Challenge Europe 2016 Season Review Thomas Loefflad’s perfect year

Maranello, 25 December 2016 – Ferrari.com concludes the 2016 Ferrari Challenge Europe season review with the third episode. Today we talk about Coppa Shell, Coppa Gentlemen and Ladies’ Cup.   Fast right from the start. A German dominated the Coppa Shell, just like the Trofeo Pirelli. Thomas Loefflad did a great job all season winning five races but, above all, maintaining remarkable consistency. Driving the 458 Italia of StileF Squadra Corse, Thomas began brilliantly at Monza, where he won both races. He conceded Race-1 at Mugello to the indefatigable Erich Prinoth (Ineco MP-Racing) but won again in Race-2. Loefflad was second at Le Mans, on a day to remember for Vladimir Hladik (Baron Service), but triumphed in Race-2 at Sochi after Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) dominated on Saturday.   Rick Lovat shines. At Hockenheim Rick Lovat (Kessel Racing) was simply unstoppable in both races, but Thomas still secured 15 important points. It was the same at Jerez, after a modest Race-1 (won by Prinoth) hampered by the fact that he started from the back of the grid, in Race-2 he triumphed to seal the title. The season also saw great things from the returning Renato Di Amato (CDP, a second and a third place), the experienced Eric Cheung (Motor Service, third place), newcomer Claudio Schiavoni (Scuderia Niki, a second place), Kriton Lendoudis (Motor Service, a third place), Lebanon’s Tani Hanna (Motor Service, a second place) and Jean-Claude Saada, winner of the Coppa Shell North America with an excellent third at Hockenheim.   Coppa Gentlemen and Ladies’ Cup. However, the fight for the Coppa Gentlemen was wide open down to the Finali Mondiali. Indeed at Daytona there were just nine points separating Rick Lovat on 118, Fons Scheltema on 117 and Erich Prinoth on 109. In the end the winner was Lovat who had the advantage of knowing perfectly the Daytona track. Corinna Gostner, for her part, made Challenge history by becoming the first winner of the Ladies’ Cup. The Italian of Ineco MP-Racing, long at the back of the rankings, had an incredible weekend in Jerez de la Frontera where she was fourth overall in Race-1 and seventh in Race-2. These results enabled her to leapfrog her sister Manuela (Ineco MP-Racing) and France’s Deborah Mayer (Scuderia Niki).