A new page has been inscribed in Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli history at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, with a win for sixteen-year-old Finnish driver Luka Nurmi (Formula Racing) - the youngest ever driver in the history of the single-marque series. In Trofeo Pirelli Am, at the end of a fierce fight-back, Sergio Paulet (Santogal Madrid - MST Team) claimed the win on his debut weekend. In the Coppa Shell race, “Alex Fox” (Sf Grand Est Mulhouse) climbed onto the highest step of the podium, while in Am class, Giuseppe Ramelli (Rossocorsa - Pellin Racing) replicated yesterday’s success.
Trofeo Pirelli. With a win sealed at the end of a race hampered by a red flag and two Safety Car incursions, Luka Nurmi became the youngest ever Ferrari Challenge winner. The sixteen-year-old, who started from pole, raced like a veteran, handling the 488 Challenge Evo superbly throughout the entire race, before crossing the final finish-line with a four-second advantage over Michelle Gatting (Scuderia Niki - Iron Lynx), leader of the general standings and John Wartique (Francorchamps Motors Luxembourg - D2P). In Am class, Sergio Paulet triumphed after a race full of twists and turns. Starting from pole, the Spanish driver suffered a collision dropping him down to the bottom of the order. The Safety Car entrances, a long series of overtaking moves and a spin from the current leader Hugo Delacour (Scuderia Monte-Carlo), all helped Paulet to take the chequered flag in first place on his debut, ahead of a fine Delacour, second across the finish-line. Olivier Plassmann (Ulrich Frankfurt) rounded out the podium. At the end of the race, stewards reversed Delacour and Plassmann’s positions, deeming that the Frenchman had not respected track limits, leading to an unfair advantage over his rival.
Coppa Shell. "Alex Fox" claimed the class win at the end of a race hampered by wet track conditions, which finished with the support of the Safety Car, ahead of James Weiland (Rossocorsa) and Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo). The Frenchman took advantage of a frenzied start to open up a safe margin which he held onto until the chequered flag. Behind him, the main protagonist was once again James Weiland, winner in Race 1, who after a series of overtaking manoeuvres had reached "Alex Fox", before a collision between Joakim Olander (Scuderia Autoropa) – until then Am class leader – and Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) triggering a Safety Car entrance, which would remain on-track until the chequered flag. In Am class, it was an open track and clean air for Giuseppe Ramelli who rounded off a perfect weekend with another win in Race 2 ahead of Willem Van der Vorm (Scuderia Monte-Carlo) and Tommy Lindroth (Baron Motorsport), for a sixth career podium place.
Next round. The protagonists of the Ferrari Challenge Europe will be back on track on the weekend of 1-2 May at the Austrian circuit of Spielberg.