Weekend preview: Ferrari in search of victories in Europe

Ferrari is set for a busy weekend on European tracks with the debut of the DTM and ADAC GT Masters championships at Oschersleben, the International GT Open and the GT Cup Europe at Portimão. The British GT endurance race at Silverstone will also feature a Ferrari 296 GT3 from Sky Tempesta Racing.

DTM. The DTM 2024 title race kicks off at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben near Magdeburg, marking the opening of the 40th season. Two Ferrari 296 GT3s, entered by Emil Frey Racing, will compete in the two races on the 3,667-metre track. The team returns with the same drivers as last season. Jack Aitken will be in car number 14, having secured a third place on this track last year. The Briton also clinched a win in 2023, achieved at the Lausitzring circuit. Young Dutch racer Thierry Vermeulen will be behind the wheel of the number 69 car, eager to make the most of his experience as he pursues his first championship victory.

Following Friday’s free practice, Qualifying 1 runs from 9:55 to 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, followed by Race 1 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, qualifying is from 9.55 a.m. to 10.15 a.m. and Race 2 from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

International GT Open. The International GT Open, which traditionally features many Ferraris, also gets going this weekend. Indeed, ten of the Maranello manufacturer’s cars will take part in the opening round at the Autódromo do Algarve in Portimão. The championship is increasingly competitive, with more competitors and an entry list of 35 cars. The Pro class will see Nicola Marinangeli and Vincent Abril team up in Spirit of Race’s 296 GT3 number 51. Most of the 296 GT3s are entered in the Pro-Am category: defending champions Marco Pulcini and Eddie Cheever are ready for the challenge in Spirit of Race’s number 27, while the same team fields number 88 with Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo. In the same class, AF Corse places its trust in 2020 champions Marcelo Hahn and Allam Khodair, who will drive in the number 16 car, while Alessandro Cozzi and Giorgio Sernagiotto will take the wheel of the number 25. The Piacenza-based team also lines up the 488 GT3 Evo 2020 number 55, with Laurent De Meeus and Jamie Stanley. Luca Ludwig and Ernst Kirchmayr, who also competes in the Ferrari Challenge Europe, will set off in the number 11 Ferrari 296 GT3 of Racing One. Finally, Thor Haugen and Paolo Ruberti will take to the track in the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 number 23 of Pellin Racing. In the Am class, Olimp Racing entrusts their number 5 Ferrari 296 GT3 to Stanislaw Jedlinski and Krystian Korzeniowski.

After Friday’s practice sessions, Qualifying 1 runs from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a 70-minute Race 1 starting at 2.15 p.m. On Sunday, Qualifying 2 is from 9.00 to 9.30 a.m. while the second 60-minute race departs at 12.20 p.m.

GT Cup Europe. The Autódromo do Algarve will host the opening round of the GT Cup Europe, now in its sixth year. The entry list also features the reigning Pro Am champions who remain with Mertel Motorsport but will be racing in different cars. Iván Velasco will team up with Luca Ludwig in Mertel Motorsport’s Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 80, while Jorge Cabezas pairs with Swiss racer Anny Frosio in the number 85. The German team also fields a third entry in the top class, with Stefano Bozzoni and Spaniard Arturo Melgar teaming up in the number 84 car. Still in the Pro-Am category, Rossocorsa Racing will enter the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 17, driven by Lorenzo Innocenti and Andrea Belicchi.

In the Am class, Mertel Motorsport deploys three more Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos: Fernando Navarrete and Álvaro Lobera in car number 81, Leon Rijnbeek and “Mark Speakerwas” in the 82, and an all-female team of Laura Van den Hengel and Alba Vázquez in the 83. Also in the Am category, Street-Art Racing will field the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 007, crewed by Jahid Fazal-Karim and Pascal Bachmann.

The programme includes free practice on Friday, Qualifying 1 on Saturday and a 50-minute Race 1, starting at 12.50 p.m. On Sunday, after qualifying in the morning, Race 2 will begin at 2 p.m. and finish at 2.50 p.m.

British GT. In round three of the British GT Championship, the three-hour Silverstone 500 endurance race entrants include Sky Tempesta Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 number 93. Alex West and Chris Froggatt will take the helm of the Maranello car in the Silver Am class. 

With free practice and qualifying on Saturday, the race starts on Sunday at 12.30 p.m.

ADAC GT Masters. The 18th ADAC GT Masters championship will kick off on 26-28 April, alongside the DTM event at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Emil Frey Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 number 14, crewed by Jean-Luc D’Auria and Alain Valente, will be among the starters. The Swiss team’s participation marks Ferrari’s return to the championship following several years of absence.

After Friday’s free practice, qualifying is on Saturday from 9.55 to 10.15 a.m., and Race 1 from 3.15 to 4.15 p.m. Sunday follows the same schedule for the second race.

(All times are local.)