Alien: Covenant actor Michael Fassbender races in Ferrari Challenge series

Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender, known for starring roles in films including 'Alien: Covenant,' 'Steve Jobs,' 'Twelve Years a Slave' and 'Assassins' Creed,' has stepped into the role of racecar driver apart from his obvious talent in acting.

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The German-Irish actor successfully completed the first round of the 2017 North American Ferrari Challenge racing series held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from May 12 to 14. Fassbender is a hardcore fan of Ferrari and its Formula 1 team. The 40-year-old actor began his training with Ferrari's 'Corso Pilota' driving program last year.

"Ferrari is defined by racing, and training with the Ferrari team gave me a great foundation to hone my skills behind the wheel of the 488 Challenge race car," said Fassbender. "From a very early age, I idolized Ferrari and its champion, Michael Schumacher, in particular, so now racing in the Ferrari Challenge brings that dream full circle," he added.

According to the provisional results, Fassbender who started in 17th place out of 25 cars had a qualifying time of 1:31.691 against race leader Marc Muzzo (1:27.753). Fassbender finished 11th in his class and 17th overall in the first race. In the second race, he secured sixth in class and 14th overall.

The Ferrari Challenge series has been developed by Ferrari for clients who have a passion for racing. The series uses a single model from the manufacturer's road car range, suitably modified to make them safe for competitive use. The Challenge is run in three divisions– Europe, Asia, and North America, and Fassbender competes in the North American Ferrari Challenge series.

The next round of the Ferrari Challenge series in North America is at Montreal from June 9 to 11 and the series will end at Mugello after seven rounds.