FF Corse is delighted to announce that Tim Mullen has joined the organisation as Sporting Team Manager.

The Northern Irishman joins the UK’s largest Ferrari race and track-day specialist as part of a restructured leadership team and will be primarily responsible for overseeing race programmes in the GT Cup and Ferrari Challenge Europe.

He joins Team Principal Mark McLoughlin – ex-Business Manager, McLaren GT – and Operational Team Manager Jamie Collins – formerly Carlin’s GP3 Team Manager – with company founder Anthony Cheshire remaining as Managing Director.

Tim is the latest in a series of top-level hires from Silverstone-based FF Corse aimed at strengthening a racing department that has won two Ferrari Challenge Europe Championship titles in the past three seasons and creating a team capable of competing at GT racing’s highest levels in the near future.

Tim brings the experience gained in a long and distinguished career as a professional racing driver, coach and team manager to the Silverstone-based operation.

During a 19-year stint behind the wheel, he claimed the British GT and Formula Vauxhall Junior titles, was a race winner in the International GT Open and was a podium finisher in both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the European Le Mans Series.

A renowned driver coach with CRS during the team’s successful title-winning spell in Formula Renault UK, Tim moved into team management with Garage 59 in 2016 and oversaw numerous victories in the International GT Open and, last year, several class wins in the Blancpain Endurance Cup too.

FF Corse’s race season begins with the opening round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe, at Sakhir, Bahrain, on February 15-17.

Tim Mullen, Sporting Team Manager, said: “I’m excited to join FF Corse as Sporting Team Manager at a time of expansion for this business. When the chance to link up with Mark McLoughlin – who I’ve worked with before – and support him in helping to enhance the already superb reputation the company has established with Ferrari owners in motorsport, I couldn’t say no. There’s a wealth of skill and experience here already and the plan is to really tap into that to help drive things forward and create a team capable of competing against the best internationally. I can’t wait to see how we move forward together.”

Mark McLoughlin, Team Principal, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Tim to the team at FF Corse. As a driver he was someone I knew and respected and as a colleague within manufacturer GT programmes, that respect only grew. He has both the skills and the experience to help drive our race programmes in GT Cup and Ferrari Challenge Europe forwards and to be the bedrock of what we’re creating for the future; a team capable of building on our successes in Ferrari Challenge Europe and becoming a main contender in International-level GT racing. We have several other new members of the team who are joining shortly, which shows how serious we are with this aim, and Tim will be at the centre of this.”

 

We are looking to recruit an experienced motorsport truckie to lead a small team as part of our expanding Ferrari GT Race Programme,

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated individual who can work both as part of a team and on their own initiative responsible for the following:

• Loading of trucks for events (Including Races, Tests & Track days)
• General maintenance of trailers and tractor units, liaising with suppliers as necessary.
• Compliance with VOSA checks ‘PMI’s,  MOT’s, tail lift inspections & weight tests.
• Managing other staff involved in these duties.
• Transporting cars and equipment to events throughout the UK & Europe
• Ensure up-keep of trucks & pit equipment at events & base, including safety certification.
• Participate in garage set-up
• Management of tyres & fuel (at events and at the workshop)
• Ensure company image is maintained at each event
• Ensure vehicles are presented to the highest standard possible
• Work with the wider Engineering & Technical team to continually develop processes both at headquarters and whilst on events
• Plan well to ensure that all logistical movements are achieved within permissible guidelines

This is a full time position reporting to the Team Manager

Please apply with CV and covering letter or email, including salary expectations and required notice period, to appointments@ffcorse.com

FF Corse enjoyed a fantastic start to the Ferrari Challenge Europe season with four podium finishes at the Bahrain International Circuit and the lead of the Coppa Shell Am division.
 
After claiming his maiden victory in Coppa Shell Am (for drivers aged 50 or over) at the final round of the 2018 season, Laurent de Meeus picked up where he left off with a pair of second-place finishes for the Silverstone-based team.
 
The HR Owen driver topped two of Thursday’s five official test sessions and qualified fifth for Saturday’s opener.
 
A rocket start brought him up to second by the end of the opening lap, and with 23 of the race’s final 26 minutes being run behind the safety car, he easily maintained his position to the finish.
 
