Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 10: Fiorano, a Track to Win

Enzo Ferrari sold 50% of his company to Fiat in 1969, securing the stability of a major manufacturer's support to grow further. From that moment, his true priority became racing, his greatest passion. Around the same time, he realized that an important test track project, crucial for developing both race and road cars, would not receive funding and would never be built. The small Modena racetrack, created around the local aeroclub’s track, was under scrutiny for safety concerns after several driver fatalities, including the famous Eugenio Castellotti. It was eventually closed in 1971, the year of Ferrari’s final test on that track.

In short, Enzo Ferrari needed a track for “his” Ferrari, a place where he could also set up his personal office-hideaway away from the new management team sent from Turin. Being a man of foresight, he had purchased a large piece of land years earlier, including a farmhouse, adjacent to his factory but within the nearby Fiorano municipality. He fondly referred to it as “the field of red fruits” due to the cherry trees, which are a local tradition.