who has spent a career in the industry. Both instructors made racing look so easy.

3. In addition to the two instructors for each team, there are four other professional drivers who review telemetry recorded each time you drive on the track. The telemetry was amazing – every time you brake, accelerate, turn the steering wheel, and speak the data is recorded. Each lap is also video recorded.

4. There were multiple people from Pirelli checking the tires each time the cars came into pit lane. There were also Pirelli reps constantly changing tires.

5. There were five “helpers” who assisted with getting in and out of the cars, getting your SD card from the instructor, keeping the car clean between the students, etc.

6. My guess is there were probably two or three mechanics on hand to assist with any mechanical issues.

7. There were three people power-washing the cars at the end of each day.

8. One professional photographer.

9. I am sure I am missing some people. The bottom line – the Ferrari team is very impressive. Everyone was professional, knew exactly what they had to accomplish, and was experienced. There is no expense spared in terms of having an experienced team to make the overall program top-notch.

The Night Before Day One at the track: The night before day one, you check into the hotel and meet part of the Ferrari coordination team. There are some forms to complete, and you get a team shirt, baseball cap, and Ferrari swag. For dinner there is an open bar where you have a chance to meet the drivers and the other students. I found that the drivers made an effort to meet as many of the students as possible. When we sat down to dinner, the drivers also tried to spread out with two drivers per table. Eating dinner with the drivers and the students was a great informal ice breaker.

Day One: Breakfast is included as part of the program – order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. All students meet at 8am and are shuttled to the track. We started with about 45 minutes of introductions and classroom information – proper race posture/seating, the various driving lines, etc. We were then led to the main area located at pit row.

View attachment 3330552

The room is very nicely appointed with plenty of space to spread out, constant food (five people assisting with all things food related), multiple computers for telemetry review, and restrooms.
View attachment 3330548

View attachment 3330549

View attachment 3330551

Lap One is in a new F8. I learned a few interesting things about the cars used in the Corsa Pilota program. Currently, the base car is an F8. My guess is this will begin to change with the introduction of the 296GTB. There were also two 812SFs. The cars are new at the beginning of the program. They start with the typical 40 or 50 miles and are retired at about 4,000 miles – reconditioned (fluids, tires, etc.) and sold. They have the basic options – various interior styles, chair lift, passenger display, etc. These cars are machines. They are run hard from 8:30am to 5:00pm. I did not notice one car that had any “new car” issues. The outside temperature was moderate 80-85 degrees, so the AC was also constantly running. No modifications are made to the tires, brakes, etc. Nothing to make these cars any different from a new car you can order direct from Ferrari.

View attachment 3330553

View attachment 3330554

The instructor drives you around the track for Lap One to orient each student. COTA is a large track – I had a tough time remembering each corner. As they tell you in class – there are 20 corners. Each corner has three specific positions/locations associated with it – so 60 positions/locations in total to remember. Not to worry though, as each position/location is marked with cones as reference points. They also mark foot off the gas and foot on the brakes.

After the instructor lap, it is time for each student to do 3 laps in a round robin. The round robin goes fairly quickly – there is time to reflect on the laps, get something to eat/drink, review telemetry, restroom break, and then get ready for another three laps. BTW the manettino is in Sport mode for all track laps Day One. Each driver can drive the car as fast as you want. The instructors are able to “size up” each student very quickly and initially help with steering, guidance on speed, braking, etc. On the straight portions of the track it is easy to get to speeds of over 150mph – obviously depending on your comfort level, etc. For me personally, I did not have a hands-on appreciation for the limits of the F8 in the corners. What I learned is that if you hit the apex correctly, you can take the corners very fast. And, if you miss the apex, then the car’s engineering certainly helps you to stay on the track!

Lunch was catered at the track in a separate dining area.

After lunch we moved from the track to a separate area set up for skills-based training – emergency braking, counter steering, etc.

View attachment 3330556

Day One ended with final laps back at the track.

