Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

2 1 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Carried over from the 488 Pista are its titanium conrods, crankshaft, flywheel and Inconel exhaust that helps reduce inertia by 17 per cent and saves 15kg on the mechanics alone. What this means behind the wheel is an engine that sings to its 8,000rpm redline and felt as sharp as a go kart on the hilly mountain roads near the factory. The driver-centric dash features a mix of traditional switchgear and digital displays. Its flat-bottom steering wheel is smaller and feels beautifully well made. It’s also easier to navigate as all the buttons for indicators, wipers and lights are on the wheel as is Ferrari tradition to eliminate the need for column stalks but it’s more intuitive as I didn’t hit the wipers when I wanted the high beam or left the indicators running without hitting the button a second time as I’ve done with its predecessors. The main display keeps the rev counter front and centre with supplementary screens either side for engine and chassis info, audio and sat nav, while the passenger faces a new 7.0-inch touchscreen and the air vents have been redesigned in aluminium or optional carbon fibre. Like all Ferraris, the brake and accelerator pedals are close together so it’s best to wear thin shoes so you avoid a surprise overlap of feet when you least want it. For laps around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, the F8 delivered incredible levels of grip despite a morning of drizzly rain. The nose pointed like it was on rails and I naturally expected the tail to flick given the conditions, but it followed through the apex as securely as if it had been dry. I even checked to see if I had somehow found a dry line but the track remained awash for the full four laps we were allocated. Aerodynamics plays a big part here as the F8 includes some genuinely clever F1-derived aero aids like an S-duct that was banned in F1 a few years back but has made its way into road cars first with the 488 Pista and now on the F8. Essentially, it’s the scoop in the nose which tidies up the airflow and increases downforce over the front axle. The air intakes for the engine are now housed either side of the rear spoiler for a shorter route to the redesigned intake manifold to offer quicker throttle response and also leaves the side scoops purely to cool the intercoolers. The blown rear spoiler also features turning vanes to increase downforce without adding drag and the underbody features vortex generators that deliver 15 per cent of the car’s aero gains with three opening flaps that act like an undercar version of F1’s famous DRS system.