849 Testarossa: The Toughest Test

The return of an iconic name to Maranello demands the ultimate test. Before the new 849 Testarossa was revealed to the world, the successor to the formidable SF90 was put through its paces at the Fiorano test track. Its test drivers? None other than Scuderia Ferrari HP’s own Charles Leclerc and 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Antonio Giovinazzi, two drivers well accustomed to driving on the limit and feeding back valuable insights to their engineers.

Their mission this time was to push the prototype to its maximum and deliver their expert verdicts on the new top-of-the-range model – a super-sports berlinetta with a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and performance taken to 1050 cv courtesy an all-electric front axle.

Click to see how Leclerc and Giovinazzi put the 849 Testarossa to the test on the Fiorano track

Under the guidance of the Test Driving Manager Raffaele de Simone, who talked the pair through the car’s intricate systems while lapping the figure-of-eight layout, both drivers familiarised themselves with the most powerful range road car ever to wear the Prancing Horse badge.

The day presented a true test of the car’s composure, with baking 27-degree heat giving way to rainfall during the stints, and providing both drivers and the all-wheel drive two seater with an all-weather test.

After an anxious wait trackside for the engineers, the feedback from the cockpit was instant, insightful and filled with exhilaration. Watch the video to see what Leclerc and Giovinazzi made of the most potent model in the Ferrari line-up.