Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB
This weekend, 1-3 September, sees the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB arrive at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany with the momentum of Ross Kaiser’s first win in the Trofeo Pirelli at Paul Ricard which gives him a realistic chance of securing second place in the championship with only four races remaining, and a competitive three-car line-up in the Coppa Shell which continues to push towards the front of the grid with improved qualifying and finishing positions.In only its first year in the championship and with only a 4-car entry, the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB has managed to score the greatest number of points per car over the first five rounds, despite other teams filling up more slots on the starting grid (Ferrari GB 35.5 pts per car, Ferrari Suisse 15.5 pts per car, Ferrari West Europe 12.24 pts per car, Ferrari Deutschland 9.2 pts per car).
This impressive points haul has seen the team finish on the podium in more than half of the Trofeo Pirelli races contested so far, including 2 wins (at Valencia and Paul Ricard), 2 second places (at Valencia) and 2 third places (at Silverstone and Spa). And, in the Coppa Shell category, three new drivers to the championship have consistently improved on qualifying times and finishing positions – with Borislav Maleti? and Peter Bamford not only new to the championship, but new to racing.
“The drivers have done an incredible job this year, with several podium finishes and a strong commitment to push to the front of the grid at every single round,” Massimo Fedeli, Managing Director of Ferrari GB, said. “We have brought three new drivers into the championship this year, demonstrating that Ferrari GB can offer Ferrari owners what no other manufacturer can – the opportunity to go from owning a Ferrari for the road, through Fiorano Ferrari our unique driving programme, and into professional racing in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli series which is the ultimate expression of the Ferrari lifestyle.”
The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB driver line-up is headed by Ross Kaiser, a talented 24 yr old who competes in the Trofeo Pirelli category and has previously won both the Formula Ford 2000 and Series Radical championships. “I’m incredibly happy to have won a race in my first season with the Ferrari F430 Challenge – especially since most of the other drivers have far more experience of racing in Ferraris. I can’t believe the level of competition at each race – everyone in the team works so hard because they know every driver wants to win.”
In the Coppa Shell category, the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB has three drivers who are new to the championship this year. In car 89 is Borislav Maleti?, a 46 yr old Croatian who has shown steady progress throughout the year in only his first year of motor racing – in a 490hp Ferrari F430 Challenge! Growing in confidence and racing ability with each race, Borislav’s best finish this year has been a 10th place at the historic and technically challenging Monza circuit – no mean feat in a field of 36 cars in which two-thirds of the field all finished on the same lap.
In car 103, Geoff Farmer has several years of experience in racing historic F1 cars and has adapted well to the different driving style of the Ferrari F430 Challenge and the larger grids in the Challenge series. With top 10 place finishes at Valencia and Monza, Geoff has been involved in several tough battles for position but has consistently improved his timings throughout each race weekend, with this year a preparation for an all-out assault on the Coppa Shell title in 2007.
The third driver in the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s Coppa Shell line-up is 52 yr old Peter Bamford who joined the team at Paul Ricard and drives car no 108. Peter’s progression from Ferrari owner to Ferrari Racing Driver has been remarkable – with support from Ferrari GB’s Fiorano Ferrari driving programme, Peter managed to achieve his international racing licence in order to join the team at Paul Ricard. In his first weekend as a Ferrari racing driver, Peter managed to finish both of his first two races, gaining valuable experience of the car that will undoubtedly see him move up the grid at the Nürburgring this weekend.
The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB is a collaboration of three of the UK’s official Ferrari dealers who along with Ferrari GB have created a championship winning race team ready to offer Ferrari clients the opportunity to take the chequered flag in this year’s European Championship. The dealers who provide technical support for the team are Graypaul Nottingham, HR Owen Kensington and Maranello Sales Egham. But it’s not only Ferrari technicians who support the F430 Challenge drivers each weekend, but it’s also VIP guests who are invited by each dealer to spend the weekend enjoying the atmosphere of the pit lane and the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s hospitality, in a dedicated purpose-built hospitality facility which provides guests with the opportunity to meet the drivers and sample the life of a Ferrari racing driver.
The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB brings together the competitive spirit on-track with the Ferrari lifestyle during the weekend – we call it luxury lifestyle racing.
