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

GT Winter Series – Estoril

GT Winter Series Estoril

6 Podiums for FF Corse

The GT Winter Series entered its second round of the season on 14-15 January 2023 in Estoril. The legendary ex-Formula 1 circuit near Lisbon had a lot of action in store and provided one or two surprises. With 44 entries, the field was not only large, but also high-class, featuring GT3, GT4, and three Cup Classes.

Q1 & Q2 – From wet to clammy

The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Estoril was literally pounding the night before the 2023 GTWS opener, with waves up to 7m high and plenty of rain along the coast. So the morning qualifying session was to take place wet, but looking increasingly friendly as the clouds visibly cleared. So the secret of the fast times seemed to lie in the right timing, as the Portuguese sun slowly ate up the drops.

As Q1 began, a wet session was declared. Not why we went to Portugal! Unfortunately James was unable to set a time during qualifying owing to a failed component out of our control, and placed him P36 for the first race. Tom had better fortune, quickly demonstrating his pace, qualifying P1 in class and P12 overall.

Sprint Race 1 – 25 minutes but shorter than expected

Although the track gradually dried over course of the morning, it was still decidedly wet and all the drivers had decided to start on slicks. However, as the track still showed changing conditions, the experienced race director Werner Aichinger decided to increase the number of introductory laps to two so that the drivers could familiarise themselves with the conditions. This sightseeing didn’t seem to work for everyone, as the safety car was deployed almost immediately. The race was barely reopened after two laps of clean-up when another car left the tarmac and caused the next safety car phase. With the safety car back in, only a few laps remained however in the Cup 1 class, which was exclusively occupied by Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos, Tom came in P1 in class and P9 overall ahead of James who put in an impressive recovery drive to P2 in class and climbed 13 places to finish P23 overall. A solid start for the pair.

Sprint Race 2 with real performers and an absurd interlude

Race 2 and while a dry line had appeared on track, it was still wet off line. As the cars headed to the grid, there was a divide of those who had opted for slicks or wets. We went slicks.

The wet circuit off line claimed victims early on, resulting in another two safety cars but this time only for a one lap each, so it gave our drivers plenty of time to reset and push forward to climb the field.

Tom relished the dry line and made his way to third place overall with surgical precision. Unfortunately, he lost out on the fruits of his labour, albeit by the skin of his teeth, as he overtook just before the safety car line on the restart and was handed a 25-second penalty. It was only a matter of a few centimetres, but the rule is the rule. However, he had built up such a superior lead that he was still able to celebrate the class victory.

Again having not set a lap in qualifying, James started P33 for race two, but put in yet another remarkable recovery drive, climbing up to P17 overall, taking another 2nd place in class, in just 25 minutes. Quite impressive given his qualifying woes.

1 Hour Endurance Race, with many battles

The starting grid for the 60-minute Endurance is determined by the combined results of Q1 and Q2, Tom starting P10 overall and James back down to P34. A now fully dry circuit meant we send the drivers off to see what they could do, and they didn’t disappoint.

Over the hour, James made steady working picking off cars ahead climbing a total of 20 places overall. Mighty impressive on his first ever race in a 488 Challenge Evo. During the race, James maintained P3 in class, only to be slowly caught by a pro-driver who had taken over from the car’s owner during the mandatory pit stop. A thoroughly exciting 5 laps ensued as James did his best to fend him off as long as he could. Finally, the pro slipped through dropping James back to P4 in class but in true racer form, James kept pushing for the last two laps and his efforts paid off. The car previously running P2 in class had backed off and slowed. James was able to catch and pass, on the last corner, of the last lap recovering P3 in class! Thoroughly exiting to watch!

Once again Tom showed his class. Efficient in his driving style, fast as an arrow in his lap time, he grabs P1 in class for the third time of the day and an outstanding P3 in the overall, beating plenty of quicker machinery. Remarkably, this too is Tom’s first race in a 488 Challenge.

The entire team at FF Corse are delighted with the results and look forward to the next outing, Valencia, 18-19 February.

Thanks to The GT Winter Series.

Photography Credit: Daniel Buergin, GT Winter Series.

Further dates for 2023 released

We’re getting excited for 2023, as yet more dates are released. Please follow the links below to view all available dates so far, more will be added as they become available!

2023 Track & Test Days

2023 Race Calendar

Dates for 2023 released!

 

It’s that exciting time of year when the calendars for next year’s events are released!

We also still have some track action available for 2022 so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to join us.

2023 Ferrari Club Challenge Europe Dates

Next year’s calendar looks to be another fantastic selection of circuits, which will now be held over 2 days with more track space and time guaranteed. Get in touch for further details and pricing.

2023 Club Challnge Dates

 

GT Winter Series
The GT Winter Series is entering its third season. Stronger than ever before and with more events on the most beautiful race tracks in Southern Europe.

GT Winter Series

 

Sound exciting? Get in touch! Phone us on 01327 857601 or email enquiries@ffcorse.com.

Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo at Mugello