Ferrari Club Challenge UK 2024

FF Corse to provide customer support for Ferrari Club Challenge UK

FF Corse will continue to provide customer support to Ferrari’s on track activities, to be run in conjunction with Ferrari Challenge UK.

Club Challenge UK (previously Passione Challenge Edition) is hosted by the Ferrari Challenge race series and is designed to be a perfect introduction to those considering racing in the series or those wishing to get their cars on track in the UK. Solely supported by FF Corse, entries for the series are now invited.

The event will focus on refining your skills and developing you as a driver. Not a traditional racing competition, but an against the clock format still providing a competitive element.

All new members will receive a personalised set of racing equipment, including a race suit, boots, gloves, and protective undergarments. The package includes season entry fees, trackside, and customer support, full hospitality for drivers and a companion, including all-day refreshments, lunch, and a dinner with the Ferrari Challenge race series drivers.

Club Challenge UK offers 30 hours of track time across the season, but it will also entitle entrants to superb hospitality over the weekend for drivers and guests.

Full Season – What’s Included

Entry to all 5 rounds – 10 Days on Track

Trackside Support for all 5 Rounds – 30 Hours of Track Time

Ferrari Hospitality for Driver and a Guest for all 5 Rounds

Logistics for all 5 Rounds

Annual Vehicle Storage

Season Client Manager

Personalised Race Suit, Boots, Gloves and Underlayers

2024 Season Calendar

20th – 21st April – Brands Hatch

10th – 11th May – Oulton Park

8th – 9th June – Snetterton

20th – 21st July – Donington Park

14th – 15th September – Silverstone

Join an exclusive driving club and take to the track. You will be provided with all the guidance and support you need whether you are a complete novice or have experience on track. Our expert team and driver coaches will show you the way.

Entries are now open and can be secured via your Ferrari dealer or FF Corse. We have a selection of Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos for sale, all run and maintained by FF Corse from new.

Finali Mondiali Mugello Race Report

Wednesday – Ferrari Challenge Europe Round 7 Qualifying

In wet conditions, Tom secured double-pole in qualifying by setting the fastest and second-fastest times, meaning he would start from the front of the field for both Thursday’s and Friday’s races. James would start from 15th overall for both races, a solid qualifying result on the 37 car grid.

Thursday – Ferrari Challenge Europe Round 7 Race 1

Again, the Italian weather was not so kind on Thursday although the conditions suited Tom as he managed to get away at the front and open up a gap to second place within a few corners. Unfortunately, the wet weather also caused a few cars to spin; James was tangled up in an incident on the opening lap which prematurely ended his race due to damage. Tom rapidly extended his advantage but this was eradicated again with the appearance of the safety car. Tom made an excellent job of the restart and quickly opened up a gap to second place once again; with just 7 minutes remaining Tom had a 10 second advantage but the safety car was called out again, meaning that Tom’s hard work was undone once more. The safety car pulled in with just 1 lap remaining and it was ex Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil hot on his tail. After swapping paint for a few corners, Sutil managed to gain the advantage on track and Donno, who had been running in third, followed him through, dropping Tom down to 3rd place.Donno’s points haul was sufficient to seal the drivers’ championship for 2023 meaning Tom finished second overall – a fantastic achievement in his debut season!

Friday – Ferrari Challenge Europe Round 7 Race 2

Determined to put the disappointment of Thursday behind him, Tom once again started from the front of the grid for Friday’s race and pulled out a 7 second lead during the first half of the race. Unfortunately, it was to be his team mate, James, who would bring out the safety car with 13 minutes remaining, after spinning out and becoming beached in the gravel trap. Tom once again found his mirrors full of Adrian Sutil, but he kept calm under the immense pressure and nailed the restart. The race came a slightly bizarre premature end by being red-flagged on the final lap, due to debris on the track which turned out the be banner that had broken loose in the windy conditions. This sealed the win for Tom – a wonderful way to round off the season by standing on the top step of the podium!

