Monza, 9 April

The nineteenth edition of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli got underway today at the Monza National Circuit, with many important changes, first and foremost being the debut of the new 458 Challenge car that showed surprising improvements on the timesheets.

Other novelties include changes to the race distances, with the first one lasting 25 minutes and the second, which takes place tomorrow, running for 35 minutes. For competitors running the 458 Challenge there are still two distinct categories, the Trofeo Pirelli and the Coppa Shell, the latter for amateur gentleman drivers, while there is now just the Trofeo Pirelli for drivers of the F430 Challenge. After the free practice, today competitors in both the Italian and European series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli were back in action for a double session of qualifying, to decide the grids for the first races of the season, starting from this afternoon.


At the end of the two qualifying runs, the fastest time in the Italian category of the Trofeo Pirelli went to Stefano Gai (Rossocorsa), followed in the first run by Lorenzo Bontempelli (Kessel Racing) and Giuseppe Fascicolo (Motor Piacenza) and in the second run of qualifying, he finished ahead of Lorenzo Bontempelli (Kessel Racing) and Giorgio Sernagiotto (Motor Piacenza). Of the gentleman drivers in the Coppa Shell, best in the first session was Benedetto Marti (Motor Piacenza) who got the better of Mario Molteni (Motor Piacenza) and Giacomo Stratta (Rossocorsa). Of those running the F430 Challenge in the Trofeo Pirelli, Andrea Belluzzi (Motor Modena) set the best time in the two sessions, followed n the first by Giorgio Raffaeli (Ineco MP) and Sossio del Prete (CDP), while in the second he beat Giosuè Rizzuto (Motor Modena) and Roberto Ragazzi (Ineco Ram).

In the European series, the best time for the grid in Race 1 was set by Alexey Vasiliev (Ferrari Moscow) who was followed on the time sheet by the team mate Alexandr Skryabin and Robert Pergl (Scuderia Praha). The grid for tomorrow’s Race 2 will see Alexandr Skryabin start from pole, ahead of Robert Pergl (Scuderia Praha) and Francois Jakubowski (Modena Motors). Quickest in the first Coppa Shell session was Yannick Mallegol (Motor Piacenza) outpacing Dirk Adamsky (Baron Service) and Johnny Laursen (Formula Automobile). In the second, pole has gone to Jean Marche Bachelier (Motor Piacenza) who got the better of Dirk Adamsky (Baron Service) and Johnny Laursen (Formula Automobile). Best of the European F430 Challenge runners was Gerahld Grohmann (Warm Up) in both sessions, finishing ahead Howard Blank (Motor Piacenza) and Carsten Andersen (Formula Automobile).

Racing got underway this afternoon, with the 458 Challenge producing some spectacular action and overtaking, combined with extreme performance. In the first race for the European Trofeo Pirelli, Alexey Vasiliev (Ferrari Moscow) took the win ahead of Max Blancardi (Motor Malucelli) and Robert Pergl (Scuderia Praha). The Shell Cup race saw victory go to Yannick Mallegol (Motor Piacenza) beating Dirk Adamsky (Baron Service) and Johnny Laursen (Formula Automobile), while of those running the F430 Challenge, Gerahld Grohmann (Warm Up) came home first ahead of Alexander Moiseev (Motor Piacenza) and Carsten Andersen (Formula Automobile).

The first race of the Italian Trofeo Pirelli saw victory go to the 2010 champion, Stefano Gai (Rossocorsa) who crossed the line ahead of Lorenzo Bontempelli (Kessel Racing) and Dario Caso (CDP) while Coppa Shell saw victory go to Mario Molteni (Rossocorsa) beating Emilio Rossi (Motor Piacenza) and Tommaso Rocca (Rossocorsa Pellini). Andrea Belluzzi (Motor Modena) took the F430 Challenge win, followed by Giorgio Raffaeli (Ineco MP) and Sossio del Prete (CDP).