The Paul Ricard circuit in France hosts the start of the 2026 season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe this weekend, which on this occasion also coincides with the opening round of the regional UK series.
More than fifty drivers will compete in the two rounds scheduled for each of the two championships, in an event that will see the 296 Challenge – the ninth car to feature in the long history of the prestigious single-marque series of the Prancing Horse – on the 5.842-kilometre circuit of Le Castellet. This year the series reaches the milestone of its 34th edition.
Europe. The European series returns to the French circuit two years after its last visit, with a grid of drivers entered representing 23 different nationalities and involving 26 Ferrari Dealers. Many familiar faces compared to last season, with 34 drivers confirmed, and several new entries including three from the Ferrari Club Challenge programme.
As usual, the series is made up of four classes. In the Trofeo Pirelli, Belgian Gilles Renmans (Francorchamps Brussels Motors), American Dylan Medler (The Collection) and the experienced Max Mugelli (CDP – Eureka Competition) return with ambitions of overall success. They will in particular have to contend with Sergio Paulet (Ineco – Reparto Corse RAM), Trofeo Pirelli Am champion in 2021, and Hendrik Viol (Scuderia Praha Racing), winner among the Am drivers in 2025 but absent this weekend in France.
The firm favourite in the Trofeo Pirelli Am is Michael Verhagen (Ferrari Warszawa), who grew throughout the 2025 season culminating in the class title at the Finali Mondiali. However, the competition is numerous with many returning drivers and several new faces.
Competing for the Coppa Shell title, we will find the experienced Tibor Valint (Rossocorsa) and Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing), who will have to face, among others, the German Sven Schömer (Penske Sportwagen Hamburg), who moved up a class after winning the Coppa Shell Am in 2025, the returning Eric Cheung (Formula Racing), making a welcome comeback after a year's absence due to injury, and the new face Alexandre Lima (FBO – NACentE Racing).
As always, the Coppa Shell Am – the class dedicated to gentleman drivers – will be crowded, with many returning competitors, comebacks and new drivers ready for the challenge.
UK. After the Spanish start in Navarra last year, the 2026 Ferrari Challenge UK season kicks off with a special opening round in France with many new features and the presence for the first time of a female driver, Manuela Gostner (Ineco), winner of the Coppa Shell in the Europe series in 2025. In addition to the Italian, in the Trofeo Pirelli, reigning champion Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) will have his teammate, his son Bradley, as an opponent, with whom he shared the podium in the last race of last season at Silverstone. Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon), winner of the 2025 Coppa Shell, also moves up a category where Joseph Dean (Stratstone Colchester) also races for the second year.
In the Coppa Shell, the spotlight will be on Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester), who finished runner-up in 2025. Among those on the starting grid there is also a mix of returning drivers: Darren Howell (JCT600 Leeds), Huseyin Sert (Maranello Sales) and “Sean Ran” (HR Owen). Racing on the Le Castellet circuit for the first time in the Ferrari Challenge UK will be William Bolster (Charls Hurst), John Thurner (Stratstone Manchester), Christopher Beighton (Graypaul Nottingham), Ian Morris (Maranello Sales) and Italy’s Andrea Seminara (HR Owen).
Programme. The intense race weekend will see drivers tackle tests and free practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, before the qualifying sessions on Saturday, 14 March. At 9.00 a.m. the session for Coppa Shell and Coppa Shell Am Europe will begin, at 9.40 a.m. the Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am Europe session, and at 10.20 a.m. the Ferrari Challenge UK session.
In the afternoon, the green flag for Coppa Shell and Coppa Shell Am Europe will unfurl at 2.00 p.m., at 3.15 p.m. for Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am Europe, and at 4.30 p.m. for the UK series. The same programme and times will be repeated on Sunday. All times are local.
All qualifying sessions and races of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli will be streamed live for free with English commentary on live.ferrari.com and Ferrari’s official YouTube channel.