Saturday – Finali Mondiali Qualifying and Superpole

Saturday’s Superpole qualifying consisted of two sessions, where the top six from the first session went through to the second session in a bid to set the fastest time. Tom topped the timesheets in the second session, putting him on pole for Sunday’s race. James also put in a sterling effort, qualifying 17th overall on the 37-car grid, and 8th in class.

Sunday – WORLD FINAL

The race got off to a dramatic start with Tom being sandwiched and squeezed down to third position going into the first corner, but he managed to get the switchback and regain the lead coming out of the corner. There were then three separate incidents further down the field, resulting in a total of five cars finding themselves in the gravel or the barriers. Thankfully James made it through unscathed. After a few laps behind the safety car, the red flag was brought out to allow the marshals time to repair the barriers. After 40 minutes in pitlane awaiting the restart, the cars returned to the track behind the safety car once more, and Tom once again managed the restart perfectly to maintain the lead. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards the safety car was called out yet again, meaning the pressure was on for Tom to produce yet another superlative restart, which he did successfully. Whilst all of this was going on, James was putting in a sensational drive to avoid all the chaos occurring around him and climb up to 9th place overall. Astonishingly, with just under 7 minutes remaining, the safety car was brought out for a fourth time. Following yet another perfect restart, Tom had to keep the field behind him for 2 nail-biting laps to the chequered flag. Tom and the team could finally breathe a massive sigh of relief when Tom took the chequered flag to emerge victorious and become Ferrari Challenge World Champion! James put in an incredibly impressive drive to maintain 9th place overall following the restarts, meaning he rounded off his season with a hard-fought 4th in class.

The FF Corse team are incredibly proud of what James and Tom have both achieved in their debut season in car racing, having obtained their race licenses just a matter weeks before the season started. James had no previous racing experience of any sort, and yet he has consistently managed to finish ahead of far more experienced drivers, giving him a really solid foundation to head into the 2024 season with. Tom had raced karts previously, but has quickly adapted to his 488 and shown the motorsport world that he means business.

In our only two appearances at the World Finals, FF Corse has emerged victorious on both occasions! Our previous triumph was in 2019 with Adam Carroll behind the wheel.

We would like to thank the sponsors, our team members and our extended FF Corse family for all their support, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

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2023 World Champions!

After a hard-fought and intense race, FF Corse won the Finali Mondiali in Mugello this weekend to become the 2023 Trofeo Pirelli Ferrari Challenge World Champion!

After securing SuperPole on Saturday, Tom Fleming held the lead throughout the race to clinch a resounding victory, despite multiple safety car restarts.

The FF Corse team are incredibly proud of Tom’s achievement, making it the second time in the last two attempts that an FF Corse driver has lifted the coveted title.

And so, that’s the 2023 Ferrari Challenge season over. What we have achieved this year with James Owen and Thomas Fleming is remarkable. A little over 12 months ago, neither even had their race licences and just 3 weeks before the first round of Ferrari Challenge they were eligible to race. We’ve been through Mazda MX5s, Radicals, Porsche Boxsters, been from Anglesey and Mallory Park to Spa Francorchamps and Le Mans.

Their respective journeys have been so impressive and we thank them for their support, guidance, trust and faith in the team. They have made us better and they have done us proud. Tom and James, you are part of your team and we’ve loved every minute. Thank you. And thank you to all their family, friends and sponsors for the continued support of them and the team throughout.

And also we thank every member of the FF Corse team that took us through the season from those back at base keeping it all running smoothly to those who have spent many late nights and early mornings, doing their absolute best for Tom and James. It’s been emotional. Let’s go again. Forza!

Come and join us in 2024 in the new 296 Challenge!

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Finali Mondiali at Mugello

24th – 29th October – Finali Mondiali

The Ferrari World Final is a spectacular event to close the season, featuring the final round of Challenge Europe. The World Finals sees the Challenge Championships from each continent come together for Finali Mondiali, a one off race, to see who will be crowned World Champion.

In Trofeo Pirelli, Tom Fleming is currently sitting in 2nd place in the PRO championship standings, just 19 points behind the leader. A fantastic performance in his rookie season of car racing, having made the switch from karts. James Owen, also displaying his natural talent in his rookie season of racing with no previous experience under his belt, is currently 4th in the PRO-AM class championship standings, just 10 points behind 3rd place.

