Altoè and Hassid win first races at Paul Ricard

The first day of competition in round five of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France saw victories for Giacomo Altoè (Emil Frey Racing) in the Trofeo Pirelli and Henry Hassid (Kessel Racing) in the Coppa Shell. Both drivers thus further extended their leads in their respective classes. Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) secured his fourth consecutive win in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, while Zois Skrimpias (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) came first in the Coppa Shell Am. Fabrizio Fontana (Formula Racing) notched up his eighth seasonal win in the Trofeo Pirelli 488. French Ferrari official driver Lilou Wadoux is at Le Castellet as Race Advisor for the Prancing Horse one-make series weekend.

Trofeo Pirelli. Starting from pole position with a qualifying time of 2’00”974 in his Ferrari 296 Challenge number 2, Giacomo Altoè secured another convincing victory. The young Italian delivered an authoritative performance, pulling away from his rivals and crossing the finish line with the fastest lap time (2’02”617). Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa) came second with a consistent performance, while former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock (Autohaus Hulrich) took the third step of the podium.

The Trofeo Pirelli Am race was thrilling and fiercely contested, with Dane Claus Zibrandtsen holding on to first place at the start. Shielded by the drivers from the higher class, he claimed another victory, extending his lead in the overall standings, further aided by the extra point for the fastest lap in class. British driver Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) took a third consecutive second place, while Marco Zanasi (CDP - Pinetti Motorsport) was third.

Coppa Shell. Frenchman Henry Hassid went from pole to victory, leading his rivals from start to finish. The race began with a Safety Car and a red flag following a collision at the back of the pack, from which the drivers escaped unharmed. Once the track was cleared, the overall standings leader extended his advantage, securing his third win of the season with the fastest lap time of 2'04"919. Manuela Gostner (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) was runner-up, while Alexander Nussbaumer (Gohm Motorsport – Haupt Racing Team) claimed third after overtaking Tibor Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa) on the last lap. Valint finished fifth, just behind the returning Ernst Kirchmayr (Kessel Racing).

Zois Skrimpias recorded his eighth podium and fifth time on the top step in the Coppa Shell Am. After starting from the first box on the grid, the Greek driver held the lead for the entire 30 minutes and also set the best lap time in his class. Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) finished behind him, while the young German Jan Sandmann (Kessel Racing) was third.

Trofeo Pirelli 488. Fabrizio Fontana, who started from first position in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo class, won again with the fastest lap. The Italian further stretched his lead in the overall standings, finishing ahead of newcomer Gabriele Bini (CDP – Eureka Competition) and Ivan David Mari (Garage Zénith – Best Lap – FCI).

Programme. The second day of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe runs tomorrow, Sunday 28 July, with qualifying sessions from 9 a.m. The 30-minute races will begin at 2 p.m. with the Coppa Shell and Trofeo Pirelli 488, followed by the Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am at 3:15 p.m., and concluding with the Coppa Shell Am at 4:30 p.m. All qualifying sessions and races will be streamed live on live.ferrari.com and the official Ferrari YouTube channel with free access and English-language commentary.