Fiorano Circuit
Location
Fiorano Modenese, Province of Modena, Italy
Current Local Time
Track Info
Fiorano Circuit - Fiorano Modenese, Italy
Ferrari's private test circuit beside Maranello - a compact engineering laboratory used to develop road cars, racing cars and drivers
Why was the track built?
Ferrari previously tested at the Modena Autodrome, but increasing safety restrictions and limited availability made development difficult. Enzo Ferrari therefore created a private circuit on farmland beside the company's factory.
Fiorano opened in 1972 and became a working laboratory rather than a public racing venue. Cars could be moved directly from the Maranello workshops to the circuit for testing.
What's the circuit like?
- Short and intense: A lap contains many tests in a small area, leaving drivers little time to rest.
- Figure-eight layout: One section crosses another using a bridge, allowing more corners without requiring a larger site.
- Varied corner types: Hairpins, fast bends and direction changes help engineers examine braking, balance, acceleration and tyre behaviour.
- Wet-weather testing: An irrigation system can soak the asphalt so cars can be evaluated in controlled wet conditions.
What happens here?
- Road-car development: New Ferrari models are tested and adjusted before production or public release.
- Formula One work: The Scuderia uses Fiorano for permitted testing, demonstration runs, filming and initial checks of new cars.
- Racing-car development: GT cars, prototypes and customer racing machinery complete development and preparation runs.
- Driver programmes: Ferrari organises selected training courses and private client experiences at the circuit.
Lap records and benchmarks
- Formula One: 55.999 - Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari F2004, 2004.
- Road-legal Ferrari: 1:17.309 - SF90 XX Stradale, 2023.
- Earlier road-car benchmark: LaFerrari recorded approximately 1:20 during its development programme.
- XX programme benchmark: Track-only experimental models such as the FXX and FXX K sit between road cars and Formula One machinery.
Fiorano does not hold official races. Its times come from private tests using different layouts, tyres and conditions, so not every published lap is directly comparable.
Why is Fiorano important?
Many of Ferrari's most famous road and racing cars were developed here. Generations of Formula One drivers, including Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher, completed thousands of test kilometres around the circuit.
The track has also influenced Ferrari road-car names and options, including the 599 GTB Fiorano and the Assetto Fiorano performance packages.
Can you visit?
Fiorano has no public grandstands or normal race tickets because it remains a private working facility. The most reliable way to see it is through the panoramic shuttle tour offered with the Ferrari Museum in Maranello.
The tour provides views of the circuit and factory area, but it does not normally include unrestricted access to the pits or testing surface.
Where's the best place to watch?
- Official panoramic tour: The best legal and organised option for learning about the circuit and seeing several sections.
- Ferrari Museum: Best for understanding the cars and history connected with Fiorano before or after the tour.
- Public perimeter roads: Limited parts of the track may be visible from public areas, but views are restricted and testing is not scheduled for spectators.
Fiorano is a private Ferrari test facility rather than a public race circuit. Track activity is usually unannounced, and access, photography and tour arrangements may change. Check the Ferrari Museum's current booking information before travelling.
Transportation & Parking
Getting to Fiorano Circuit (Italy)
Fiorano Circuit is Ferrari's private test track beside its headquarters in Maranello. It is not a normal race venue with public grandstands or spectator admission. For most visitors, the official way to see the circuit is to visit Museo Ferrari Maranello and book the panoramic Ferrari Factory and Track Tour.
How to visit Fiorano
You cannot normally arrive at Fiorano, buy a spectator ticket and walk around the circuit. Instead, general visitors should start at Museo Ferrari Maranello.
- Buy admission to Museo Ferrari Maranello.
- Book the Panoramic Factory and Track Tour for an available time.
- Board the official shuttle at the museum.
- Remain on the bus as it travels through the Ferrari factory area and around Fiorano.
The tour lasts around 45 minutes. Ferrari can limit or cancel it when testing or factory activity requires the area, so booking ahead is recommended.
Driving to Maranello
Driving is the easiest way to reach the Ferrari Museum and is especially convenient if you are travelling around Emilia-Romagna.
- From the A1: leave at Modena Nord and follow the bypass towards Abetone and Sassuolo.
- Continue towards: Formigine and Maranello, following signs for Museo Ferrari.
- Navigation: use Via Alfredo Dino Ferrari 43, Maranello.
- Do not navigate to a track gate: public visitors should go to the museum rather than attempting to enter the private Fiorano facility.
Maranello is around 20 km from central Modena, so allow extra time during weekday traffic.
Getting there by train
Modena is the most useful railway station for visitors travelling from Bologna, Milan, Florence or elsewhere in Italy.
- Take the train to Modena.
- Use the scheduled Ferrari Museums shuttle from Modena Railway Station towards Museo Ferrari Maranello.
- Start the Fiorano tour from the museum at your reserved time.
The Ferrari shuttle also connects the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena with the Maranello museum, making it possible to visit both without hiring a car.
Flying in
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is the main international airport for visitors travelling to Maranello.
- Taxi: the simplest direct option from the airport to Maranello.
- Pre-booked transfer: Ferrari lists an official shuttle-transfer booking option from Bologna Airport to the museum.
- Rental car: useful if you are also visiting Modena, Bologna or other Motor Valley attractions.
- Public transport: travel towards Modena first and continue using the Ferrari Museums shuttle.
If Fiorano and the Ferrari Museum are the main reason for your trip, arrange the airport transfer before you travel rather than depending on a last-minute connection.
