Corinna Gostner is an Italian racing driver who turned a last-minute family favor into an 11-season Ferrari Challenge career, competing alongside her father and sister in one of motorsport’s most unique family operations.

EARLY YEARS

The Gostner family didn’t just watch racing—they lived it. With father Thomas, brother David, and sister Manuela all involved in motorsport, racing was less a hobby and more the family business. But Corinna wasn’t originally part of the plan. She came to racing the way most people come to emergency babysitting: deputizing for family members who couldn’t make it.

In 2014, with her father Thomas and brother David unable to compete at Brno, Corinna stepped in after completing just a few tests with Ferrari Corse Pilota to secure the necessary race licenses[6]. It was supposed to be a one-off, a helpful daughter filling a gap on the grid. Instead, it was the beginning of a career that would span over a decade and nearly 100 races.

By 2015, all four Gostners—Thomas, Manuela, Corinna, and David—were on the grid together for the Ferrari 458 Challenge season opener[6]. It was the kind of wholesome, slightly insane family togetherness that makes motorsport both beautiful and utterly bewildering to outsiders.

OTHER INTERESTS

While sister Manuela came to racing from a professional volleyball career[7], Corinna’s path and interests outside the cockpit remain her own business. What’s clear is that once she got behind the wheel, racing became the focus—whether that was by design or simply because there’s no escaping the gravitational pull of a family this committed to speed.

EARLY SUCCESS

Corinna’s first race at Brno in 2014 set the tone for a career built on consistency rather than flash. She scored a top-ten finish—10th place in Race 1—right out of the gate[3]. Not a podium, not a win, but a solid debut that proved she belonged.

She settled into the Ferrari Challenge Europe’s Coppa Shell category, the series’ amateur division, and made it her home. Her best season came in 2020, when she finished 8th in the Coppa Shell Europe standings with 37 points[3]. It wasn’t a championship, but it was progress—proof that she was improving, sharpening, finding her rhythm in a series where many drivers plateau.

Across her career, Gostner would collect four titles (though specifics remain frustratingly undocumented) and nine podiums[3]. She never took a win—her win percentage sits stubbornly at zero—but her 26.6% top-ten finish rate and remarkably low retirement rate (just 19.15%) painted the picture of a driver who showed up, raced clean, and brought the car home[3].

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014: Debut race at Brno, finishing 10th in Race 1 after stepping in for family members[3][6].
• 2015: Competed in season opener alongside father Thomas, sister Manuela, and brother David—all four Gostners on the grid together[6].
• 2016: Finished 16th in Ferrari Challenge Europe Coppa Shell with 20 points; competed in Ferrari Challenge World Final with EU LDS Ineco – MP Racing[4].
• 2020: Career-best 8th place finish in Coppa Shell Europe with 37 points[3].
• 2024: Competed in 24H Series European Championship GT3 with MP Racing in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo; finished 30th overall with 18 points[4].
• December 2024: Secured two 3rd-place podium finishes at the Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours in GT3 Am class at Yas Marina, delivering strong stints that gained positions before technical issues halted contention[1][2][4].
• 2025: Continuing Ferrari Challenge Europe Coppa Shell campaign with CDP – MP Racing in Ferrari 296 Challenge #173[3].

INSPIRATIONS

The people who got Corinna into racing weren’t distant heroes on posters—they were sitting at the dinner table. Her father Thomas and brother David were the catalysts, the ones whose absence at Brno created the opening that turned into an obsession[6]. Racing with her sister Manuela, who made her own leap from professional volleyball to Ferrari Challenge (and collected ladies’ trophies in 2018 and 2019[7]), meant competing alongside someone who understood exactly what it took to start late and still carve out a place on the grid.

The Gostner family racing operation isn’t just about shared logistics or team colors—it’s about shared driving duties, tag-team endurance stints, and the kind of trust that only comes from years of knowing exactly how someone handles pressure[2][6]. Whatever inspired Corinna to keep racing after that first weekend at Brno, it’s clear the family bond was both the spark and the fuel.

REPUTATION

Corinna has built a reputation as the steady hand, the driver who shows up season after season without fanfare or drama. Over 11 seasons and 94 races in Ferrari Challenge Europe alone[3], she’s become a fixture in the Coppa Shell paddock—not the fastest, not the flashiest, but reliable in a way that earns respect.

Her endurance racing performances, particularly alongside her sister Manuela, have highlighted her skill in longer formats. During the Gulf 12 Hours, one report noted she delivered “one of her best endurance races,” climbing through the GT3 Am field with strong pace and improving lap times before a technical issue ended their run[1][2]. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t make headlines but makes team principals take note.

Classified as an FIA Bronze driver[1], she competes in the category designed for amateurs—but her consistency (finishing 80.85% of races in the top ten or better in visualized results[3]) suggests someone who takes the craft seriously. She’s part of a notable wave of female racers making their mark in Ferrari Challenge[5], and while she hasn’t led any formal advocacy or mentorship roles, her presence—racing alongside her sister in a male-dominated field—speaks for itself.

CURRENT STATUS

As of June 2025, Gostner is competing in Ferrari Challenge Europe’s Coppa Shell with CDP – MP Racing, piloting Ferrari 296 Challenge #173[3]. Her most recent race was at Brno on June 8, 2025—Race 2, bringing things full circle to where it all started over a decade ago[3]. She sits 20th in the current standings with 4 points, continuing the steady, unglamorous work of a driver who’s in it for the long haul, not the glory lap.

The family operation remains intact, with both father Thomas and sister Manuela still active in racing[2][6]. Whether Corinna has plans beyond Ferrari Challenge or aims to expand further into GT3 endurance racing—where she showed real promise in 2024—remains to be seen. What’s certain is that she’s still suiting up, still racing, and still proving that sometimes the best careers start with just showing up when someone needs you.

References:

[1] Corinna Gostner Driver Profile – 51gt3.com
[2] Manuela and Corinna Gostner Climb the GT3 Field Until Technical Issue – Racers Behind the Helmet
[3] Corinna Gostner – Ferrari Corse Clienti Official Driver Page
[4] Corinna Gostner Career Statistics – DriverDB
[5] The Four Women Making Their Mark in Ferrari Challenge Europe – Females in Motorsport
[6] Interview: Meet the Gostners – 24H Series
[7] Manuela Gostner – Wikipedia