WinteRace 2023 | Drive Tastefully
9th – 11th March 

The Glamour Of Classic Cars Comes To Cortina

Image credit – WinteRace

Famed as one of the most celebrated destinations in the Dolomites and one of Cortina’s most iconic properties, the Grand Hotel Savoia in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a Radisson Collection Hotel, combines sophistication with timeless elegance.  Sophia Loren posing for paparazzi at the 1956 Winter Olympics; David Niven featuring in The Pink Panther in 1963; the roar of vintage cars around hairpin bends in the dead of winter…. These are just a few flashbulb moments from Cortina d’Ampezzo’s glamorous past. But this is a place where the golden age of travel never ended, and the town continues to make history. For over a century, Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina has enjoyed a ringside seat, offering the inside track to one of Italy’s most beautiful mountain destinations.

As well as the natural drama to be uncovered in the mountains surrounding the hotel, Cortina's annual cultural and sporting events draw thousands of visitors; with white-knuckle classic car races down the steep mountain roads during WinterRAID in January, WinteRace in March, and the Coppa d’Oro in summer; the international annual Italia Polo Challenge for adrenalin-fuelled snow polo tournaments; record-breaking ski competitions such as the Cortina World Cup; and art, fashion and food taking centre stage all year round. In 2026, Cortina d’Ampezzo will once again host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and there is plenty to do at the Grand Hotel Savoia, with seasonal pop-ups, family activities and gourmet dining experiences available in both winter and summer.   

Image credit – Italia Polo Challenge

This year's WinteRace – the annual classic car racing competition through the Dolomites – will be tackled by 70 cars and their international crews, with the tenth anniversary of this high octane spectacular taking place from 9th to 11th March 2023. A total of 45 historic cars and 25 iconic cars will be taking part in this glamorous challenge which snakes its way through the routes across the mountain valleys. All cars will be involved in both legs of the challenge, covering a total of 400 kilometres between Italy and Austria, and there will be over 60 time trials that cars and drivers will have to face in order to get their name into the Hall of Fame at the finale celebration event.

Image credit – WinteRace

The first leg of this epic race starts on Friday 10th March, leaving Corso Italia in Cortina d' Ampezzo at 9:00 am. During the first leg, the crews will cross 5 scenic passes: Falzarego, Valparola, Gardena, Campolongo and Giau, to finally return to Cortina d'Ampezzo at 5:30 pm. 

Meanwhile, the second leg of the WinteRace will start on Saturday 11th March at 9:00 am, again from Corso Italia in Cortina d'Ampezzo. This leg will roll along the Italian and Austrian roads to Lienz and beyond. A final part of the drive threads past Lake Misurina, and the arrival back in Corso Italia becomes the final showcase of the race, where the presentation of the cars takes place before the public in the main square.

This great annual event will end on Saturday 12th March, with a black tie gala dinner and the WinteRace Awards Ceremony at the iconic Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina, a home the WinteRace has enjoyed for many years with racers creating the ultimate "drivers' club" at the venue.

Start your engines and go hell for leather to bag the best viewing spot of the WinteRace in the Ampezzo Valley. Can't make it in time for the race? Grand Hotel Savoia is the perfect base from which to discover the year-round events hosted in this spectacular corner of Italy. The drama of the Dolomites makes up the panorama on display just outside the cosy comfort of your room, whilst the hotel prides itself on offering the very highest standards of service to its esteemed guests.  Your room awaits....

Image credit – Gaelle Le Boulicaut

For further information and images, contact Rosalind Milani Gallieni:

E: rosalind.milani.gallieni@tttassociates.com 
M: +44 7778 625710
W: www.bspokeassociates.com

Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina:

www.grandhotelsavoiacortina.it/en/

High Res Images:
click here

WinteRace:

www.winterace.it/en/hotellerie-2/

High Res Images:
www.bit.ly/WinteRace_Images2022