Sunday’s race was more dramatic. Having climbed to third from his starting spot of sixth, he was turned around by another driver at one-third distance and forced into the pits with damaged right-rear suspension.
 
Lightning repair work by the FF Corse mechanics got him back on-track inside five minutes, and with attrition decimating the Am field on Sunday, the Belgian was able to climb to second by the chequered flag; a result that gave him the championship lead.
 
In Trofeo Pirelli Am; a championship won by FF Corse in 2018, Jack Brown was joined by new team-mate Franck Ruimy in Bahrain, and twice qualified second.
 
After losing ground at the start, Jack quickly made up positions to climb back to second place by the chequered flag. Sunday’s race, however, was altogether more action-packed.
 
Starting eighth on the reversed-grid, the Briton tore through the field; setting the fastest lap of the race and fighting back to secure the runner-up spot. He lies second in the points table.

Franck was an impressive third-fastest in one of Thursday’s test sessions and drove consistently throughout his debut weekend in the Ferrari Challenge.
 
After qualifying his HR Owen – Aerium Ferrari 488 Challenge 11th and 10th, he finished the two races ninth and 10th to leave with 100 per cent reliability record.
 
The next round of both Coppa Shell and Trofeo Pirelli takes place at Valencia, Spain on March 29-31.
 
Laurent de Meeus (HR Owen), said: “I’m so happy with the results this weekend. Two second places were not expected. The races were very chaotic, but somehow I managed to find my position on the track and that was positive. I want to say a huge thank you to the team because after my collision with Corinna Gostner, I had a suspension failure, but they were able to repair it and that meant that instead of stopping, I could finish second, which makes me the leading driver in Coppa Shell Am.”
 
Jack Brown (Graypaul Nottingham), said: Jack: “It’s been a really good weekend. I must have fallen asleep at the start of Race One because I lost a lot of ground, but I overtook a lot of cars during the two races and banked solid points. Having not been in the car since Monza last year, I took a bit of time getting up to speed in the tests, but by Race Two, I was right on it and had fastest lap. My tyres went off a bit towards the end, but by that stage I had a healthy gap over third place and was able to control things. I can’t wait for Valencia, where I’m aiming for my first win.”

Franck Ruimy (HR Owen – Aerium), said: “It’s been a spectacular weekend. I went in with no expectations because previously I’d never raced anything like the Ferrari 488 Challenge, and certainly never anything with this amount of power, but I enjoyed it so much. The team were incredibly friendly, professional and patient with me and this is extremely important because it helped me to build my confidence, and the feedback and technology they use meant I could get updates in real time and put them into practice immediately. This helped me get faster and faster as the weekend went on. The bug has well and truly bitten and I can’t wait for the next event in Spain.” 

Tim Mullen, Sporting Team Manager, said: “It’s been a great way to start the season. To see Laurent, who is growing in confidence race-by-race, leading in Coppa Shell Am, is fantastic. Jack continued where he left off last year and is going to be a serious contender in Trofeo Pirelli Am if his drive in Race Two is anything to go by, and Franck did a consistent job on his first weekend in Ferrari Challenge. Every car finished every race, which shows not only that we’ve prepared them well, but that the drivers have done their job fantastically on-track. I’m especially impressed that the guys were able to get Laurent back on-track after he was hit. Instead of a DNF, that became a podium, and they can be very proud of themselves for that one.”

 

A three-car line-up will propel FF Corse’s charge to win a fourth overall GT Cup title in 2019.

 

The Silverstone-based team claimed both Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in 2015 to add to the Teams’ title they’d previously achieved two years earlier.

 

Now, with an experienced line-up that includes a British GT title winner and several GT Cup regulars, hopes are high for more silverware this year.

 

David Mason and Ross Wylie line up in one of two Ferrari 488 Challenge cars fielded by FF Corse and are aiming to make it three significant UK titles in a row.

 

A regular race winner in the VW Cup, Ross switched to GT racing in 2014 and achieved instant success by winning the British GT4 Championship at the first attempt.

 

He added the overall Britcar Endurance title in 2017 and, after joining FF Corse, the Britcar Sprint Class 1 crown last year.

 

David was Ross’s partner during his 2018 championship successes with FF Corse and was the British Endurance Champion in 2014 and ‘15 as well as winning class titles in ‘16 and ‘17 with the team.