In terms of learning experiences from Day 1:

1. Driving on a track is the opposite of typical daily driving. For daily driving it is easy on the gas and the brakes. For racing, it is initially very hard on the brake with a gradual release of pressure and then hard on the gas. To be fast around the track, this skill took a while to learn. I was never really hard on the brakes or hard on the gas – instead I tended to ease into both.

2. I was blown away about how fast the F8 can take corners. Initially I was “slow” around the corners – 60mph. My 25-year-old instructor would tell me to push and go faster. My “seasoned” instructor would tell me his mother could drive faster on the corners, and she has any number of medical conditions! I finally got comfortable with having a general sense of the F8 limits and when to back off the gas (never braking on the curves!). By Day 2 I was closer to 75-80mph on some rather tight curves.

3. For the initial laps on Day 1, you start in automatic mode – it is enough to concentrate on the braking, gas, corners, etc. By the end of the day you move to the paddles – if you want. Again, my “seasoned” instructor made sure I was well aware of his mother’s ability to work the paddles. Working quickly and constantly with brakes, paddles, gas, and the track dynamics is a lot to concentrate on – not like highway driving or spirited drives through the mountains, etc.

4. I did not know that under hard braking if you hold the downshift paddle, the F8 will automatically run down through the gears.

5. I will end Day One notes with the 812SF. I think that the F8 is fairly loud – at least on the track. Every time the 812SF went by at +150mph it screamed. You did not even need to look up – you just knew an 812SF just flew by.

At the end of the Day, we were shuttled back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. Again, the instructors did a great job of mingling and making conversations – same at dinner. I did notice that many of the students were tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed.

Day Two. Day Two began with breakfast to order, a shuttle ride to the track, and another 30 minutes or so of classroom instruction. The instruction focused on vehicle dynamics – weight shifts, the manettino, and a review of the track. For Day One – we used only ½ of the track. For Day Two the full track is used – so 20 corners and 60 positions to be comfortable with.

Like Day One, the first lap was with the instructor driving the full track – at “race-ish” speeds. The instructors just make it look so easy. Each student drove 4 or 5 laps around the track, as opposed to only three laps on Day One. I found myself able to go faster on Day Two as I had a much better feeling for the F8 limits in the corners. I also was able to focus on very hard braking, and quicker/harder accelerations. I learned to treat each small straight zone as an opportunity to get to speed quickly and then hard brake before the corner. Initially, I tended to want to drive “smoother” without the hard transitions, which make for faster lap times.

Also for Day Two, the instructors drove one lap around the track with telemetry on so that we could compare our data to the instructor’s. The idea is to have the same pattern of braking, acceleration, etc. I found that in general I was at least 20 mph slower around the track corners and in some of the short straight track sections. Again, they make it look so easy.

Day Two skills instruction focused on drifting with an F8 and skid pad practice. For these exercises we turned off all nannies. My main take away from these exercises is that even with the nannies off and a wet track area, the F8 has incredible grip on the road surface. I was actually a bit surprised especially having seen the YouTube videos with idiots crashing their new cars on day one after leaving the dealerships. I had never drifted a car in a circle, and it is very hard. Skid pad work was a bit easier. I learned that in a skid, look to where you want to go – never take your eyes off where you want to go. If you do, the car is just going to spin. Again, this is just another skill that takes practice.

After skills-based training, it was back to the track for the final few round-robins behind both the F8 and 812SF. Between the instructors who review the telemetry data, the videos, and the in-car instructors virtually everyone made dramatic improvements in comparison to Day One.

Day Two ended with a nice awards/graduation ceremony where all students are given a professional photo and certificate. (The individual professional photos were taken on Day One.)

Ending Notes:

1. The outside temperature was approximately 85 degrees. We were running the cars fast and hard – not your typically city or highway driving. The air-conditioning was constantly running as well. Not one car overheated, lost fluids, etc.

