The inaugural round of the 2024 Ferrari UK Challenge season continued today at the historic Brands Hatch circuit, where spectators witnessed another action-packed day of competitive racing in the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes. Sunday presented drivers with an opportunity to experience an alternative track configuration on the longer 2.4-mile GP circuit.
Qualifying 2. In Trofeo Pirelli, Thomas Fleming (HR Owen) continued his electric pace on the very technical GP circuit, laying down the fastest time of 1:27.873. Newcomer Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) demonstrated his significant improvement during the session, pushing the 488 Challenge Evo with great success to achieve a 1:28.781, placing him second on the grid. An incident involving Haymandra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) brought out the red flag and a subsequent early close to the session after 27 minutes.
In Coppa Shell, Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) saw a vast improvement in his fortune during qualifying on Saturday, as he posted a blistering flying lap to secure pole with a time of 1:32.051. Conversely, Darren Howell (JCT600 Brooklands) was unlucky to suffer an early spin coming out of Paddock Hill, which ruled him out of Race 2.
Trofeo Pirelli. Poleman Fleming made a great start, building a lead ahead of Yates within the first few corners. Further back in the order, John Dhillon (Graypaul Nottingham) spotted his opportunity to pass Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) as they exited Druids, but Dhillon ran narrowly wide, allowing Morrow to valiantly claim back the position. The threat clearly motivated Morrow, who pushed onward towards second-placed Gilbert Yates, bringing the gap down to below 1 sec by lap 4.
A gearbox issue 10 minutes into the session disrupted Morrow and forced his retirement by lap 6. This allowed Dhillon to continue his charge towards the podium places. The incident behind served as motivation for an already determined Yates, who subsequently capitalised and strengthened his grip on second place. Meanwhile, Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) continued to show great improvement, posting quicker times as the race progressed. But once again, it was the talented Fleming who maintained his blistering, consistent pace ahead of the field.
With 10 minutes to go, Dhillon found his best rhythm of the race and began to close in on Yates, closing the gap to less than 1 sec by the final lap, but the UK Challenge debutant remained cool and composed, assuredly holding on to second place. Fleming delivered his second successive victory of the weekend, followed by Yates, who secured a first podium on his maiden weekend in the series. Dhillon followed close behind, achieving his second podium trophy of the weekend.
Coppa Shell. Saturday’s race winner Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) pushed his 488 Challenge Evo hard from the start and quickly consolidated a 5 second lead ahead of the group. Behind him, a determined Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) sensed an opportunity to pass confident rookie Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon) after only a few laps. Despite Dewhirst’s lack of initial race pace, he was not willing to relinquish a podium place to returning racer Gary Redman (Graypaul Nottingham). Dewhirst pushed his car to the limit and established a comfortable lead ahead of Redman by lap 7.
Dewhirst’s pace improved and before long he appeared in Hunter’s rear view mirror. The Dick Lovett Swindon driver pushed relentlessly and with 10 minutes to go, the gap between the pair had reduced to just 0.3 seconds. However, Dewhirst lost a few seconds after a mistake in sector 2, relieving the pressure on Hunter.
In the final laps, Robert Rees continued his dominant display lapping on average 1 sec quicker than his Coppa Shell counterparts, and secured his second win of the weekend, 13 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. Completing the podium were Hunter, who finished second, and Dewhirst, third.
Next round. The next round in the Ferrari Challenge UK race series takes place between Friday 10 - Saturday 11 May 2024 at Oulton Park, Cheshire. Both qualifying and race sessions can be spectated live at the circuit or online at live.ferrari.com.