 

They are joined in a similar vehicle by Laki Christoforu, who is set to take on the series solo.

 

Laki has raced extensively in historic motorsport in GT and touring cars and has competed in contemporary machinery in the GT Cup and Ferrari Challenge Europe.

 

A father-and-son team fill the third entry as ex-British Formula Three Championship racer Graham de Zille teams-up with son Dan to race a Ferrari 458 Challenge.

 

Graham breaks a 25-year lay-off to contest the GT Cup while Dan, who competed in Formula Ford UK and the Porsche Carrera Cup GB has not raced since 2013 himself.

 

A seven-round calendar awaits GT Cup competitors in 2019; beginning and ending at Donington Park

 

The series is of a ‘pro-am’ nature with each weekend comprising a sprint race, and then a longer ‘enduro’ in which the ‘pro’ can partner the main-season driver, on each day.

 

GT Cup Calendar 2019

1 Donington Park – April 13-14

2 Snetterton – May 11-12

3 Silverstone – May 29-30

4 Snetterton – July 27-28

5 Silverstone – August 17-18

6 Brands Hatch – August 31-September 1

7 Donington Park – September 21-22

 

Tim Mullen, Team Manager, said: “It’s exciting to be heading into a new GT Cup season with three cars that I’m sure will be right up there and fighting for the title. In David Mason and Ross Wylie, we have a partnership that is already thriving at this level of motorsport and have to be considered title contenders. Laki is an extremely experienced driver with lots of wins and podiums to his name during his racing career, while having two generations of de Zilles sharing a car adds an extra dynamic. They’re both coming back from racing layoffs, but each one has been a front-runner in a variety of series, so once they’re up to speed, they could be tough to beat.”

 

FF Corse kicked off the GT Cup season with a magnificent double win and eight podium finishes at Donington Park.
 
Laki Christoforou and Adam Carroll won the GTC class in both of the weekend’s 50-minute endurance races while Laki added a pair of solo second-place finishes in the shorter sprint events in a Ferrari 488 Challenge.
 
A dramatic conclusion to Sunday’s pitstop race was the highlight of the weekend.
 
Laki started second and held his position throughout the opening stint, but with a 20-second success penalty applied to his car after its Saturday victory, Adam emerged from the mandatory driver change 21 seconds off the lead with half the race to go.
 
The former IndyCar and Formula E racer’s relentless charged paid off as he set the fastest lap and snatched the top spot with four minutes left to complete the double victory; one that put the pair second in the GTC points table for the Silverstone-based team.
 
Graham de Zille, making his racing comeback after a 26-year layoff, claimed a perfect sweep of third-place finishes; often battling with cars from faster categories.
 
With son Dan, his full-season co-driver, unavailable to race, 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 winner Matt Howson was drafted in at short notice to share the 458 Challenge car in the pitstop races; with four visits to the podium the result.

Richard Guy began the weekend in the GTO category in his Ferrari 458 GT3; qualifying seventh and advancing to sixth in Saturday’s sprint, but an engine issue stopped him before the end of the pitstop race and left him classified eighth.

He switched to a GTC-class 488 Challenge for Sunday and finished fourth in both races.
 
The next round of the GT Cup takes place at Snetterton, Norfolk, on May 11-12.
 
Laki Christoforou said: “It’s been a pretty perfect weekend. Two wins, two seconds and the car didn’t miss a beat all weekend. Although I have a lot of experience in historic racing, I’d never raced a modern car before last year and I’m still learning the style of driving more aggressively, but together with Adam, I think we made a very strong team. My laptimes were getting faster as the weekend progressed and I definitely felt the most comfortable by the last race. It’s a great way to start the season and lay the foundations for a championship challenge.”
 
Adam Carroll said: “It’s always good to get a couple of wins under your belt to start the season and this weekend we definitely had a strong package to help us achieve this. The second enduro was tough because of the success time we had to spend in the pits after winning on Saturday, and that meant I had to really knuckle down to catch the Lamborghini ahead of me, but we did it and it’s a fantastic start to the season. Laki did a great job and you could see how much more comfortable and confident he was by the end of Sunday. I think we can have a very good season.”
 
Graham de Zille said: “I really couldn’t have asked for more. This was my first race since 1993, so to come home with four podiums makes me very happy. Unfortunately Dan [de Zille] wasn’t available this weekend to share the car with me so we had to call Matt in at short notice, but together we worked well as a pair. Neither of us had raced this car before so we had to play with the set-up to get it how we wanted it and by the end I was able to get my laptimes down to somewhere around 1.5 seconds off him, which I’m more than happy with. I can’t wait for the next event now.”
 
Matt Howson said: “It’s been nice to race a Ferrari for the first time as it’s one of those cars you always want to race when you’re a kid, and brilliant to have the chance to race with Graham. I’ve known him for almost 10 years, having coached his son, Dan, and when it became clear Dan couldn’t race this weekend, I was happy to step in. FF Corse provide an extremely professional environment for a driver like Graham and together we worked to bring his laptimes down to about 1.5 seconds off mine, which was half what it had been on Saturday morning. To end up with two trophies for myself and four for Graham was absolutely a case of mission accomplished.”
 
Richard Guy said: “The weekend’s been absolutely fantastic, and FF Corse have been wonderful, as usual. I’d never raced the GT3 before, so I was hugely looking forward to getting to grips with it, and I definitely felt more comfortable as Saturday went on. Unfortunately we had a technical issue, so I switched to the 488 for Sunday and I certainly felt more comfortable with it because I’d had previous experience last year, and I was pretty happy with my laptimes in the longer race. I’m certainly planning some more rounds with the GT3 for the remainder of the year.”
 
Tim Mullen, Sporting Manager, said: “I’m delighted with the way we’ve started the season. Two wins, eight podiums and not a scratch on any of the cars from four races is a terrific return for the drivers and team, who have all worked so hard over the winter across our various race programmes. Seeing the way Laki, Graham and Richard really grew in confidence over the weekend was brilliant and is exactly what we aim to do by bringing in professional drivers like Adam and Matt. You could see how the laptimes improved for everyone that they’re going to give it their all this year. Unfortunately Richard had a technical issue with the GT3, but the guys were quick on the case, went back to HQ to get his Challenge car and he finished fourth in both races on Sunday. A great effort from everyone.”

 

FF Corse reigned supreme at Valencia as Jack Brown conquered torrential weather conditions to claim his first Trofeo Pirelli Am victory in the Ferrari Challenge Europe.
 
The British driver’s success, which followed two class pole positions, was backed up by a career-best fifth place in the same race by team-mate Franck Ruimy, and by Laurent de Meeus consolidating his Am points lead in the Coppa Shell.
 
Arriving at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo off the back of a pair of second-place finishes at the season-opener in Bahrain, Graypaul Nottingham driver Jack hit his stride in time for a dry Saturday morning qualifying, in which he qualified as fastest Am driver.
 
Relegated to fifth in class on the grid as a result of performance handicapping given to the top scorers at the previous event, he finished third after an entertaining eight-way fight for victory that featured some impressive passing moves.
 
Again setting the pace in Sunday’s wet qualifying session, Jack simply drove away from his rivals, showed extreme mental resolve to hold firm when several safety-car periods wiped out his advantage, and claimed his maiden victory.
 
Team-mate Franck Ruimy, taking part in only his second Ferrari Challenge Europe event, belied his lack of experience with the 488 Challenge car to fight his way from ninth on the grid to a career-best fifth in the race.
 
The HR Owen – Aerium driver retired the previous day when he was driven into by a Pro car he was fighting with and suffered broken right-front suspension.
 
Laurent de Meeus maintained his lead of the Coppa Shell Am points table with a hard-fought second place on a wet Sunday.
 
The Belgian, who twice claimed the runner-up spot in Bahrain, made it three podiums from four races with a strong drive from fourth on the grid in the treacherous conditions. The HR Owen driver had taken fourth place in Saturday’s dry race.
 
He holds an eight-point lead in the standings while Jack and Franck lie second and 10th in the Trofeo Pirelli Am table.
 
The next event takes place at the Red Bull Ring, Austria, on May 3-5.
 
Jack Brown, Graypaul Nottingham, said: “It’s such a relief to finally get the first win. It’s been coming for a while and I knew we had the speed to do it after qualifying on pole for the second race. The wet conditions were really tough, but the team gave me a great car, I was able to restart well after the safety-car periods and it just came. I’d been disappointed after Race One because we had much better pace than the cars we were chasing in the dry, but the nature of Valencia, with its switchbacks, means if you try a move and it doesn’t work, you’re instantly exposed to an attack from behind and I got shuffled back. The aim, naturally, is to keep on winning and close down the gap to the points leader. Of course I’ll take a grid penalty in Austria because of my win here, but it’s a track with good overtaking possibilities, so let’s see what we can do.”
 
