Q&A MARIO FASANETT0

Lamborghini chief test driver Mario Fasanetto

Lambo test driver: the world’s greatesttest job?

Many would say you have the best job in the world…

It is, I really love what I do. It’s always been my passion to become a test driver. I was born in a small town near Sant’agata and I remember when I saw my first Lamborghini. It was a white Countach and for me it was like a space shuttle. It was amazing, I was so surprised by it.

How long have you been a test driver with Lamborghini?

I started in 1985, so 32 years ago, and I became test driver in 1993. After that I moved to a different area inside Lamborghini, and since 1998 I’ve been in R&D, which is where we test all the new prototypes. So the Huracan Performante isn’t a new car to me. I’m already working on something new. That’s the best part of my job. I see the cars many years before everyone else. It’s amazing.

How do today’s cars compare to past Lamborghinis?

When I started in 1985 we had the Countach QV5000 and the Jalpa, 3.5-litre V8. It was a totally different universe, not just a different world. These were cars you were really able to drive; they had no electronic controls, they were really hard. And the cockpit was really tight, even for me and I’m not so tall. But they were amazing. Those cars gave me big satisfaction.

Do you have a favourite?

For each model I’ll tell which variant I enjoy to drive. For Diablo it was the GT. The Murcielago, the SV, same for Aventador, both are just unbelievable to drive. And for the Huracan it’s the Performante.

But if you had to have one…

I’d take Aventador. Or Performante. The Aventador’s lines and the noise are amazing. But the Performante, it’s not easy to leave behind on the track. It’s really, really fast.

Have you ever crashed?

Yes, sometimes it just happens. Around 95 percent of my job is on the track, so sometimes it’s unavoidable. I’m testing new components and sometimes when I have to test the limit of a new component… well, when you find the limit it’s normal that something happens. Then I make sure we improve it for the customer.

How do the police treat you?

It depends. Sometimes they stop me just to check out the car because even for them, they love the cars. But if you exceed with the speed there is no way they let me off. So I have to be careful.

What’s Urus like?

I drive Urus almost all day, every day. That’s my focus. And… I can’t tell you more. Sorry.

What’s an average day look like for a Lamborghini test driver?

I have two different types of standard day. In the factory I wake up at 6:15am, then drive 20km to work, have a small meeting and leave about 6pm. At the track, which is far away from the factory, I start about 7am and then test all day. Some days I’m still on track until 7 or 8pm.