The Finali Mondiali Ferrari concluded at a packed Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola today in an edition that saw over 100 entries in the various categories. It was yet another successful weekend for the Kessel Racing squad where the winner of the 2024 COPPA SHELL Europe Series, Henry Hassid, secured his sixth win of a triumphant season and also won the Finale Mondiale, claiming the World Title. The Swiss team was also crowned Vice Champion in the Teams Championship.
Following the first sessions on Wednesday, which kicked off the eagerly anticipated and intense week of the Finali Mondiali, Henry Hassid set the fastest time in his class for Thursday´s first race. Ernst Kirchmayr started from fifth on the grid to initially climb up onto the podium and take 2nd place. However, a disqualification of the initial winner promoted the Kessel Racing drivers into race win for Ernst Kirchmayr, P3 for Henry Hassid and a strong seventh place for Fons Scheltema, who started from 12th.
After a tricky qualifying session with rain and interruptions by red flag, Stephen Earle and Jan Sandmann had to fight their way back up the order in the first COPPA SHELL AM race. Both drivers proofed their grounds by crossing the finishing line in 11th respectively 13th place.
The second races took place on Friday and the COPPA SHELL AM was up first. Jan Sandmann started the race from the back of the field with his team-mate Stephen Earle heading into the 30-minute race from 13th place. Both drivers were on a mission right from the beginning, both defending well and taking positions. Unfortunately, Stephen Earles race came to a halt just ahead of the chequered flag due to damaged cause by contact. Jan Sandmann brought home a solid eighth place.
For the last COPPA SHELL race of the 2024 season, the sun finally came out and brough perfect conditions to the track, with Henry Hassid nailing the start on the inside to take the lead. Safety Car came out straight away putting the field back together, but the Frenchman pulled away at the re-start and setting the fastest lap to continue to take yet another win to underline his outstanding performance throughout the season. His team-mates Ernst Kirchmayr and Fons Scheltema finished in sixth and ninth respectively.
Saturday and Sunday were all about the golden roof race, the Finale Mondiale – a race to proof who is the “the best of the best” outside the championship. However, torrential rain was the order on Saturday and with Superpole being cancelled all together, the grids for Sunday´s raced were determined by the results of the qualifying sessions.
Jan Sandmann took third position coming from fifth on the grid in the COPPA SHELL AM Finale Mondiale on what was still a very wet track. After a great battle for race victory and setting the fastet lap of the race Jan Sandmann finished the Finale in second place, with his team-mate up in 10th place.
In a rocket start on the outside, Henry Hassid went from the fourth row to take the lead of the COPPA SHELL race going into Turn 2. Fons Scheltema had an early off into the gravel but managed to rejoin the race. Ernst Kirchmayr, who started from Pole Position, was running in third place and as the track was drying up quickly, he snatched fastest lap from his team-mate Henry Hassid, who was on wet tyres. At the re-start after a late Safety Car, there was a huge impact crash which saw the driver escape unhurt, however the race was red-flagged with a few minutes to go. Henry Hassid took the race victory and the World Title in the COPPA SHELL Finale Mondiale, with Ernst Kirchmayr rounding up the Top-3 with another podium result.
Team Quote
Ronnie Kessel, Team Principal
“It has been an incredible and tough week for everyone with the weather proofing for difficult grounds and tricky conditions. Therefore, I am even prouder of everyone in the team and the drivers for the fantastic results we achieved together. We had a phenomenal season in the Ferrari Challenge Europe and after claiming the Championship in COPPA SHELL to also now win the World Title is something very special. Henry deserves this so much as he has done an incredible job this year.”