The two races of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe and North America will run on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th; Qualifying takes place on Saturday 28th, along with the new Superpole format to decide the starting grid for the Finali Mondiali, which will run on the morning of Sunday 29th, before the Ferrari Show.

Mugello once again hosts the big Ferrari event two years after the last Tuscan edition. Besides the 100 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos entered in the racing competition, the programme includes the activities of the XX Programme, for cars not homologated for road use that are true technology laboratories, and F1 Clienti, which brings back on the track the single-seaters that competed in the World Championship with Scuderia Ferrari from the 1970s to the hybrid era. The two programmes include 57 and 19 cars, respectively, making 76 cars on the track, the highest number ever recorded for this event.

Thirty-nine production derivatives will feature in Club Competizioni GT, open to GT racing cars of the last thirty years, plus a model such as the 488 GT Modificata created specifically for this programme. All are due at Mugello in an event that also includes Club Challenge activities.

As usual, the Finali Mondiali Ferrari provides a unique opportunity to discover first-hand the latest additions to the road range, thanks to the static display of the Maranello manufacturer’s current models, and to celebrate success on the track.

After all, 2023 has already entered the history of the company founded in 1947 thanks to the overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Nürburgring with two cars, the Hypercar 499P – presented during the 2022 Finali Mondiali – and the 296 GT3, both of which will be on display in the paddock.

Ferrari Challenge Europe Round 6

Round 6 of Ferrari Challenge Europe at Spa saw Tom Fleming close the gap to the championship lead to just 19 points, while James Owen had an eventful weekend with some fantastic overtakes but also unplanned finish in race two….

In Saturday’s qualifying session Tom managed to put it on the front row of the grid in 2nd position, 0.5 seconds off pole, and James qualified a solid 5th in class.

Tom got away well at the beginning of race 1 and was alongside his rival into turn 1, but he had the inside line for the corner so Tom had to settle for 2nd, although he almost lost out to ex-Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil who was also looking up the inside. However, Tom managed to maintain position and tucked in behind Donno. Over the course of the race, Tom opened up the gap to Sutil in 3rd but while he did close the gap to the first place runner, couldn’t quite get move done, so came home over the line in 2nd.

James ran slightly wide on Turn 1 and ran through the gravel but managed to keep going and rejoin the track. This little excursion cost him a few positions and he found himself in 14th overall. James delivered a commendable performance during the race; he passed Eriksen on lap 5 and Bogh-Sorensen on lap 6 to finish 12th overall and 6th in class. His determination was evident as he came tantalizingly close to Del Favero in 5th place, trailing by a mere 0.6 seconds. Owen’s competitive spirit and skill on the track were on full display, showcasing his potential for further success in the racing circuit. His tight battle in Race 1 added an extra layer of excitement to the event and hinted at his ability to climb the ranks in future races. He closes the gap to P3 in the Am championship standings.

Sunday’s qualifying session presented a challenge as the track was wet but drying, and Tom made the bold decision to go out on slick tyres. This proved to be the right choice, as he put the car on pole, a full 2.2 seconds ahead of P2. James opted to qualify on wet tyres on what was a drying track but put in a fantastic time against other on slicks to start him P5 once again.

In race 2, Tom made a clean start and managed to hold a comfortable lead throughout the race, at most produced a gap of 8 seconds over those chasing him, taking both race victory and fastest lap, scoring maximum points. Again, Tom confirmed his status as a formidable force in the world of motorsport – his impressive performance was a testament to his skill and determination. The championship leader, Donno, had to settle for 4th place resulting in Tom closing the points gap in the championship to 19 points – still in with a chance to win the championship at Mugello next month. James had a gained a position during the race having started from 10th overall, but had an excursion at Blanchimont, a 250kph left-hander and unfortunately into the gravel which prematurely ended his race – fortunately unscathed.