2. Since we were doing hard braking, the discs get very hot. I was able to experience a warning light to let the brakes cool, which I thought was interesting. When the light came on, we would typically just slow down a bit during the last lap and use less brakes – more coasting around the corners. But, coasting at rather high speeds!

3. It seemed that the tires were perhaps run on slightly lower pressures. When we would start in the car, the pressure warning lights were on at times. But, once we got on the track, the warning lights went off.

4. I was told that Ferrari gathers a lot of car data from this program and reviews to assist with engineering, quality control, etc.

5. I know that many owners barely drive their cars – and certainly not on a track – garage queens, etc. That is ok. But it was a great experience to see these cars as machines and as opposed to works of art, barely driven. The cars in this program are really pushed hard, with all sorts of different drivers and the cars really perform.

As mentioned, I am happy to speak with anyone and provide additional program insights, etc. Just PM me.
Click to expand...

I wrote the following as an update to my initial review of Corsa Pilota, and my subsequent review of the Advanced Corsa Pilota. Ferrari has since dropped the advanced class; the order is now Sport, Evoluzione+, and Race. This time I attended as a guest and watched my 26-year son and wife participate in the program.

It has been two years since my advanced class and Ferrari has since made changes/improvements to the course. In general, the overall program format and theme are the same – two nine hour days of rather intensive driving time blended with down time to spend with other Ferrari owners and Ferrari company representatives. Plus, more food than you can imagine.

Sign in at the hotel.
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For this particular Sport class, students were divided into five groups. My son and wife were in the same group with just one other student. Demographics were mixed. There was a wide range of ages – from 23 year of age to a few people in their late seventies perhaps even a bit older! I also definitely noticed more women, to include one fantastic female instructor all of 26 years of age. My wife and son were assigned to the team with the female instructor, which was absolutely perfect for my wife, who barely makes it over 40MPH and never drives on the highway.

For some reason eight people did not show up to the class, so there were approximately 15 total students. As such, each group had A LOT of track time. When I took both of my classes there were 5 to 6 people in each group so essentially I had ½ the track time in comparison with my wife and son with only three people in a group. These courses fill up quickly and with no refunds, I would think that most people would not cancel. So, my wife and son were extremely lucky! And, both instructors were just incredible with different styles of coaching.

Day One - Driver Morning Briefing
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I am not going to repeat my narrative about the on track and off track/practical exercises. That part of the program is essentially the same. Changes/updates to the program include the following:

1. There were two representatives from Med-Ex who led a short exercise warm up each morning before students got behind the wheel. Nothing strenuous, but it gave a sense that racing is sport that requires physical exercise, endurance, and reflexes. Throughout the day the reps were available to lead mini one on one workout secessions, to give massages, and to test reflexes with tennis balls and Blazepods. They were also available to answer questions about racing exercise programs, recommended exercise equipment, etc.

One-on-one Neck Training/Exercises
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2. A fantastic new technology that has been added is the use of glasses that track eye movements. For one of the track sessions students wear special glasses and then review a video that shows where the driver actually looked on the track versus where the driver should be looking. This was very interesting and a great tool. Beginning students tend to look directly in front of the car as opposed to looking out at a distance to the next corner or straightaway.

Eye Tracking
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Eye Tracking and Telemetry
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3. Ferrari introduced the use of virtual reality goggles for a short educational session. This was certainly interesting and immersive, but we felt that more could have been done with this type of coaching. This is certainly where coaching and simulation is headed.

4. When I took Corsa Pilota and Advanced Corsa Pilota, I drove the F8 and the 812SF. Variety was great, but it took a bit of learning to quickly gain an appreciation of where the limit was in each car. Ferrari is now only running the 296GTB, which enables students to focus time behind the wheel of one type of car.

