How to become a Ferrari Challenge driver in 2026

The Ferrari Challenge series is an iconic part of the Ferrari ecosystem, with hundreds of drivers competing in the single-make series each year. These drivers come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including businessmen, young GT3 talents, and just people who enjoy racing and have the money to compete. While the road to becoming a Ferrari Challenge driver is long and expensive, it's technically possible for almost anyone to enter the series.

How to become a Ferrari Challenge driver in real life?

Becoming a Ferrari Challenge driver in 2026 is a three step process. But before you do anything, you’ll need to ensure that you’re healthy and fit enough to drive a GT3-level car for at least 30 minutes of racing. This might sound easy, but driving the Ferrari 296 Challenge or 488 Challenge EVO is nothing like taking your road car for a track day. These are highly powered purpose built race cars, which aren’t too far away from a GT3 machine. However, if you’re fit and ready to go, here are the three steps you need to take before becoming a Ferrari Challenge driver:

• Step 1: You must first complete the Level 1: Corso Pilota Sport course ran by Ferrari’s expert training team. This is the basic course aimed at fresh competitors looking to learn the ropes, and gain a better understanding of racing in Ferrari Challenge.
• Step 2: Once you’ve completed the Level 1: Corso Pilota Sport course, you then have to enroll in the Evoluzione+ course, which is your Level 2. The Level 2 course is a big step-up from Level 1, with the course offering you hands-on experience behind the wheel of a 296 Challenge. This is one of the most important parts of your journey, as it’s here where you’ll truly know if the Ferrari Challenge series is for you.
• Step 3: However, if you’ve completed your Level 1 and Level 2, and you still want to compete in the Ferrari Challenge series, then you’ll have to complete the final step of your training. This is the Level 3: Race course, which will act as your comprehensive guide to racing in Ferrari Challenge, covering everything from on track behaviour to race starts.

A breakdown of the costs:

However, even if all the steps sound great, Ferrari is a business, and the courses all come at a cost. In total, your training will cost at least $94,100 USD. I have made a handy breakdown of the costs for your Ferrari Challenge training in USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, and Japanese YEN below:

• Sport: $19,800 (£14899, €17253, $28233 AUD, ¥3.1M YEN)
• Evoluzione+: $29,800 (£22417, €25966, $42493 AUD, ¥4.7M YEN)
• Race: $42,000 (£31595, €36579, $59901 AUD, ¥6.6M YEN)
• Additionals Costs: $2,500+ (£1880+, €2177+, $3565+ AUD, ¥390k+ YEN)

An alternative way to become a Ferrari Challenge driver

If, like many of us, you can’t afford to become a Ferrari Challenge driver the conventional way, that doesn’t mean you can’t race. While it’s not “real”, you can still take part in the licensed iRacing Ferrari Challenge series for a fraction of the cost. All you will need is a monthly subscription, which is usually around $13 depending on when you sign up, a monitor, and a simulator rig/setup.

Now, depending on how realistic you want your experience to be, you can spend many thousands on the sim rig setup, however, for less than $500 you can make something usable and sign up for the Ferrari Challenge series on iRacing. But it’s important to note, that iRacing requires you to buy the car and tracks if you’re wanting to complete a full season. See the estimated costs of becoming a virtual Ferrari Challenge driver using a mid-range setup below:

• iRacing Subscription: $13 monthly
• iRacing Ferrari 296 Challenge: $11.95
• iRacing Tracks (One Season): $180
• Direct Drive Wheel: $500+
• Pedals: $0 (if bought in a bundle with DD wheel)
• Desk: $0 (if you have one already or you can often find one for free online)
• Rig: $300+ (for an entry-level rig if you don’t want to use a desk)
• Monitor: $150

This means that you’ll likely pay around $1180.95 for one season of Ferrari Challenge on iRacing, a fraction of the cost compared to the real-life series. Although this might seem like a lot for a virtual series, the costs will be lower if you want to continue racing the series, as you’ll only make setup upgrades when needed and spend less on the iRacing content each season once you have purchased enough tracks.

Want to learn more about the Ferrari Challenge series? Check out the TIFOSI7 Ferrari Challenge beginner's guide here!