What are peoples views on this.....drive it like you stole it from day one, HP gains but long term issues or gently does it for 1k miles for long term life but boring. I dont do many miles and dont keep cars for long.....I know I have answered my own question but am interested in other opinions.

I asked this when I picked up my car last March, they said no run in period was needed, just (as always!) let the car get up to working temps and drive like you want to drive.

But you are going to find different opinions on this until the end of the earth

A brand new engine, with delivery single miles on its clock, needs bedding in.
A new engine is still tight, after manufacture, and even though there is little likely hood of damaging the unit, it still makes sense to drive gently for the first few thousand miles.

Every new car ive owned, ive treated them the same way, and have never had any serious mechanical issues in the many years ive been driving.

There's nothing boring about gently bedding in the internal components of your new engine, especially one as highly tuned as the Abarth.

Other components also need to bed in such as gearbox brakes and tyres.