The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB team will have a strong four car line up as the 2008 season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli gets underway at the Monza Autodrome this weekend.

The 2008 season for the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, Europe’s most exclusive single-make racing series for Ferrari clients and enthusiasts, kicks off at Monza this weekend, with a full race programme at the famed Italian race circuit, home of the Italian Grand Prix since the race moved there from Brescia in 1922. The first race of the season promises to be an exciting and thrilling demonstration of the racing dynamics of the Ferrari F430 Challenge race car, and the incredibly competitive Ferrari clients from all over Europe who compete in this series which is managed by Ferrari’s own “Corse Clienti” racing division.

The UK is represented by four drivers who compete as part of the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB, with the full support of Ferrari GB and the Ferrari GB dealer network. Last year’s race winners, Jamie Constable and Mike Cantillon, compete under the Team Vertu Racing banner, with cars in a special livery dedicated to Vertu, the premium luxury mobile phone manufacturer whose products encapsulate the very finest hand-craftsmanship and technology that is inspired by exquisite watches and jewellery – and, of course, Ferrari. Jamie competes in Car 127 and Mike drives Car 128. Both drivers expect to repeat their several successes of last year, with several podiums and race wins in the ultra-competitive Coppa Shell category which is reserved for “gentleman” drivers.

The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s two other entries are Car 129, driven by Yannick Mallegol and Jean-Marc Bachelier, a regular entry to the Ferrari Challenge throughout 2007, and Car 126, driven by Jack Gerber, a Ferrari client who has progressed through the Fiorano Ferrari driving experience programme, operated by Ferrari GB exclusively for Ferrari clients in the UK. Both Yannick/Jean-Marc and Jack anticipate a strong showing at Monza as they kickstart their 2008 campaign at a circuit with which they are both familiar.

Ferrari GB will also be hosting several representatives from the Ferrari GB dealer network throughout the weekend, with exclusive pit and paddock access and unrivalled hospitality from Team Vertu Racing. This hospitality is reserved exclusively for VIP guests of Ferrari and the team’s partners at each round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. The next round of the championship is at Silverstone from 18-20 April, when the Ferrari Challenge drivers will have the chance to mingle with the FIA GT drivers who will also be racing at the Northamptonshire circuit during the same weekend.

The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli

It was in 1993 with the Ferrari 348 Berlinetta that the Ferrari Challenge first took to the race tracks of the world. With the development of the F355 and then the outstanding 360 Challenge, the series has grown to take in three championships: the USA, Europe and a dedicated Italian series. All of which offer the chance for clients to enjoy the unique sensation of being a Ferrari racing driver with the full support of factory trained technicians and race crew.

The racing follows the format of any professional race series with a three-day meeting around a weekend. There are two distinct classes within the Ferrari Challenge: the Trofeo Pirelli for the more experienced drivers and the Coppa Shell for those who are new to racing. In the European Championship, there are seven weekend race meetings on some of the most challenging and iconic race circuits: Monza, Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Misano, Budapest, Nürburgring and at the World Finals in Italy (location TBC).

Each race weekend starts on Friday with free practice and qualifying and includes 40 minute races on both Saturday and Sunday, allowing time for the drivers to relax and enjoy the luxury of their surroundings – this is a Ferrari event after all. The latest technology on the cars, the best pit crews with the most sophisticated equipment, the most enthusiastic Ferrari owners driving the most modern F430 Challenge cars on the finest racing circuits can only mean one thing - The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is in town. 

Race Calendar

Race Meeting Format

Friday

• Sporting and Technical Scrutineering

• Free Practice = 30 mins x 2 sessions

• Qualifying 1 (for Race 1) = 30 mins

Saturday

• Qualifying 2 (for Race 2) = 30 mins

• Race 1 = 40 mins

Sunday  

• Race 2 = 40 mins

Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB – Partners

Every successful racing team in the world achieves its victories through teamwork. The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB aims to do the same and is working with the leading brands in their fields to support the team in that goal.

