Nurmi takes win, Gatting clinches title in Mugello chaos

Over the actual 12 laps of hectic racing, points leader Michelle Gatting (Scuderia Niki-Iron Lynx) from Denmark just about managed to keep it all together in fourth place to clinch the title, holding off the attacks from France’s Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi-Courage), while making several attempts to grab third place from her fellow Dane Frederik Paulsen (Formula Racing).

Italian Niccolò Schirò (Rossocorsa) knew he had to win to have any chance of taking the title, but he got duffed up at the start and was left a little frustrated as the safety car ruined any plans he had of attacking Nurmi for the lead.

The last incident that wrapped up proceedings came eight minutes before the chequered flag when a multiple crash involving Alessandro Cozzi (Formula Racing), Marco Pulcini (Rossocorsa), and Tommaso Rocca (Rossocorsa) brought everything to an early end.

The remainder of the race was run with all the Ferrari 488 Challenges in single file, and at the chequered flag, the Finnish youngster scored his third win of the season.

Paulsen was third, ahead of Gatting and Neubauer, while Christian Brunsborg (Formula Racing) drove a good race to finish sixth overall and clinch the separate AM classification.

Seventh was the second Iron Lynx car with Doriane Pin at the wheel, ahead of Luca Ludwig (Octane 126), Cooper MacNeil (Ferrari of Westlake), who was top North American driver, and Ange Barde (SF Grand Est & Cannes), who overtook several cars on the way up to the tenth place.

Gatting, who becomes the first-ever female driver to win the Ferrari Challenge outright, now has 161 points with Schirò in second on 136 and Nurmi third on 124, with tomorrow’s race remaining.