Franck Ruimy, HR Owen – Aerium, said: “This weekend has been a superb experience. Before the start of this season, my entire race career was two Fun Cup races at Spa, so to get a top-five finish in only my second ‘proper’ event, feels amazing. The weather was great until Sunday and FF Corse have done an amazing job in helping me develop my skills and improve my confidence behind the wheel. That made a real difference today as when the rain came, I had the belief that I could be faster than the cars in front, and I was able to come through the order from an early spin and score some really good points. It made up for the disappointment of Saturday, when I was going strongly when I just got hit by another driver, which broke the car. I want the next round to be tomorrow so I don’t have to wait so long to get back in the car!”
 
Laurent de Meeus, HR Owen, said: “Valencia; beautiful city, beautiful track. It’s actually quite a technical track with lots of very difficult corners to negotiate. The rain on Sunday turned a very difficult track into a very, very difficult track, but I managed to stay clear of trouble and drove on to a third podium from four races this season. That’s a great result for me and keeps me at the head of the championship, but there’s a long way still to go and a lot of work still to do. I’m looking forward to our trip to the Red Bull Ring.”
 
Tim Mullen, Sporting Team Manager, said: “It’s been a very good weekend for us. Jack’s first win has been coming for quite some time and he thoroughly deserves to be on the top step of the podium. Franck also did a very good job; recovering from a spin in the wet to finish in the top five for the first time. This result will be a big boost for his confidence. Laurent drove very well in the Coppa Shell races; especially on Sunday where the track conditions were extremely difficult and caught out many other drivers, and he deservedly leads the championship. Thanks to everyone on the team for their efforts.”

FF Corse celebrated a best-ever weekend in the Ferrari Challenge Europe with a double win at a snowy Red Bull Ring that left their drivers leading two different championships.
 
A debut win for Adam Carroll in the Trofeo Pirelli plus a class victory for Jack Brown that elevated him to the head of the Am points, and a Coppa Shell Am podium for Laurent de Meeus, capped off an incredible event for the Silverstone-based team.
 
Having rejoined FF Corse just a few weeks ago, Northern Irishman Adam produced an excellent performance to come away with a commanding victory in greasy track conditions in Race One.
 
The former IndyCar and Formula E racer started from the outside of the front row, but took just a handful of corners to lead in his Pizza Forte-supported Ferrari Budapest 488 Challenge, and was never headed despite the safety-car twice removing a healthy advantage.
 
His victory was the first outright success of 2019 for FF Corse in the Ferrari Challenge Europe’s top division.
 
Having scored his maiden Trofeo Pirelli Am category win last time out at Valencia, Graypaul Nottingham’s Jack Brown was in a class of his own in the wet conditions in Austria.
 
He stormed to a double pole position to increase his streak to four in a row, but was forced to start Race One from seventh spot once a six-place success penalty – incurred as a result of his Valencia victory – was applied.
 
Undeterred, the British racer made a sensational start to climb to fourth place and was at the front by lap eight; having carved through the field in just two green-flag laps; the rest having been spent behind the safety car.
 
Even with the snow-enforced cancellation of Sunday’s race, Jack’s form allowed him to take over the lead of the Am standings; 13 points clear of his nearest rival.
 
In the Coppa Shell, Laurent de Meeus retained his Am points lead with a well-deserved podium finish in the one race that did go ahead on Sunday.
 
Having qualified a career-best second in Am – and sixth overall – during the morning, the HR Owen driver held his nerve in weather conditions that necessitated starting behind the safety car and finished second; his fourth podium from six races this year.
 
The previous day the Belgian had qualified seventh, which became ninth with success penalties applied, and then finished seventh as the worsening weather conditions made it near-impossible to follow other cars closely.
 
He leads the standings by two points with three of seven rounds complete.
 
The next event breaks with the traditional Ferrari Challenge format and will feature a single 40-minute race in support of the Le Mans 24 Hours with both Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell competitors taking to the track together.
 
