Ferrari brings Esperienza Ferrari to India for the first time at Buddh International Circuit

Ferrari finally did something in India that it hasn’t really done at this scale before, put its cars directly in the hands of customers on a proper racetrack. Over a weekend at the Buddh International Circuit, owners and invited guests got to drive a mix of road and race cars, rather than just see them up close.

Most of the action was centred around what Ferrari calls Esperienza Ferrari, which, in simple terms, meant seat time on a Formula 1-grade circuit. The cars on offer ranged from the newer 296 GTB and 12Cilindri to the Amalfi and the recently introduced 849 Testarossa. The idea wasn’t to showcase specs on paper, but to let people figure out how these cars behave when you’re not limited by public roads.

Then there was the more serious stuff. Through the Club Challenge Experience, participants stepped into the 296 Challenge and 488 Challenge race cars. These aren’t road cars with track modes—they’re built for racing, and it showed. For many, this was probably the closest they’ve come to driving something that feels like a proper competition machine.

The last part of the weekend was, in some ways, the most relatable. Under Passione Ferrari, owners drove their own cars on the circuit. No display stands, no static showcases—just people using their cars the way they’re meant to be used, even if only for a few laps.

Off track, Ferrari kept things fairly low-key with small group sessions around design and hybrid tech, especially what’s going on with the 296 and SF90. But the real takeaway from the weekend was simple: this wasn’t about presentation, it was about driving.

And that’s probably the bigger shift here. Ferrari in India is moving away from just being seen, to being experienced.

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