Former Subaru world rally champion Petter Solberg tested a Formula 1 Ferrari at Fiorano test track on 27 March, the latest in a long line of world championship rally drivers to try their hand at the other part of motorsport. While he has been restructuring his competition career following the end of the Subaru WRT WRC programme, Petter has recently been interested recently in racing as an alternative to rallying. "I have already had the offer to do a full season with Oreca in racing Le Mans cars but the problem was that Le Mans itself is the same time as Acropolis. I was hesitant to accept the offer even though I had a test in their car. But I had really surprised myself, things were going very well. Then I had the chance to drive a Formula 1 Ferrari, which was something different again. It was my first time in an F1 car, and it worked very well. Just like I felt with the Le Mans car, everything fitted in perfectly after just four laps. Of course, the clutch system on the F1 car is different and like everybody I stalled the engine the first time I tried to start. That car had a hell of a lot of acceleration. It wasn't really so much different to the Le Mans car, just a lot more power and a lighter car. Both are open cars, but I must say the F1 car was more enjoyable! It was an absolute new experience and I loved it, and it was so fast. They timed me at 296.9kph, but then the gearbox broke so that was the end of the day. The car had apparently been spun by someone else previously, and maybe that is why it failed, but I have been promised the chance of another drive." The car is a 2005 model, the property of a fellow Norwegian Arne Fredly.

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foto 1: Petter Solberg at Fiorano
foto 2: Solberg in cockpit
foto 3: Solberg and Fredly