It was supposed to be a day of fun, away from the pressures of competition. No telemetry, no trophies, not even a stopwatch. Just Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on the Fiorano track to enjoy themselves together. But as soon as the two Ferrari drivers got behind the wheel of the brand-new Ferrari F80, their racing spirit immediately resurfaced.
The F80 is the latest road-going hypercar from the Prancing Horse, inspired by the victorious Ferrari 499P from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Equipped with hybrid all-wheel drive, it combines a 900 hp twin-turbo V6 with two 300 hp electric motors on the front axle. The result? 0–200 km/h in just 5.75 seconds.
First stint: Leclerc driving, Hamilton in the passenger seat
So how did their experience go? Ben Barry recounted it on the official website of the Maranello team. Charles Leclerc is the first to get in the car and greets Hamilton in the pit lane with a smile: “Come be my co-driver. I haven’t pushed yet, I was waiting for you.”
When Charles puts his foot down on the accelerator, both are stunned by the car’s power. “It’s the fastest road car I’ve ever been in,” exclaims Lewis. Charles laughs: “It’s super fast!”
The Monegasque praises the car’s lightness despite its size: “It’s big but feels really light, the steering is direct and the balance is fantastic—you’ll notice it as soon as you drive it.”
Driver swap: Lewis Hamilton’s turn at the wheel
When Lewis Hamilton takes over, he immediately attacks the Fiorano corners aggressively, as if it were Q3. “It’s really impressive,” he comments after catching some oversteer in turn 11. The sensation of the dual-clutch gearbox and the CCM-R brakes impress both of them, as does the sound of the 120° turbo-hybrid V6.
At first, Hamilton says “it sounds good,” but after a few high-rev stretches at 9000 rpm, he corrects himself: “Actually, it sounds insane.”
Leclerc, now in the passenger seat, tightens his seatbelt, grabs the dashboard, and—at times—even closes his eyes like on a roller coaster. “I need a break,” he jokes when Lewis slows down. “I was trying to be nice to you—I didn’t push too hard!”
But the Monegasque gets his revenge with some spectacular laps before both return to the pits, amid laughter and the enthusiasm of the technical team. “The balance is perfect… very impressive,” says Charles. “The slides are easy to control. It’s a truly special car.”
Lewis Hamilton agrees: “I’ve never driven anything like it, it’s insane—the center of gravity is low and you can really feel the work of the front motors.”
For the two drivers, a moment of pure fun. For Ferrari’s engineers, the best possible confirmation: the F80 has passed the test of the world’s most demanding testers.
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