With six of the eight rounds of its 33rd season now complete, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe, the longest-running of the Prancing Horse’s one-make series championships, is taking a well-deserved August break, awaiting an autumn that will deliver all the final verdicts of the season.
Unlike last season, when some contests were already decided after the Paul Ricard event at the end of July, this year balance dominates, starting with the main class, the Trofeo Pirelli, which is proving an uncertain challenge with a Swiss flavour. But there are also several contenders for the title in the other classes.
That means great anticipation for the mid-September round (from the 18th to 21st) on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit and for the final round at Mugello during the week of the Finali Mondiali (from 21 to 26 October).

Trofeo Pirelli. Overtaking and counter-overtaking at the top of the standings in the last two rounds on the Iberian peninsula between Swiss drivers Felix Hirsiger (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) and Jasin Ferati (Emil Frey Racing). Hirsiger answered the latter’s two victories in Valencia with a double-win in Barcelona, his third of the season after Misano and Hockenheim. The Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM driver now leads the overall standings, 11 points clear of his compatriot. Although not mathematically out of contention, all other opponents are now far behind the leaders and will try to disrupt the title race, starting with the young Italian Vincenzo Scarpetta (Radicci Automobili), who scored points at Brno, and Gilles Renmans (Francorchamps Motors Brussels), who finished first on his debut at Monza.

The standings are clearer in the Am class, thanks to Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing) scoring a double-win in Barcelona. The Czech driver now has a 29-point lead over Michael Verhagen (Scuderia Warszawa), who is nevertheless showing great improvement in his performance. Third is Marco Zanasi (Motor Service – Pinetti Motorsport), 42 points behind due to a lapse in Valencia that distanced him from the top.

Coppa Shell. Manuela Gostner (Ineco – RAM Racing Department), after two wins in Valencia, leaves Barcelona with only a second place, but it’s enough to consolidate her first place in the standings. The 27-point advantage over John Dhillon (Formula Racing) doesn’t guarantee her the overall victory, but it brings her closer to her goal. With 64 points still up for grabs, there are many drivers still entertaining hopes besides the Englishman, starting with N.M. (Rossocorsa) 31 points behind the leader, followed by Zois Skrimpias (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) 41 points behind, Oscar Ryndziewicz (Kessel Racing) 42 points behind, Cristiano Maciel (FBO Motor Sports) 44 points behind, and finally Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) and Fabrizio Fontana (Formula Racing), still mathematically in contention.

The Coppa Shell Am saw two outsiders emerge in Barcelona ahead of the top-ranked drivers: “Boris Gideon” (Autohaus Ulrich) dominating at Monza and Charles Chan (Formula Racing) notching up his first victory in the European series. The results have therefore shortened the standings, which still see favourite Sven Schömer (Penske Sportwagen Hamburg) in the lead with 127 points, 28 more than Jan Sandmann (Kessel Racing). In addition to “Boris Gideon” and Chan, Andreas König (Emil Frey Racing) remains in contention in third with three wins and 38 points behind the leader, as does Henrik Kamstrup (Formula Racing) with 60 points.