Current Ferrari Formula 1 drivers, Sir Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, recently took on the mighty Fiorano test track, the Italian marque’s private proving ground since 1972, and a venue that has shaped everything from hypercars to championship-winning grand-prix racers. But the duo weren’t in their grand prix racing machines. Instead, they took turns to put Ferrari’s latest road-going halo car, the F80, to the ultimate test and came away surprised.
Whereas Leclerc took it easy, when Hamilton took the wheel, he was pretty much flat-out, with Leclerc hanging on under hard braking. “The brakes are unbelievable.” Leclerc exclaimed, referencing the carbon‑ceramic setup and adaptive aero, Hamilton adds, “This is the fastest road car that Ferrari has ever done.”
Unveiled in October last year, the F80 is the successor to the LaFerrari and packs a mid-mounted twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, with a hybrid system that borrows heavily from Ferrari’s 499P endurance race car, which triumphed at Le Mans less than a week ago. With three electric motors, two on the front axle and one at the rear, you have a combined output of 1,200 horsepower and 793 pound-feet of torque. Combined with F1-tech like the MGU-K system, expect instantaneous response, something that both drivers were raving about while out on track. Combined with an 8-speed F1-style DCT and all-wheel drive, the lightweight F80 that tips the scales at 1,525 kg dry 3,362 pounds just takes 2.1 seconds to get to 62 mph, and the top speed is rated at 217 mph.
But rather than outright speed, at a venue like Fiorano, downforce matters big time, and the F80 at 1,050 kg (2,314 pounds) at speed certainly delivers. For some context, that is about half of what most F1 cars produce. While the pair weren’t on timed laps, the quickest road-going Ferrari at Fiorano is the SF90 XX Stradale, with a time of 1:17.308. But the quickest time ever was set by the great Michael Schumacher in an F2004, lapping the 1.8-mile track in 0:55.999 seconds.
Hamilton, beyond piloting the F80 and Ferrari’s F1 race car, is reportedly already collaborating on a next-gen project inspired by the legendary F40. Dubbed the F44, a nod to his number 44 race number, rumor has it that this upcoming dream supercar will feature a manual transmission. As for Leclerc, he returned to the grid with a grin on his face, already envisioning his next special Ferrari. The Monagasque driver already owns a Daytona SP3, a 488 Pista, and an SF90 XX, all adorned in his signature matte black over red/white stripe, the colors of the Monaco flag.
Find out more about what the two drivers make of the F80 in the video below.
Source: Ferrari