2008 Ferrari Driving Experience Program Seats Filling Up
FDE students develope and hone important car control skills on the purpose-built skid pad.
Great cars hunger for great drivers and great drivers are not born, they are trained. If you own a great car, it behooves you to complement the machine with specialized training. The Ferrari Driving Experience (FDE) offers this experience and is the only North American driving school operated directly by Ferrari.
Despite dates only having been posted for two weeks, 2008 FDE Basic program seats are already at a premium. The majority of seats for the Basic level were sold within one week. (Advance level seats go on sale in March.)
The high demand suggests the 2008 season will, like the first two seasons, be a sell-out. This is no doubt promoted by an all-new roster of cars--the 599 GTB Fiorano and the 430 Scuderia that students will drive on Le Circuit Mont Tremblant.
The FDE offers Ferrari owners an opportunity to test-drive these new cars in the controlled environment of a racetrack. Derived from Formula One technology, today's Ferraris are fast, nimble and, of course, highly desirable. They can, of course, be driven sedately like any premium brand auto. However, to experience the extreme capabilities of the Ferrari F430 and 599 GTB, drivers draw on the skills of race-savvy FDE instructors and in the secure environment of a racetrack.
Consequently, Ferrari drivers desire that extra experience and knowledge that, like their cars, puts them in a class above all others. The setting to gain this experience--and to be coddled in luxury--is at an FDE event.
Basic students can graduate and be eligible for an Advance level. But because precision driving is a perishable skill--if you don't practice, you lose what you learned-- many owners come back a year later to repeat the basic course. This year's basic courses are scheduled for May and June. Advance courses are set for July and August (dates to be posted in early March).
Each course is taught by professional Ferrari race drivers and technicians who provide both classroom and one-to-one in-car instruction at speed. Students spend the majority of the program in a driving-related activity, either infield or track exercises or extended lapping sessions, practiced in a secure, non-competitive environment. The balance of the program unfolds in the classroom where driving theory, car control and the technical advantages of each car are reviewed and dissected.
Accommodations are included at the Hotel Quintessence, the premier boutique hotel at Mont Tremblant, offering unparalleled luxury in the heart of the Laurentian Mountains. Attendees are encouraged to bring their significant others with them to enjoy the hotel, gourmet meals and natural surroundings.
Everyone who attends the course leaves a better driver, more confident in Ferrari pilotage. As described by Michael Vitarelli, a recent graduate and currently racing in the Ferrari Challenge, "The program, circuit and hotel exceeded my expectations."
The best way to get started on your own Ferrari Experience is to call the Ferrari Concierge Call Center at 1-866-551-2828.