Black & Decker is a leading global manufacturer and innovator of power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology-based fastening systems. Employing approximately 26,000 people in five core operating regions around the world marketing products to 100 countries. Being a visionary, customer focused brand, Black & Decker aims to empower people with intelligent solutions for everyday life, ensuring great results every time. The company stands for the values of integrity, leadership, teamwork and results.

Vertu is the leading manufacturer of handcrafted mobile phones for the luxury market. Born from an obsession to create a handset that deployed craftsmanship and technology in a way that had never been achieved before, Vertu looked beyond the world of mobile phones. Its inspiration came from the finest watches, exquisite jewellery and the most exhilarating cars. A Vertu is the antithesis of mass production. It is hand-assembled, original and unique. Vertu phones are hand assembled at the company's headquarters in the United Kingdom and are available in Vertu's own stores and some of the finest watch, jewellery and department stores worldwide.

KitchenAid has been creating innovative products for the well-equipped kitchen for almost a century. A cult brand in the United States, KitchenAid arrives in Europe to enjoy similar demand. KitchenAid offers a complete range of appliances and culinary utensils that supports every step of the cooking process. Each product is crafted with singular design, great versatility, extremely high-quality materials and professional-like performance. Passion, quality and technology: the mix of ingredients that creates the history of a truly unique brand. KitchenAid supports the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s activities while at race locations by providing exclusive culinary experiences to the team’s VIP guests by managing and running custom-made KitchenAid-equipped interactive kitchen services at every race.

Meridian Audio have been designing and manufacturing the world’s most desirable home entertainment systems for 30 years.  Founded in 1977 by Bob Stuart and Allen Boothroyd, the Cambridgeshire company has won numerous accolades for product performance and design, including an unprecedented three British Design awards.  Today, Meridian’s range of products includes CD and DVD players, amplifiers, surround-sound decoders and loudspeakers, and Meridian products are sold in over 50 countries world-wide.  In February 2007, Meridian and Ferrari launched the F80 – a complete transportable home entertainment system that combines superb performance with stylish design.

Iveco is an international firm, part of the FIAT Group, offering a complete range of transport vehicles and engines. It manufactures and sells over 160,000 commercial vehicles and 430,000 engines worldwide each year. In income terms this translates into around €9 billion. Iveco has 49 factories in 19 countries as well as 15 R&D centres, 31,000 employees and 844 dealerships.

Pirelli has a long history stretching back for over a century. The work carried out by Pirelli Labs in photonics, broadband and new material fields as well as its MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotic System) for tyre manufacture are just a few examples of the Group’s technological excellence. Pirelli has 22 tyre factories in 10 countries and is the market leader in ultra high performance tyres, with both Maserati and Ferrari choosing tyres from the P Zero range. Pirelli - equipped for ultimate control.

Sabelt was founded in 1972 and developed the first 6-point harnesses with quick-release buckles specifically for motor racing. The first cars to use these Sabelt belts were Munari's glorious Lancia Stratos, in rallying, and Giacomelli's Alfa Romeo, in F1. Today Sabelt researches, develops and manufactures racing car seat belts at the forefront of technology, supplying the main racing car teams worldwide. In 1998, Sabelt began distributing a whole range of accessories, all approved according to FIA standards: seats, suits, gloves, special technical clothing for drivers and mechanics, shoes, steering wheels, helmets, pedals, strut bars and springs.

Bodytechnics recently opened a new state-of-the-art Official Ferrari Body Repairer in Slough which will serve Ferrari customers as part of a network of three official Ferrari Body Repairers in the UK. The new 26,000 sq ft facility includes over 4,500 sq ft of office and reception area with two private customer reception rooms, and employs 41 staff. Bodytechnics Ltd have the official Ferrari jig brackets for a comprehensive range of  current and historic models, from the modern F430, 599 GTB Fiorano and 612 Scaglietti, stretching all the way back to the historic 208, including the 308, 328, 348, 355, 360, F40, F50, Testarossa, 456, 550 and 575. This ensures that they are able to make repairs to the majority of Ferrari road cars still in use in the UK today.