The cars
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With the class size for this secession essentially three students to two instructors, the coaching time and focus could not have been better. I recognized familiar instructor faces from my two prior courses and a few new instructors as well. For the off track exercises the coaches spent plenty of time with each student, and a lot of extra focus with my wife. The instructors really took the time and put in the effort to ensure that my wife was 100% comfortable with the exercises.

Off Track Exercise Briefing
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The weather on Day One was sunny and relatively warm – high 80s. On Day Two, in the morning the track was wet with a bit of light rain until 11:00am or so. Weather does not stop the program. All cars were switched to Wet mode and drivers were able to gain experience with fast driving, cornering, and Wet mode. According to my son, he noticed a considerable difference in power/acceleration, but had no concerns regarding the possibility of losing control of the car in the corners.

A few general “back of house” notes – we stayed at the Conrad, which is a fine hotel. I would say that the Conrad was a step up from the hotel that I stayed at with the Advanced class two years ago (Hotel Indy). The Conrad is larger and has more amenities, although students are at the hotel for such a limited time. (You leave the hotel at 8:00am and by the time dinner is done you really do not get back until 9:30pm or so.)

Food is always plentiful and very good throughout the program. The first night the team when to St. Elmo’s, a famous steakhouse in Indianapolis. During drinks and dinner participants get a chance to meet other Ferrari owners, to break bread with the instructors and hear great racing stories, and to meet Ferrari reps – corporate, Ferrari Financial Services, etc. The second night we went to Commission Row, another great restaurant for steak and seafood.

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A side note - we walked from the hotel to St. Elmo’s, which was just a few blocks. However, when we left the restaurant perhaps 15 minutes earlier than the rest of the team, there were several off-duty police officers who were hired to escort people back to the hotel. We certainly felt comfortable walking back to the hotel, but for anyone with any sense of hesitation, having a police officer escort was a nice touch by the Ferrari event organizers. For the second night dinner, small luxury buses were arranged to drive to and from the restaurant.

When I posted my prior review of the Corsa Pilota program a few people asked me about the cost, etc. and I thought I would repeat a few of my comments and opinions. First, the overall program is not even close in price to other driving schools, which are substantially less. However, I do not feel that the price comparison is fair – just like comparing a Ferrari to any other car. The Corsa Pilota program is first class. I am not aware of other programs where you can drive at iconic racetracks in Ferraris and be instructed by people who are either still actively racing or who are coaching other professional racers. We were at Indy, which is beyond impressive. And Ferrari takes over the entire venue – it is not shared with any other group. The track and facilities are 100% dedicated to the class.

The morning driving “briefing”/class is given in the Indy Media Center and lunch takes place in a private dining area on the 7th floor of the Pagoda – places many people never have access to. Everyone drives a 296. The Pirelli team is there to change tires every night. Two instructors are assigned to each team. Beyond the instructors there are additional experts who review telemetry, which is recorded each time a driver get sin the car. At the end of the second day of class hot laps are given in the 296 challenge car, to give students a sense of Evoluzione+, for those who want to continue.

The entire program is run like a machine, with a team that extends beyond the coaches. Each student group has a personal coordinator to make sure drivers know when to be ready to drive, where to go, etc. In addition, just like in Formula One, there are people to help with the helmet, getting in and out of the car, making sure of safety belts, proper tire temperatures, etc. The cars are even completely washed at the end of each day.

To end this review, I will comment on my wife who as I mentioned was terrified of driving on the highway or at any speed over 40mph. Before the class I took my wife out in our F8 as the driver twice around our small town for perhaps 15 minutes or so – just to give her a feel for the car. In three years of ownership, she drove our F8 twice for no more than 30 minutes total. The first class day begins with an approximate 30 minute driver briefing to review proper steering wheel grip, proper seating position, apex, driving line, car balance, etc. A fair amount to take in for anyone starting with zero knowledge. This is then followed by a few hot laps with a group instructor. The hot laps are to review the track and to give students a sense of the overall car performance. Well, when my wife got out of the car after the hot laps, I could tell that she had a “deer in the headlights” look and was overwhelmed. On the second set of laps, she was in the driver’s seat, and perhaps made it up to 40mph around the entire track. She left first and after 5 laps came in last. To keep my narrative short, fast forward to Day Two and her two instructors had worked with her to get her skill level, confidence, and ability to a point where she was routinely able to hit 160mph on the main straightaway. I believe this is a testament to the program.