The final round takes place at Mugello on 28th and 29th October at the World Finals; the team waits with bated breath to see if Tom can clinch the title in his first year and if James can secure P3 in the AM class, again in his first year….

The final round takes place at Mugello on 28th and 29th October at the World Finals; the team waits with bated breath to find out what the outcome is going to be in the 2023 championship decider.

View the Ferrari Race Report here.

FF Corse Take Four Wins at Silverstone

FF Corse dominated at Silverstone this weekend, with an invitational entry into GT Cup in the GTC class. The Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo, piloted by Tom Fleming and James Owen cruised home to victory in all four races, in a weekend of mixed conditions, made up of two sprint races and two endurance races.

Fleming and Owen, both in their rookie seasons of car racing, put on a spectacular display of speed and car control, first demonstrated by Owen taking Pole Position on Saturday – his first ever! A brave push lap on slick tyres in damp conditions put the Welshman at the front of the grid for the first sprint race.  A rapid start by the championship leading Lamborghini put Owen into P2, but he chased hard, maintained the pressure and closed the gap over the course of the race, surely set to pass before the chequered flag. Before making his move to do so, the Lamborghini slowed up with an issue and Owen passed by to take his maiden victory, only weeks after securing his first ever podium.

Saturday afternoon, a 50-minute pitstop race to be shared by Owen and Fleming saw them start on the second row of the grid. A smooth start by Owen, who held his own in a hard fought battle between the Lamborghini and another 488 Challenge, set the pairing up for the later half of the race for Fleming to take over. A clean and efficient pit stop by the FF Corse crew saw the pairing come out in front, and Fleming cruised home to victory.

Sunday, it was the turn of Fleming for the sprint race. The young Brit, who completed his first ever car race exactly 12 months prior in a Radical SR1, easily placed the car on pole, despite catching another car on track during his push lap.

At the start of the 25 minute sprint race the rain came, but the decision by the team was to remain on slick tyres while others gambled with a late change to wets, banking on further rain. Others made pit stops to wet tyres, unable to make the most of their slick tyres in the greasy conditions. The rival 488 Challenge made a quick start, slipping ahead of Fleming. As both navigated the dampening circuit, Fleming patiently waited for his chance to pass which he did with ease at Copse before pulling away to overall victory, 25 seconds clear of the second place car. A remarkable achievement and display of talent in very difficult conditions.

For the second endurance race of the weekend, Owen took the start for what was now a very wet circuit with the rain continuing to fall. An impressive drive in the conditions, Owen held on to P3, and maintained a consistent gap over his stint before safely handing over to Fleming in the pit stop. Another slick changeover by the team (just 0.6 seconds clear of the minimum pit stop time) put Fleming out in front, where he hunted down the cars in second and first place. Lapping some 10 seconds faster than his rivals in the conditions, Fleming easily passed into second place with a few laps before passing for first place, with time to spare. Fleming crossed the line to take the fourth win of the weekend for FF Corse, a clean sweep of victories in the GTC class. The team has now gathered an impressive 264 races wins.

James Owen remarked, “What a weekend, claiming my first ever, pole position, first race win in the sprint race, then two more wins with Tom in the endurance races. I only just got my first podium at Estoril a few weeks ago. I’d like to thank the team and Tom for an amazing performance.”

Tom Fleming added, “I don’t think we could have had a better weekend, especially as first-timers to the series. To win all four races against a competitive grid and even claim an overall win feels great. I am so proud of the team and my teammate James Owen, as they performed excellently all weekend – it’s a true testament to how far we have come. I’m pretty pleased with how my first year of racing has gone!”

Team Manager of FF Corse Mark Armstrong said, “What an incredible UK race debut for Tom and James, especially as this was their first shared race which included strategy and driver changes. I can’t wait for the next one and to see what else they can do together.”

Ed Barton-Hilton, Development Manager commented, “I’m delighted for the whole team this weekend – a reward for months of hard work. Working with a pairing like James and Tom is an absolute pleasure. They work so well together and with the team. I’m looking forward to the next chapters of their respective journeys.”

