Ferrari Challenge



The Ferrari Challenge is a single-marque motorsport championship that was created in 1993, initially catering to owners of the 348 Challenge who wanted to race their cars. The first European season took place in 1993, with a North American series added in 1994. It now encompasses four official series in Europe, North America, Japan & The United Kingdom. Competitors from each series are brought together at the annual World Finals (Finali Mondiali) event.

In the course of more than 30 years of history, the one-make championship has featured eight cars from the Maranello marque: in addition to the Ferrari 348 Challenge, the Ferrari F355 Challenge (debut in 1995), the Ferrari 360 Challenge (since 2000), the Ferrari F430 Challenge (since 2006), the Ferrari 458 Challenge (since 2011) and the 458 Challenge Evo (since 2014), the Ferrari 488 Challenge (since 2017) and the 488 Challenge Evo since 2020.

Series


Currently there are four distinct series, in Europe, in North America, in the UK, and in Japan. The Ferrari Challenge is managed by Ferrari's Corse Clienti department.

Ferrari Challenge Italy
The now defunct Ferrari Challenge Italy used a two-class format in which distinguished between professional competition drivers in the Trofeo Pirelli (lit. "Pirelli Trophy") and amateur "gentleman drivers" in the Coppa Shell (lit. "Shell Cup"). This format has now been transferred to the Europe Challenge series. It was originally launched in 1993, with backing from Pirelli.

Ferrari Challenge Europe
The European series is a four-class championship, the classes are:
 * Trofeo Pirelli
 * Trofeo Pirelli Am
 * Coppa Shell
 * Coppa Shell Am

Ferrari Challenge North America


The North American also features the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell class system. This championship was inaugurated in 1994. It is organized by Ferrari North America and sanctioned by IMSA.

Ferrari Challenge UK
Starting with the 2019 season, the regional Ferrari Challenge UK series has been launched, contested at some of the UK's most iconic tracks, from Silverstone to Brands Hatch, Oulton Park to Snetterton.

Ferrari Challenge Japan
Starting with the 2023 season, the calendar of the Prancing Horse single-make series has been enriched with the second regional series, the Ferrari Challenge Japan, which includes five rounds taking place at the tracks of Fuji (two rounds), Autopolis, Suzuka and Sugo.

Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific was organised from 2011 to 2022, inaugurated in combination with the growing interest and sales for Ferrari in Asia. The seasons included events in Japan, China, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The Asia-Pacific also featured the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell class system.

Finali Mondiali
From 2013, the major Ferrari Challenge series have combined to host a World Final common event for all championships. This event culminates in a race containing as many of the competitors across all series in both Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell as can fit, with Ferrari declaring the winners to be "world champions". The following table has the winners of each event:

One-make racing
The Ferrari Challenge uses a single model from the manufacturer's road car range, suitably modified to make them safe for competition use. The lineage began with the 348 Challenge in 1993, followed by its successor, the F355 Challenge, and the 360 Modena was introduced in 2000. The F355 remained eligible during 2000 and 2001. The 360 Challenge version was the first competition-orientated version to be marketed to the public. The F430 Challenge was phased in during a transitional year in 2006, with the same being the case for the 458 Challenge in 2011. The F430 introduced carbon-ceramic brake discs for the first time and gained 80 hp over the 360CS, which has reduced lap times to approximately three seconds shy of the F430 GT2. The 458 Challenge is the first to have driver controlled aids such as traction control, stability management and adjustable ABS brakes.

Ferrari Challenge racing cars
The 296 Challenge is the most recent in a line of Ferraris used in the Ferrari Challenge series. The lineage is as follows:
 * Ferrari 348 Challenge (1993–1995)
 * Ferrari F355 Challenge (1995–2000)
 * Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge (2000–2006)
 * Ferrari F430 Challenge (2006–2011)
 * Ferrari 458 Challenge (2011–2013)
 * Ferrari 458 Challenge Evo (2014–2016)
 * Ferrari 488 Challenge (2017–2020)
 * Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo (2020–2023)
 * Ferrari 296 Challenge (2024-Present)

All the cars used in the series are track only, although some 360 Challenges have been made road legal in Australia, with extensive modifications. However, due to new legislation, this is not possible anymore. The 360 Modena Challenge used in the series should not be confused with the 360 Challenge Stradale, which was a road-legal, track day oriented version of the 360, similar to the 430 Scuderia.

Racing simulators based on the series
In 1999, Sega's producer Yu Suzuki created Ferrari F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa, a video game based on the Ferrari F355 Challenge series.

In 2008, System 3's Mark Cale created Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli, the official game of the Ferrari Challenge featuring the licensed Ferrari F430 Challenge Italian, European and North American 2007 series.

In 2012, Ferrari Challenge appeared in Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends.