Rome to the North Cape in 45 hours: Italian team sets world record

An Italian team led by former racing driver Fabio Barone has travelled from Rome to the North Cape in just over 45 hours, beating Google Maps and setting a new Guinness world record, Italian media reported on Tuesday.

Former racing driver Fabio Barone and co-driver Alessandro Tedini set off on Saturday from the centre of Rome aboard a Ferrari F8 Tributo in an attempt to reach the North Cape in Norway, Europe’s most northerly point accessible by car, in under the 49 hours forecast by the online navigation system.

The team covered the 4,400 kilometres in 45 hours, 20 minutes and 27 seconds, according to the social media channels of the Ferrari Club Passione Rossa, of which Barone is president.

They respected the local speed limits throughout, only letting the Ferrari go at full throttle on Germany's Autobahn, which has none, the Italian federation of timekeepers (Ficr), which made the feat official, said in a statement.

"We were inspired by a feat accomplished all the way back in 1953, when four daring young men in a Fiat Balilla set off from Rome and reached Cape North, returning to the [Italian] capital after 45 days of driving," Barone was cited by Italian news agency as saying.

"For the time the trip was a real feat. From that we had the idea to repeat the venture, adapting it with modern characters."