Manuela Gostner crowned Ferrari Challenge Europe Shell Cup champion in Mugello
- RACERS
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“After so much hard work, passion, and dedication, all the emotions came flooding in" - Manuela Gostner clinched the 2025 Ferrari Challenge Europe Shell Cup title with a composed drive in treacherous conditions at Mugello, then completed her remarkable season with a strong fourth-place finish in the World Finals.
Manuela Gostner was crowned Ferrari Challenge Europe champion in the Shell Cup category at the end of a remarkable season in the Ferrari one-make series. With three victories and eight podium finishes, she proved to be one of the most consistent drivers in the championship; a clean and controlled drive in difficult weather conditions during the Mugello finale eventually sealed the title for the Italian.
It was a rainy weekend in Mugello, on the Tuscan hills, for the final round of the 2025 Ferrari Challenge Europe season, held just before the World Finals. Coming off a second-place finish at the previous round in Spa-Francorchamps, Gostner arrived in Mugello with a healthy 27-point margin over John Dhillon in the Shell Cup standings. Throughout the year, she had been a front-runner, collecting three wins, eight podiums and three pole positions, successfully rebounding after a challenging start to the season that saw several unlucky races.
A driver with experience in top-level endurance racing such as the FIA WEC and ELMS — and a long-time Ferrari Challenge competitor — Gostner consistently fought at the front. Her pace, racecraft, and ability to score valuable points even on difficult weekends proved crucial, together with her experience behind the wheel.
The final weekend began under tricky conditions, with a wet track and cold temperatures for the opening practice session. At the wheel of the #193 Ferrari 296 Challenge operated by Ineco - Reparto Corse RAM, Gostner set the sixth-fastest time in 2:17.233.
Qualifying was again affected by the weather, but Gostner managed a 2:19.870 lap that placed her eighth on the grid. With the title in sight, her approach was clear — to drive smartly and manage her advantage. Her second-fastest lap placed her P10 on the grid for Race 2.
Heavy rain persisted for Race 1, and race control made the sensible decision to start behind the safety car. From the fourth row, Gostner approached the start with caution as the green flag waved with 23 minutes to go. Polesitter Ernst Kirchmayr led away from Dhillon and Fons Scheltema, but in a dramatic moment for the championship, Dhillon lost control and spun at the final corner, getting collected in the process. Several other cars went wide at Turn 1.
Gostner reacted perfectly, keeping out of trouble and moving up into sixth on the opening lap, with Acosta and Valint ahead. Valint soon spun, promoting Gostner to fifth, with only Ryndziewicz still mathematically in title contention. When Scheltema hit trouble, Manuela climbed to fourth by the second lap under green-flag conditions.
Keeping her cool, she maintained strong pace while chased by Van der Vorm and remained within a second of Acosta for a potential podium spot. Lap after lap, she continued to run competitively without taking unnecessary risks. With five minutes remaining, Van der Vorm managed to get past for fourth into Turn 1, but Gostner didn’t over-defend, keeping the championship in mind.
Further back, a family battle unfolded between her father Thomas and sister Corinna, both running strongly in the top ten. Corinna impressed in the closing stages, making a clean move for eighth at the final corner of lap 10.
With a solid gap behind, Manuela Gostner crossed the finish line in fifth place — enough to mathematically secure the 2025 Ferrari Challenge Europe Shell Cup title, and become champion for the first time in the Ferrari one-make series.
“I will forever cherish the moment I crossed the finish line and realized I had just won the Ferrari Challenge Europe Coppa Shell,” Gostner said. “After so much hard work, passion, and dedication, all the emotions came flooding in and it was impossible to hold them back. Getting out of the car and being surrounded by my team, all smiling and celebrating together, is something I’ll keep in my heart forever.”
Friday brought dry conditions for the second race, where Gostner lined up P9 for the final European round. At the rolling start, Scheltema and Dhillon shared the front row, but a long wait before the green lights caused Dhillon to drop back as Fontana and Ryndziewicz moved ahead. Gostner gained one position to eighth and began applying pressure to Race 1 winner Kirchmayr.
Up front, Fontana grabbed the lead while Dhillon recovered to second, with Scheltema and Ryndziewicz engaged in a heated battle just behind. On lap two, Tibor Valint went off but avoided the barriers, dropping down the order and allowing Gostner to climb to seventh.
As the lead battles intensified, Gostner stayed close to the frontrunning group: when Acosta and Scheltema made contact at Turn 1, she seized the opportunity to move into sixth on lap four, remaining just a couple of seconds behind Kirchmayr.
Soon after, she briefly came under pressure from her father Thomas, who was charging through the field and had shaken off James Weiland. Gostner, however, remained consistent and composed, holding position behind Scheltema and Kirchmayr as they fought ahead. Eventually, Kirchmayr made his move with four minutes remaining, as Gostner waited patiently for her chance — but was handed a 5-second time penalty for track limits, the same as Scheltema and Dhillon ahead.
While running solidly in eighth, Corinna Gostner continued to post competitive lap times but spun on the penultimate lap, dropping to ninth behind Rey Acosta.
Fabrizio Fontana claimed victory by six seconds over Oscar Ryndziewicz, while Manuela Gostner crossed the line in sixth. After the time penalty, she was classified seventh, in another consistent finish for the newly crowned European champion.
The Mugello weekend concluded with the World Finals, where the top drivers from the regional Ferrari Challenge championships gathered. Manuela Gostner qualified eleventh in 1:54.876 in wet conditions and lined up for Sunday’s Shell Cup World Final under another dark sky.
The race began behind the safety car in the damp conditions. When it went green with 26 minutes to go, pole-sitter Ray Acosta led, but chaos struck immediately as Fontana spun from third at Turn 1 and was collected by Thomas Gostner, triggering another safety car. Manuela avoided the incident and moved up to ninth.
The restart came with 20 minutes remaining. Acosta pulled away from Ryndziewicz, but Turn 1 was again treacherous, with Kirchmayr, Valint, and North American driver Mitchell Green all going off. Gostner kept her cool, climbing to sixth with excellent racecraft before another safety car period.
Green-flag action resumed with 14 minutes left, and Gostner set her sights on Scheltema ahead. The restart was cleaner, though Valint managed to re-pass her for sixth. Kirchmayr later went off again and retired, as the track slowly began to improve.
Ahead, Ryndziewicz pressured Bernier — the leading American entry — for second place. On lap ten, Gostner set the fastest lap of the race, a 2:04.001, as her pace came alive with the drying track. She quickly closed the gap to Valint, overtook him at Turn 1 after a great side-by-side battle, and moved into fifth.
While Acosta dominated out front, Bernier and Ryndziewicz made contact at the final corner on the last lap. Gostner narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth, just three-tenths behind Dhillon, after a superb recovery drive that gained her seven positions from the start.
It was a fitting conclusion to a strong 2025 campaign for Manuela Gostner — the European champion and one of the top performers of the Ferrari Challenge season.
