Formula (1) for peace

Formula 1 icon Giancarlo Fisichella is looking forward to driving a Ferrari through Jerusalem – and the city is lapping it up

By ALLON SINAI
Mayor Nir Barkat tries out the Ferrari521 (photo credit: Noam Finer)
Mayor Nir Barkat tries out the Ferrari521
(photo credit: Noam Finer)
With 231 Formula 1 races in 14 years under his belt, including three wins and 19 podium finishes, you would think there was very little that could excite Giancarlo Fisichella.
However, the 40-year-old Italian, whose last F1 race was four years ago, seems genuinely thrilled to be driving a Ferrari F1 car through the streets of Jerusalem next week in an exhibition event billed as the “Jerusalem Peace Road Show.”
Up to 100,000 spectators will be able to watch the cars along the 2.4-kilometer course, which will run by the walls of the Old City, among other sites in the capital.
The F1 car will be displayed at the First Station from June 9 to 13, with a Superbike motorcycle show to be held as well, among other activities.
However, the undoubted highlight of the event will be to see the scarlet Ferrari driven by Fisichella zipping through the streets of the capital on June 13 and 14.
“I’m really very much looking forward to driving an F1 car in Jerusalem,” he tells In Jerusalem. “I [was] there in March for the launch of the event, and I am sure it will be a great success in terms of the public.”
In hosting the F1 showcase event, Jerusalem will join a list that includes Moscow, Rotterdam, Doha and Rio de Janeiro, giving local fans their first opportunity ever to see an F1 car in action in Israel – even if it is only an exhibition.
“I have participated several times in similar events in unusual locations, like Moscow just in front of the Kremlin,” Fisichella says. “It’s a fascinating experience, and I love it because you drive an F1 car very close to the fans without all the pressure you usually have during race weekends.”
He looks forward to getting “the chance to drive a Formula 1 car on the streets of a city that is as fascinating and full of history as Jerusalem. I’m sure the event will attract lots of people along the track – a genuine circuit that will wind up and down through the hills.”
It was the event organizers, headed by the Jerusalem Municipality, that decided on the name “Peace Road Show,” which some may view as pretentious. But while he’s aware of how little impact it may have on the region, Fisichella is at least hoping that the exhibition can help create better understanding between Jews and Muslims.
“I think it will be a good opportunity to bring motor sport and Formula 1 close to people who don’t have real chances to see these cars and bikes very closely,” he says. “I can only share the words that Mayor Nir Barkat said on the occasion of the launch of the event: ‘Jerusalem is a city that is open to everyone, and it is important to send a message of peace without any political meaning. We hope to have Jews and Muslims all together to see this most beautiful display of motor sport up close.’” Barkat, who is running for reelection in October, added at the time that the exhibition would be a “historic event” and claimed it would help the city’s growth.
“It will be beneficial for the economy, tourism and the promotion of the city all over the world,” the mayor noted. “Jerusalem has 5,000 years of history, but it cannot and must not stand still.
Instead, it must embrace the modern day.”
The event is a co-production of the municipality and multinational computer security company Kaspersky Lab, which is also a major Ferrari sponsor.“ I hope this unique project will be a bright beginning to a new big racing story,” says Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky.
While motor sports are among the most popular events across the world, with F1 revenue alone currently estimated at around $2 billion a year, Israel has long resisted holding professional races in the country.
It was only in 2011 that the Culture and Sport Ministry made motor races legal, and the closest the country has come to hosting a race has been in Eilat over the past couple of years, with the southern city holding a Formula 3 weekend on its 1.5-km. circuit.
Considering the expenses of building a track and the volatile nature of the region, holding an F1 Grand Prix in Israel, even in the distant future, seems as unlikely as the national soccer team winning the World Cup (for which it hasn’t even qualified since 1970). However, Fisichella is at least hoping to boost his sport’s popularity in the country.
“Events like this are essential to increase the popularity of our sport,” says the Italian. “I’m especially happy about the fact that here we will have the chance to do a real, full lap instead of the usual straight-line run, which often takes place on occasions like this.”
He adds that “it is difficult to say” whether Israel will ever be able to host an F1 race. “There are already almost 20 races, and I have heard that there are several countries which are pushing hard to be included in the next few years, so it would be difficult to do it in a short-medium term. But never say never.”
With Fisichella still taking part in prestigious races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he continues to enjoy the rush so few others get to experience.
However, he admits that he still relishes every opportunity he gets to drive an F1 car. “I have [had] a very long career in Formula 1, finishing it [by] accomplishing a child’s dreams, as it is, driving for Ferrari,” he says. “Now I am enjoying being part of the Ferrari family, racing in GT competitions in events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is still plenty of fun. But of course, driving an F1 car gives you a special feeling, and it’s nice to taste it from time to time.” •