For participants, Club Competizioni GT is more than just a chance to take to the track in their own racing Ferrari. It means entering a different world, where they can meet other customers who share the same great passion for the Prancing Horse brand and enjoy memorable experiences on the world’s most famous tracks. It means taking advantage of Ferrari’s great organisational machine and the skills of its people and figures, such as official GT racing driver Toni Vilander, who from this year is a programme tutor and advisor.
Above all, it means immersing themselves in a world where feeling at home and being part of a family are not abstract concepts. Three Club Competizioni GT participants, Jean-Claude Saada, Joseph Vitagliano and Armin Oskouei, are willing ambassadors for this philosophy.
“The Ferrari family is more than just driving a car on the track,” Oskouei explains. “It’s friendship, it’s sharing, it’s hospitality, and, most of all, it’s fun”. “This is my holiday; this is my breath of fresh air”, echoes Saada. “When I’m here, I change my DNA. I talk to people who share my passion, open my mind to new ideas, and find new energy. The people I meet at these events share similar ways of approaching and living life, their respective professions and the world of racing”.
Joseph Vitagliano adds: “The Club allows gentleman drivers like me to bring historic Ferraris to a non-competitive context, to some of the most iconic tracks on the planet. Having Italian roots and being able to drive these cars only adds to my passion. My father always pushed me to work hard so I could become a Ferrari customer, and I am very proud to have succeeded”.
Passion is a common ground for Club Competizioni GT participants. Armin Oskouei explains it clearly: “When I was little, I had two toy cars that I played with all day, and that was the spark that ignited my passion for cars. The chance to ‘play’ as an adult is a dream come true”.
Along with passion, driving is an essential aspect for participants. From this angle, every event on the Prancing Horse programme allows customers to spend a lot of time in the cockpit of their cars. “Club Competizioni GT gives me the chance to test the 2020 488 GT3 Evo I race in the GT World Challenge America at some of the racetracks on the calendar, without the restrictions imposed by SRO”, explains Saada. “At circuits like VIR, I raced for eight hours divided between Saturday and Sunday, much more track time than on a race weekend”.