Reports from the Portimão paddock

The second of three consecutive events in the Mediterranean area of Europe took place in the Algarve, at the Portimão circuit, a track particularly appreciated by the drivers and teams of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe, which returned for a visit after a two-year gap.

296 Challenge at full power. Just a short time after the last event at the Autodromo International do Algarve, it is natural and significant to compare the performances between the previous Prancing Horse single-marque series car, the 488 Challenge Evo, and the new 296 Challenge, which made its debut in the European series this year, earning praise and appreciation from all series participants and the professionals involved.
Regardless of the drivers' qualities, the stopwatch showed the fastest pole position in 2024 by Luca Ludwig with a time of 1’41”476, while Dorian Pin, the protagonist of the 2022 edition, took pole position in Race-2 with a time of 1’43”263. In the race, the best time in 2022 was set by Pin at 1’44”600, while this year, Luca Ludwig again recorded the top time at 1’42”997.

Two years do not pass in vain. Many drivers returned to Portimão after their 2022 experience, some in the same class, others quickly climbing to higher championship categories. In the Trofeo Pirelli Am, the only returnee was Hanno Laskowski, joined by Axel Sartingen, making his season debut in the Ferrari Challenge, who fought for victory with Franz Engstler in Coppa Shell two years ago. In Coppa Shell, Manuela Gostner, who finished fourth and fifth in 2022, claimed victory in Race-1 this year before being forced to retire in the second race.

Newcomers. The fourth round of the Ferrari Challenge brought a wave of new drivers, with several making their debut in Portugal, not only in the championship but in the world of racing in general.
Formula Racing fielded three new drivers in the Trofeo Pirelli Am class – the Danish trio of brothers Anders and Jacob Bidstrup and Andreas Borris.
In the Trofeo Pirelli, youngster Luigi Coluccio (Radicci Automobili – Best Lap – FCI), already a protagonist in GT championships, made his debut. After acclimatising on Saturday, the Italian recovered six positions from the starting grid on Sunday to finish a positive fourth after a close battle with Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa).

Tight standings. At the end of the fourth round, the two classes of the Trofeo Pirelli showed the closest standings yet, with drivers separated by very few points. In the Trofeo Pirelli, the weekend rewarded Giacomo Altoè (Emil Frey Racing), who, thanks to a second and first place, took the leadership. However, Philipp Baron (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team) is only 2 points behind. Bence Valint is not far off either, at 15 points behind, setting the stage for an intense second part of the season.
The standings in the Trofeo Pirelli Am are even more uncertain, with three contenders within a few points of each other. Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) leads, thanks to his two victories in Portimão. Six points behind is Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing) and Italian driver Marco Zanasi (CDP – Pinetti Motorsport) at seven points. Others still in contention and not to underestimate include Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst), who this year is combining his commitment to the UK series with the European one.

The champion strikes back. After missing the first three rounds, Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo – Herter Racing) made his season debut in the championship, arriving in the Algarve as the European champion and 2023 Finali Mondiali Coppa Shell champion. For the German, it was a natural progression to the Trofeo Pirelli Am. After misfortune prevented him from starting Race-1, the experienced driver was in the thick of a convincing second race, staying at the front with his 296 Challenge and ultimately finishing an encouraging third. Against a host of young drivers chasing the title, Sartingen could become a wild card to reckon with in the second part of the season.