ALFA ROMEO DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN BALOCCO
Welcome to the Alfa Romeo Driving Experience.
June 10, 2022, experimental track in Balocco: it was here that myself and the other members of our group spent 2 days with just one goal fixed in mind: to improve our driving skills behind the wheel of a Giulia Quadrifoglio. Together with Salvo, the most experienced among us and his jet-black Giulia, between curbs and techniques of approaching, entering and exiting the curve, we prepared, just like students, to the exam awaiting us the next day. The emotions of those moments are indescribable: bringing one's Quadrifoglio to the known personal limit and getting to know that it can still give more and more is sensational.
With the support of the circuit’s professional driver instructor we studied and then put into practice, on the much stories tarmac of Alfa Romeo’s own experimental centre in Balocco, those driving techniques which allow a driver to be precise, responsive, quick almost beyond every limit, but at the same time confident. As for this, my group had little, but, still, something to learn; we are talking about drivers that have been attending this driving school for 3 years already. We studied each and every curve, each and every sector of the famous “Misto Alfa Romeo“ track.
5600 meters, 19 curves and 2 long straights, the circuit was created drawing inspiration from some of the most famous curves of the world, including those of Monza circuit, such as the first Lesmo bend and the Great Curve, better known as the Curve of Biassono.
Some of you are probably familiar with my group: the Squadrifoglio Team. That weekend, together with me and Salvo, there were: Luca with his blue Giulia Q, Luigi and his new montreal green Giulia GTAm, Julian and his Alfa red Giulia, Karl and his red Giulia GTAm and Gionny driving his Giulia Nring.
A magical moment happened on Saturday, by the end of the day, when I found myself in the passenger seat next to special friend, Alessandro, the master of drift, as I like calling him. Each one of his drifts, each one of his swerves, each one of his bends was just perfect, studied centimeter by centimeter. An extraordinary driving style only experience can perfect, and as for him, he spent a lot of time behind the steering wheel, trust me.
But the evening came: relax and aperitif by the pool, a delicious dinner - just like the ones only mother Italy can offer - a cigar and a sip of amaro, then off to bed, with the awareness that the next day would have been epic.
On Sunday, after a morning briefing, we continued studying the remaining course: it wouldn’t have taken long, just some variations from the previous day. In the afternoon, having listened to the last recommendations by the instructor, we reached the place where we could fine-tune our cars before taking to the track.
Asphalt temperature OK.
Tires Pressure OK
Motor Check OK
We were ready.
2 turns to give it all, each one of 20 minutes. Adrenaline was sky-high.
Some warm-up laps and then we started, just from the main straight, divided into two halves by two chicanes. We quickly crossed 200 km/h before arriving to the hairpin bend leading us to the first curve on the left, followed by an identical curve on the right and then again on the left, all the way down towards the underpass. Light touch of the brakes while covering curve 4 and 5, vigorously braking soon after that to deal with the first hairpin turn that throwed us towards a demanding mixed tract. We covered curve 7 almost by skidding before the second hairpin bend, narrower than the first one. We took advantage of the trajectory at its best to exit in traction towards curve 9, then we slowed down a little bit to enter smoothly curve 10 and 11 and then down to curves to 12 to 15, one after another. And again, all the way down to curve 16, that made us slow down preempting a chicane, down to the big parabolic curve which precedes the main straight.
What an emotion. Heart beating fast. Pure adrenaline, beyond words. Hopefully my pictures of the day which you can see attached to report, will always bear testimony to how wonderful it is to be a petrol head and how amazing it is to be an Alfista!
