14/06/2013
NEWS STORY
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Grand Prix winner Giancarlo Fisichella, with a little help from Ferrari, has been wowing fans in Jerusalem as part of the city's Peace Road Show.
The event, organised by the Jerusalem City Council, and supported by Kaspersky Lab, one of the Maranello outfit's partners, saw a crowd of 60,000 turn out on Thursday to watch the Italian driver do a total of ten runs, split into the three parts, along a 2800 metre course, which ran through the hilly streets of the city.
Fisichella hit speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h) and delighted the crowd with some burn-outs and simulated race starts. "It was really a fantastic and incredible feeling," said the Italian. "Driving in front of so many people in such a historic place was very exciting as indeed was visiting the Old City this morning. It's been a truly memorable day for me."
There was an even bigger crowd today for the second and final day, over 180,000 spectators turning out on what is a holiday or pre-holiday for the majority of inhabitants of the historic city.
The crowd was enthusiastic and in party mood and got into the spirit of the event, which was to bring a series of motor sport symbols both two and four-wheeled to the fans and to the people who live in a country where motor sport was actually banned up until two years ago.
Once again, the star attraction Fisichella and his Ferrari, the Italian at the wheel of the F60 for a dozen or so laps. "It was an honour for me to be here and I want to thank Ferrari, Kaspersky Lab and the city for having made this event possible," he said live via the on-board radio linked directly to Israeli television which was broadcasting the run. "I really hope I can come back here next year!"
The Italian driver was clearly moved by the warmth of the welcome he got in Israel and by the enthusiasm of the crowd. "Even if I'm not racing in Grands Prix anymore, I still get to drive fantastic cars like the Ferrari in events like this, but I don't believe I've ever experienced such a special atmosphere as here in Jerusalem. These have been historic days and unforgettable ones for me.
"I'm now dashing back to Italy to prepare for the most important racing event of my career," he continued, "the Le Mans 24 Hours, in which I will race an AF Corse 458 GT2. It is one of the most important races in the world and winning it last year was one of the best moments of my career. It will be difficult to repeat that feat this time, but I will give it my best shot and I know I can count on having a fantastic car and team."
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