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Maserati has
released details of the 2009 programme for the ultimate
advanced driving courses, the Master Maserati Driving
Course, with tuition provided by drivers from Formula
One, World Rally Championship, Indy Car and European and
World Touring Cars in latest Maserati models.
Open to both
aspiring and existing Maserati owners, the Maserati driving
courses have been developed and perfected to provide the
perfect blend of theory and practice. They ensure that
participants may enjoy an in-depth drive in the full
Maserati range learning new driving skills, honing their
safety ability behind the wheel and learning to cope with
emergency situations.
On the race
track skills are taught with an on-board instructor and with
a pace car while, using the same telemetry system used in
Formula One, in the classroom every subtle nuance of how a
car is driven may be examined. As well as race track
experience, the course includes skid pan use and different
road surfaces to fully simulate real world conditions.
Maserati, of
course, provides the cars and these include in the 2009
programme, the newly launched Maserati GranTurismo S and the
new Maserati Quattroporte in both its 4.2 and 4.7 litre S
variants. The courses are held at the demanding Varano track
near the Italian city of Parma and Maserati offers two
levels of course in its 2009 programme.
The Master GT
Course provides an introduction to performance driving over
a two day period, including selecting the ideal line to take
through corners, exercises in rapid changes of direction,
controlled slides and braking techniques.
The Master
Maserati High Performance course is dedicated to the new
GranTurismo S and how to fully exploit its magnificent
performance to the maximum, both in terms of safety and
driving excitement. This is a highly personalised and
specialised programme dedicated to enhancing the particular
skills and abilities of each participant. The driving
section of the course is matched by a detailed and thorough
examination of the telemetry from the drive cars that
enables each participant to hone their skills to a new
level.
Leading the
instructors is ex-Formula One driver Andrea de Adamich, who
competed in Formula One during one of its most testing
periods, 1962 to 1974, when cars were fast, but had none of
the safety or driving assistance fitted to racing cars
today. During this period he drove for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo,
McLaren, Brabham and Surtees. As the commentator for Italian
TV coverage of Formula One since 1979, he is also the
Italian Murray Walker!
Ivan Capelli –
whose most recent race was in a Maserati at Sandown in
November – has driven with success in Formula One, Formula
3000 and Formula 3. Domenico Schiattarella includes winning
the Le Mans 24 hour race in his talented career, as well as
racing in Formula 2000, the FIA GT Series and, of course,
Formula One. Alessandro Fiorio represents the rally world in
the Maserati courses. At just 22 he won the Group N World
Rally Championship and he has claimed three wins in the
World Rally Championship, finishing two seasons in the top
three in the world. These drivers are joined by Piero Liatti,
a talented Touring Car racing driver and Andrea Piccini, one
of Europe’s leading Sports Car racing drivers.
The courses have
a basic cost of Euro 3,750 for the Master GT course and Euro
4,200 for the Master Maserati High Performance Course,
including two days on the track, use of the Maserati track
cars insurance, two nights accommodation and meals. Places
for non-driving companions are available at Euro 784.00.
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