Formula Racing Confirms ELMS Exit; Shifts Focus to Ferrari Challenge

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Former European Le Mans Series champions Formula Racing will shift focus to Ferrari Challenge next year, following a three-year stint in the ACO-run championship, the Danish team announced on Tuesday.

The Allan Jorgensen-led squad made its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut this year with the all-Danish lineup of Christina Nielsen, Mikkel Mac and Johnny Laursen, courtesy of an automatic invite for winning the 2015 ELMS GTE title with its Ferrari F458 Italia GT.

While having achieved its goal of taking part in the French endurance classic, the AF Corse-run operation struggled throughout much of the 2016 season, finishing 8th in the ELMS championship, highlighted by a season-best class finish of second at Paul Ricard.

“When we [entered] the European Le Mans Series, the overriding goal to win our way to the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Jorgenson said. “We succeeded and we’re now taking a step in a new and exciting direction with Ferrari Challenge.”

Formula will enter multiple new Ferrari 488 Challenge Cars next year, with Jorgenson stating that they have “a handful” of Danish drivers already committed for the new venture.

Nielsen, who undertook a parallel ELMS and Le Mans program with the team alongside her IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program with Scuderia Corsa, is understood to be in the frame for return to Le Mans but with the Giacomo Mattioli-led squad, which has two confirmed auto invites for GTE-Am.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John