Round 4 Race 1 of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan 2025 took place at Fuji Speedway, following the previous round at the same iconic circuit near the base of Mt. Fuji. This time, a total of 33 cars took to the track, with 30 new 296 Challenge cars joined by the previous one-make model, the 488 Challenge Evo. The impressive turnout and thrilling action captivated spectators throughout the event.

Under comfortable early-summer conditions with an ambient temperature of 25°C, the 30 minutes plus 1 lap race began at 11:33 AM. In Trofeo Pirelli, Sota Muto (M.Auto Italia) dominated the field from pole to flag, securing a well-earned victory. In Trofeo Pirelli Am, Kanji Yagura (Cornes Osaka) clinched a dramatic win with a decisive overtake in the final moments of the race. The Coppa Shell category saw Phil Kim (Nicole Competitione) pull away for a commanding victory, while in Coppa Shell Am, Alex Fox (Yanase Fiorano Motori) also finished far ahead of the competition. In the 488 Challenge Evo class, debutant Motoyuki Hori (Cornes Osaka) made a stunning impression by taking victory in his first race.

Trofeo Pirelli. Trofeo Pirelli class featured 4 cars. Muto, who has now claimed two wins in four races this season, started from pole position. Yuga Furutani (Auto Speciale) mounted a challenge from third on the grid, but Muto gradually opened up a comfortable lead from the opening laps, eventually crossing the line almost 10 seconds ahead to seal victory. Furutani, known for three wins as a guest driver last year, couldn’t quite match Muto’s pace in his first experience with the 296 Challenge. Tadao Uematsu (Cornes Shiba), who leads the championship standings, finished third.

In Trofeo Pirelli Am, five cars took the start. Pole position went to Tsutomu Shimoyama (Cornes Shiba), who joined the Trofeo Pirelli Am field from Round 4. From the opening laps, Shimoyama, Yasutaka Shirasaki (Rosso Scuderia), and Yagura were locked in a tight battle at the front. While it seemed the positions would remain unchanged, Yagura launched a decisive move on the final lap, overtaking both rivals on Fuji’s long straight and seizing a dramatic comeback victory.

In the 488CH EVO class, Hori made a debut to remember. Starting from second, Hori quickly took the lead on lap one and gradually built a margin of about ten seconds, maintaining it until he took the checkered flag.

Coppa Shell. Coppa Shell had five entrants. Pole position was secured by Ryutaro Saito (Mid Sapporo), who has taken two wins this season and currently leads the standings. Norikazu Shibata (Cornes Osaka), who has also achieved two wins this season, qualified in second place. However, in the final, it was Kim, who started from third on the grid, who made a skillful move to take the lead on the opening lap and steadily pulled away to claim victory. Although Kim has notched up three wins this season, he struggled in Round 3 at Fuji following a crash. This time, he focused on safe driving and successfully returned to his winning ways.

Coppa Shell Am saw the largest grid of the event with 16 cars. x Fox, representing France, took a delightful consecutive pole-to-win, repeating his success from Round 3 Race 2. Yasuhito Fukui (Cornes Shiba) climbed from fifth on the grid to finish second, while Masaharu Katsumata (Nicole Competizione) secured third after qualifying third. Current championship leader Hiroyuki Katayama (Cornes Osaka) started from sixth, but dropped back in the order after getting caught up in chaos on the first lap.

Round 4 Race 2 will be held at the same Fuji Speedway on July 13, starting at 10:00 and run for 30 minutes plus one lap.