Man Driving a Ferrari on Aircraft Carrier Sets World Record for Fastest Car Driven on a Boat

Photo- CNN-News18 YouTube

Italian driver Fabio Barone set a new world record on Thursday by racing a Ferrari across the flight deck of an aircraft carrier at a top speed of 101.9 mph — the fastest car ever driven on a boat.

The unique feat was accomplished by using the longest and straightest piece of equipment available - the flight deck of the Italian Navy's Nove Trieste aircraft carrier. Racing a modified Ferrari SF90 boasting 1085 horsepower, Barone had just 774 feet to surpass his previous record of 94.4 mph set last year.

His car, a Ferrari SF90 Stradale, is a mid-engine PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) that shares its name with the Ferrari F1 car. The '90' stands for the company's 90th anniversary and 'Stradale' is the Italian word for "made for the road." Or in this case, the sea. According to the luxury automaker, the SF90 is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, and 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.7 seconds. With a top speed of 340 km/h (211 mph), it is the fastest Ferrari road car ever built.

Barone's attempt took place while docked at the port of Civitavecchia near Rome, and while the weather didn't cooperate initially, he was able to accelerate, and decelerate, in time to avoid splashing into the ocean. As part of the record-setting setup, Barone had to stop his Ferrari before flying off the vessel’s ski-jump ramp and colliding with a nearby cruise ship.

Weather early in the day was dangerous, as rain left the entire flight deck soaked. After consulting with race engineers, Barone and team elected to carry ahead with the attempt after some afternoon sunshine dried the track enough to ensure safe braking.

“If it remained wet, then of course it’s impossible to have the maximum speed and best brakes. It can be very, very dangerous,” said Barone's race engineer Alessandro Tedino to the Associated Press.

But as the weather cleared, Barone's team and a crowd of eager spectactors decided the conditions were strong enough to make the attempt. In a dramatic entrance with the Top Gun theme playing, Barone’s Ferrari was unveiled by a group of children with Down syndrome serving as honorary mechanics for the day. Naval officers, journalists, and invited guests lined the deck to watch as Barone warmed up the SF90’s V-8 turbo engine.

When the signal was given, Barone took off, and it became clear early on that his Ferrari had enough grip to maintain the run down the ship's entire 774-foot length.

A team from the Italian Timekeepers Federation registered a stop speed of 164 km/h, or 101.9 mph. To corroborate the record, they inspected the Ferrari's speedometer after Barone returned to the crowd.

Roberto Paolino, one of the timekeepers, said in an AP Video by Paolo Santalucia, "We did not have any issues. We just have to check the speedometer to confirm the speed, which was 164 kilometers per hour (101.9 mph), as recorded on the Ferrari's speedometer. We have an official record."

Barone said after the run, "The main thing I focused on is concentration and then I realized I am breaking the record only when I'm halfway. Because once I am aware that the car departed well, I know I will arrive well. If I start badly I will fail."

When asked if the brakes on his Ferrari performed as he'd hoped, Barone quipped: "Quite well, very close to the limit. We got on the ski jump (at the end of the runway)."

Barone and his team will now be submitting their feat to the Guinness Book of World Records.

You can watch the record setting run below (starts around 21:50):

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