A remarkable performance by the team, and by the drivers who are both in their first year of car racing. Next up, it’s back to Ferrari Challenge Europe at Spa Francorchamps, where Fleming sits P2 in the PRO championship class and Owen P4 in the PRO-AM class.

Excellence in Estoril

The Ferrari Challenge at Estoril witnessed an incredible display of skill and determination from both Tom Fleming and James Owen. Throughout the weekend, they showcased their prowess on the track, delivering impressive performances.

In race one, James demonstrated his relentless determination, finishing an impressive 2nd in the PRO-AM class. This marked his first podium appearance, a fantastic achievement which has made the team extremely proud. James started the race from 9th place, lost a few positions at the start but managed to work his way back up to 10th place by lap four. James continued to climb up through the field throughout the race, and on the penultimate lap, following a lengthy safety car period, James managed to pass Laskowski and Rosi to finish a fantastic 5th overall, claiming 2nd in class. James’s remarkable growth and ability to deliver under pressure showcased his immense potential as a rising star in the Ferrari Challenge. James demonstrated his growing prowess as a driver, executing precise overtakes and displaying impressive racecraft throughout the demanding race. His achievement is a testament to his dedication and hard work, as he consistently improved his skills to match the formidable competition in the Ferrari Challenge series. The joy and elation on Owen’s face as he stepped onto the podium illustrated the significance of this milestone in his racing career.

Tom, driving with sheer precision, proved to be unstoppable. On both race days, he emerged as the undeniable victor, claiming first place in both races. Starting from P2 in race one, Tom managed to stay with the polesitter, Donno until half way through the race where Tom put him under immense pressure and went for a move around the outside, as result of being heavily run wide by his rival. There was contact between the two which resulted in Tom rally-crossing through the gravel. He re-emerged on track, but he was several seconds behind Donno, now carrying a failure to his differential and traction control. However, moments later the safety car was deployed following an incident further down the field, which enabled Tom to close back up to Donno. The safety car remained on track until there were just four minutes remaining, meaning drivers only had a small window of opportunity to make up for lost time. Following a steward’s enquiry, Donno was issued with a drive-through penalty, which he took with just one lap remaining. Despite being backed up by the leader, Tom did well to hold off the pressure from Ladniak who was looking as though he was going to try to make a move to pass Tom, and so Tom took the chequered flag first.

Not only did Tom excel in the races, but he also made a statement during qualifying on Sunday by securing pole position. Tom got a great start in race two, and lap-by-lap he increased his lead over Donno. By the end of the race, Tom had almost a 9 second advantage over his rivals, so not only did he take the win but also set the fastest lap of the race. His remarkable performance solidified his status as a force to be reckoned with.

James started race two from 9th position overall, and immediately engaged in a riveting battle with Zanasi and Viol. He managed to pass both of them on lap one to work his way up to 7th, and as the three-way duel continued throughout the race, James eventually crossed the line in a hard-fought 8th overall, and 5th in class.

FF Corse, as a team, demonstrated their unwavering commitment to excellence throughout the weekend. Tom and James exemplified the spirit of competition, pushing boundaries and embracing every opportunity to shine on the track. As the champagne sprayed and the cheers resounded, both Tom and James embraced their well-deserved victories. These two wonderful teammates also embraced one another, their heartwarming support for each other a real joy to see.

Tom remains P2 in the PRO standings, having narrowed the points gap and James moves up to P4 in PRO-AM class.

We would like to thank the dealerships and sponsors for their ongoing support:

 

Photo Credits: Ferrari & Filipe Rosa Photography

Ferrari Challenge at Le Mans

Round 4 of Ferrari Challenge Europe took place at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, in support of the Le Mans 24 hour race. This was an incredible opportunity for our drivers to race Le Mans circuit, with a total of 71 Challenge cars from all around the globe.

The chances to race at Le Mans are few; saved only for the annual 24 hour race, the Le Mans Classic or featuring in a support race to the 24 hours, as we were. There is no option to conduct testing as the circuit is largely set out on the local roads of the town. Circuit de la Sarthe is the pinnacle of motorsport – a dream for any racer and a mecca to motorsport fans worldwide. It’s a special event to witness and a true privilege to drive.

