23 August 2017
Maranello, 23 August 2017 - The Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific is all set for one of the season's most eagerly anticipated rounds, held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Drivers love this track with its long fast turns, very high speeds and enormous safe escape routes. The fifth round of the championship will see the 488 Challenge make its debut in Malaysia. The car, which at 670 hp packs nearly 100 hp more than the 458 Challenge EVO used until last season, will use its advanced aerodynamics to fully exploit the downforce that can be generated above all by the front spoiler whose many aerodynamic features are designed to capture air flows and improve its performance. All the leading drivers will be there and it should be quite a show.
Trofeo Pirelli. Philippe Prette will seek to extend his lead in the Trofeo Pirelli to seal the title on the Singapore track, which will host the sixth round of the championship in conjunction with the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Prette has four wins to his name this season but Angelo Negro has been very consistent, also triumphing in the first race at Abu Dhabi. Local hero Zen Low who has notched up four podium finishes so far, will be seeking to round off his first season in the Ferrari Challenge with a victory, which would be a huge achievement.
Pirelli Am. The Trofeo Pirelli Am class is a three-way fight. Currently, Tiger Wu tops the standings 17 points ahead of Ken Seto. The Chinese Taipei driver has two wins against just one for his Japanese rival who however has been more consistent. The final challenger is Yanbin Xing who has not yet won this season but is just 27 points off first and still very much in the fight for the title.
Coppa Shell. Makoto Fujiwara had an amazing first part of the season in the Coppa Shell. The Japanese driver won the first four races and took two podiums in the others. However, China's Eric Zang monopolised the Fuji round with two victories, which put him back in the running for the championship. Fujiwara can now just settle for a few podium finishes, while Zang has to attack and win. In the Gentlemen's Cup for the over 55s, David Dicker has 22.5-point advantage over Hideo Honda while Kanticha Chimsiri has dominated the Ladies Cup so far.
Trofeo Pirelli 458. Australia's Martin Berry tops the standings of the championship for the old 458 Challenge EVO, having built up a very reassuring lead. His nearest rival is China's Min Xiao, over 50 lengths behind, while Hong Kong's Sam Lok is in third.