Penélope Cruz has stepped into the shoes of Laura Garello. This name is probably not familiar to many, not even to Ferrari fans, despite the fact that she is one of the most prominent women in the history of the Italian brand. Garello (1923-1978) was the wife of the founder of the Cavallino Rampant team and is one of the central characters in the film Ferrari, which premieres in Spain this Friday, February 9.
The Spanish actress gives life in the film to the woman who in 1947, the year Ferrari was created, became one of the brand’s main bastions from a business point of view. Penélope Cruz masterfully portrays the role of Laura Garello, whose influence and contributions to the management and international projection of the company were fundamental, although her story has been largely overshadowed by the figure of Enzo Ferrari.
To play the role of Enzo Ferrari’s wife, played by actor Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz has had to face her fear of driving, as she revealed in an interview published in Elle magazine as part of the promotion of the film. This film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023 and later hit theaters in the United States in December of the same year.
The Madrid actress told Elle that she is “afraid of driving” and said that when she was a child she witnessed an incident that has marked her for life. “My sister (Mónica) was hit by a car in front of me when I was eight or nine years old,” says Penélope Cruz. “For me, time stopped, because she lost consciousness. So I was not aware that this was going to become a trauma for me. That’s why now I have that relationship with speed. I’m afraid of speed. Over the years, I have seen that cars are a threat to me,” added the actress.
Before accepting the role in Ferrari, Penélope Cruz asked Michael Mann, director of the film, if she had to drive one of the Maranello brand’s famous sports cars. Mann confirmed that she would not have to get behind the wheel, so Pe breathed a sigh of relief and responded affirmatively to the director’s proposal. “I read the script and told him I really wanted to work with him.”
The fear of driving that Penélope Cruz admits she suffers from is a pathology suffered by more than 28% of drivers, according to a study by the CEA Foundation (European Automobile Club) echoed by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in its publications. It is known as amaxophobia and is an irrational fear of getting behind the wheel. This behavior can manifest itself in various ways, from mild nervousness to extreme anxiety or panic attacks when faced with the task of driving a vehicle.
People who suffer from amaxophobia may experience a number of physical and psychological symptoms, such as sweating, palpitations, tremors, difficulty breathing, or catastrophic thoughts while behind the wheel or even just thinking about driving. This phobia can have a variety of causes, ranging from previous driving-related trauma to a lack of confidence in one’s abilities to drive a car.
To overcome amaxophobia, the CEA Foundation recommends working on the regulation of emotions, identifying them both on a physical and psychological level, in order to develop appropriate crash strategies until gradually achieving control over oneself and the vehicle. It is also important to work on self-esteem, so it is advisable to work with psychologists specialized in amaxophobia.