Free practice on Wednesday and Thursday started out very strong for both drivers, who quickly adapted to the circuit, with Tom topping the timesheets both days and James a very respectable 13th in class (26th overall) from the 71 cars field.

Qualifying

As qualifying begun on Friday morning, the team was hopeful for pole given Tom’s pace in free practice and despite improving on his times he finished P3 overall. Tom was hoping for more, but as with so many of the qualifying sessions this season, yellow flags and slow zones meant he couldn’t hook a clean lap together and ultimately a red flag ended the session early.

James qualified a solid 16th in class (32nd overall) but was frustrated to not get a clean lap in too and being blocked by a slower car ahead. Clearly there was more out there for both but luck wasn’t on our side.

The Race

As the 71 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos passed through the Ford Chicane to take the start of the race, it was almost inevitable there would be incidents throughout the 35 minute race, so capitalising on the start was crucial. James didn’t waste any time, with a fantastic first lap he made up 5 places showing his superior speed and racecraft over those around him. Tom had a less fortunate start, getting squeezed into turn one to drop to P4.

Lap two and as predicted, safety car. A large incident lower down the field littered debris over the track and heavily damaged the Armco barriers. Ultimately, too much damaged to be repaired and send the race green again. The safety car came in with just one racing lap left but a slow zone remained in place for the damaged barrier. This didn’t give Tom any opportunity to fight back for a podium place, finishing P4. Although James did manage to pick up another place to finish a superb 10th in class and 16th overall.

Tom said, “what a privilege to race here at Le Mans – it’s such a special event. I felt we lacked a bit of top end speed compared to our rivals but it’s something we can work on moving onto Estoril next month. I’ve had an amazing week”. James commented “This is the best circuit ever. It’s amazing and I can’t believe I’ve just raced at Le Mans. An incredible weekend I will cherish forever.”

Tom and James sit P2 and P8 in their respective classes for the championship. The team is proud of what they have achieve so far and the results are quite incredible given they are both in their rookie seasons.

Next up, Estoril – 14th and 15th July. Stay tuned!

Photography: Jakob Ebrey and Ferrari

Ferrari Challenge at Spielberg

 

Ferrari Challenge Europe headed to Austria’s Spielberg circuit a few weeks ago, for the season’s third round. Between the Tropheo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes, over 50 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo cars lined up on the grid for what was a thrilling weekend in very changeable conditions.

While other competitors had the benefit of multiple days testing, diary clashes resulted in both Tom and James having had no running prior to the weekend. Less than ideal, but both are always able to quickly learn a new circuit, pick up the skills required and provide essential feedback to the team.

Ferrari Challenge Spielberg

Race 1

James put in a very impressive qualifying result, putting him 6th in class on the grid for the start of race one. He felt like he had more to give and we were certain this may be his time to pick up his first podium. Having to take avoiding action into turn one at the start, James dropped back 4 places, sadly making a podium unlikely this time. The ‘comeback king’ was on fine form and managed to pull off a series of impressive manoeuvres, the last of which was on the last corner of the last lap to bring him home to finish 5th in the PRO-AM class.

Tom qualified 4th on the grid and managed to steer clear of the first corner incident which forced the pack to scatter to avoid a spinning car. Tom came out the other side of the chaos in P3, and soon managed to build a gap between himself and P4. Another podium and great points haul for Tom’s championship fight in the PRO class.

Following the race, Tom said “It was a tough race, especially for tyre management. Apart from a small collision, I made a good start. In general, I think I can say that the race was challenging for everyone, especially to not exceed the track limits and, because of this, our times were a little higher than usual. Anyway, it’s a positive day, with more points won for my team.”

Race 2

James again qualified 6th in the PRO-AM class for race 2, perhaps now he can bag a podium place… Tom also repeated his race 1 qualifying performance, starting P4. Qualifying, as is now a theme of this years’ championship, was plagued by yellow flags and stoppages, ultimately cutting short both Tom and James’ session with both feeling they could have extracted more from the session.

