On his return to the series after several years away, 2021 Trofeo Pirelli Am champion Sergio Paulet of Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM won both races in the opening race weekend of the 2026 Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli season at Circuit Paul Ricard.
In Race 1, Paulet, who started from pole position, successfully held off Francorchamps Motors Brussels’ Gilles Renmans throughout on a drying circuit, with his eventual margin of victory just 0.127 seconds.
“I’m really happy to have won the first race of the season,” said Paulet. “The track was still damp from the rain, the conditions were completely different from the last few days. In the end, I had to defend my position, but I managed it.”
Renmans set the fastest lap as he climbed from fifth on the grid to second, with CDP – Eureka Competition’s Max Mugelli completing the Pro podium.
In Am, a prolonged multi-car battle saw Ferrari Warszawa’s pole sitter Michael Verhagen eventually triumph, ahead of Penske Sportwagen Hamburg’s Danilo Del Favero and Maranello Motors – Pro Racing’s Herbert Geiss.
Race 2 saw a repeat of the Pro podium from the season opener, although Spaniard Paulet had a much easier time after Renmans picked up a pair of five-second penalties, for a jump start and track limits, respectively.
The Belgian finished only 0.463 seconds back on the road, but Renmans’ penalties meant Paulet was never truly threatened for the victory. Renmans did, however, pull out a large enough advantage over the rest of the field to hold onto second after his penalties were applied, with Mugelli again third.
In Trofeo Pirelli Am, Verhagen took the lead of the race shortly after the halfway mark, and maintained a steady pace throughout the contest. The Dutchman set the fastest lap in the category as he pulled away from his pursuers, as Formula Racing’s Anders Bidstrup and Del Favaro rounded out the top three.
Coppa Shell sees Sandmann and Cheung take wins
Elsewhere during the weekend, on a drying circuit, Jan Sandmann began his Coppa Shell campaign in the best possible fashion, as he claimed a lights-to-flag victory in the first race.
Behind, his Kessel Racing teammate Fons Scheltema decisively passed Penske Sportwagen Hamburg’s Sven Schömer for second position shortly before the halfway mark, but was unable to catch Sandmann and challenge for victory. Reigning Coppa Shell Am European champion Schömer held on to third, on his debut in the Pro class.
Kessel Racing doubled up in the Am class, as victory went to debutant Lukas Azzato, who set the fastest lap and successfully defended the first position he secured in qualifying from Riller & Schauck’s “Boris Gideon”. Emil Frey Racing’s Andreas König completed the podium.
“An extraordinary first race, I couldn’t have hoped for better for this debut,” said Azzato. “It was a good challenge but I managed to prevail.”
The second Coppa Shell race of the weekend featured early drama, as an incident on the sighting lap saw pole sitter Tibor Valint unable to start the race.
This meant that Scheltema inherited pole position, and the Dutchman held the top spot until five minutes to go, when Sandmann fought his way to the front of an entertaining four-car battle for the lead. Sandmann, however, had a 10-second penalty looming over him for a collision early on.
As the German tried to pull out a 10-second margin, Formula Racing’s Eddie Cheung found a way past Scheltema at the final corner with three laps to go, and held on to claim victory. Scheltema finished second, with Sandmann falling to third, as only 1.410 seconds covered the podium finishers.
In the Coppa Shell Am, Azzato scored his second victory of the weekend, starting once again from the first slot on the grid and keeping the lead to the finish. The Swiss driver prevailed over König and Formula Racing’s Henrik Kamstrup, whilst Shintaro Akatsu set the fastest lap.
The 2026 Ferrari Challenge Europe season continues next month, at Mugello, Italy on 23rd to 26th April 2026.
Images courtesy of Ferrari
