Hamilton and Leclerc sample Ferrari F80 at Fiorano

The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was invited by Ferrari to experience its latest hypercar, described as the most powerful road-going model the brand has ever produced. Joining him was teammate Charles Leclerc, who had already driven the car before and was equally enthusiastic.

Together, the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers put the F80 through its paces on home turf. Hamilton, no stranger to performance cars, was impressed. "It’s the fastest road car I’ve ever been in," he said, noting that this is coming from someone who has driven the Nürburgring-record-holding Mercedes-AMG One among other tri-star exotics.

"Okay, I’ve got to order me some of these one day," he added with a smile, hinting that he may consider buying one of the already sold-out 799 units. He later added: "It’s the fastest road car Ferrari has done. I’ve never driven anything like that on the road. This is another level."

Leclerc was equally complimentary. "It’s the best Ferrari balance I’ve ever driven," the Monegasque said after his latest outing in the F80.

The starting price for the new Ferrari F80 is reportedly €3.6 million ($4.1-million). With the addition of taxes and on-road costs, the price is estimated to be around €5.2 million. However, due to its limited production of only 799 units, the price for a build slot and the car itself can be significantly higher on the resale market.

According to the marketing folk at Maranello, "at the heart of the hypercar's innovation is a next-generation dynamic control system that significantly enhances driving precision."

While earlier Ferraris could estimate yaw angle in real time, the F80 goes a step further by also calculating the velocity of the car’s centre of mass. Both parameters are measured with exceptional accuracy—within one degree for yaw angle and one kilometre per hour for velocity. This refinement improves the responsiveness of key systems such as traction control, allowing for sharper, more intuitive handling.

A key highlight is the introduction of Boost Optimization, a new function built into the car’s ‘Performance’ and ‘Qualify’ eManettino driving modes. This marks a first not just for Ferrari but for the automotive industry as a whole. Once activated, the system identifies the specific circuit the car is on and analyses its layout during a reconnaissance lap.

By mapping straights, corners, and elevation changes, it learns where to deploy additional power most effectively. From the second lap onward, the F80 automatically delivers optimised performance exactly where it is needed—without any further driver input.

A final word on the car from the marketing folk at Maranello: "The result is a hypercar that does more than just respond to the road. It understands it. With the F80, Ferrari has taken another step in integrating intelligence into performance engineering, reaffirming its mission to lead in both innovation and driving emotion."