With authoritative, gritty performances, Roger Grouwels (Race Art - Kroymans) and Michael Simoncic (Baron Motorsport) have been crowned 2020 Coppa Shell World Champions at the World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano Adriatico. The spectators were unfortunately absent, but the clear skies provided the perfect setting for the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo cars and their drivers who staged a fierce battle throughout the entire 30 minutes of the 2020 Finale Mondiale.
No sooner had the race started when the bitter, season-long feud resumed between Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) and Roger Grouwels, who managed to get the better of the Austrian driver with a perfect overtaking manoeuvre at turn 8 and take the lead. Behind them was Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo) starting from third place, who immediately set about hunting down the two frontrunners.
In Coppa Shell AM, pole-sitter “Boris Gideon” (Formula Racing) got off to a tricky start, dropping to tenth place overall, third in the class, while Michael Simoncic took the lead ahead of “Alex Fox” (SF Grand Est Mulhouse).
The leading three gradually broke away lap by lap, with Roger Grouwels setting a commanding pace while registering the fastest time of 1:37.135. Following the three pacesetters came Simoncic, Christian Kinch (Formula Racing), Thomas Gostner (CDP - MP Racing), Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) and Corinna Gostner (CDP - MP Racing).
Behind them, the challenge for the podium in AM class was heating up with a battle between "Alex Fox", "Boris Gideon" and Willem Van Der Vorm (Scuderia Monte-Carlo): the latter then collided, forcing the German driver to withdraw prematurely from the competition.
The emotion continued right up until the chequered flag where the new 2020 World Champion Roger Grouwels paraded past in first place ahead of Kirchmayr, Sartingen, Kinch, Thomas Gostner, Scheltema and Corinna Gostner (seventh overall) in that order. The title of the AM class, meanwhile, will be on its way to Austria after Michael Simoncic’s victory, which also saw him pick up the fastest lap ahead of "Alex Fox". Thanks to an amazing passing move on the final lap, Miroslav Výboh (Scuderia Praha) was able to climb onto the lowest step of the podium ahead of Van Der Vorm, hampered by damage sustained during a collision with "Boris Gideon". Fourth place in the class went to Werner Gentner, ahead of the representative from the North American series Lisa Clark (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) and Paul Rogers (JCT600 Brooklands Leeds).