Reports from the Brands Hatch paddock

Andrew Morrow failed to win either of the Trofeo Pirelli races in round three of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli UK contested at the Brands Hatch circuit. The Charles Hurst driver had triumphed at least once in the previous two rounds. In the Coppa Shell, meanwhile, a driver other than Paul Hogarth won for the first time in 2023. The Stratstone Manchester team driver had won all the first five championship races in his Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo. However, in Race-2 at Brands Hatch, he lost out to Paul Simmerson.

Two are better than one. The Brands Hatch track is famous for its changes in gradient and undulations, giving spectators an almost complete overview of the entire track. The track in Kent, near London, is also known for the series of turns immediately after the start straight: Paddock Hill Bend, Druids Bend, Graham Hill Bend, and Cooper Straight form a kind of horseshoe up and down the hill. Another special feature: the dual configuration. In the two days of the Ferrari Challenge UK, on Saturday, the British drivers competed on the Indy (shorter) layout and, Sunday, on the GP layout, recording markedly different times. This also affected the result of the two races, with different winners on the two days (H. Sikkens and Graham De Zille for the Trofeo Pirelli and Paul Hogarth and Paul Simmerson for the Coppa Shell).

Le Mans victory. The event also heard an echo of the great triumph at Le Mans, with the presence as race advisor of James Calado, recent winner, alongside Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi, of the Centenary 24 Hours with the Ferrari 499P. The Briton appeared and basked in the applause of Challenge drivers and customers at the gala dinner on the circuit on Saturday evening at the Passione Ferrari Hospitality. Calado showed the public the prestigious cup won in the Loire.

Exploring liveries. Besides John Dhillon (Graypaul Nottingham), who chose the Italian tricolour for his 488 Challenge Evo, another driver customised his car with a flag. William Tewiah (Graypaul Nottingham), a newcomer to the British series, opted for the colours of his home country, Ghana. The flag comprises equally sized horizontal bands in the Pan-African colours of red, gold and green with a five-pointed black star in the centre. Red stands for the blood of the people who died in the struggle for independence, gold refers to the nation’s mineral resources, green symbolises Ghana’s rich forests and natural resources, and the black star represents the symbol of African emancipation and unity in the struggle against colonialism.

Paul always wins. Coppa Shell Race-2 saw Paul Hogarth’s consecutive victories end at five. He had won every race from the start of the championship to Saturday. Another Paul, this time with the surname Simmerson (Graypaul Birmingham), interrupted this dominance on Sunday. So in 2023, there has always been a Paul on the top step of the podium. But there were even more Pauls in the Coppa Shell: Paul Rogers (JCT600) was also on the entry list.