Last Ferrari Challenge Europe title awarded at Imola
Imola 17 ottobre 2024
This week’s Ferrari Finali Mondiali is in full swing at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit. The first Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli races took place today amidst intermittent rain. In the Prancing Horse’s European one-make series, Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) claimed the final title, the Trofeo Pirelli Am. Meanwhile, we will only know the result of the North American series title contest after the second round on Friday. The non-competitive Corse Clienti sessions added to the excitement at the Romagna circuit. These featured the sophisticated Ferrari cars from the XX Programme, the historic F1 Clienti single-seaters, and the season’s major innovation: the exclusive Sport Prototipi Clienti, with the 499P Modificata on track.
Ferrari Challenge Europe. Following a Safety Car start because of heavy rain, Trofeo Pirelli poleman Giacomo Altoè (Emil Frey Racing) and Luca Ludwig (MERTEL Motorsport) pulled away on a wet track once the green flag waved. However, a collision took both out of contention for the lead. Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest - Rossocorsa) crossed the finish line first, followed by Philipp Baron (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team) and Luigi Coluccio (Radicci Automobili – Best Lap – FCI).
A fourth-place finish was enough to crown Claus Zibrandtsen European champion in the Trofeo Pirelli Am. Despite securing pole position yesterday and achieving his third win of the season, Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing) could not keep the championship contest alive. Michael Verhagen (Ferrari Warszawa) and Danilo Del Favero (Penske Sportwagen Hamburg) joined Viol on the podium.
Poland’s Andrzej Lewandowski (Autohaus Ulrich) celebrated his first victory in the Ferrari Challenge. He skilfully took the lead in the early stages of the Coppa Shell race and maintained a comfortable advantage down to the finish line. Ernst Kirchmayr (Kessel Racing) was runner-up, while Alexander Nussbaumer (Gohm Motorsport – Haupt Racing Team) secured third place after an impressive comeback, crowned with the fastest lap of 1’50”976.
After a lengthy contest, Eric Cheung (Formula Racing), who started from pole, emerged victorious over Roland Hertner (Gohm Motorsport – Engstler) in the Coppa Shell Am, with Henrik Kamstrup (Formula Racing) securing third place.
In the Trofeo Pirelli 488, Sven Schömer (Ferrari Katowice) claimed top spot, ahead of class champion Fabrizio Fontana (Formula Racing) and Qwin Wietlisbach (CDP-D&C Racing).
Ferrari Challenge North America. Following a thrilling round at the Romagna circuit today, the final results in the American series won’t be available until Friday’s season-ending race. Dylan Medler (The Collection) triumphed in the Trofeo Pirelli, leading from pole to the finish line ahead of Matias Perez Companc (Ferrari of Central Florida) and Roberto Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle). In the Trofeo Pirelli Am, Brian Cook (Ferrari of Seattle) secured first place, followed by Tony Davis (Continental AutoSports) and Ofir Levy (Ferrari of Silicon Valley). Rey Acosta (The Collection) claimed victory in the Coppa Shell race, crossing the line ahead of Eric Marston (Ferrari of Westlake) and Yahn Bernier (Ferrari of Seattle). In the Coppa Shell Am, Roger Monteforte (Ferrari of Central New Jersey) finished first, followed by Gabe Hrib (Ferrari of Atlanta) and Steve Check (Ferrari of Rancho Mirage).
Programme Friday 18th. The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli takes to the track at 10:25 a.m. with the second round of the Coppa Shell Am of the European series. The 296 Challenge Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am EU races will kick off at 12:40 p.m., while the Coppa Shell and Trofeo Pirelli 488 EU events begin at 3:05 p.m. The last race of the North American series season is at 5:20 p.m.
The races can be viewed at: "https://live.ferrari.com "or on the official Ferrari YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Ferrari, with free access and English commentary. Non-competitive programme sessions, featuring the XX Programme, F1 Clienti, and Sport Prototipi Clienti, will take place between the various Prancing Horse one-make series races.