Italy Will Host A Race Between A Ferrari And An F-35 Fighter Jet

• 26.09.2026, 16:33

The Italian driver is confident that the Italian car will win.

An unusual race is being organized in Italy—a Ferrari SF90 sports car will race against an F-35B fighter jet on a runway. The race will take place at the Italian Navy’s Grottaale base in the south of the country, according to The National Interest (translation by Charter97.org).

The first stage will cover a distance of 500 meters. Behind the wheel of the Ferrari will be Italian racer Fabio Barone, holder of seven speed records. His car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, and its top speed reaches 340 km/h.

The F-35B looks unbeatable on a straight—the fighter jet can reach speeds of about 1,930 km/h. However, in a short sprint, the Ferrari has a chance to pull ahead while the plane is still on the ground and gaining speed.

“It will be very close,” said Barone, speaking about the upcoming race.

After the first start, the vehicles will compete in a second race over a 2.8-km distance. The F-35B must cover the first 500 meters on the ground, after which it will take off and continue the race at an altitude of about 20 meters.

This won’t be Barone’s first unusual start. Last year, he set a Guinness World Record by accelerating a Ferrari to 165 km/h on the deck of a 245-meter-long Italian warship.

“Michael Schumacher has already done something like this,” the racer explained, recalling the 2003 race between a Ferrari and a Eurofighter jet.

At that time, Schumacher won the short-distance race, but over longer distances, the plane proved to be faster.