---
title: "Watch Top Gear‘s Stig Manhandle a Ferrari 488 Pista Around Dunsfold Aerodrome"
description: "Even with his infinite skill and lengthy racing experience, the feisty stallion proved to be a handful and demanded the utmost precision."
date: "2019-06-17"
modified: "2019-06-17"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/28565/watch-top-gears-stig-manhandle-a-ferrari-488-pista-around-dunsfold-aerodrome"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "Ferrari News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "People"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Ferrari"
---

# Watch Top Gear‘s Stig Manhandle a Ferrari 488 Pista Around Dunsfold Aerodrome

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-17-at-2.51.41-PM.jpeg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Reliability and user-friendliness are just two of the many characteristics that separate modern-day Ferraris from their often unreliable and difficult predecessors. However, just because Maranello's new creations feature programmable driving modes and a plethora of adjustable settings, it doesn't mean they're actually easy to drive—especially at their limit—and especially one as hardcore as the [Ferrari 488 Pista](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/21494/2019-ferrari-488-pista-first-drive-review-in-italy-the-pista-is-a-real-pissah>).

Further proving my point is [*Top Gear*](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/25943/heres-your-first-look-at-the-upcoming-top-gear-season-26>)'s tame racing driver, the Stig, who recently took a Pista around the British TV show's test track, and by the looks of it, it wasn't exactly a Sunday drive. The *BBC* show uploaded [onboard footage](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udna8nCk6ns&feature=youtu.be>) of the Stig's drive to its YouTube channel and we were surprised to see just how hard he/she struggled to keep the 710-horsepower, lightweight supercar on the racing line at all times.

https://youtube.com/embed/udna8nCk6ns

The steering inputs made during the 1.75-mile lap must range in the hundreds, and at times the Stig had to countersteer rather abruptly to make sure the rear end of the Pista didn't go buck-wild and send the collectible Italian into the grass. Furthermore, if you pay close attention to the upshifts and downshifts, you'll notice that the Stig upshifts early mid-corner about three or four times during the lap, rather than riding the powerband through the entire corner and upshifting at the exit. This leads us to believe that the [Pista is a tail-happy monster](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/25825/watch-chris-harris-be-moved-by-the-ferrari-488-pistas-exquisite-track-manners>), which isn't a bad thing at all, but it's also surprising considering Ferrari's special track creations like the Pista are famous for their near-perfect balance and composure.

As the lap comes to a close, [the Stig can be seen](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/24124/google-maps-street-view-easter-egg-shows-the-stig-drift-the-top-gear-test-track>) aggressively manhandling the Pista through the last few corners while feathering the throttle to keep it facing the right direction. For a driver that's typically cool, calm, and very, very smooth, this is quite alarming. Is the Pista really this difficult to handle, or could it be that tires were cold or the track green?

Watch the video and judge for yourself.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)