Parking
Because Fiorano itself is private, general visitors should use parking provided for Museo Ferrari Maranello rather than looking for circuit spectator parking.
- P4: free parking on Via Fornace is reserved for museum visitors.
- Museum square: a smaller municipal car park opposite the museum entrance is also available for a charge.
- Other parking: additional free, timed and paid spaces are available around Maranello.
- Special events: temporary road closures can change the normal parking arrangement.
Fiorano does not operate like a normal race weekend circuit with general spectator car parks and entrance gates.
Understanding the circuit
Fiorano was built by Enzo Ferrari specifically so the company could develop its cars close to the Maranello factory.
- Opened: 1972.
- Length: approximately 3 km, depending on the configuration.
- Purpose: development and testing of Ferrari road and racing cars.
- Special features: telemetry systems and track irrigation allow engineers to reproduce different testing conditions.
- Private venue: it does not have a normal public motorsport calendar like Monza or Imola.
You may see Ferrari prototypes or development cars in Maranello, but testing activity is never guaranteed during a museum tour.
Visitor tips
- Book the track tour early: places are limited and operate only when Fiorano and the factory are available.
- Buy a museum ticket: Ferrari requires museum admission before you can use the panoramic shuttle tour.
- Do not expect to leave the bus: visitors remain aboard throughout the Fiorano and factory tour.
- Allow time for the museum: combine the track tour with the Ferrari collection rather than treating Fiorano as a standalone circuit visit.
- Use Modena without a car: the scheduled museum shuttle makes the train a practical option.
- Save the visitor address: Via Alfredo Dino Ferrari 43, 41053 Maranello, Italy.
For a first visit, plan your journey to Museo Ferrari Maranello rather than directly to Fiorano. Book the official track tour in advance, then use the museum as your starting point.
Fiorano is a private Ferrari testing facility. Public access, tour times and track availability can change or be cancelled because of testing and factory requirements. Check the official Ferrari Museum information before travelling.
Nearby Activities
Things to do around Fiorano Circuit (Fiorano Modenese, Italy)
Fiorano Circuit is Ferrari's private test track beside Maranello, created so the company could develop both racing and road cars close to its factory. It is not a normal spectator circuit, but Ferrari fans can still experience the area through the Maranello museum and panoramic factory tour - with Motor Valley museums, castles, unusual nature and some of Emilia-Romagna's best food nearby.
Family-friendly highlights nearby
- Ferrari Museum Maranello: The essential stop for first-time visitors, with Formula 1 cars, road cars, racing history and driving simulators only minutes from Fiorano.
- Salse di Nirano: Walk around a protected landscape of small mud volcanoes created by gases pushing salty mud toward the surface. Trails make the unusual geology easy to explore.
- Spezzano Castle: A historic castle with frescoed rooms, a ceramics museum, park and picnic area. A walking and cycling path continues toward the Salse di Nirano reserve.
Culture & rainy-day winners
- Ferrari Museum Maranello: Even visitors with little motorsport knowledge can follow the story of Ferrari through famous road cars, racing machines and Formula 1 displays.
- Enzo Ferrari Museum, Modena: A second Ferrari museum built around Enzo Ferrari's birthplace, focusing more closely on his life, engines and the history behind the company.
- Spezzano Castle: The indoor Ceramics Museum explains an industry that has shaped Fiorano and the surrounding district for generations.
Eat & drink around Fiorano
- Maranello & Fiorano: Both towns have trattorias, pizzerias and casual restaurants that are easy to combine with a Ferrari Museum visit.
- Try tortellini: These small filled pasta parcels are one of the best-known foods of the Modena and Bologna area.
- Look for tigelle and gnocco fritto: Both are local breads commonly served with cured meats, cheese and spreads.
- Traditional Balsamic Vinegar: Modena's famous aged vinegar is very different from ordinary supermarket balsamic. Local vinegar cellars and museums explain how it is produced.
Get outdoors away from the engines
- Salse di Nirano: Several trails cross the nature reserve, with visitor centres explaining the geology and surrounding countryside.
- Spezzano Castle park: Use the castle grounds for an easier walk or picnic before continuing along the path toward Nirano.
- Modena countryside: The roads around Maranello and Fiorano quickly open into vineyards, farms and gentle hills that are enjoyable for a relaxed drive.
Summer afternoons can be hot, so take water and sun protection when walking around the reserve or countryside.
Easy day trips if you're extending your stay
- Modena: Explore Piazza Grande, Modena Cathedral and the Ghirlandina Tower, which together form the city's UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Museum: Head to Spilamberto to learn how authentic Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is aged in sets of wooden barrels.
- Motor Valley: Ferrari is only part of the region's motoring story. Pagani, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati attractions can all be added to a longer road trip.
Good to know before visiting
- Fiorano is not a public race circuit: Do not arrive expecting grandstands, race tickets or unrestricted access to the paddock and track.
- Book the panoramic tour ahead: Ferrari Museum visitors can reserve a bus tour of the factory area and Fiorano, but availability is limited.
- The museum and circuit are different places: The Ferrari Museum is in Maranello, while the private test track extends into neighbouring Fiorano Modenese.
- Ferrari expanded its testing facilities in 2025: The newer e-Vortex test circuit sits beside Fiorano and is separate from the historic track.
- Stay in Modena for more variety: Maranello is best for Ferrari convenience, while Modena gives you more restaurants, historic sights and evening options.
Museum exhibitions, panoramic tours, factory access, attraction opening hours and Ferrari testing activity can change - check current information before travelling.