Being a Ferrari driver has a series of incredible advantages, such as being known worldwide and loved by the tifosi , as well as having spectacular sports cars such as company cars, not to mention being the visible face of the Prancing Horse on Formula weekends 1.
However, there is something else that only a few can do in their lives, and that is to try a historic single-seater from Maranello. This is what Charles Leclerc experienced in his own flesh, who got behind the wheel of the legendary 312 F1 , the vehicle with which the Italians participated in the 1967 season of the Great Circus.
Nicknamed ‘Spaghetti’, this car woke up from a dream in which it has been immersed since Mike Parkes started it at the grand prix of the Netherlands and Belgium. Although no great results were achieved with that unit, with other chassis they were able to win at Spa-Francorchamps in 1966 with John Surtees and at Monza with Ludovico Scarfiotti .
Decades later, the Monegasque is becoming an expert in Ferrari classics, since he has already tried other myths such as the 375 F1 from 1951, the 312 T5 from 1975 and the 312 T4 from 1979.
The ‘Spaghetti’ was a revolution in Formula 1, since it is, as Ferrari indicates, the first single-seater with a rear wing in history, and the current owner of that car asked the Classiche department to rebuild it according to the original specification , including its Type 242C engine to be able to compete in historic races.
With a 48-valve engine, it could produce up to 410 horsepower , not insignificant for the time, and its curious name comes from the way the convoluted exhaust system looked, which, to make matters worse, was painted white. to resemble the famous dish.
After the set-up work, Leclerc was tasked with testing it at Fiorano, and he was delighted to do so: “I am very happy to have had this opportunity. Going from my current F1-75 to this 312 F1 is like changing sports” .
“Although the emotion that comes from driving any Ferrari is always the same, but I have enjoyed everything related to this Spaghetti,” concluded the Monegasque driver.
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