The Temple of Speed hosted the first of eight events of the 2025 Ferrari Challenge Europe. Gilles Renmans started the season with a great victory in the first race in Monza, securing first position in the final moments. The Belgian driver participated in the event behind the wheel of the #77 Ferrari 296 Challenge of Francorchamps Motors Brussels team, with the collaboration of Double TT Racing and DAV Racing, competing in the Trofeo Pirelli.
The event format included two qualifying sessions to determine the starting grids for the two thirty-minute plus one lap races. On Saturday, the circuit was damp, making it difficult to find good grip. Despite this, Renmans secured third position in qualifying, which allowed him to fight for victory in the afternoon race. At the start, Renmans lost a position, but thanks to an excellent pace he quickly recovered to second place before the safety car came into the track. The race proceeded linearly until the last lap, when the leading driver slowed down a few meters before the finish line, handing victory to Renmans, who achieved his first seasonal success.
On Sunday, the Francorchamps Motors Brussels driver recorded the fourth fastest qualifying time, aiming to repeat the previous race’s result. Unfortunately, due to a drive-through penalty imposed by race control for incorrect starting grid positioning, Renmans dropped to the back of the field after the first few laps. However, the Belgian driver managed to recover to fifth position in his class, limiting the damage and remaining in contention for the championship, which will continue in Italy on April 12th and 13th at the Misano circuit named after Marco Simoncelli.
Thanks to the results of the first two races on the italian track, Renmans leaves Monza being the leader of the drivers’ standings with 23 points, two more than the runner-ups.
©2025 Gilles Renmans