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Thirty-one-year ago, the Ferrari 126C Formula 1 car contested a drag race against an Italian jet fighter. Here is a short video of the event.
It happened on November 22, 1981 at the Istrana military airport in Italy.
The Ferrari driven by Gilles Villeneuve was the 126C model, powered by the 580-horsepower, 1.5-litre, turbocharged V-6 engine.
The jet was a Italian Air Force F104 Starfighter. The drag race took place on one of the runways of the airport, covering a total distance of one kilometre from standstill.
After a first run, Villeneuve asked the Ferrari mechanics to remove the rear wing (that generates massive drag) in order to reach a better top speed.
The race ended with a clear victory of the Ferrari F1 car due to the fog that forced the jet fighter to take off with some extra weight and a bit more flap angle than normally needed.
It happened on November 22, 1981 at the Istrana military airport in Italy.
The Ferrari driven by Gilles Villeneuve was the 126C model, powered by the 580-horsepower, 1.5-litre, turbocharged V-6 engine.
The jet was a Italian Air Force F104 Starfighter. The drag race took place on one of the runways of the airport, covering a total distance of one kilometre from standstill.
After a first run, Villeneuve asked the Ferrari mechanics to remove the rear wing (that generates massive drag) in order to reach a better top speed.
The race ended with a clear victory of the Ferrari F1 car due to the fog that forced the jet fighter to take off with some extra weight and a bit more flap angle than normally needed.