About half way up the Mugello Circuit's long front straight I started to laugh. I'd already been in the gas for what felt like eternity, clicking through the gearbox in a foot-up display of happiness. And then I realized I still had another 1800 feet of fun left ahead of me. This really is everything I hoped Mugello would be, and even if I'm still trying to find my way around the track, I'm having an absolute blast doing it.
Stepping back, I'm here in northern Tuscany, Italy, taking part in the Ducati Riding Experience Track Master course, working on things like body position, lines, and trail braking (for which there will be a review in an upcoming issue of Cycle World magazine, and on the Cycle World website). Each of the Track Master students is on Ducati 1299 Panigale S models, and I'm being instructed by Ducati's official test rider, Alessandro Valia, a man who has always blown me away with his smooth, stylish riding style.
Turns out, Valia is a top-notch instructor too, working with me and the rest of our three-rider group to identify and correct weak points in our riding. It's hard work taking what he recommends and trying to apply it when back out on track, but what I realize is you have to slow down and think about those concepts rather than the bigger picture: going fast.
By the end of the day I was able to get a few clean laps and those skills started to become more natural. Here's a clip from later in the day, to give you a better idea of just how amazing the Mugello Circuit is—fast, flowing, with some elevation and enough technical sections for it to be a challenge, which we happen to appreciate.
Oh yeah, and then there's that front straight...
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