Donington Park next up for John Marcar in Ferrari Challenge UK
credit: Henry Faulkner-Smith
Driven’s John Marcar will head to Leicestershire this weekend for the penultimate round of the Ferrari Challenge UK at Donington Park.
The 2.49-mile track is one of the oldest circuits still in operation in the UK and a favourite among drivers, with its fast, flowing corners and elevation changes providing a perfect mix of racing conditions. The weather is predicted to be fair, giving all the ingredients for a great weekend of racing in 296 Challenge cars.
The Track
Donington Park has hosted a range of motorsport events, including the BTCC, British F3, British Superbike Championship, WorldSBK, and Truck Racing.
It is perhaps most famous for hosting the rain-affected 1993 European Grand Prix, in which Ayrton Senna astounded fans with what is referred to as one of his greatest ever wins. The Brazilian’s performance in the first lap has been particularly praised, where he passed an all star line up of Michael Schumacher, Karl Wendlinger, Damon Hill and Alain Prost to take the lead in damp conditions, eventually going on to win the race by a one minute margin over Hill.
It remains the only Formula One Grand Prix to have been held at the Donington Park circuit.
While there are two different circuits at Donington Park - National and GP - it will be only the National layout being used in this weekend’s Ferrari Challenge race.
John Marcar: “I’m very much looking forward to Donington. It’s another personal favourite for track days, and I’ve had some of the best driving days with friends here.
As ever, the Ferrari with its much higher power output than the typical track day car is going to prove to be a challenge, but following a good test day two weeks ago plus plenty of simulator practice, I’m in a good place.”
credit: Henry Faulkner-Smith
How it currently stands in the 2025 Ferrari Challenge UK
Trofeo Pirelli
Gilbert Yates - 101 points
Pranav Vangala - 79 points
Paul Simmerson - 71 points
Calum Leathem - 47 points
John Marcar - 41 points
Fedor Samorukov - 26 points
Bal Sidhu - 24 points
Haymandhra Pillai - 15 points
Oscar Ryndziewicz - 13 points
Joseph Dean - 11 points
credit: Henry Faulkner-Smith
How to watch
Both qualifying and racing can be watched live at the circuit or online at live.ferrari.com.
Saturday 26th July (UK Time)
09:05 - 09:45 - Practice 1 - 40 mins
11:00 - 11:40 - Qualifying 1 - 40 mins
15:55 - 16:30 - Race 1 - 35 mins (+1 lap)
Sunday 27th July (UK Time)
10:30 - 11:00 - Qualifying 2 - 30 mins
14:05 - 14:40 - Race 2 - 35 mins (+1 lap)
Where is the final race?
The 2025 Ferrari Challenge UK season will finish with the final race at Silverstone from 5-7 September.
credit: Ferrari North Europe
words: Mike Booth