Great anticipation for the European debut of the Ferrari 296 Challenge, the ninth car to star in the 32 editions of the series, the first to be fitted with a 700 HP V6 engine, which allows it to reach a specific power of 234 horsepower per litre.
The drivers will be divided into five classes: as always Trofeo Pirelli and Am, Coppa Shell and Am, to which will be added the 488 Challenge Evo, a category created specifically for those who have chosen to race with this model. In all of them there will be a mix of young motorsport promises and gentleman drivers, ready to compete, in six rounds, on the most iconic circuits of the Old Continent before the World Finals in Imola next October.
Pirelli Trophy
A large group of talented young drivers will compete in the main classes of the Ferrari Challenge, with the ambition of retracing the exploits of champions such as Nicklas Nielsen and Thomas Neubauer who, after having distinguished themselves for the results obtained in the Prancing Horse single-make series, are today protagonists in the main covered wheel championships as official drivers of the Maranello company.
Among the participants of the first round there will also be the young Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst), reigning champion of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK, who has already taken part in the first round of the British series at Brands Hatch. Jean-Luc D’Auria, driver of the Emil Frey Racing team with whom he shares other commitments in motorsport, also with Ferrari, appears for the first time.
Facing them will be long-time drivers, such as the Tuscan Max Mugelli (CDP – Eureka Competition), Philipp Baron (Gohm Motorsport – Baron Racing Team), with already 5 titles in the Ferrari Challenge between 2008 and 2013, Luca Ludwig (MERTEL Motorsport) and Franz Engstler (Gohm Motorsport – Engstler), the latter capable of two titles in two years in the Coppa Shell and Trofeo Pirelli Am and today landed in the highest class of the championship with equally ambitious ambitions for success. Also among the starters is former F1 driver Timo Glock (Autohaus Ulrich).
Among the Ams, several protagonists of the latest edition will be at the start, including the German Hanno Laskowski (Emil Frey Racing) and Marco Zanasi (CDP – Pinetti Motorsport) determined to take up Engstler’s legacy, alongside a large group of debutants, such as the young Laura Villars (Zénith Scuderia).
Racing action
Photo by: Ferrari
Shell Cup
A challenge between well-known faces and new recruits also in the Shell Cup, where, among others, Manuela Gostner (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM), winner of the Le Mans round in 2023, Alexander Nussbaumer (Gohm Motorsport – Haupt Racing Team) will be back at the start ), James Weiland (Rossocorsa), already a protagonist this year in the Japan and North America series, and Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing), the latter in his twentieth participation in the Ferrari Challenge, alongside the winner of the 2023 Am class, Motohiko Isozaki (Cornes Motors Shiba).
With four Italians and three Germans as the most represented nationalities, there are 19 entries in the Am class, where drivers from 13 countries will compete.
#19 Eliseo Donno, Radicci Automobili
Photo by: Federico Basile | AG Photo
488 Challenge Evo
There are eight drivers registered for the Mugello round who have decided to face the season with the 488 Challenge Evo, who will be part of a specially created class and who will take to the track together with their Coppa Shell opponents.
Ferrari 296 Challenge. Presented at the World Finals last October at Mugello, the 296 Challenge is, as mentioned, the ninth car featured in the Prancing Horse single-make series, making its debut in the European series (in the North American one it made its debut last weekend in Texas at the Circuit Of The Americas).
Derived from the 296 GTB road car, compared to this one the racing car features a de-hybridized engine, therefore without the electric engine and high voltage battery, a choice which has allowed the overall weight to be limited to 1,330 kilograms dry and to increase the power.
Plan
After the free sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the weekend gets underway on Saturday 4 May with the qualifying sessions of the Coppa Shell & 488 at 9.00 am, the Trofeo Pirelli e Am at 10.00 am and the Coppa Shell Am at 11.00 am .
The first races will be held in the same class sequence at 2.00 pm, 3.10 pm and 4.20 pm over a distance of 30 minutes (+1 lap). On Sunday 5 May the program repeats with the same times.
Qualifying and races from Mugello will be streamed on live.ferrari.com and on the official Ferrari channel on YouTube with commentary in English.
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