Sam Smeeth was the fastest of the Trofeo Pirelli drivers in the first qualifying session of the
2019 Ferrari Challenge. The Baron Motorsport driver received the Motegi Golden Wheel, traditionally awarded to polemen.
By a whisker. At the end of the thirty-minute session, the British driver stopped the clock at 2:02.893, just 53 thousandths of a second in front of rookie Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi - Courage) and 126 thousandths of a second ahead of Niccolò Schirò (Rossocorsa), also making his debut in the
488 Challenge.
Surprise in the Pirelli Am. The rookie Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (Rossocorsa) was fastest in the Pirelli Am category, finishing an excellent qualifying session in fourth place overall, just 386 thousandths of a second behind the poleman. The third row will see
Louis Prette (Formula Racing) who finished four-tenths of a second behind Smeeth, and Alessandro Bonacini (Kessel Racing). Behind them were two Pirelli Am category drivers,
Jack Brown (Graypaul Nottingham) with the seventh fastest time and
Manuela Gostner (Ineco - MP Racing), the quickest of the Ladies.
David Gostner (Ineco - MP Racing) and
Kent Chen (Formula Racing) complete the top ten.