All About Fiorano Circuit, Ferrari's Private Test Track

Ferrari is a consistent winner in the world of professional racing. How does their private test track, Fiorano Circuit, factor in?
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Ferrari
was clearly not satisfied with its third place finish in the 2021 Formula 1 season. 
Drivers Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz showed up in Bahrain for the first grand prix of 2022 and took no prisoners, going one and two, as last year’s champ Max Verstappen suffered critical power issues and was forced to retire. It was a good day to be a Ferrari fan. 
Of course, this is a brand that would never qualify as an underdog, in any scenario, but what gives Ferrari its edge? Let’s talk about Fiorano Circuit.

Enzo Ferrari takes the firm private

If you flew a drone over a piece of land about two and a half hours southeast of Milan, you’d see a curious shape emerge—kind of like a dog in profile with one really long leg. The modernist dog is a sinuous track loop, off the main road and sandwiched between some scattered buildings. This is Fiorano Circuit, Ferrari’s private test track.
This track was the brainchild of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, who was looking for more freedom to test his F1 team’s race cars without submitting to other tracks’ rules and regulations, says
Rosso Automobili
. Enzo Ferrari conveniently already owned a track-sized piece of land next to the town of Fiorano Modenese, and it was here that construction was undertaken.
Opened in 1972, the track was 3 kilometers long and was designed to simulate real-world challenges that Ferrari’s F1 racers would encounter.
Ferrari
notes that the original Fiorano Circuit incorporated replicas of harrowing segments like the “Tarzan” (so named for interesting but disputed reasons) corner of Zandvoort, Nürburgring’s “Brünnchen jump,” and Monaco’s Gasometer corner.
Plus, the track incorporated varying heights and levels, so that engineers could get a sense of cars’ abilities on inclines. After all this testing and training, Ferrari’s drivers wouldn’t be surprised by any hills or hairpins on the professional circuit. 
MORE: Secretive Ferrari SUV: Here's What We Know So Far
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Driving toward the future

By the time the ‘90s rolled around, Fiorano’s caretakers were ready to introduce some new elements. In 1992, a chicane was added to the track, so that drivers wouldn’t be thrown by any unexpected serpentines on their F1 program. Four years later, legendary Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher was granted his request for some sharper corners.
By the early 2000s, the shapers of Fiorano were getting really creative, adding in areas for drivers to practice skidding, as well as irrigated sections for dealing with wet track conditions. And as the world around Fiorano embraced the technological advances of the 21st century, it too adopted new ways to track the successes and failures of Ferrari’s cars, via video and telemetry. Ferrari drivers were well prepared for their F1 battles.

Famous Fiorano

Fiorano Circuit, once a tucked away track across from a little town, has become an international destination, and a boon for its team. Though Enzo Ferrari’s track is still exclusive to Ferrari, tourists can check it out under the auspices of the Ferrari Maranello Museum. 
It does appear that some tourists get slightly better treatment, however. Professional soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic recently spent some time touring the track with, you guessed it, Charles Leclerc and Carlo Sainz. So maybe try amassing some clout as a world-famous athlete before you make the trek to Fiorano Modenese?
In the meantime, take another look at your Ferrari’s insurance.
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