In terms of downsides or a caveat, I can only think of one. I have a sense that when my wife and I go out, I will never have a chance to drive my F8 again. Never really considered or thought of this angle/aspect before signing her up for the program. So be forewarned for anyone who might consider bringing along a wife, girlfriend, etc. who lacks driving confidence. After the class you may never get a chance behind the wheel of your Ferrari!

Please contact me if you want to discuss any specifics or want more information.

Texas Forever · Jun 27, 2024

Level7 said: ↑

I recently attended the Corsa Pilota course at COTA and wanted to share some of my experiences in the hope that my notes might help others with their decision, or not, to participate in the program. If anyone wants to speak with me directly, please PM me.

Summary: If you have an F8 or 812SF, attending the Corsa Pilota is a phenomenal way to truly understand and experience the engineering and dynamics of these awesome machines. Everyone knows that a Ferrari is fast in a straight line. But these days so is almost any electric vehicle. What was incredible to experience on the track is the “magic” of the manettino and how these cars are designed to perform in hard braking, cornering, weight shifting, etc. I have a new appreciation for the engineering, science, and data that goes into the design and build of each Ferrari. The electric cars may be fast in a straight line, but they don’t compare to the engineering, components, design, etc. that Ferrari takes from the track and puts into each car they build.

The entire experience from the hotel, food, Corsa Pilota representatives, track teams, and instruction is first class. And, while the course is not inexpensive, after attending the program it is abundantly clear why it is priced as such and the value one gains from attending. I have not attended the other driving programs (Porsche, BMW, etc.) for a direct comparison but, I have a feeling that Ferrari sets a very high bar/mark.

Program Representatives: About 35 students attended the program. I would estimate that the vast majority were men, but there were one or two women as well. Most people were in their 40s – 60s. However, I met someone who was late twenties and someone who was 82!

From Ferrari there were:

1. At least seven reps who assist with overall program coordination. We were broken into 5 teams of 7 students. Each team has a dedicated coordinator who is responsible to get you to the right place at the right time at the track. They also help to coordinate any issues that you might have.

2. Each team of 7 students is assigned two professional racing instructors. The two instructors that I worked with were incredible. One was 25 years old (F2 driver) and the other was a seasoned professional who has made a +30 year career of all things racing. I thoroughly enjoyed essentially working with someone my son’s age who was amazing on the track as well as someone who has spent a career in the industry. Both instructors made racing look so easy.

3. In addition to the two instructors for each team, there are four other professional drivers who review telemetry recorded each time you drive on the track. The telemetry was amazing – every time you brake, accelerate, turn the steering wheel, and speak the data is recorded. Each lap is also video recorded.

4. There were multiple people from Pirelli checking the tires each time the cars came into pit lane. There were also Pirelli reps constantly changing tires.

5. There were five “helpers” who assisted with getting in and out of the cars, getting your SD card from the instructor, keeping the car clean between the students, etc.

6. My guess is there were probably two or three mechanics on hand to assist with any mechanical issues.

7. There were three people power-washing the cars at the end of each day.

8. One professional photographer.

9. I am sure I am missing some people. The bottom line – the Ferrari team is very impressive. Everyone was professional, knew exactly what they had to accomplish, and was experienced. There is no expense spared in terms of having an experienced team to make the overall program top-notch.

