Nobuhiro Imada wins Race 1 of the final round, earning his second win of the season [Ferrari Challenge] [Video]

Ferrari Challenge Japan

The champion will be decided in Race 2 the next day.

Nobuhiro Imada won his second race of the season.

Round 5, the final battle of the Ferrari Challenge Japan 2025, was held at Okayama International Circuit. The Ferrari Challenge usually consists of two rounds, with one race per day, and a winner in each. In this race, Race 1 was held on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday. Within the same race, drivers are divided into classes based on their skill, first into the top class Trofeo Pirelli and the entry class Coppa Shell, and then further into Expert and Amateur (Am), for a total of four classes.

The race is a one-make race, and this year saw the introduction of the 296 Challenge, a car with GT3-level speed. The 488 Challenge Evo, a class based on last year’s one-make car, will also be running alongside the 488CH EVO, making for a total of five classes per race. This year’s race was split into two groups for both qualifying and the final. One group was a mixed group of three classes (P/PA/S) consisting of Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli Am, and Coppa Shell, while the other was a mixed group of two classes (SA/488) consisting of Coppa Shell Am and 488Ch Evo.

Race 1 took place under thick clouds and an outside temperature of 28°C, which is comfortable for this time of year. First, the P/PA/S sessions for Race 1, which lasted 30 minutes plus one lap, began at 12:40. In the four-car Trofeo Pirelli, the pole position went to Tadao Uematsu, currently ranked second. Points leader Sota Muto started from second place. However, Muto made contact at the first corner on the opening lap and went off the track. Tadao Uematsu managed to hold off the fierce pursuit of Nobuhiro Imada, who had started in fourth place in qualifying, to finish in first place, but was penalized for the contact, and Nobuhiro Imada took his second win of the season. Tadao Uematsu is currently leading the annual points rankings. Muto Sota is following closely behind, so the winner will be decided in Race 2 the following day.

Shibata conquers Coppa Shell in impressive speed

Motohiko Isozaki, currently ranked leader in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, took pole position but made contact at the first corner on the first lap, causing him to drop significantly in the early stages. This allowed Yamatatsu to take the lead, but he made contact with another car in the closing stages, allowing Tsutomu Shimoyama to take his third win of the season. In Coppa Shell, Norikazu Shibata posted a time comparable to that of the higher class to take pole position. He achieved a pole-to-win victory with an overwhelming speed, finishing as close as 10 seconds ahead of second place.

Following Race 1 P/PA/S, the 30-minute + 1 lap Race 1 SA/488 started at 2:40 PM. Coppa Shell Am, which saw the largest number of participants of the event, 10 cars, saw Yasuhito Fukui, who started from second place in qualifying, take the 20-lap race to claim his first victory. Taking pole position in a 488Ch Evo was Michito Hirota. This was his third consecutive pole position, and despite spinning out in the final, he caught up and overcame the odds to finally claim his first victory.

Round 5 Race 2 will be held today, August 10th, at Okayama International Circuit. Heavy rain is predicted according to the weather forecast, so it is likely to be even more eventful than Race 1. All eyes will be on Round 5 Race 2, the true final race.

PHOTO／Ferrari Japan