After a stellar Ferrari Racing Days event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last month, Ferrari Challenge North America returns to an even bigger stage this weekend at the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.
Ferrari Challenge brings its Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve racetrack, as it has every year since the championship’s inception, with only 2008 and the coronavirus pandemic years as exceptions. And as in years’ past, this weekend marks the end to the first half of the season before drivers turn their attention towards the final races of 2024.
From the streets of Old Montreal to the numerous fan zones, terraces and compounds at the racetrack, a similar attendance to last year’s record-breaking 345,000 fans is expected again in 2024. In addition to seeing Ferrari Challenge north of the border for the single time this season, the crowds will also get their first look at the Ferrari 296 Challenge race car as it competes for the first time in Canada.
To kickstart and celebrate what will be a historic weekend for the series, the Ferrari Challenge grid will unite with Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 drivers — Charles Leclerc, coming off a historic victory in his hometown of Monaco, and Carlos Sainz, also a winner this year in Australia — in an exciting opportunity on Thursday to mingle and pose for a group photo.
The most recent doubleheader at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca did little to separate the Trofeo Pirelli pack, as four drivers are within 10 points of each other in the championship.
Dylan Medler (The Collection) holds a narrow two-point lead over Roberto Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle). Jason McCarthy (Wide World Ferrari) scored his first win of the season at Laguna Seca to stay within eight points of Medler, but only one point ahead of Dave Musial Jr. (Ferrari of Lake Forest).
In Trofeo Pirelli Am, Brian Cook’s winning streak came to a halt at Laguna Seca after Matias Perez Companc (Ferrari of Central Florida) sped his way to an overall pole position and victory in Race 2. At Montreal, Companc will test that pace in the Trofeo Pirelli class, leaving fellow Am competitors such as Dave Musial Sr. (Ferrari of Lake Forest) and Tony Davis (Continental AutoSports) – who are second and fourth respectively in the title hunt — to challenge Cook for a win.
In Coppa Shell, Laguna Seca brought a surplus of success for Eric Marston (Ferrari of Westlake), who earned two pole positions and two victories to catapult him to the top of the class championship. After missing Race 1 in California, Sureel Choksi (Ferrari of Denver) is eager to make up ground in defense of his 2023 title, with a handful of drivers also in search of podiums in Montreal.
Lastly, the Coppa Shell Am class boasts the tightest championship battle, with seven drivers in a 15-point margin. Roger Monteforte (Ferrari of Central New Jersey) looks to repeat his Race 1 victory at Laguna Seca, as a double-digit number of drivers — such as Bryan Waltersdorf (Continental AutoSports) and Monteforte’s teammate Jeffrey Nunberg, who are tied for second in points — are in hot pursuit. However, just out of reach of the top seven is Jerri Walters (Ferrari of Vancouver) racing in her home country and looking to finish strong after her best showings of the season at Laguna Seca were cut short by late incidents.
Walters is one of four drivers on the grid this weekend representing Canada, with her Ferrari of Vancouver teammate, John Horejsi, and Ferrari of Quebec drivers, Martin Burrowes and Benoit Bergeron, waving the famous red-and-white Maple Leaf Flag.
Schedule:
Friday opens with a trio of practice sessions for Ferrari Challenge, before qualifying gets underway on Saturday morning.
The Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes will combine for two races, the first on Saturday afternoon at 2pm ET and the second on Sunday at 10:55am before the Formula 1 race at 2pm.
All Ferrari Challenge races will stream live on the Ferrari YouTube channel and FerrariRaces.com.