Lap Land

Levi, best known as home to Finland’s largest ski resort, recently hosted the Ferrari Corso Pilota On-Ice course, an exclusive two-day driving school where guests pushed the Ferrari 296 GTB, Purosangue and even the 296 Challenge racecar to their limits on a frozen lake.

Le Mans class winner Toni Vilander, one of the Ferrari-certified instructors, provided one-on-one coaching and helped design the ice-track layouts.

‘Levi gives us plenty of space to create multiple tracks, with the longest stretching for about five kilometres,’ explains Vilander. ‘With studded tyres, cars can hit more than 150 km/h here, but we also have smaller areas to practise drifting, braking and car control in a fun way.’

The guests' experience began with a relaxed evening enjoying a meal and an informal briefing on winter driving techniques — everything from the correct seating position and steering methods to managing weight transfer and ideal driving lines was covered. The next morning after breakfast, the group of 24 split into three groups, each assigned two instructors, and headed to the Ice Track.

Watch the video to experience the thrill of Corso Pilota On-Ice

Behind the wheel of the rear-wheel-drive 296 GTB and the all-wheel-drive Purosangue, drivers were coached on putting everything they’d learned the night before into practice – and how both cars’ mechanical layouts required slightly different approaches. But there was one discipline everyone was particularly keen to master…

‘Everything is important to learn, but drifting is definitely most fun,’ Vilander says with a grin. ‘At first, people spin out because they’re too aggressive on the throttle or don’t steer into the slide quickly enough. But with coaching, they develop the sensitivity to connect a sequence of corners and control the pendulum effect. That’s an incredible feeling.’

Mid-morning video analysis helped fine-tune techniques. ‘The camera is mounted just behind the driver, so we can watch exactly what they do and dig into detail in a way you just can’t on the lake,’ notes Vilander.

By afternoon, the transformation was striking. Confidence soared, studded tyres clawed at the ice and drivers slid effortlessly through the course as rooster tails of snow arced behind them.

Corso Pilota On-Ice guests hone their skills in a Ferrari 296 GTB, 296 Challenge and Purosangue

While drivers honed their skills, their companions were busy enjoying an action-packed adventure of their own — dog sledding, lunch in a traditional Lappish hut and getting up close with local reindeer — before everyone reconvened for a well-earned dinner at Saamen Kammi restaurant.

Day two stepped up a gear. Alongside the 296 GTB and Purosangue, participants got a rare chance to drive the 296 Challenge racecar with one-on-one coaching that now extended to eye-tracking technology.

‘We use glasses with tiny cameras monitoring exactly where drivers are looking,’ Vilander explains. ‘You can’t control a car properly if your vision isn’t far enough down the road picking out your next apex or braking point. This technology helps us refine that instinct.’

Beyond driving techniques and analysis, Scuderia Ferrari partner Med-Ex was on hand to offer physiotherapy sessions designed to relax muscle tension and improve mobility before track sessions, and ensure a speedy recovery once drivers stepped from the cockpit – just like professional Ferrari drivers.

A sports psychologist complemented the physical work with concentration techniques, stress management strategies and visualization exercises — essential tools for maintaining focus in demanding driving conditions.

The longest ice track stretches for around five kilometres with speeds reaching 150km/h – training areas provide space to practise at reduced pace

‘Driving three or four laps on ice requires extreme concentration, but it’s easy to lose focus – we train people to avoid that,’ Vilander notes. ‘Many people also hold their breath in tricky driving situations, which tenses the body and reduces performance, so we teach breathing techniques too. Every driver is different, so the coaches tailor their approach to suit.’

The adrenaline peaked with a timed showdown, where drivers put their skills to the test before breaking for lunch on the frozen lake – and where they were joined by companions who’d arrived fresh from a relaxing spa treatment. Later, non-driving guests enjoyed thrilling passenger laps with expert instructors and took part in physiotherapy and mental coaching sessions of their own. The experience certainly seemed to whet their appetites.

‘Sometimes a husband drives the first year while his wife does the guest programme, but the next year the wife often comes back to drive, and the husband joins the guest programme!’ laughs Vilander. ‘I hope we’ll see that again when we return to Levi next year.’

Corso Pilota On-Ice delivered two unforgettable days in a stunning Arctic setting, but for those who took part, the experience — and the skills gained — will endure long after the Levi snow melts later this year.

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