Altoè and Dhillon triumph in Race-2 at Portimão

Giacomo Altoè (Emil Frey Racing) and John Dhillon (Graypaul Nottingham) claimed victories in the races on the second day of the fourth round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe, held this weekend at the Portuguese circuit of Portimão. Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) secured a back-to-back win in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, while Jan Sandmann (Kessel Racing) clinched his first victory in the Coppa Shell Am. Fabrizio Fontana (Formula Racing) continues to hold the lead among the drivers of the Trofeo Pirelli 488. The Andalusian round of the Prancing Horse’s single-marque series featured Ferrari official driver Miguel Molina as Race Advisor. Molina, a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Hypercar 499P No. 50, will take to the track next week for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the fifth round of the FIA WEC.

Trofeo Pirelli. Giacomo Altoè returned to victory, claiming his fourth win in the six races contested so far this season. This win propelled the young Italian driver to the provisional lead of the overall standings, with a two-point advantage over Philipp Baron (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team). Following an intense battle in the early stages of the race, Altoè capitalised on the withdrawal of the leader Luca Ludwig (MERTEL Motorsport). Altoè then steered his Ferrari 296 Challenge to a first-place finish. Philipp Baron secured second place, while Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa) climbed onto the third step of the podium after a remarkable comeback and a decisive overtake against a positive Luigi Coluccio (Radicci Automobili – Best Lap – FCI). Coluccio, making his debut in the championship, finished in fourth place.

The Trofeo Pirelli Am race saw a tightly contested battle at the front, featuring a remarkable 46 overtakes. The race culminated in a doubly dramatic finish, handing victory to Claus Zibrandtsen, marking his second win of the weekend. The Danish driver, who started from pole position, was forced to chase after the provisional leader Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing) was disqualified for failing to heed the orange and yellow flag. Marco Zanasi (CDP – Pinetti Motorsport), who recorded the fastest lap in class, went off the track, allowing Zibrandtsen to retake the lead and cross the line first. Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) finished second, while Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo – Herter Racing), the reigning Coppa Shell champion, secured third place in his Ferrari Challenge season debut.

Coppa Shell. John Dhillon claimed his first victory after a long battle with Henry Hassid (Kessel Racing), who crossed the line first but received a 10-second penalty for contact with the British driver. The Frenchman, leading the overall standings, finished second with the fastest lap of 1’44”680, while Tibor Valint (Ferrari Budapest – Rossocorsa) took third. Manuela Gostner (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM), who started from pole with a qualifying time of 1’42”959, was forced to retire after several laps.

Jan Sandmann demonstrated his continued improvement by securing pole position in the morning's qualifying session and then effectively maintaining the lead throughout the 30- minute second race of Coppa Shell Am. The race, punctuated by two Safety Car periods to allow the track to be cleared after two mid-pack incidents, saw Sandmann celebrate his first victory in the Ferrari Challenge, posting the fastest lap in his class. He finished ahead of Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) and Zois Skrimpias (Ineco - Reparto Corse RAM), the current leader of the overall standings.

Trofeo Pirelli 488. Fabrizio Fontana's triumphant march in the 488 Challenge Evo class continued, securing victory from pole position in the second race of the weekend. Tommy Lindroth (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team) finished second, while Pino Frascaro (Rossocorsa) claimed third.

Upcoming round. From Portugal, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe series moves to France for the final round before the August break. The fifth round will be contested from 25 to 28 July at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet.