Winning Ferrari Challenge start at Paul Ricard

What a fantastic way to kick off the Challenge season! The opening round of the 2026 edition of the Ferrari Challenge Europe delivered Formula Racing’s first race win this season, as our former champion Eric Cheung secured victory in the Coppa Shell race on Sunday! Cheung also produced a strong performance on Saturday, where the Canadian crossed the line in fourth place.

Our Danish drivers Henrik Kamstrup and Anders Bidstrup also began the season with trips to the podium. Kamstrup made a strong start on Saturday, converting P11 on the starting grid into P4 at the chequered flag – while on Sunday he claimed third place in the Coppa Shell Am class. Bidstrup opened with an impressive fifth place in Pirelli Am on Saturday, before shining on Sunday by taking pole position in qualifying – and securing a superb second place after a challenging race.

Ken Seto (Japan) also impressed with a seventh and a fifth place in the Coppa Shell class, while Charles Chan (Hong Kong) secured championship points with a seventh and a fourth place respectively in Coppa Shell Am – where Masaru Yoneda (Japan) finished a solid P8 on Saturday but unfortunately had to retire on Sunday.

Jacob Bidstrup had a challenging Saturday, where the Dane was forced to retire after qualifying in a strong P5 in Pirelli Am – but he bounced back on Sunday with a points-scoring ninth place. In the same category, Nobuhiro Imada claimed an excellent fourth place on Saturday, while Sunday proved more difficult – the Japanese driver had to settle for P12.

Well done, guys! Formula Racing left Circuit Paul Ricard holding provisional second place in the team championship – and we cannot wait to get back on track when the second round of Ferrari Challenge Europe takes place on April 25–26 at Mugello!

About our Ferrari Challenge team

Formula Racing is the most successful team in the Ferrari Challenge. We stand fully behind our drivers, providing them with the best possible conditions to perform at their peak. Racing is our passion — and with Ferrari, we live that passion every single day.

For more information about the Ferrari Challenge, contact:

Thor Qualmann, Race & Event Executive, tq@formulaauto.dk