Ferrari Challenge: Nurburgring
On a weekend when Michael Schumacher was present to soak up his annual dose of hero-worship at the Nurburgring, it was fitting that Ange Barde continued his Schumacher-like dominance of the European Ferrari Challenge championship with his seventh win of the year. But the Frenchman's retirement in race two handed victory to experienced Irishman Michael Cullen, who led home an Irish 1-2 from Paddy Shovlin
Shovlin rocked the paddock on Saturday afternoon when he took pole by three-quarters of a second, and led the opening laps of Sunday's race one. Front row man Karl Baron led into the first corner but his race was ruined when he outbraked himself and ran wide. Shovlin dominated until he fell victim to the first of several irresponsible bits of driving by Robert Pergl - the Czech pilot clipped Shovlin's rear and sent him pirouetting down the field on lap eight.
Barde, who had been waiting in the wings, was handed the lead. He looked unthreatened by Michael Cullen and Louis Machiels and went on to take the chequered flag by just under a second from Cullen. Karl Baron, who had been recovering strongly from his first-lap mishap, was eliminated at the NGK chicane by Pergl on lap11.
The second race looked certain to be another win for Barde until he peeled off into the pit lane five laps from the end with mechanical gremlins. Michael Cullen seized the advantage and took victory ahead of teammate Shovlin and Austrian Karl Baron. It was the Irishmen's first 1-2 since the Ferrari Challenge support race at the United States GP in 2002.
Oliver Morley, the English star of class two, endured a dreadful weekend. He lost the lead of the first race after he was plagued by intermittent mechanical problems and crashed heavily in race two. Rolf Galliker won on Sunday morning ahead of Freddy Kremer and Pierre Schroeder; Kremer took the spoils in the afternoon, giving him a one-point championship lead over Galliker.
Ange Barde (F) 35m40.608s
Michael Cullen (IRL) 35m41.595s
Louis Machiels (B) 35m41.982s
Raffaele De Simone (I) 35m42.616s
Paddy Shovlin (IRL) 35m46.020s
Daniel Model (CH) 35m47.543s
Michael Cullen (IRL) 45m08.266s
Paddy Shovlin (IRL) 45m20.333s
Karl Baron (AUT) 45m22.011s
Daniel Model (CH) 45m25.739s
Robert Pergl (CZE) 45m26.696s
Wido Roessler (D) 45m31.646s
Is AI ready to take over Formula 1 strategy?
The viral success of ChatGPT since its launch has lifted interest surrounding Artificial Intelligence to new heights.
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
The 2022 Autosport Awards winner using Esports as a launchpad
A trail blazed in Esports has inspired a revamp of the annual prize that aims to discover the best young engineering talent. Autosport met Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future winner Michael Preston
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
Porsche’s hopeful Le Mans future meets its illustrious past
Rising sportscar star Adam Smalley had to pinch himself when offered the chance to drive the car that won the world’s most famous enduro in 1987
Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
Rating the best drivers of the century so far
Autosport's Top 50 feature has been a staple of the magazine for the past two decades since its first appearance in 2002. Here are the drivers that have featured most prevalently during that time
The best motorsport moments of 2021
Motorsport produced one of its greatest years of all-time in 2021 despite a backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and an ever-changing racing landscape. Through the non-stop action Autosport has collected the finest moments from the past 12 months to highlight the incredible drama and joy motorsport generates
The racing comeback artists who resurrected long-dormant careers
Making it in motorsport can be tough, and sometimes drivers move elsewhere before their best chance arrives. Here are some of those who made it back
The hidden racing gem attracting ex-F1 heroes
It’s rarely mentioned when it comes to assessing the best national contests, but the Brazilian Stock Car series that reaches its climax this weekend has an ever-growing appeal. Its expanding roster of ex-Formula 1 names has helped to draw in new fans, but it's the closeness of competition that keeps them watching
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.