The Ultimate Track Day: Ferrari F1 Cars Roar Through Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

It’s probably safe to say that I lost a bit of my hearing this weekend. But I’m not the least bit concerned or sad about it. After all, I was closer to an F1 Ferrari than I think I’ll ever be – watching it scream down Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s front straight at close to 200 mph.

For many, the highlight of this weekend’s Ferrari Racing Days was the F1 Clienti Programme. Part of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti department, F1 Clienti, which was created in 2003, allows a select few to acquire and drive a retired Formula 1 car from Ferrari. As part of the program, Ferrari will prepare and maintain your car, and ship it to each event you choose to attend. Not a bad deal if you have a few spare million to spend on the ultimate track-day car.

There were 6 F1 cars at this weekend’s event, raging from a 1972 312 B2 previously driven by Jacky Ickx to an F2007 Michael Schumacher test car. To our disappointment, the F2007 had engine issues Friday morning before we arrived, and wasn’t able to be repaired for the rest of the weekend. Other cars present included a Berger/Mansell F1-89, a Schumacher F2001, a Barrichello F2003-GA, and a Schumacher F2004.

Having driven Laguna Seca before, I can’t image what it would be like to drive any one of these F1 cars here. And as you can see from our photos, these Clienti drivers were pushing the cars to the limit – and beyond (see the F1 “Off-Road” excursion in our photo gallery). The unofficial lap record at Laguna Seca is 1’05.880 set by Sebastian Bourdais in a Champ Car. Some of the F1 Clienti cars this weekend were consistently running in the 1’05 to 1’06 range!

Stay tuned for more coverage from our amazing weekend at Ferrari Racing Days at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, including the FXX/5XX Programme and Ferrari Challenge.