I don’t have many opportunities to say that I’m the same as Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg, but in at least one respect, we’re basically identical: we both have a drive in the Ferrari F40 on our bucket lists.
I’d wager quite a few of us are the same as Rosberg in that respect, but it’s in location, opportunity, and ability to execute the dream that we’re different. Unlike me, Rosberg lives in Monaco and is neighbors with the owner of an F40.
He also has the kind of resume that would encourage you to trust him with your car. There’s something about “F1 world champ” that just sounds more trustworthy than a car journalist. Mind you, I’ve crashed fewer cars than Rosberg – but then again, I wasn’t racing in Formula 1 like him.
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At any rate, the driver, broadcaster, and YouTuber was given the keys to his neighbor’s F40 and allowed to take it for a drive in the hills around Monaco whereupon he promptly tears the rearview mirror off its frame.
When he isn’t breaking the wildly valuable car, he does seem to enjoy it and immediately comments on how heavy the clutch is. Even at low city speeds, the vibrations within the cabin and the purebred difficulty of driving it correctly make it a special event that reminds Rosberg that he isn’t in a very fast hatchback. He’s in a true, old-school supercar.
Up in the hills, Rosberg takes his opportunity to push the car a bit and is amazed at how stiff it is. He says that, although it has a lot of grip, it’s difficult to feel the limit because of how much you’re bouncing.
“It feels quite risky,” says Rosberg. “I think you need to be a little bit careful with this kind of thing. It feels like you’re alone with God when you’re pushing this.”