The heavens opened for race 2, and James started the race from P6 in class but he dropped a few places initially.  However, he skillfully picked his way through the pack to return with another 5th place in the PRO-AM class.

Tom made an excellent start from 4th on the grid, immediately making up a place round the outside of the first corner to put himself ahead of former Formula One driver, Adrian Sutil. Tom pushed hard to gain on the car in P2 when the safety car came out due a car in the gravel. On the restart, Tom was again challenging for P2 but try as he may, he couldn’t find a way past. Tom then came under pressure from Sutil, after doing a sterling job to hold him off for several laps, Sutil eventually managed to pass Tom. In the closing stages of the race, Tom kept his tyres fresh and mounted an attack on Sutil to reclaim third. But he just couldn’t quite find a way past to secure that final podium place, so had to settle for 4th. A fantastic performance against a vastly more experienced driver!

James, in his first ever season of racing, currently sits equal 6th in the PRO-AM class, and Tom P2 in the PRO class in his first season of ‘big car’ racing. The fight is on and next up, Le Mans!

Photo Credit: Ferrari

Winners in Misano!

 

Tom Fleming takes his maiden win in Trofeo Pirelli in Misano, and James Owen achieved a personal best result of 4th in the P-AM class and 8th overall.

The weekend got off to a solid start with Tom qualifying P2 on the Saturday, just 0.6 seconds off the pole sitter, and James qualifying 5th in P-AM.

In race one, James dropped down to 15th overall in the early stages of the race, but worked his way back up to cross the line in 12th. Importantly though, he kept his lines clean meaning that he steered clear of any track limit penalties, which were being picked up by many competitors throughout the race. This meant that once all penalties had been applied to other drivers, James was promoted to 8th overall and 4th in P-AM. Just one place off a podium finish! Despite James’ relative inexperience compared to his competitors, he is starting to bring back some impressive results, impressing the team and the championship with his pace. Regular podium finishes won’t be far away!

Ferrari Challenge Europe Misano

After dropping back to third position at the start, the pole sitter Donno started to break away at the front from Tom. An incident further back in the field on the first lap brought out the safety car closing the field back up again, but Donno pulled away at the front again once the safety car had pulled back into pitlane. It didn’t take long for Tom to make a superb move on Kral to retake second place. Donno had snuck a 3.6 second advantage but with Tom’s consistency and race craft, he managed to quickly close the gap up to 0.6 seconds. Tom put immense pressure on the leader who, by the end, was handed a post-race 5 second penalty for exceeding track limits. Donno was demoted to second place, so Tom took the top step of the podium!

Following the race, Tom said “I don’t think words can describe how I feel, it’s just an amazing achievement for me and the team. I stepped into my first race car 10 months ago and I have really been trying to build back the sort of experience that these guys at the front have. We absolutely deserve this after a shaky qualifying. I knew in my mindset that I’d got a chance to win this race and we executed it perfectly. I’d like to thank the team – FF Corse, my sponsors – HR Owen and Alvarez & Marsal, and most importantly my family because I could not have done it without them.”

View Tom’s interview here.

On Sunday, the qualifying results for Tom and James were a carbon copy of Saturday’s qualifying, but Tom got away well at the start of race two and maintained second position. The gap to first opened up in the early stages, but again Tom’s superior race management allowed him to close back up to Donno, again piling on the pressure. Tom’s race pace meant the overtake to P1 was inevitable. The gap came down to just 0.6 seconds when Donno crashed out of the lead with just 6 minutes remaining, meaning Tom brought the car home in a fantastic first place!

James produced another impressive comeback drive, finishing a solid 6th in P-AM after a battling for position with Gostner and Del Favero. Highly entertaining to watch!

Despite taking the top step of the podium unfortunately, due to a non-performance related technical infringement, Tom was cruelly stripped of his second win. But this does not take away from the fantastic performance that he put in on track – the team are incredibly proud of everything that he has already managed to achieve in such a short space of time, against far more experienced drivers.

The next round is at Spielberg in Austria, 13th and 14th May. Watch this space!

View Ferrari’s race report here.