Reports from the Jerez paddock

A hot weekend, at times scorching, at the Andalusian circuit of Jerez, where the third round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe took place. The high track temperature was not only in the air but also on the track, with six races delivering thrilling and closely fought battles for the third round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe 2024. 

First-timers. Those who, after Saturday’s races, had expected a round characterised by double-wins across many of the five classes were proven wrong by Sunday’s dramatic turnarounds. This allowed several drivers to climb onto the top step of the podium for the first time. Philipp Baron (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team) in Trofeo Pirelli, Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) in Trofeo Pirelli Am, and Manuela Gostner (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) in Coppa Shell all celebrated their first top-step finish. The only double-win came from Fabrizio Fontana (Formula Racing) in Trofeo Pirelli 488, who mirrored his success from Balaton.

Revenge. After an eight-year wait, they finally got their revenge on the Spanish circuit. Few drivers present at Jerez this weekend also competed in the last Ferrari Challenge Europe event at the Andalusian track in 2016, but among them, Philipp Baron and Manuela Gostner were certainly the happiest on Sunday. The Austrian driver, at the wheel of the Ferrari 458 Challenge Evo for Rossocorsa in 2016, secured a fifth and runner-up spot with his best time in Race-2 of 1’50”540. In 2024, eight years later, Baron managed to win at Jerez in Race-2 with a best time of 1’44”610 in the Ferrari 296 Challenge, driven by Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team. In 2016, in Coppa Shell, Manuela Gostner, driving the 458 Challenge Evo for Ineco-MP Racing, was unable to go beyond an eleventh place with a time of 1’54”431 in Race-1, before being forced to retire in Race-2. This year’s victory came for the South Tyrolean with a best time of 1’46”051, at the wheel of the 296 Challenge for Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM.

Young challengers. In 2023, it was Eliseo Donno and Thomas Fleming – both in their twenties, one Italian and the other British – who animated the championship with their intense rivalry leading up to the Finali Mondiali. This year, the script seems set to repeat with Giacomo Altoè (Emil Frey Racing) and Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa), both in their twenties, one Italian and one Hungarian, fiercely competing with an eye towards progressing to GT3, much like their successful predecessors. However, the competition isn’t limited to just these two, as Luca Ludwig, Philipp Baron, and Luca Engstler are ready to challenge them.

Winning streak. What started somewhat as a whim, with his inseparable friend and coach Stefano Gai, Fabrizio Fontana’s venture (Formula Racing) in the Ferrari Challenge Europe is turning into a triumphant march. The Italian, who celebrated his 50th birthday with twin wins at Balaton, continued his streak at Jerez, claiming all the available points in the round. Fontana thus reached 100 points, dropping only 5, due to a runner-up finish at Mugello and the fastest laps recorded by Andreas Bøgh-Sorensen in the Italian round and Tommy Lindroth at Balaton.