Adam Carroll, Ferrari Budapest, said: “It’s been a really good weekend, despite the weather, and obviously to win on my Ferrari Challenge debut feels great. We did some good work in the small bit of dry running we had on Friday, but it took a bit of building up in the wet to try and find a set-up where I could really maximise what I had. I’ve been impressed with the level of competition in this series and I had to really keep my concentration in the race once I got to the front because the conditions were difficult and I knew that if I made one mistake, I’d have a real fight on my hands. We definitely have a strong unit here with FF Corse and Ferrari Budapest and now we look ahead to the next round at Le Mans, which will be the highlight of the year and one everyone wants to win at.”
 
Jack Brown, Graypaul Nottingham, said: “Saturday was more or less perfect with pole, victory, fastest lap and the championship lead, and after I got pole on Sunday, I was expecting even more in Race Two, so it’s a shame it was cancelled as an hour later the weather had cleared up and I’m sure I could have won again. I’m delighted otherwise; the car was quick, the track was nice and there were some good battles, but ultimately we had the fastest package all weekend; even when the rain really came down hard at the end of Race One while I was on slicks! This all gives me a lot of confidence ahead of Le Mans, which I’m so excited about.”
 
Laurent de Meeus, HR Owen, said: “What an unique and incredible experience of driving in the snow! Hopefully it’s something I’ll never do again, but it’s definitely something I’ll remember and I feel extremely proud to have finished second in those conditions. Otherwise, it took me a little time to find my pace over the weekend and my Race One qualifying just wasn’t good enough. Fortunately with some overnight thinking and coaching from Jamie [Stanley – Driver Coach] and a revised set-up, I found my mojo during Sunday qualifying. I should have been on pole, but I made a mistake on my last lap at Turn 7. I still lead the championship, but only by two points, so I will have to step it up over the next few races. The next one is at Le Mans, so that will be special, whatever the result.”
 
Tim Mullen, Sporting Manager, said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend; maybe our best ever in the Ferrari Challenge Europe. To come away with wins in both classes in Trofeo Pirelli and a podium in Coppa Shell and to see Jack and Laurent leading their championships and Adam winning on his series debut is Just fantastic and everyone can be extremely proud of the job they’ve done in very difficult conditions. I think we had a good chance of repeating those results in Race Two, even if both our drivers were starting quite far back with the success penalties. As always, a big thank you to HR Owen and Graypaul Nottingham for their support and, for the first time, to Ferrari Budapest, whom we’re delighted to get a win for on our first race together.”

 

 

FF Corse scored an incredible double-victory at the Ferrari Challenge Europe’s showpiece event in support of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Adam Carroll claimed the spoils in the overall contest and the Trofeo Pirelli class while Laurent de Meeus secured victory in the Coppa Shell Am.

Having set the pace in Thursday practice and then qualified third overall in his Ferrari Budapest-entered 488 Challenge, Adam made a strong start to move up to second place at the start of Saturday morning’s 40-minute race.

A multi-car incident at the first Mulsanne chicane allowed the Northern Irishman to form part of a two-car breakaway early on; the lead being swapped three times during the final five laps.

Adam, 36, made the decisive winning move on the penultimate lap, exiting Mulsanne corner well and using his superior momentum to sweep around the outside and into the lead at the right-handed kink before Indianapolis.

It was Adam’s second win in as many races since debuting in the Ferrari Challenge Europe at the Red Bull Ring last month and lifted him to fourth in the Drivers’ Championship. It was also the fifth class victory for Silverstone-based FF Corse in the Challenge in 2019.

For HR Owen driver Laurent, Coppa Shell Am victory was the biggest of his career. The Belgian equalled his season’s-best qualifying performance with second in class and made a strong start.

Sticking to the mandatory speed limits during a number of declared ‘slow zones’ at the mid-point of the race, Laurent lost significant time as several rivals did not respect the rules and received penalties, but closed in on the front-runners in the second half of the race.

Setting the fastest Coppa Shell Am lap along the way, he surged into the lead with two laps to go and sped on to his first win of the year; a result that increased his series lead to 32 points with three rounds remaining.

Trofeo Pirelli Am title contender Jack Brown suffered a tough opening day as a technical issue forced him to miss half of opening practice and the entire second session that followed straight afterwards.

