Five Races to do in Your Ferrari Challenge Car This Year

Ferrari Racing

1. Bell Sport Challenge, Festival Italia – Brands Hatch 11th August

Running on the Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch on the 11th August, this single round will be in front of the crowds for the annual Festival Italia – a celebration of Italian machinery. The format will follow a qualifying session and two 25 minute races, creating an action packed day of racing.

The entry list already has 12 cars confirmed and there is limited space for more. Eligible cars are Ferrari all 360, 430, 458, 488 Challenge models. The action also includes racing from the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic, for Ferrari 308, 328, 348, and 355 which is always a great show.

2. GT Trophy – Silverstone GP 23-25 August

Join one of the biggest race meetings of the year, The Silverstone Festival. This annual event features car of all eras, from 1960s sports and touring cars, and some of the latest Le Mans machinery.

The Masters GT Trophy race is eligible for all paddle shift Ferrari Challenge models, 360-488 and the grid also contains Porsche Carrera Cup cars and Lamborghini Super Trofeos. The 50 minute race with a mandatory pit stop allows one or two drivers per car in what will surely be a sell out grid. Get ready to wave to the crowds!

3. GT Cup – Silverstone GP 27-28 July

Founded in 2007, GT Cup caters for all types of modern GT cars in a multiclass format contains GT3s, GT4s, Challenge cars, even down to some homemade specials!

The weekend format contained two 25 minute sprint races, and two 50 minute pit stop races, ensuring plenty of track time and competitive racing. Cars can be driven solo, but preferably shared with a PRO driver if you’d like to get on the podium in this competitive series.

4. GT Trophy – Donington 3-4 August

Another entry for GT Trophy, this time at Donington for the Masters Historic Festival. Again the weekend features cars of all eras, from 1960s sports and touring cars and some of the latest Le Mans machinery, but this time there are two 45 minute pitstop races over the weekend, for one or two drivers.

The Masters GT Trophy race is eligible for all paddle shift Ferrari Challenge models, 360-488 and the grid also contains Porsche Carrera Cup cars and Lamborghini Super Trofeos. The 50 minute race with a mandatory pit stop, allows one or two drivers per car in what will sure to be a sell out grid.

5. British Endurance Championship – Donington 10th August

BEC features multiple classes within their 2 hour endurance format, which includes mandatory pitstops, tyre changes and refuelling, making these races as much about strategy as outright pace. And all of that takes place over just one day!

Fast and frantic, BEC is open to all paddle shift Ferrari Challenge cars and GT3 specification cars, for one or two drivers – but do it with a friend and have some fun!

FF Corse provide race preparation, logistics and race support for all of the above events and more. If you would like further details, or to submit an entry, please get in touch.

Get Your Race Licence

Getting your circuit racing licence isn’t as daunting as you may think. There are many advantages of getting your race licence – even if you don’t intend to go racing.

Cars For Sale

Are you looking for your next race car? FF Corse have a selection of Ferraris for sale,  and we offer a pre-purchase inspection report for your peace of mind.

Get Your Racing Licence

There are many advantages of getting your race licence – even if you don’t intend to go racing.

Getting your circuit racing licence isn’t as daunting as you may think.

Completed in just half a day, you will start with a simple written test proving your knowledge of flags and general track safety. This is followed by a short session on track to prove you understand the racing line and are in control of the car. That’s it! Depending on your age, you may also require a medical and eye test.

There are many advantages to completing your ARDS (Association of Racing Driver Schools) test.

Test Days

Different to track days, test days are only for racing cars and those with a race licence. Cars are generally closer in performance compared to track day roads cars, and the standard of driving is of a higher quality.

Test days also permit live lap timing, allowing us to track your performance during the day closely. Furthermore, unlike a track day, overtaking is permitted in the corners, as well as on the straights.

Ultimately, test days generally have far fewer cars on track and higher noise limits, so no getting stuck behind that pesky Renault Clio, or being warned for making too much noise!

Try a Race

If you have a race licence, there are a huge range of options to enter your first race and it doesn’t have to be in a Ferrari. We work closely with a number of teams to provide fun and inexpensive race experiences such as Mazda MX5s, Funcup and Porsche Boxsters. Each race you complete will get you closer to upgrading your licence, allowing you to race higher-powered machinery, such as a Ferrari.

Sound good. Where do I start?

Order your Motorsport UK ‘Go Racing’ Pack. Just £109, the pack includes all the information you need to pass your ARDS test, as well as the application form. You can order one by clicking the following link.

And then?

Get your medical and eye test (if required) and give us a call. We can conduct your ARDS test on any of our UK track days. We can organise a car for you to use on the day, or you can use your own. Alternatively, you can do a specific ARDS course with a race school.

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.

Coffee Morning with Caffeine and Machine

 

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Caffeine and Machine 313 Club Members to visit our workshop for a coffee morning, with a wonderful breakfast provided by Bread & Butter catering.

We look forward to seeing the 313 members again on 24th July, where they will not only join us for breakfast in the workshop but will also be invited trackside to spectate the trackday  taking place here at Silverstone, where we have seven cars running! Click here to learn more.

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.