22 dicembre 2017
Maranello, 22 December 2017 - The seventh season of the Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific (APAC) had the honour of hosting the debut of the 488 Challenge in Abu Dhabi. In the Trofeo Pirelli Angelo Negro was first driver to win with the new car. Philippe Prette came back to take Race-2, while the Racing Days in Shanghai as usual witnessed some excellent performances from the Chinese drivers. Hulin Han won Race 1, but the following day it was the turn of Prette who also triumphed in the only race at Zhejiang and the first at Fuji. However, Race-2 in Japan saw a win for his rookie son Louis. Prette took another step toward the title with a victory at Sepang in Race-1, while the next day Han bagged his second victory of the season. Ringo Chong prevailed twice in Singapore while Prette wrapped things up in Race-1 at Mugello.
The duel between Japan’s Ken Seto and Taipei’s Tiger Wu dominated the Trofeo Pirelli Am season. The two shared the spoils in Abu Dhabi, with Wu making a clean sweep at Fuji. However, Seto limited the damage and then triumphed at Sepang in Race 1. Ziad Ghandour enjoyed two days of glory in Singapore, while Wu lost precious points to Seto. Then finally, while King ruled the roost at Mugello, Seto sealed the title with a second and a fourth place.
Makoto Fujiwara made an explosive start to the Coppa Shell. The Japanese driver finished first in two races at Abu Dhabi and at Shanghai but he had to fight it out with China’s Eric Zang who won the two races at Fuji. The rivals shared the winner’s laurels at Sepang while in Singapore Zang pulled-off a one-two, although Fujiwara limited the damage with a second and third place. The Japanese won the title finishing second and a fourth at Mugello. David Dicker took the Coppa Shell by just one point over Grant Baker, 105 to 104, while the Ladies’ Cup went to Indonesia’s, Kathicha Chimsiri.
Australian rookie Martin Berry was fastest right from the get-go in the 458 Challenge EVO class and sealed the title very early. The only other drivers to win were Tani Hanna, Hidehiko Hagiwara, Sam Lok and Tamotsu Kondo.