Notes from the Mugello paddock

Following the Japanese, UK, and North American series, Ferrari Challenge Europe fired up its engines for the 2024 Season. The engines in question were those of the new Ferrari 296 Challenge, the ninth model of car to race in the Prancing Horse’s single-marque series. The venue for the first event was the traditional Mugello circuit, where the 296 Challenge made its debut during the Finali Mondiali 2023, hosting the Ferrari Challenge for the 43rd time in its 32-year history.

Super fast. The 296 Challenge immediately showed its full potential on the undulating Scarperia track. Even drivers new to the car quickly expressed their admiration for its attributes as early as the Wednesday tests, particularly praising its aerodynamics and notably increased speed compared to the 488 Challenge Evo. This was evidenced in the lap times, the race results and the qualifying performances. The 1'47"199 lap time set by Timo Glock (Autohaus Ulrich) in the first timed practice session – the fastest of the weekend – knocks more than two seconds off the best performance ever recorded in the Maranello manufacturer’s single-marque series.

Multicoloured spectacle. Beyond the speed is also the aesthetic appeal and vibrant colours. The grid of the weekend’s six races – two more than in the past due to the new Ferrari Challenge format and the large number of entrants – provided a spectacle of colour and joy. It’s not just a few who’ve noticed that this year teams and drivers are showcasing unprecedented creativity in personalising their 296 Challenge cars, whose setups seem to provide more room for designers’ imaginations to flourish. Cars with garish colour combinations and daring wrapping will accompany us for the season: from the palm trees and colours of Josef Schumacher (Eberlein - Schumacher Racing) to the unmissable shark’s teeth of Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing), from the dragon of Ruslan Sadreev (Scuderia Praha Racing) to the clown that distinguishes the car of Herbert Geiss (Maranello Motors).

Newcomers. Like every start of the season, there were plenty of new faces among the 70 entrants in the Ferrari Challenge paddock, enriched by the presence over the two days of Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver Scuderia Ferrari HP, whose presence injected an extra dose of enthusiasm. Between the usual tasks, collecting the new kits, briefings and photos, there was also room for some absolute firsts in the race and on the podium. Fabrizio Fontana of Formula Racing celebrated the first ever race in the Ferrari Challenge, in the 488 class, by spraying the sizable group of fans with the winner’s champagne in Race-1. Zois Skrimpias of Ineco - Reparto Corse RAM savoured an equally gratifying triumph, securing victory in Race-2 of the Coppa Shell Am. Experienced campaigners celebrating their maiden victories included Tibor Valint (Ferrari Budapest - Rossocorsa), Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing), and Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing) in the Trofeo Pirelli Am category, and Andreas Bøgh Sorensen (Formula Racing) in the 488 class.

Family affair. Celebrations at Valint’s home on the Italian weekend. Lining up in Coppa Shell and embarking on his inaugural journey in the Ferrari Challenge was Tibor Valint, with a long experience in other championships but absent from racing for several years. But the Hungarian is not one to let himself be intimidated and with a mindful, determined race he clinched an immediate win. The second day was more unfortunate, with a spin in qualifying that relegated him to 18th place on the grid, which he eventually improved to tenth. Italy is a lucky charm for his son, the young Bence Valint (Ferrari Budapest - Rossocorsa), who arrived at Mugello after a triumph in the 2023 season of the single-marque series at the Misano circuit. After the runner-up spot in Race-1, Bence took the victory in a hard-fought Race-2, leading in the overall standings in the run-up to the second round at his home circuit, Balaton. A promising start that sets the stage for what could be a satisfying season.