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Adam Carroll wins Ferrari Challenge showpiece event at Mugello

Adam Carroll led from lights-to-flag in the Ferrari Challenge's showpiece Trofeo Pirelli World Final at Mugello, seeing off late pressure from Bjorn Grossmann

GP2 race-winner Carroll started his FF Corse-prepared Ferrari Budapest entry from pole courtesy of setting the fastest qualifying lap in any session during the weekend, and saw off heavy pressure first from Ferrari Challenge Europe runner-up Niccolo Schiro (Rossocorsa) and then Grossmann (Octane 126) to secure victory by 0.4s.

Schiro, who was temporarily awarded the title until a steward's review into overtaking under yellow flags at the start of race two reinstated Louis Prette as champion, made the best start from third and shot down Carroll's inside into turn one.

But he had to take a very acute angle into the corner, which allowed Carroll to duck underneath and re-pass him on the corner exit.

Schiro tried again to pass Carroll at the outside of turn one following a safety car for an incident involving Pirelli-Am competitors John Megrue and Emanuele Tabacchi, but was unable to stay with the Northern Irishman thereafter and appeared to miss a gear on the pit straight starting lap 11, which allowed Grossmann through.

The German, who had passed front-row starter Prette for third into turn one on lap five, then closed in on Carroll but was unable to launch a passing attempt into his favourite corner, with yellow flags flying following an off for Ross Chouest.

"That was the longest 25 minutes ever!" Carroll told Autosport.

"Turn one was quite lively at the start, I was the meat in the sandwich but I just sat it up and got the cutback, then it was just head down and pushed as hard as I could."

Schiro completed the podium in third, with Grossmann's team-mate Fabienne Wohlwend coming through to fourth.

The W Series racer had spent much of the race stuck behind Prette before diving up the inside of the final corner on lap eight, only to lose out to both Prette and Thomas Neubauer on the corner exit.

Undeterred, Wohlwend fought back past Neubauer and was in position to capitalise when Prette ran wide at Arrabiata 2 on the penultimate lap.

Prette also fell victim to Neubauer shortly afterwards to finish a disappointing sixth.

European Pirelli-Am champion Tabacchi fought back from a poor start and his clash with Megrue at turn three to win class in seventh overall over Matus Vyboh.

Nobuhiro Imada was the top Asia-Pacific finisher in 11th after five-time series champion Philippe Prette spun on the first lap, while Marc Muzzo was the sole North-American finisher after both title protagonists Cooper MacNeil and Benjamin Hites elected not to start.

Last lap pass decides Coppa Shell

In the Coppa Shell race, European series runner-up James Weiland turned the tables on class champion Tanni Hanna by passing the Lebanese on the final lap.

After a first-lap safety car, caused when Thomas Gostner turned around front-row starter Ernst Kirchmayr at the first corner and triggered a chain reaction behind, Weiland tracked poleman Hanna throughout the race and eventually pounced when the Formula Racing driver ran wide at turn one.

Weiland (Rossocorsa) then survived a wild lunge from Hanna at turn four to win by 3.8s, with Asia-Pacific champion Makoto Fujiwara completing the podium in third.

Brazilian Claude Senhoreti (Ferrari of St. Lauderdale) fended off Japanese driver Ken Abe - who spun on the final corner - to take fourth, while Fons Scheltema (Kessel) survived a trip though the gravel avoiding the opening lap melee to finish sixth.

The day's opening Shell-Am race was delayed by fog, which was still lingering around the back of the circuit when the race eventually got underway. Swede Ingvar Mattsson (Scuderia Autoropa) prevailed in an all-Scandinavian battle for victory with Danish driver Henrik Jansen, the European class champion recovering after falling to fourth at the start behind Agata Smolka and North America champion Brad Horstmann.

Jansen (Formula Racing) swiftly disposed of Horstmann at turn one following a brief safety car - required when Jay Schriebman spun into Laurent De Meeus on lap one - and repeated the same move on Smolka two laps later.

But although the field was condensed behind the safety car again when Alexander Nussbaumer spun into the gravel at turn five, Jansen was unable to get close enough to Mattsson to attempt a move.

Smolka, whose car was repaired after sustaining damage in contact during the final race of the European series on Saturday, fended off pressure from Horstmann to finish third, with Michael Simoncic (Baron Motorsport) and Dusan Palcr (Scuderia Praha) completing the top five after a spin from Horstmann.

Cornes Osaka driver Atsushi Iritani was the best Asia-Pacific entry in sixth position, while Eric Marston (Ferrari Westlake) came through to eighth as the best North American entry.

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