Ferrari Racing Days - Goodbye Sochi! Over 20,000 spectators at the Autodrom

Adler, 31 July 2016 – The first Ferrari Racing Days event in Russia was completed today with a record of spectators. Over 20,000 turned out between Saturday and Sunday, confirming the passion of Russian people for motorsport and the world related to the Prancing Horse.   The Scuderia show. On Sunday Scuderia Ferrari did the lion's share with Andrea Bertolini, long-time tester of official and customer cars. Andrea, who has now tested almost 400 cars, excited the public in the grandstands. He shot out from the starting grid in a spectacular simulation of the start of a Grand Prix, and then performed thrilling burn-outs and accelerations before stopping on the main straight where Maranello's mechanics carried out some fast pit stops. To finish in style, after a half-hour adrenaline rush, the Italian driver executed a spectacular series of wheelspin that brought the public thronging the main straight to their feet.   Extraordinary power. The FXX K, the latest car built for the exclusive customer of XX Programmes, was one of the highlights of the final day. It is a car of extraordinary power, with more than 1000 hp, which uses the latest technologies developed in the sophisticated world of Formula 1, where nothing is left to chance. The FXX K, unveiled at the Finali Mondiali of Abu Dhabi in 2014, is equipped with a hybrid system that recovers the kinetic energy generated during braking and reuses it by adding it to the power of the 6-litre V12 thermal combustion engine. Along with the FXX K the fans in the stands could also admire an FXX, the progenitor car of this type of activity, and many 599XXs, equipped with a sophisticated ground effect system.   The sound of Formula 1. In addition to Bertolini’s car, the public were also thrilled by the F1 Clienti sessions, with cars that belonged to Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Fernando Alonso who drove it on track. It was amazing during the first session to see the wonder in the eyes of the Russian fans who have only ever heard the sound of the current turbo-hybrid cars at their own Formula 1 Grand Prix. The scream, sharp and powerful at the same time, of the eight and ten-cylinder naturally aspirated engines, made more than a few jump out of their seats...   Motorsport and dream cars. Race lovers too were not disappointed at Sochi. The drivers of the Ferrari Challenge Europe provided thrilling overtakes and duels in the fourth round of the series, with victories for Bjorn Grossmann, Sam Smeeth and Thomas Loefflad. As always at Ferrari Racing Days, many cars of the Prancing Horse range were proudly displayed in the paddock. Then at the end of the day the cars of a few lucky customers went out on track as part of the “Passione Ferrari” initiatives.