The Le Mans rookie was disadvantaged by the lack of track time, but qualified his Graypaul Nottingham car third in class and put on a strong performance in the race to finish there too.

That result maintained the British driver’s record as the only driver in any Ferrari Challenge Europe class to finish on the podium at every race this year. He is just two points off the series lead.

Team-mate Franck Ruimy, who had missed the previous event in Austria, spent Thursday learning the 8.5-mile Le Mans circuit and improved his laptimes by over 10 seconds between practice and qualifying.

The HR Owen-Aerium driver started 14th in Trofeo Pirelli and enjoyed some close racing to finish 12th.

Adam Carroll, Ferrari Budapest, said: “Standing on top of the podium at Le Mans is the best feeling, and it’s even better when you know you’ve had a really tough battle to get there. I came here expecting a dogfight and that’s exactly what I got. The Challenge cars are so fast in a straight line and don’t have the same grip in the corners as a GT3 or GTE car so as the tyres started to go away it became really difficult to drive. I had a fantastic battle with Louis Prette for the win. I passed him on the outside before Indianapolis and he didn’t fight it too hard, but once I was ahead, it became difficult to lead. He passed me mid-race and found the same thing, but when I made the move to win, it was a lot more difficult because we were towards the end and there was a lot more at stake. That’s one of the best battles I’ve ever had for a win. I’m not thinking championship because we only entered at the third round of the season. We’ll all just focus on winning every race we can, picking up points and seeing where we end up.”

Laurent de Meeus, HR Owen, said: “I honestly can’t believe I’ve won at Le Mans. I thought the opportunity was gone because, although I started second and ran there early on, I lost time and positions in the yellow-flag zones early on because I didn’t want to risk a penalty by breaking the speed limit. Some of the drivers that passed me got penalised so I was able to move up, but honestly I had no idea I was leading until after the chequered flag because the team didn’t want to affect my concentration. I could barely walk when I got out of the car; it was such an overwhelming feeling to have won, and the podium was incredible too.
I’ve now won twice in the Ferrari Challenge Europe; at Monza and Le Mans. The only one left that I desperately want to win is Spa, so hopefully it can creep onto the calendar next year.”

Jack Brown, Graypaul Nottingham, said: “It’s been a great experience at a wicked track. There was a lot to take in, but I think we made the best of it. Having a technical issue in practice meant I went into qualifying with only two laps under my belt, but I’d studied the videos of Adam’s car and just tried to copy him as best as I could, and it worked out as I qualified third and knocked 10 seconds off my practice time. On the first lap of the race there was a big crash at the first Mulsanne chicane and I had to go down the escape road to avoid it. I lost lots of places there and by the time I’d passed the Coppa Shell drivers, the two Trofeo Pirelli Am leaders were too far ahead to catch. Third is still good points and standing on the podium at Le Mans was incredibly cool.”

Franck Ruimy, HR Owen – Aerium, said: “The whole experience was incredible; something that you can only imagine doing once in a lifetime. I’ve only done five race events in my life and two of them have been at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans; a couple of the most iconic tracks on the planet. I really couldn’t hope for a better team than FF Corse, who have really taken me in as part of the family and helped develop my driving skills so much in a very short space of time. Going 310kph down the Mulsanne straight is easily the fastest I’ve been in a racing car and it’s exhilarating. It took me a while to get up to speed in practice, and having less time on-track and fewer laps because the track is three times the length of a normal circuit. The battles were quite fun in the midfield and I had a great time.”

Tim Mullen, Sporting Manager, said: “It feels amazing to come to Le Mans for the most prestigious event in the Ferrari Challenge Europe and have two wins and three drivers on the podium. We wanted to win this one badly, but so did every team, so the FF Corse crew just knuckled down on everything, prepared the cars and the strategy brilliantly, and left the drivers to do what they do. Adam had a fantastic battle for the win and it’s very pleasing to reward Ferrari Budapest with a second win in as many races, and Laurent was particularly overwhelmed with his victory, as the podium scenes showed. He’s extended his Coppa Shell Am lead and we’re in a good position in both Trofeo Pirelli classes. A great team effort.”

FF Corse recorded a double podium finish despite a challenging Ferrari Challenge Europe weekend at the Nurburgring.