The Night Before Day One at the track: The night before day one, you check into the hotel and meet part of the Ferrari coordination team. There are some forms to complete, and you get a team shirt, baseball cap, and Ferrari swag. For dinner there is an open bar where you have a chance to meet the drivers and the other students. I found that the drivers made an effort to meet as many of the students as possible. When we sat down to dinner, the drivers also tried to spread out with two drivers per table. Eating dinner with the drivers and the students was a great informal ice breaker.

Day One: Breakfast is included as part of the program – order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. All students meet at 8am and are shuttled to the track. We started with about 45 minutes of introductions and classroom information – proper race posture/seating, the various driving lines, etc. We were then led to the main area located at pit row.

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The room is very nicely appointed with plenty of space to spread out, constant food (five people assisting with all things food related), multiple computers for telemetry review, and restrooms.
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Lap One is in a new F8. I learned a few interesting things about the cars used in the Corsa Pilota program. Currently, the base car is an F8. My guess is this will begin to change with the introduction of the 296GTB. There were also two 812SFs. The cars are new at the beginning of the program. They start with the typical 40 or 50 miles and are retired at about 4,000 miles – reconditioned (fluids, tires, etc.) and sold. They have the basic options – various interior styles, chair lift, passenger display, etc. These cars are machines. They are run hard from 8:30am to 5:00pm. I did not notice one car that had any “new car” issues. The outside temperature was moderate 80-85 degrees, so the AC was also constantly running. No modifications are made to the tires, brakes, etc. Nothing to make these cars any different from a new car you can order direct from Ferrari.

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The instructor drives you around the track for Lap One to orient each student. COTA is a large track – I had a tough time remembering each corner. As they tell you in class – there are 20 corners. Each corner has three specific positions/locations associated with it – so 60 positions/locations in total to remember. Not to worry though, as each position/location is marked with cones as reference points. They also mark foot off the gas and foot on the brakes.

After the instructor lap, it is time for each student to do 3 laps in a round robin. The round robin goes fairly quickly – there is time to reflect on the laps, get something to eat/drink, review telemetry, restroom break, and then get ready for another three laps. BTW the manettino is in Sport mode for all track laps Day One. Each driver can drive the car as fast as you want. The instructors are able to “size up” each student very quickly and initially help with steering, guidance on speed, braking, etc. On the straight portions of the track it is easy to get to speeds of over 150mph – obviously depending on your comfort level, etc. For me personally, I did not have a hands-on appreciation for the limits of the F8 in the corners. What I learned is that if you hit the apex correctly, you can take the corners very fast. And, if you miss the apex, then the car’s engineering certainly helps you to stay on the track!

Lunch was catered at the track in a separate dining area.

After lunch we moved from the track to a separate area set up for skills-based training – emergency braking, counter steering, etc.

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Day One ended with final laps back at the track.

In terms of learning experiences from Day 1:

1. Driving on a track is the opposite of typical daily driving. For daily driving it is easy on the gas and the brakes. For racing, it is initially very hard on the brake with a gradual release of pressure and then hard on the gas. To be fast around the track, this skill took a while to learn. I was never really hard on the brakes or hard on the gas – instead I tended to ease into both.

2. I was blown away about how fast the F8 can take corners. Initially I was “slow” around the corners – 60mph. My 25-year-old instructor would tell me to push and go faster. My “seasoned” instructor would tell me his mother could drive faster on the corners, and she has any number of medical conditions! I finally got comfortable with having a general sense of the F8 limits and when to back off the gas (never braking on the curves!). By Day 2 I was closer to 75-80mph on some rather tight curves.

3. For the initial laps on Day 1, you start in automatic mode – it is enough to concentrate on the braking, gas, corners, etc. By the end of the day you move to the paddles – if you want. Again, my “seasoned” instructor made sure I was well aware of his mother’s ability to work the paddles. Working quickly and constantly with brakes, paddles, gas, and the track dynamics is a lot to concentrate on – not like highway driving or spirited drives through the mountains, etc.

4. I did not know that under hard braking if you hold the downshift paddle, the F8 will automatically run down through the gears.

