Seven months ago, my first encounter with the 12Cilindri was a different story entirely. Driving it through the public roads of Greater Noida was frankly terrifying. Being swarmed by commuters who hovered inches from the car at every turn was a lesson in pure anxiety. I was constantly terrified of brushing that expensive Italian paint against a rogue fender or a wandering bike. Even when I reached the Yamuna Expressway, where there is technically enough space to have some fun, you still can’t truly open the performance taps on something dealing 830 hp. You are always holding back, always defending your space.

But today, the context has finally changed. I am at the Buddh International Circuit with three laps of open tarmac and a team of Ferrari’s own factory test drivers to ensure the only thing I hit is the apex.

The training is an anatomical recalibration. The piloti don’t just tell you to go fast; they strip your technique down to the bone. They coached me on precise hand positioning to manage the hyper-fast steering rack and the exact placement of my feet to balance the car's immense weight under heavy braking. We worked on movement progression, learning how to roll into the power rather than snapping at it, and stitching together the perfect racing lines.

Free from the stress of public roads, I can finally listen to that naturally aspirated V12. It is a mechanical freak of nature. Despite having twelve cylinders and six times the displacement of a high-end superbike, it revs with that same frantic, lightweight urgency. However, you have to work harder for the soundtrack these days. Thanks to new emission norms, the exhaust is "hushed business" at a cruise compared to the raw wail of the old 812 Superfast. But as you stay pinned and hunt that 9,500 rpm redline, the banshee wail returns in full force.

It defies physics that an engine this substantial can spin that fast. By my final lap, I was grinning ear to ear in my helmet having become the first in my bloodline to drive a V12 Ferrari on a race track.