Haven’t taken a driver education course since high school, and thought about maybe taking the introductory Corso Pilota sport course. I consider myself a fairly skilled driver with skills honed on twisty mountain roads (aka, hillbilly) but lack the formal training and theory of the why’s and how’s. Also, I believe firmly that the learning process shouldn’t stop until the heart stops beating. I doubt I’ll track the 458 or F8 much if at all (I tend to buy spiders), just wondering if anyone’s taken these courses and can opine as to the usefulness and suitability..........
A number of threads on this. It is pilota if you search and not polita. Here’s one thread. Also not sure if any are offered now with covid https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/pilota-course.553638/
I took the M course at Thermal. Very decent and fun. Thinking about going through the Porsche Driving School. But now... Not sure...
Taking all four classes changed my life. After the first class I bought a 458 Challenge. Sometime within the next year or so the FXX. You meet good people in class and the coaches and the support staff. Friends I have now had for five or six years. Oh yeah, you also learn how to more safely and more quickly drive a Ferrari.
The best thing you can do as a car enthusiast. While I haven’t done the Ferrari schools...I went through all 3 Porsche schools and then have been track driving and and instructing since 2006. Do,it...you will get a lot out of it even for street driving
Thanks, all. Going to sign up for the Sport Course in December next year. A lot can change (hopefully all for the better) and I can bring my F8 if it is in my possession by then, or otherwise bring the 458. What got me thinking about this course was the fall extravaganza in the 458 in the Appalachian Mtns, including the very intense Tail of the Dragon. I hammered it as hard as I dare, and thought how cool it would’ve been to have an instructor there with me for the ride. I was actually drained after 11 miles of very difficult curves and abrupt grade changes. I’m viewing this as both fun and a bit of a challenge for myself. Hell, I cycled 8,500 miles this year - a two day course in a Ferrari should be a blast!
Had a great time in Pilota. Got me interested in Challenge racing. Bought a Challenge and did some racing. Never imagined it. It is great training for racing. Great people. An incredible experience. And it started with Pilota. Even without going down that route, great for improving car control skills.
Did it at COTA. Great experience. Incredibly accomplished drivers/instructors take you through skill-improving drills (like timed slalom, exact braking exercises, wet figure 8 skid pad for controlled drifting), class time for theory, and track time. Food and lodging is also first class. They provide cars.
I just finished up the last 2 of the 4 corso pilota courses at Daytona in November. I have done multiple schools from BMW and Porsche and there really is no comparison to the quality of the experience with the Ferrari schools. As with everything Ferrari, they are not inexpensive, but they do a first class job with accommodations, food, and, most importantly, the track experience. I agree with the others on the skills and confidence you will gain. It wouldn’t have been possible for me to imagine how much I would improve by the end of the Challenge school...and I considered myself a relatively skilled driver. There is really nothing better than a couple of days with professional, one-on-one instruction from highly accomplished and skilled Ferrari pro drivers. The only warning is that you will want a Challenge car somewhere along the way! Highly recommended and didn’t mean to sound like a Ferrari advertisement, but I was impressed.
Completely agree. Had an absolutely blast at Thermal this last October. I literally cannot wait to go back and do the next course. Based on the comments above, I believe I even had the opportunity to have a great conversation with the poster (Twosherpaz). Highly recommended and if you can do the first two courses back to back. You’ll already know the track then.
Two summers ago, I did the one at Road Atlanta. I fully intend to continue the journey, and complete the remaining three. It was a blast, and the instruction and instructors are top flight. I learned a ton. It was incredibly helpful to get one on one instruction. You even get a jump drive with all the videos and analytics of your various track runs. I was impressed by just how much seat time we received. It was shocking to see how much consumables they went through. I seem to recall tires were replaced at lunch time, and brake pads were replaced overnight. Also, safety was paramount, with tire pressures checked after every run.
I took all four Corso Pilota courses in Italy and would highly recommend it. Something very special in pushing yourself to your limit around Fiorano!
Hi, My I ask how you got the FXX? You bought new or used? If new, did you have a long list of past Ferraris in your name?
Click on his name and look at some of his messages. He has posted a few pictures of his garage and his cars. Better than a museum.
Exactly this ! I did COTA too and the instructors were great and I really enjoyed meeting cool people with the same passione. I also fell in love with Rosso Fuoco that day. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Does anyone have the right link for the courses offered in the US? A google search yields sort of confusing results and pages, information etc. that doesn't seem to be up to date.
This is the link, but they haven’t announced the 2021 schedule yet. https://fnaevents.ferrari.com/ferrari-events/corso-pilota-ferrari-driving-school
I received this on Thursday with the 2021 schedule for NA....... here’s the link https://ferraricf.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5cfd2819c695b7d39b36fc641&id=54f53b235a&e=dab48c38c3 and here’s the schedule 2021 CORSO PILOTA SCHEDULE Image Unavailable, Please Login
Might anybody know the difference between Modena courses for €8500 vs US for $15,300? No doubt it is somewhere else on this forum, but I could not find. They both appear to be 2-day training. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat