√Dear Diary, Ferrari called… and I have so much to tell you

It’s not every day you get to fly to the other side of the world with a prestigious car brand for a long weekend. I made sure I documented every minute of it.

Day One

See you soon, Sevilla!

Dear Diary,

Let me first explain to you why I’m on a plane with 30 hours of travel ahead of me. I got the call up to go to a Ferrari event in Seville, Spain. It’s not the main international drive of the all-new Ferrari 296 GTB, rather an extension of the event. That’s right, in true Ferrari fashion, it hosts two weeks of media madness for its brand new plug-in hybrid supercar.

I will be in Spain for a total of 72 hours. I’m almost in the air and airport lounges for as long as the trip itself. It’s rather hilarious.

But when I got the call to go away with one of the most prestigious car brands in the world, do you really think my answer was anything other than, “Hell yes!”?

I can’t remember the last time I walked through that International gate at the airport – you know the one everyone does their instagram post from with the same caption, “Later Melbs”. Well, I’m well beyond that point, in fact, I’m currently three hours into my first stint, bound for Dubai.

Dear Diary,

Another quick check-in. This trip hasn’t even begun and I’m already having the time of my life. I just met two amazing ladies in the lounge and yes, I dropped the whole “I’m off to Seville for the long weekend with Ferrari”. Now, that’s a flex if I ever heard one.

People still raise their eyebrows when I explain what I do for a living. I sometimes forget that I have one of the coolest gigs you could ever land. Since I can’t get Netflix mid-flight, I’m unable to watch Drive to Survive as planned. It’s time for sleep… still two flights to go.

Hola Sevilla. I’ve arrived!

Dear Diary,

Thirty hours, three plane rides, 12 decadent meals, and too many episodes of Friends later and I’ve finally arrived in Seville. It’s 6:30pm and I’m riding in the car with Alfonso… just me, my carry on and one very empty boot.

That’s right, I stood at the carousel watching everyone pick up their bags and I’ve walked away with nada. I’m in Seville, but apparently, my luggage is in Dubai. Well that’s handy isn’t it? And, after using my broken Italian questioning Rafaela at the service desk in the airport, I’m now running late to the very first activity on the extensive itinerary.

Deep breaths. It’s not all bad. Reality has kicked in… I’m in Europe. Get a grip, Emma. I’m currently cruising through the quaint and bustling streets of the old town just minutes from my hotel. It’s Saturday evening here and the city is well and truly alive.

Ever so swiftly the sadness subsides and all I can feel is an overwhelming sense of excitement. I may have one pair of pants and no jacket (it’s surprisingly chilly), but just look at where I am!

Day Two

No jetlag for me!

Dear Diary,

I just got woken up to those charming sounds of a European city – church bells, people laughing and speaking the beautiful Spanish language, even the blistering sirens – sounds that may usually irritate you on a daily basis but made me smile in a foreign country.

About last night… I arrived at the stunning hotel right in the heart of it all – a stone’s throw from the ‘Centro,’ The hosts were there to greet me (and console me following the luggage debacle).

I checked into my charming suite which has one of those cliché, adorable balconies overlooking the cobbled streets that you see in the movies. It’s just divine. For a moment, I forgot I was here in a work capacity. Why didn’t I stay longer?

The first dinner was at a typical, enchanting Spanish eatery. And being Ferrari, the hospitality is always at the highest level. No, I didn’t wear my plane clothes. I apologised in advance that I would be a little late and made a quick dash to Zara, which, being Spanish, just happens to be on most street corners.

I grabbed a few items off the rack and bolted, getting ready in a record time. Not like I could do my hair or jazz up my outfit with jewellery.

Walking through the streets at night was truly a magical feeling. People were so happy, or was it me just being in a mysterious, unknown place – I couldn’t tell. The smells, the sights, the cars! I stopped to look at all of them along the way, perhaps another reason why I was late to dinner.

Opels everywhere. Lots of French brands too – every second car was a Peugeot, Citroen or Renault, and being in Europe every car was small. But I did see plenty of SUVs, most of which I caught always navigating their way through a dead-end street or being directed out of impossible laneways. They must be late to all of their dinners, too.

Arriving and dinner, overdressed as usual, was such a comforting feeling after the past few hours of chaos. Friendly faces – none of them familiar, which I loved. I am all about meeting new people and I was the only Aussie in this group.

Going around the table, I annoyingly made everyone tell me on a video their name and where they were from so I could keep it as a memory. We had a table filled with amazing personalities from Germany, Spain, the UK, America. All very welcoming, all incredibly kind. It was an absolute honour to be in the company of these people.

We laughed, exchanged car reviewing experiences and of course, made jokes about what I was wearing to breakfast. At this stage, it was my outfit from dinner. Charming, Some of them were at the back end of the international review drive so it would be our only night together.

As always when you enter a Ferrari event, there is a menu on your plate, all of which I took home with me as a memento. I’m that girl.

In any country, I try everything. And by everything, I mean I ate whatever was on my plate and maybe even some off other peoples. I’m that girl too. All in all, it was the perfect calm to my storm.

After dinner I realised I’d been up for a very long time but with adrenaline pumping through me we still managed an aperitif at the hottest bar in Seville.

Day Three

Exploring the town… in the same old clothes

Dear Diary,

There’s something so fulfilling about being over the other side of the world, sitting and people watching.

This morning I wandered through the town for hours with one of the journalists that I met at the dinner last night. It was the only free time we had on the trip and we wanted to soak up the sights of Seville.

It wasn’t until we arrived at breakfast that I realised he spoke Spanish, and well. This is the thing about living in the UK, you have the luxury of travelling around Europe on a weekly basis. He does what we do here, just instead of going to launches in Hobart, he’s in Holland, or Milan, or Paris even. Not a bad life, hey.

We walked for hours through city’s majestic parks, saw the Alcázar of Seville (the palace where Game of Thrones was filmed), watched Spanish dancing, and judged every car along the way, as we do. He was on an afternoon flight to the UK but didn’t need to get there early like us Aussies. The UK isn’t so strict with COVID rules, whereas I was due back at the hotel for my PCR test, already, to travel back to Melbourne.

So as I sit here, our gracious host is on the phone to another host waiting to see if my luggage is indeed on a flight from Madrid to Seville. I’m sipping on my third espresso, watching the town go by, working away on my laptop and planning my script for the big drive day tomorrow. It seems we have some news. Check in again soon. Adios.

PS. It’s amazing how quickly my Italian has come back to me. So similar to Spanish, they understand me perfectly.

Day Four

Today is the day.

Dear Diary,

Sadly, my luggage did not arrive. It’s still in Dubai, and given my short stay, it now makes sense to turn it around so that it can meet me in Melbourne.

All of the ladies in this group have been very gracious in offering me any bits and pieces I need to get me through today, our final day of the trip.

About last night… it was the big one! We were taken to Hotel Alfonso XIII, which is probably the most luxurious hotel in Seville. It’s a palace and like nothing I’ve ever seen before. If only I had a suitable outfit to wear for the occasion, but I made it work.

The table was dressed as if we were dining at well, a palace. The food was first class and the company was remarkable. The night was all about becoming acquainted with the crew I will be driving with today. Again, from all over Europe and from all walks of life. We had various members from Ferrari join, including engineers who worked on the 296 GTB.

We were presented with our schedule and groups for today and I’m so elated to be joining race car drivers, Marta Garcia Lopez and Bia Figueiredo – kind of a big deal! No pressure.

So today is the day. I’m in the bus journeying to Circuito Monteblanco. Finally, I get to steer the brand new Ferrari. I was there for the Australian reveal in Melbourne, but all I was allowed, really, was to sit in it. I didn’t even get to start her up.

But today I get to do it all. A hot lap, a session with an instructor and a few laps of my own. I’ve done one drive day with Ferrari before but have never had the opportunity to pilot one on my very own around a racetrack – how’s the trust? I couldn’t be more ready for this!

One of the best experiences of my life!

Dear Diary,

I think my hands are still shaking. Nothing I put down in words here can explain the day that I’ve just had. Rolling into the track at 7:30 in the morning, it really has been a non-stop schedule.

The first sight I saw was the stunning white pit lane building which seemed to go on forever. This circuit is one of the longest in Spain with one of largest straights found on any track (960 metres). I think they chose the perfect place. A pair of Ferrari 296 GTBs with an entire crew were awaiting our arrival. How hospitable.

That woke me up. Two supercars and a line of Ferrari crew members in red race suits. Just heaven. Before I knew it, I was behind the wheel.

The first item on the day’s agenda was to bank some tracking shots. Having experienced plenty of prancing horses in my time, I thankfully knew how everything worked, and was ready to roll right away.

This was just a slow lap around the track so that we had our own content, keeping in mind, this was still a work day and I needed to bag some epic content.

Once I’d taken a cruise around the track I got to sit alongside Marc Gené for two hot laps. For those of you that don’t know him, he’s kind of a big deal. He used to race in Formula One for Minardi, tested with Ferrari and Williams, and currently works with Ferrari as a mentor, instructor and ambassador. He knows a thing or two about how to send a car around a track.

Sitting alongside him was incredible. That’s when I really got to see the horse run wild, and wow, is it quick! The way he was able to steer it into every corner with such precision and at ridiculously high speeds was remarkable.

And the g-forces! He made a comment to me during the ride that it’s just like a rollercoaster, and it is. Only a hell of a lot faster and loads more fun. Like when you used to go on the swings as a youngster and get that butterfly feeling in your stomach, well this happened, except your stomach is climbing into your throat while your neck is getting a good workout.

He gave me plenty of tips and tricks for my drive, namely to trust in the car, and after that I just couldn’t wait another minute to do it on my own.

The rest of the day was run perfectly. They really thought of everything with mechanics and engineers there and available to take us through anything we needed to know about the car. We were taught elements of the car and circuit during presentations, underwent a safety briefing and covered all aspects of what to do out on the track.

I was driven to the smaller track first where I jumped in with Marcello. By the way, a big win for me as the majority of the crew were Italian, so we understood each other perfectly.

One of the highlights was the switch, and having Marcello then coach me through my foray around the circuit. It’s not every day that you have a Ferrari engineer alongside you talking you through gear changes, braking zones, and how to improve on your lap times. And just like that, it was my turn to be at one with the car.

With a pace car ahead of me I pulled out of pit lane. We were plugged into the pace car for any necessary instructions and no news is good news so in my mind, I thought I did okay. With every lap I got more confident, my cornering was more accurate and I became faster, especially down the straight.

You really need to concentrate. Wow, I have so much respect for race car drivers. How on earth do they keep this up for hours on end?! Heart racing, palms sweating, telling myself to push hard but to not be too cocky.

We were told to keep an eye on the braking zone on the straight as it’s a very tight manoeuvre into turn one. Indeed it is. I probably would have sent it a little harder if I didn’t have that in the back of my mind.

But it was honestly one of the greatest experiences. And over so soon. The way the car sounded, the way it glided into each and every corner – it did exactly what I told it to do. And I listened to Marc – I trusted the car.

Then it was straight to a mentoring session with Marc and one of the engineers to take me through my telemetry. My top speed was 260kms down the straight which was 21 off Marc, so not too bad. I really thought I was going faster and my gearing wasn’t too bad but I second guessed myself into the braking zones. All in all, I’m not too bad a driver.

Again, getting a private session with such notable member of the Ferrari team was mindblowing. What an honour. I waited a good twenty minutes or so for my hands to stop shaking, just in time for me to saddle up again and jump back in the car to hit the road.

Let me set the scene here. Not only am I sitting on the wrong side of the car, I was about to embark on my very first drive through Europe on the wrong side of the road, with two race car drivers and in a Ferrari. I’m sure you all know this but they tend to drive a little faster than us in Europe. I’ll just leave it there.

The very first turn onto the main road was frightening, I was about to turn onto the wrong side of the road and traffic was bedlam. I was already lagging behind. The fear was if I got lost, what would I do? The walky talkies only reach the next car after a certain distance. That would be interesting. But I pushed on, it’s not too hard to spot three Ferrari’s in the distance down the highway.

I can’t say that I spent a whole lot of time looking around at the sites and scenery. The task at hand was clear and simple – be smart, stay focused, do not be the girl that bins a Ferrari.

I’m not going to lie, it was a little petrifying at times. With so much power underneath me, and the drive up the hill to get to our pit stop comprising a catalogue of winding roads, tight hairpins, and blind corners. I was just praying that there were no cars coming from the other direction. It was quiet at this stage though, and it was like we owned the road for a good hour through the hills of Huelva, before stopping of at Zalamea la Real.

The descent was certainly more gratifying as I felt more at ease after an hour of power. On the drive back I savoured every moment of driving I had left with this beautiful beast. It really was a pinch yourself moment. No worries, nothing in my mind, just pure happiness. This is what I get to do for a living and it’s certainly one of the best days in the office I’ve ever experienced.

The car loved the track but it felt at home on the road too. Can you imagine getting to drive this everyday? But, I’m grateful enough to of had this experience. As I made my last run La Palma del Condado, a quintessential Spanish street, lined with palm trees and breathtaking architecture, I finally took her out of manual mode, for the first time, cruising back into the track. It was all over so soon.

Day Five

Home time. Adios Amigos!

Dear diary,

This will be my last entry as I sign off from my final stint on the plane, bound for Melbourne. Last night was the perfect ending to one of the greatest moments of my motoring career.

We enjoyed our last supper altogether in a private dining room at Casa Manolo Leon. Again, very fancy. Everyone was comparing their top speeds and surprise, unfortunately I wasn’t at the top of the rankings. But we were all exhausted. We left dinner ready for a big sleep and with our certificates from the event, signed by Marc

Gené – something to go up on my wall.

I’m so grateful for the past few days and for this opportunity. I visited a new city, made new friends, ate some of the finest Spanish food, learnt so much about different facets of racing, and met one of the coolest cars I’ve probably ever driven. Plus, I’m ever coming home with a new wardrobe.

I’m not sure when I’ll get to experience something like this again, but next time I might get a head start and practice my track skills beforehand, and I will most definitely be taking carry on only!