The snow-capped mountains of Madonna di Campiglio are more used to hosting
alpine skiing champions on their slopes for World Cup downhill races, but two
days ago they provided the backdrop to a most unusual parallel slalom race. The
two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa went head to head
through the gates at the wheel of two FFs, the revolutionary four seater, four
wheel drive Prancing Horse car. In their hands, the latest Ferrari proved to be
very entertaining on demanding hills both up and down, as well as in endless
changes of direction laid out on the downhill slalom course.
Fernando and Felipe were helped out in handling the 660 horsepower V12 in this
very low grip environment in total safety thanks to the integral 4WD traction
system. One should not forget the skill of the two drivers who enjoyed
themselves testing the FF in a scenario far removed from its more usual home on
the streets.
The race ended in a tie. Alonso could not hide his enthusiasm: "It's incredible
how easy it is to drive the FF even on a such a demanding surface and at the
same time, how high a performance level you can reach in it."
Massa was of a
similar opinion: "The most incredible thing about the car is the fact there is
no need to compromise maximum performance and useability, whatever the driving
environment," reckoned the Brazilian. "And on top of that, it's perfect for
everyday use with the whole family in the car."