After the late-June round in Valencia, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe remains in Spain for its sixth round – the third-last of the season – scheduled for the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

On the 4,657-metre Iberian circuit, 58 drivers at the steering wheel of the Ferrari 296 Challenge cars will line up across the four classes of the series, which is now entering its decisive phase, with standings still wide open and every outcome yet to be decided.

Trofeo Pirelli. Thanks to his twin wins in Valencia, young Swiss driver Jasin Ferati (Emil Frey Racing) managed to overhaul fellow countryman Felix Hirsiger (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) at the head of the standings, now leading by just one point. Among those aiming to break into the contest between the two are Vincenzo Scarpetta (Radicci Automobili), with a win already claimed in Brno, Gilles Renmans (Francorchamps Motors Brussels) and Max Mugelli (CDP – Eureka Competition), who has taken two podium finishes in the last three rounds. Making his debut in the series will be Argentine driver Franco Girolami (Radicci Automobili – Sanasi Racing Team).

The standings are even tighter in the Am class, where the current leader, Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing), must contend with the strong form of Michael Verhagen (Ferrari Warszawa), who won both races at the Valencia round and now lies 14 points behind the leader. Determined to make up for the disappointment of the last round is Marco Zanasi (Motor Service – Pinetti Motorsport), third in the standings, while Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst), fourth, remains in contention. Returning to the series after his appearance in Monza at the beginning of the year is young Spaniard Rafael Duran (Formula Racing), who is also a leading figure in the North American series.

Coppa Shell. With her double win in Valencia, Manuela Gostner (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) confirmed her excellent run of form, managing to open up a small gap in the lead in the standings. Leading the chasing pack, separated by just a few points, is John Dhillon (Formula Racing), trailing by 23 points, while Fouad Alghanim, who represents Rossocorsa – Kuwait Automobile & Trading Co., debuts in the series.

Among the Am drivers, the three-way battle will continue between Sven Schömer (Penske Sportwagen Hamburg), currently leading the standings, Jan Sandmann (Kessel Racing), and Andreas König (Emil Frey Racing), who are second and third respectively, while other entrants are ready to join the fray – including Spain’s Alberto Duran (Formula Racing), father of Rafael.

Programme. The well-established format remains in place for the Catalan round: following Friday’s tests and free practice, the qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday, 19 July, starting at 9 a.m. In the afternoon, the weekend’s first races will get underway: Coppa Shell at 2 p.m., Trofeo Pirelli & Trofeo Pirelli Am at 3.15 p.m., and Coppa Shell Am at 4.30 p.m. The same programme will be repeated on Sunday, 20 July. All times indicated are local. The qualifying sessions and races will be live-streamed – free to access and with English-language commentary – at live.ferrari.com and on Ferrari’s official YouTube channel.