Grosseto (Italy): Ferrari's Michael Schumacher will go up against a powerful new opponent tomorrow (Dec 12, 2003) - an Italian Air Force fighter jet.

The six-time Formula One world champion will race his Ferrari F2003-GA against a Eurofighter Typhoon over three distances - 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters (546, 1,093 and 1,640 yards).

Experts are predicting that Schumacher will win the two shorter races courtesy of Ferrari's excellent acceleration and that the jet will show its brute force by taking the longest race.

The plane will have to avoid taking off and stay on the ground to win, which will take extra control since it normally requires only five seconds to take off.

The event at the Baccarini military airport in Grosseto is expected to draw as many as 70,000 spectators and will be shown live on Italian State TV.

This will not be the first time a race-car has raced against an airplane.

In 1931, Tazio Nuvolari, the best auto driver of his day, drove his Alfa Romeo 8C-300 faster than a Caproni Ca100 airplane. And in 1981, Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari 126 beat an F-104 plane over a distance of one kilometer (0.6 miles).

Agencies