FRIENDS ON BIKES
Company press release.
Maranello, 1 October – Friends on two wheels were at Maranello to meet Fernando Alonso ahead of the Spanish driver's departure for Korea.
Last Sunday Fernando was in Florence to watch the world cycling championship from up close – as close as you can get, given that he was on board the race director's car. Fernando is a big fan of this sport, not just because he practises it assiduously to keep in shape: it was just a few weeks ago that the Spanish driver expressed his desire to enter this world as a participant by his plan to create his own team. The day in Florence was also the chance for Fernando to make new friends and to see some others he rarely gets a chance to cross paths with due to their respective professional schedules: it's easier, then, to make an appointment to spend a day together at the Italian base of the Oviedo driver, Ferrari.
Peter Sagan and Joaquim 'Purito' Rodriguez were Fernando's guests at Maranello, where they paid a visit to Ferrari and, above all, felt the raw emotion of speed that only the Prancing Horse's cars can give, especially if they are taken to the limit by an exceptional driver. The highlight of the day was indeed an experience on the Fiorano track as drivers but, even more so, as passengers on board the F12berlinetta, the most powerful and high-performance Ferrari in the history of the company.
'That was a great day,' the Slovak rider told www.ferrari.com. 'To get to know Fernando and then to come here to Maranello in the space of two days: I could never even have dreamed of something like that.' Indeed, Fernando and Peter had never met before: their first meeting came in the hours preceding the start of the championship race: 'He came to introduce himself and then he invited me to see where the Ferraris are built. For someone like me, who is almost more of a fan of cars than bikes, it was incredible to be able to visit the factory and the museum!'
By contrast, Fernando has known Purito for a long time. 'In Spain Fernando is an idol: it's thanks to him that Formula 1 became popular,' said the Spanish driver. 'I am from Barcelona and my house is just a few kilometres from Montmelò: you can hear the sound of the engines when they are on the track and, once, I went to the circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix. I had the chance to meet him there and he was very kind to me. In Florence he told me that I could join him in Maranello to go and visit the factory together with him before he left for Korea and I certainly wasn't going to miss that chance: that was a fantastic gift from him. To see the historic cars alongside those from today, the factory and the different departments of the Scuderia was very interesting. Then there was the lap of the track: I enjoyed driving the F12 but it was even more amazing to do it with him at the wheel because I really had the chance to experience emotions that only the combination of such an incredible car and a driver like Fernando can offer.'
Thanks to cycling you become friends: then the emotions of a car can make the friendship even stronger…
Maranello, 1 October – Friends on two wheels were at Maranello to meet Fernando Alonso ahead of the Spanish driver's departure for Korea.
Last Sunday Fernando was in Florence to watch the world cycling championship from up close – as close as you can get, given that he was on board the race director's car. Fernando is a big fan of this sport, not just because he practises it assiduously to keep in shape: it was just a few weeks ago that the Spanish driver expressed his desire to enter this world as a participant by his plan to create his own team. The day in Florence was also the chance for Fernando to make new friends and to see some others he rarely gets a chance to cross paths with due to their respective professional schedules: it's easier, then, to make an appointment to spend a day together at the Italian base of the Oviedo driver, Ferrari.
Peter Sagan and Joaquim 'Purito' Rodriguez were Fernando's guests at Maranello, where they paid a visit to Ferrari and, above all, felt the raw emotion of speed that only the Prancing Horse's cars can give, especially if they are taken to the limit by an exceptional driver. The highlight of the day was indeed an experience on the Fiorano track as drivers but, even more so, as passengers on board the F12berlinetta, the most powerful and high-performance Ferrari in the history of the company.
'That was a great day,' the Slovak rider told www.ferrari.com. 'To get to know Fernando and then to come here to Maranello in the space of two days: I could never even have dreamed of something like that.' Indeed, Fernando and Peter had never met before: their first meeting came in the hours preceding the start of the championship race: 'He came to introduce himself and then he invited me to see where the Ferraris are built. For someone like me, who is almost more of a fan of cars than bikes, it was incredible to be able to visit the factory and the museum!'
By contrast, Fernando has known Purito for a long time. 'In Spain Fernando is an idol: it's thanks to him that Formula 1 became popular,' said the Spanish driver. 'I am from Barcelona and my house is just a few kilometres from Montmelò: you can hear the sound of the engines when they are on the track and, once, I went to the circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix. I had the chance to meet him there and he was very kind to me. In Florence he told me that I could join him in Maranello to go and visit the factory together with him before he left for Korea and I certainly wasn't going to miss that chance: that was a fantastic gift from him. To see the historic cars alongside those from today, the factory and the different departments of the Scuderia was very interesting. Then there was the lap of the track: I enjoyed driving the F12 but it was even more amazing to do it with him at the wheel because I really had the chance to experience emotions that only the combination of such an incredible car and a driver like Fernando can offer.'
Thanks to cycling you become friends: then the emotions of a car can make the friendship even stronger…