5. I will end Day One notes with the 812SF. I think that the F8 is fairly loud – at least on the track. Every time the 812SF went by at +150mph it screamed. You did not even need to look up – you just knew an 812SF just flew by.

At the end of the Day, we were shuttled back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. Again, the instructors did a great job of mingling and making conversations – same at dinner. I did notice that many of the students were tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed.

Day Two. Day Two began with breakfast to order, a shuttle ride to the track, and another 30 minutes or so of classroom instruction. The instruction focused on vehicle dynamics – weight shifts, the manettino, and a review of the track. For Day One – we used only ½ of the track. For Day Two the full track is used – so 20 corners and 60 positions to be comfortable with.

Like Day One, the first lap was with the instructor driving the full track – at “race-ish” speeds. The instructors just make it look so easy. Each student drove 4 or 5 laps around the track, as opposed to only three laps on Day One. I found myself able to go faster on Day Two as I had a much better feeling for the F8 limits in the corners. I also was able to focus on very hard braking, and quicker/harder accelerations. I learned to treat each small straight zone as an opportunity to get to speed quickly and then hard brake before the corner. Initially, I tended to want to drive “smoother” without the hard transitions, which make for faster lap times.

Also for Day Two, the instructors drove one lap around the track with telemetry on so that we could compare our data to the instructor’s. The idea is to have the same pattern of braking, acceleration, etc. I found that in general I was at least 20 mph slower around the track corners and in some of the short straight track sections. Again, they make it look so easy.

Day Two skills instruction focused on drifting with an F8 and skid pad practice. For these exercises we turned off all nannies. My main take away from these exercises is that even with the nannies off and a wet track area, the F8 has incredible grip on the road surface. I was actually a bit surprised especially having seen the YouTube videos with idiots crashing their new cars on day one after leaving the dealerships. I had never drifted a car in a circle, and it is very hard. Skid pad work was a bit easier. I learned that in a skid, look to where you want to go – never take your eyes off where you want to go. If you do, the car is just going to spin. Again, this is just another skill that takes practice.

After skills-based training, it was back to the track for the final few round-robins behind both the F8 and 812SF. Between the instructors who review the telemetry data, the videos, and the in-car instructors virtually everyone made dramatic improvements in comparison to Day One.

Day Two ended with a nice awards/graduation ceremony where all students are given a professional photo and certificate. (The individual professional photos were taken on Day One.)

Ending Notes:

1. The outside temperature was approximately 85 degrees. We were running the cars fast and hard – not your typically city or highway driving. The air-conditioning was constantly running as well. Not one car overheated, lost fluids, etc.

2. Since we were doing hard braking, the discs get very hot. I was able to experience a warning light to let the brakes cool, which I thought was interesting. When the light came on, we would typically just slow down a bit during the last lap and use less brakes – more coasting around the corners. But, coasting at rather high speeds!

3. It seemed that the tires were perhaps run on slightly lower pressures. When we would start in the car, the pressure warning lights were on at times. But, once we got on the track, the warning lights went off.

4. I was told that Ferrari gathers a lot of car data from this program and reviews to assist with engineering, quality control, etc.

5. I know that many owners barely drive their cars – and certainly not on a track – garage queens, etc. That is ok. But it was a great experience to see these cars as machines and as opposed to works of art, barely driven. The cars in this program are really pushed hard, with all sorts of different drivers and the cars really perform.

As mentioned, I am happy to speak with anyone and provide additional program insights, etc. Just PM me.
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Interesting to see how the program has changed. I attended the first North American program in Mt. Tremblant in 2005. It was so low key Ferrari didn't even have us sign liability or damage waivers. My instructor was Ryan Hunter-Raye. I think it cost $5,000.

bernieb · Jun 27, 2024

Great write up!

willcrook · Jun 28, 2024

you're selling it very well haha, it's something I will consider in the future for sure! (funds permitting!)

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