The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe returns to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia this weekend for its fifth round, marking the halfway point of the 33rd season of the brand’s one-make championship circus.
A field of 296 Challenge cars will once again make expensive noises across four classes, as drivers battle for points before heading to Barcelona for the next round in July.
In the Trofeo Pirelli class, Felix Hirsiger clings to the lead with Jasin Ferati a mere 13 points behind, while Enzo Trulli, son of someone important in racing, returns to shake things up after a podium cameo in Hockenheim.
Vincenzo Scarpetta and Gilles Renmans also remain in the hunt, presumably hoping for a crash-free miracle in the Spanish heat.
The Am class sees Hendrik Viol trying to defend his narrow lead against Marco Zanasi, who seems intent on making podiums his personal Airbnb.
Michael Verhagen and Andrew Morrow lurk in the background, waiting for someone to blink.
In the Coppa Shell category, seven drivers are somehow within 19 points of each other, with Manuela Gostner currently in front after capitalizing on Fabrizio Fontana’s recent vanishing act.
John Dhillon and N.M. are chasing hard, as Zois Skrimpias sits in fourth, hoping everyone ahead has a bad lunch.
The Coppa Shell Am class is led by Sven Schömer, who appears to be allergic to not standing on a podium, while Jan Sandmann and Andreas König try to break his streak.
Track action begins Thursday with testing, rolls into practice on Friday, and culminates in four races on Saturday, each lasting 30 minutes plus one lap, assuming nobody runs out of fuel or attention.
Fans can enjoy the chaos for free on Ferrari’s official YouTube channel and website, with commentary that will almost certainly take things way too seriously.
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