THE BATHURST 12 Hour will see the debut of a brand-new category in 2025, with the Ferrari Challenge Australasia to open their year at Australia’s International Enduro.
This inaugural season marks a significant milestone in the continued growth of Ferrari motorsport across Australia and New Zealand.
Ferrari Challenge Australasia 2025 will take place over five thrilling rounds. Competitors will vie for two titles: Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia, for Ferrari 296 Challenge drivers, and Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell Australasia, for Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo entrants.
The series promises to deliver an exhilarating racing experience for Ferrari clients and passionate fans of the brand, kicking off Round 1 at one of the world’s most revered and iconic racetracks – Mount Panorama, Bathurst.
Challenge competitors will launch their season in spectacular style, running as a support category at the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hour, where fans will witness the action both trackside and around the world.
Ferrari Challenge cars will be on track on Friday and Saturday at Mount Panorama.
Rounds 2, 3 and 5 at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in VIC, Sydney Motorsport Park in NSW and Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in SA will host Ferrari Challenge Australasia as a support race alongside Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.
Each venue promises not only exhilarating racing but also the opportunity for fans to witness up close the very essence of Ferrari’s racing DNA.
Round 4 of Ferrari Challenge Australasia will be a standalone event at Sydney Motorsport Park and a highlight of the season, dedicated entirely to the Prancing Horse.
The weekend will feature not only Ferrari Challenge Australasia but also a round of the Passione Ferrari Club Challenge, further cementing Ferrari’s commitment to its passionate clients and the thrill of motorsport.
The race format of Ferrari Challenge Australasia will mirror that of other Ferrari championships and include two practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and two 30min races at each round.
In its inaugural season, the Ferrari Challenge Australia grid will welcome the dynamic Ferrari 296 Challenge for its first competitive outings in the region. Local deliveries of the exciting new contender have begun in advance of the season opener. Additionally, the existing Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo remains eligible for competition in 2025, continuing its celebrated legacy on the track.
“We are delighted to announce this championship, a project our team has been working on for a long time,” commented Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Ferrari Endurance and Corse Clienti.
“The introduction of the Australasia series is part of a clear strategy that began with the UK regional series and continued with the Japan series, which has been a great success in terms of participation.”
Ferrari Challenge Australasia is the first to launch in the Southern Hemisphere. It joins two continental series, in Europe and North America, and two regional series, in the UK and Japan. Decades of operational and technical proficiency will enable participants in our region to enjoy memorable experiences on and off the track. In addition, participants in the Ferrari Australasia series will have the opportunity to compete in Finali Mondiali, an annual race event hosted in Italy that effectively marks the conclusion of the season for global competitors in the Prancing Horse’s Endurance and Corse Clienti programs.
The introduction of Ferrari Challenge Australasia represents a bold new chapter for Ferrari motorsport in this region—a celebration of the Prancing Horse’s unparalleled racing heritage and its future on the most prestigious circuits of Australia.
This championship is the perfect platform for those young drivers that are looking to start their career with GT racing and for the gentlemen drivers.
It also builds upon the success of Passione Ferrari Club Challenge, which launched in 2022. In 2025, as it enters its fourth season, entry will open to all past and present Ferrari Challenge cars, from the iconic Ferrari 348 Challenge onwards, inviting even more Ferraristi to embrace the passion of racing.