Ferrari assembled 40 owners of the immensely desirable F12 berlinetta and took them to the Nürburgring Nordschleife for a private track day. It was the largest gathering of F12s in Germany.
These photos and brief video can’t really begin tell you how much fun that would have been. They can’t put you in the moment.
They can’t replicate the experience of first nervously exiting the TF gates and shooting towards the famous Bilstein bridge at Antoniusbuche. It can’t make you feel your heart flutter as you decide when to lift the accelerator at Quiddlebacher Hohe so you can make it around Flugplatz. Or the thrill and sensory delight of firing down Füchsrohre.
But they’re the best we’ve got. And hopefully those words helped more than the rather modest video from Ferrari. They took 40 F12s to the Ring and that’s all they could come up with?!
40 Ferraris take on the Nordschleife
- Thrilling footage of the F12berlinettas at the Nürburgring
Maranello, 21 July – The Green Hell tamed by 40 F12berlinettas – that statement sums up in nutshell the day enjoyed by a fleet of Ferrari V12 clients at the Nürburgring’s old Nordschleife loop. The infamous 22-kilometre-plus circuit provided the venue for the German Grand Prix until 1976 and continues to host a wide variety of other motorsport competitions today. Ably assisted by Ferrari’s Chief Development Test-Driver Raffaele De Simone, the clients pushed the potential of their F12berlinettas to the utmost. Tackling one of the great temples of motor-racing and the scene of so many Prancing Horse victories proved a hugely exhilarating experience for all as attested by this footage of the day’s highlights.
Ferrari invades the Green Hell
- Largest gathering of privately-owned F12berlinettas in Germany
Nurburgring, 7 July 2015 – Ferrari set the scene on the starting grid of the Nordschleife, nicknamed the Green Hell by F1 driver Jackie Stewart, with the largest collection of F12berlinettas ever on track. Forty privately-owned F12berlinettas on the Nürburgring was an historic event, as it represented the largest ever gathering of this high-performance sports car in Germany.
Raffaele De Simone, Head of Ferrari Development Test Drivers, joined the track day. Driving a F12berlinetta himself he led the first laps showing clients the ideal racing line. He then drove hot-laps with individual Ferrari owners taking the opportunity to instruct each on how to get the full potential out of their most prized possession. At the track De Simone said: “It’s been wonderful to interact and to receive such great feedback from each driver: they truly have the Italian passion. Today Ferrari has invaded the Grüne Hölle!â€
Each F12berlinetta owner was able to drive an average of 15 laps on the Nordschleife. All the participants expressed their appreciation of how perfect the F12berlinetta proved itself to be for the Nordschleife. As one happy client said as he left: “The F12berlinetta on the track shows all his power. They’re perfectly made for each other!â€