Trofeo Pirelli Am title contender Jack Brown took a hard-fought second place for Graypaul Nottingham while Adam Carroll was third in the overall standings for Ferrari Budapest.

Jack took pole position on Sunday, but lost ground when he ran wide at the first corner midway through the race. His second-place finish was his seventh podium of the season and keeps him second in the standings, just 16 points off the top spot.

On Saturday he started second and closed in on the class lead towards the end of the race, only to spin following contact with his key rival. He finished sixth.

Adam set a storming pace on slick tyres in a damp qualifying session on Sunday morning.

But he encountered poor luck when a number of other drivers were able to take advantage of the drying surface to complete their final laps after him, knocking him back to fifth.

A strong opening lap brought him to third, which is where he finished to record his third podium from four races.

On Saturday he was given a drive-through penalty for starting outside his grid marking, dropping him to seventh. He lies sixth in the championship.

Franck Ruimy, who was experiencing the Nurburgring for the first time, made solid progress throughout the weekend, closing the gap to the front-runners across the three days.

The HR Owen-Aerium driver qualified and finished eighth in both Trofeo Pirelli Am races after a pair of ultra-consistent drives that belied his lack of experience.

Laurent de Meeus retained his lead in Coppa Shell Am, despite an unfortunate weekend for the HR Owen driver.

A power-steering issue affected his qualifying session on Saturday and required an heroic effort by the FF Corse mechanics to put him on the grid for the race, which resulted in a 10th-place finish after a mid-race pitstop.

On top form on Sunday, he qualified third, but was eliminated due to damage sustained in a multi-car incident at the first corner.

The Belgian takes a 15-point lead into the next round at Imola on September 27-29.

Adam Carroll, Ferrari Budapest, said: “It’s been a pretty tough weekend for the team, so to end it with a podium is a good reward for everyone’s efforts. I’m frustrated that I made a mistake at the

start of Race One that gave me the drive-through, but it was nice to overtake a few cars during my recovery. Pole position should have been on for Race Two, but I got the chequered flag before any

of my main rivals, so they were all able to do an extra lap on the drying track and knocked me back to fifth. From there, third was a good result.

Franck Ruimy, HR Owen-Aerium, said: “It’s very easy to fall in love with motor racing and my feelings are getting deeper and deeper every event. Every event this year has been tough because of my lack of experience, but the team – and especially the driver coaches – are doing an amazing job and being patient with me while I improve my skills. It was a consistent weekend and I could

race with the cars around me. We all seemed to get faster as the weekend wore on. It was another great experience – though driving on slicks in the damp qualifying on Sunday was new to me –

and I look forward to having another one at Imola.”

Laurent de Meeus, HR Owen, said: “It’s been a weekend of ups and downs, but the main thing is that we’re still ahead in the points thanks to our big win at Le Mans. The team did an incredible job

to fix the power-steering issue between qualifying and the race on Saturday, so it’s a shame we couldn’t achieve the result to reward them due to another issue. I was very pleased to qualify third on

Sunday, which became pole with the success penalties applied from the previous race, but it all went wrong at the first corner. I was on the left side, didn’t anticipate the kink in the braking zone,

lost control of the car and went into a couple of others. I could continue to try and get some points, but there was some damage so I stopped. I think everyone has had one low-scoring round now

so hopefully that’s our one and only one for the year. Bring on Imola!”

Tim Mullen, Sporting Manager, said: “It’s been a mixed weekend, but what’s important is that both Jack Brown and Laurent de Meeus remain firmly in the hunt for both the Trofeo Pirelli Am and

Coppa Shell Am titles. The team did a terrific job to fix Laurent’s car after his issues in qualifying and what happened in Race Two was just unfortunate. Both Jack and Adam bounced back from

tough opening races to record strong podium finishes and Franck did a very good job to gain useful laps in tricky conditions, as he has done all season. Imola should be a thrilling weekend for

everyone.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Monaco GP is the highlight of the F1 calendar and considered one of the most glamorous sporting events in the world.

Taking place from Thursday 26th May to Sunday 29th May 2016 make this year’s Monaco Grand Prix one to remember by being there to experience it.

We have a variety of packages available providing views from the Terraces right up to Yachts moored feet from the track.

For further details, or to take advantage of this fantastic trip please contact us on 01327 857601 or email enquiries@ffcorse.com

Discounts apply to FF Corse Members.