RACE 1
On the day in which Eliseo Donno (Radicci Automobili), thanks to his fifth success of the year, extends his lead in the Trofeo Pirelli standings and Roger Grouwels (Kroymans – Race Art) obtains his first seasonal success in the Coppa Shell, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe celebrates, in its sixth and penultimate round of 2023 on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the first champions of the thirty-first edition.
Third place is enough for Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo – Herter Racing) to mathematically win the Coppa Shell title, while Franz Engstler (Charles Pozzi GT Racing) celebrates the conquest of the Trofeo Pirelli Am with another triumph. In the close challenge of the Coppa Shell Am, victory for Motohiko Isozaki (Cornes Motors Shiba).
Pirelli Trophy
Thanks to a determined performance, Eliseo Donno manages to transform the pole position, achieved in qualifying with a time of 2’21″346, into his fifth victory of the season, successfully containing the comeback attempts of his closest pursuer also in the general classification , Thomas Fleming (HR Owen – FF Corse), ultimately second and now 28 points behind the leader.
The Salento driver, making his debut on the Ardennes circuit, after an excellent start and a Safety Car phase to restore the track following an uneventful exit at the rear, maintained his advantage at the top of the race, also taking the additional point for the fastest lap in 2’24”274.
Accompanying the two young duelists on the podium is the former Formula 1 driver, Adrian Sutil (Gohm – Baron Motorsport), who precedes Bence Valint (Rossocorsa – Ferrari Budapest) and Szymon Ladniak (Gohm – Scuderia GT).
The first 2023 Ferrari Challenge Europe champion arrives from the Trofeo Pirelli Am, where Franz Engstler completes his chase for the title with another perfect day.
After pole position in the morning, with a time of 2’23″715, the German got the better of Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha), second, and Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing), third, and achieved his eighth success of the season, with the best lap time of 2’26”919. At the foot of the podium stops Enzo Potolicchio (Ferrari of Central Florida), author of a positive test, with some laps in the lead.
Shell Cup
Roger Grouwels, who started from pole position thanks to a time of 2’25”394 in qualifying, maintained the lead of the race without taking any risks, which was also complicated by light rain and the entry of two Safety Cars due to contacts with no consequences for the drivers . The Dutchman took the checkered flag first, also earning the additional point for the best lap time of 2’29”392.
Second at the finish line was Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport), ahead of Axel Sartingen who, thanks to third place, won the 2023 title, also the result of five successes, four pole positions and four fastest laps.
In the Coppa Shell Am, second victory of the season for Motohiko Isozaki, who thanks to the points also from the pole position and the fastest lap in the race, reaches the top of the general ranking, overtaking Kirk Baerwaldt (Kessel Racing), forced to abandon the contention in the stages initials.
Henrik Kamstrup (Formula Racing) and Matthias Moser (Gohm – Baron Motorsport) also exited early following a contact that cost Josep Schumacher (Eberlein Automobile) a 25-second penalty. Completing the day’s podium are Giuseppe Ramelli (Rossocorsa – Pellin Racing), second, and Tommy Lindroth (Gohm – Baron Motorsport), third.
Action on the track
Photo by: Ferrari
RACE 2
The second day of the penultimate round of the season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit recorded the victories of Thomas Fleming (HR Owen – FF Corse), who keeps the race for the Trofeo Pirelli title open, and of Manuela Gostner (CDP – MP Racing) in the Coppa Shell.
Franz Engstler (Charles Pozzi GT Racing) celebrates his triumph in the 2023 Trofeo Pirelli Am with another success, while Giuseppe Ramelli gets his first success of the year in the Coppa Shell Am.
Pirelli Trophy
After the pole position obtained in the morning, in a qualifying session made more uncertain by the asphalt conditions still partly wet from the night’s rain, Thomas Fleming maintained the leadership throughout the test and crossed the finish line first. The race ended under the Safety Car due to an unconsequential exit from the track at the rear a few minutes from the end.
The young British driver, who also earned the additional point of the fastest lap in 2’23”129, thus reduced the gap from the leader of the general classification, Eliseo Donno (Radicci Automobili), to 19 points. After yesterday’s victory, the rider from Salento had to settle for fourth place, still recovering three positions from the starting grid. On the podium, however, goes Bence Valint (Rossocorsa – Ferrari Budapest), second, capable of fending off the overtaking attempts of a determined Adrian Sutil (Gohm – Baron Motorsport), third until the end.
Perfect weekend, in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, for the new champion of the series Franz Engstler, who recorded the pole position, the fastest lap with a time of 2’25″430 and first place, after a test always conducted in the head.
The challenge behind him was tight with Hendrick Viol (Scuderia Praha) second, repeating the result of Race 1, while third place went to the American Enzo Potolicchio (Ferrari of Central Florida) thanks to the decisive overtaking against Claus Zibrandtsen (Formula Racing), fourth.
Rankings. With a victory each in Belgium, Eliseo Donno and Thomas Fleming continue the challenge in the Pirelli Trophy, which sees the Italian ahead by 19 points as mentioned and the verdict postponed to the last round of the season on the Mugello circuit, in the week of the World Finals at the end of October. Franz Engstler, who became champion of the Trofeo Pirelli Am, now boasts a 70 point lead over his closest pursuer.
Shell Cup
With the title of series champion already in his pocket, Axel Sartingen (Lueg Sportivo – Herter Racing) starts from first position on the grid, thanks to the best qualifying time of 2’26”192, but a spin on the first lap while defending himself from a Manuela Gostner’s attack relegates him to the center of the group. The Italian takes the lead in the race, followed by Roger Grouwels (Kroymans – Race Art) and Ernst Kirchmayr (Gohm – Baron Motorsport).
The trio proceeded in close contact throughout the race, with Manuela Gostner managing to successfully defend herself and cross the finish line first for the third time this year, also obtaining the additional point for the fastest lap in 2’28”609 . Behind Grouwels, second, and Kirchmayr third, Alexander Nussbaumer (Gohm – Scuderia GT) and Thomas Gostner (CDP – MP Racing) classified in order, in a test which recorded 55 overtakings.
In the exciting Coppa Shell Am challenge, with an excellent start Giuseppe Ramelli managed to take the lead and, thanks also to the fastest lap of 2’30”374, to pass the checkered flag first. Pole man Motohiko Isozaki (Motors Cornes Shiba) had to settle for second place, while Kirk Baerwaldt (Kessel Racing) made up for a less than positive first day on the Belgian circuit with third place overall, progressing by eight positions compared to the start.
Rankings
Behind the 2023 champion Axel Sartingen, Manuela Gostner reaches second position in the general ranking, where she precedes Alexander Nussbaumer by 11 points and Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) by 13. In the Coppa Shell Am, on the eve of the last round, Motohiko Isozaki leads 12 points ahead of Kirk Baerwaldt, 31 over Henrik Kamstrup (Formula Racing) and 32 over Giuseppe Ramelli.
Ferrari Challenge UK
The circuit in the Ardennes also hosted the final act of the British Prancing Horse single-make series. The last race of the season saw H. Sikkens (HR Owen) cross the finish line first ahead of Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) with the latter becoming champion of the Trofeo Pirelli. In the Shell Cup, Paul Hogarth (Stratstone Manchester) celebrates the title with his sixth success of the season.
Next appointment
The last round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe is scheduled in the eagerly awaited week of the Finali Mondiali from 24 to 30 October on the Mugello circuit in Italy.
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