Interview with Ferrari Racing Driver Tani Hanna

The first thing to admit is that becoming a professional racing driver takes a lot of time, dedication, and, of course, a good dose of talent. Racing is not about being able to drive fast or having the fastest car; racing is having the ability behind the wheel, being accurate, doing the same lap repeatedly, dealing with the pressure of racing and the downheartedness of being beaten, and a lot more! If you didn’t race a kart before your 18s, it does get significantly harder. The 56-year-old Lebanese Ferrari owner and racing driver Tani Hanna began his racing career only a few years ago, becoming the first Lebanese to enter Ferrari's record books.

"Like most young boys, the curiosity to move the car is intrinsic. I always liked to dismantle and assemble things. I was lucky to be surrounded by family members who owned cars," Hanna says.

"In my younger years, I always managed to convince them to give me the key, which allowed me to valet their cars and spend time cleaning their cars. My reward was to start the car, listen to the engine, and move the car for a few meters in the house yard. It gave me great pleasure. This was the foundation for my appreciation and passion for cars."

Tani Hanna’s first ever race was at the Bahrain International Circuit on December 1, 2011, in Round 1 of the Maserati Trofeo JBF RAK Series. In 2018, he was the first Lebanese to win the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific Championship at the Fuji International Speedway, a well-known track for having one of the longest straights. Starting in front and leading all the way in Race 1, the Lebanese driver dominated the Coppa Shell class. He beat many Trofeo Pirelli drivers and also set the fastest lap time of 1:44.622 on the second lap of the race. Coming in second were Eric Zang of China and Eric Cheung of Canada. In the 4th round, Hanna was able to deliver great results by winning over a total of 38 drivers that battled it out on this circuit.

"My best experience was in Round 4 in Fuji in 2018, where I took pole position in Q1 and finished first in Race 1, ahead of the Pro category. Despite the interference of the safety car in the race, I maintained an overall win till the end of the race," he revealed.

Tani Hanna drew inspiration precisely from the legendary British race-car driver who won the 1976 Formula One, James Hunt, and one of the greatest F1 drivers who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991, Ayrton Senna. These heroic drivers made up the sport, and their invincible spirit made it move forward.

"All the top drivers are great and superheroes for me, but if I really have to choose, it will be James Hunt for his personality and way of life. He was reckless and fast on the track and lived a flamboyant lifestyle outside the track. I also have great respect and admiration for Ayrton Senna for his consistency and dedication to the sport and as a family man."

There are many reasons to fall in love with Ferrari. The Italian automaker is considered by many car enthusiasts to be the world’s best manufacturer of the most beautiful supercars. Not to mention the extremely rich history of this brand. Hanna is one of Ferrari’s fanatics. With no short list of the greatest Ferrari road cars of all time, the Prancing Horse has a lot of breathtaking past and modern models, but who doesn't have a weakness for a special Ferrari model?

"Every Ferrari made has a slightly different personality, but above all, I am still in love with the 599 GTO."

The luxury sports car maker is fully aware that if they don’t build an SUV model, they will lose out on potentially lucrative customers. Tani Hanna might seem somewhat shocked by the SUV (sport utility vehicle) introduction. However, he personally hopes Ferrari’s SUV will drive like one.

"Hell no. I am certain Ferrari will not build just an SUV. If they go down that road, they will have to come up with something so revolutionary that it cannot be compared to any other SUV on the market. It will be so different and so advanced that it will not even be considered an SUV."

Who doesn’t have dreams of becoming an F1 driver? Sadly, age is one of the main criteria for joining Formula One and is considered an obstacle.

"Not even in my dreams," said Tani Hanna, who typically thinks that getting an F1 car rolling is hard at his age. "My interest in racing started only a few years ago at a late stage in my life. It will be unrealistic to even think that I will be able to handle an F1 car at that point."

Formula 1 is a competition that needs no introduction but is unfair. If you take the best driver in the world and give him a less powerful car, he’ll probably lose, but this is not the case with the red team.

"They have a good car now," the SF1000, Ferrari’s 2020 F1 car, "but the drivers and team should try better."

Everyone expects better results with Charles Leclerc, Sebastian Vettel, and Carlos Sainz, who will replace Vettel at Ferrari for the 2021 season after signing a two-year deal with the sport's most famous team.

Hanna always had a fantasy of owning and building his own race track.

"I think about it a lot, but thinking is one thing, and having the money is another."

The popular quote by Enzo Ferrari, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it’, gives hope and makes you feel that everything is attainable. "I am sure Enzo did not mean to just sleep and do nothing about it. You have to get out of bed, go after it, and then maybe you can achieve it."