The Ferrari Challenge offers unrivalled opportunities

Round 6 of the 2018 Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific took place from 14 to 16 September, one of the two support races for the 2018 Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix. We sat down with Mr. Louis Colmache (LC), Head of Corse Clienti Asia Pacific, to talk about the Ferrari Challenge and the unique experience that it delivers. 

SGCM: The Ferrari Challenge has always been an eventful and exciting part of the Formula One weekend here in Singapore. What do you think is at the core of its appeal?

LC: It's a combination of different factors. First of all, we only have gentleman drivers, meaning no professionals, so that's unique in itself. Also, coming here to the Singapore GP is definitely a highlight of the season. It's an iconic race, a unique track, and of course the drivers get to race at night, which is an entirely different experience. And Singapore is unique because it's a track that most racing enthusiasts will never get to experience, as this track is only present here during the F1 race weekend. So, Singapore is definitely a special place for us in this championship.

SGCM: What are some of the defining qualities of a Ferrari Challenge driver?

LC: Of course, being non-professional drivers, this means these individuals have full time jobs, and racing is a hobby. That means that they do need to have the necessary budget, as well as time commitment, to participate. This means that we tend to have drivers who are later in their professional careers, different from series like GP2 or Formula 3 where you have young budding drivers.

However, these more mature individuals share that same passion for racing. We are an FIA licensed series, so we can only accept drivers with International C FIA licenses, but at the same time we also provide them with opportunities to develop. We have official instructors that come to the races to provide coaching to enable them to improve. It's just like any sport - it's about practise and having good coaching so that you reach your peak performance.

SGCM: As head of the Corse Clienti program, what do you see as unique about Ferrari customers, and the Ferrari Challenge race series?

LC: What makes this series unique is that it's a one-make series, but also a one team series. So I'm at the same time the organiser of the championship, but also the team manager of the 30 or 40 cars. Normally you have different teams racing, with maximum 4-5 teammates, but I have the pleasure of dealing with 40 teammates. So, that means that it is a big community of people sharing the same passion, and we travel to different places in the world to live that passion. There is a sense of fraternity, a shared passion and love for Ferrari. There are drivers of 15 different nationalities in the series, but in the end the core of all this is the same passion that we all share.

SGCM: Does the Ferrari Challenge race series factor into the development of road cars?

LC: First of all the Challenge car is derived from the sport car of the generation in question. We use a base that has been developed, and then create a car that is suitable for racing. But you also learn a lot with the race car - it uses many of the same components, but pushed to the limit. It's always an opportunity for engineers (who are present at all the races) to see the technology operating under extreme conditions.

With this data, that helps with the development of the next generation car, or on special cars like the 488 Pista. In terms of engineering and development, each project fosters the next one. You learn from every single car you develop. So yes, the Ferrari Challenge is definitely part of that constant effort by the company to develop new technologies.

SGCM: What's the financial investment required for a Ferrari Challenge driver each season, and how do you strive to provide the best value to customers?

LC: The car itself is worth $435,000, but the car is usually kept for multiple years of the series. The all inclusive package, including engineers, logistics, hospitality and so on, is about $320,000. Spare parts and tyres will bring that cost up to roughly $480,000 a year. It's an expensive hobby, for sure, but Ferrari is never in a price war. What we do is to work on delivering good value for money.

On average, we have two to three times the number of paying customers compared to other race series. That tells us that independently from the price, the experience you get from that cost is definitely worth it. We are proud to deliver that level of value to the customer in terms of the quality of the experience. We are particularly proud of our racing calendar, with unique and iconic tracks like Singapore, Fuji and Suzuka. And every year, we bring in a new track to offer drivers something new, and to make that experience as worth it as possible.