Reports from Hockenheim paddock

Round three of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe at Hockenheim featured six thrilling races – two for each class – confirming Felix Hirsiger’s (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) exceptional form as he achieved a second consecutive double-win. However, the standings remain wide open in every championship category. As the series heads to Brno for the season’s halfway mark from 5 to 8 June, here’s a look back at some of the key moments from the German leg.

Swiss power. The Trofeo Pirelli class looks set to be an all-Swiss contest for the title. With four consecutive victories, two at Misano and two in Germany, Hirsiger currently leads the standings. Hot on his heels is 21-year-old fellow Swiss driver Ferati, of Albanian and Macedonian heritage, who remains just four points behind the leader and pushing hard. He has yet to climb to the top place on the podium, but the challenge is far from over: the next appointment is at Brno.

Trulli in Ferrari. After getting his first taste of Prancing Horse cars in 2024, debuting in the Italian GT Championship at the Misano circuit behind the wheel of a 296 GT3, Enzo Trulli, son of former Formula 1 driver Jarno, has now embraced the challenge of competing in the Ferrari Challenge Europe with Gianmarco Marzialetti’s team.
There was great anticipation at the Hockenheim circuit for the young driver from Abruzzo, who qualified fifth and eighth in the two sessions before delivering two impressive comeback drives – particularly in Race-2 – to secure back-to-back third-place finishes.
All eyes were on the son of the former F1 star, including those of his father, Jarno, who was trackside at the German circuit to support him. 

The Gostners celebrate too. It wasn’t just the Trulli family celebrating at the German circuit – the Gostners also had plenty to be pleased about. David Gostner made his season debut in the series at Hockenheim, competing in the Trofeo Pirelli Am class with CDP – MP Racing. Now in his fourteenth season in the championship, Gostner secured an eighth-place finish in Race-1 and an impressive third in Race-2, just behind title contenders Hendrik Viol and Marco Zanasi.
Things went even better for the Gostner family in the Coppa Shell, where Manuela (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM) delivered a brilliant victory in the opening race of the weekend, having started from second on the grid. She was joined on the podium – a unique occasion – by her father Thomas (CDP – MP Racing), who was third over the line. It was a satisfying return to the podium after both Thomas and Manuela narrowly missed out at the same circuit three years ago, with Thomas placing fourth in both races.

Fast 296 Challenge. It has only been three years since the Ferrari Challenge last visited Hockenheim, but in many ways, it feels like a lifetime. The 2022 round saw the Ferrari Challenge debut of Eliseo Donno, who went on to win the European title in the Prancing Horse’s one-make series the following year. The young Salento-born driver, who finished third in Race-1, was, like all competitors at the time, at the wheel of the 488 Challenge Evo – going head-to-head with Doriane Pin, who would go on to claim the title that season. At the German circuit, the French driver dominated both races, securing pole position in each – the first with a time of 1’41”168 – and setting the fastest lap in Race-2 with a 1’43”093. During the final weekend, the first qualifying session – the only one held in dry conditions – saw Hirsiger prevail with a time of 1’37”654. The Swiss driver also recorded the fastest lap in Race-2, clocking in at 1’39”111.