Catania, 10 October – Palermo has seen the start of the 2013 Targa Florio Ferrari Tribute, an event in which the Prancing Horse’s GT cars from yesterday and today relive a historic motor sport race around the stunning roads of Sicily.
After assigning race numbers and the customary briefing, admirers of the scarlet cars had the chance to greet Giancarlo Fisichella, who kicked off the event at Palermo University surrounded by fans hoping for a photo or an autograph. The Ferrari driver took on the role of pacemaker in a 458 Italia at the head of a snake made up of all the Prancing Horse’s cars taking part in the event at Buonfornello. It was a special chance for Ferrari lovers to see the various cars including F12s and 458 Italias but also collection pieces like the F40 or a 275 GTB4 that is as sparkling as it is rare.
After kilometre upon kilometre, the caravan arrives at Cefalù, where the windy road runs alongside a view of wild beauty. To hear the sound of the V8s and the V12s at the exit of the bends is an experience that is hard to forget. While a sudden shower forces the owners of Spiders to put up their hoods, the group arrives at the Nebrodi Natural Park, where the road becomes more demanding and the cars slow down near the speed checks. Finally the weather begins to smile on the participants again with the sun illuminating the beasts from Maranello as soon as the road begins to descend, revealing a typical Irish view. The road is still long and, before arriving in Catania, the halfway point of this first segment, the crews must take on a series of corners at the foot of Mount Etna, crossing a landscape that seems almost lunar. The dark makes the driving experience even more intense and exciting and the cars from Maranello arrive at Catania at about 20.45, to be greeted by a carnival crowd at the Piazza del Duomo.
Source: Ferrari North America