F1 – Gian Carlo Minardi "Aci Team Italia has been a success. Now we need a satellite team"

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Aci Team Italia Velocità saw daylight in 2015 with Luca Ghiotto and Raffaele Marciello as color-bearers of Trident team, respectively in GP3 and GP2 Championship. This is only the last step of a long term program conceived by the Federation with the aim to help youngs along the Motorsport curvy path starting from karting.
In recent weeks, in an exclusive interview granted to www.minardi.it, Aci President Angelo Sticchi Damiani has taken stock of the situation: “The gained results clearly suggest that we are on the high road and we can say we achieved two important victory from now on. The first is against skepticism which has affected this project from the start. Always the same people, some on line magazines especially passed from an initial irony to a general no-comment. Even so, I don’t expect any support from them. The majority of media and “insiders” have soon understood that it was about the first steps of a serious project that will gain great results in the very near future. We achieved the second victory on the field making sure that the two guys at Trident could have a financial and communication support. So they could face at their best the season gaining good ,sometimes excellent, results”.After Monza, with three remaining scheduled week-ends, Luca Ghiotto leads the GP3 general standings, with Marciello at eight in GP2.

When you are talking about youngs you have to involve a talent-scout like the manger from Faenza, Gian Carlo Minardi, present at Monza during the F1 Italian Gp. “Team Italia has been rewarding the work of the Scuola Federale through Aci Sport selections aimed to go with and endorse guys in their advancement.We are talking about a sport which is extremely conditioned by raising finance and economy. Despite  difficult times, we have some young Italian and foreign guys, who “were borned”  in our minor formula and  have been putting themselves in the spotlight at international level”.
The work proceeds exactly from karting. “We look after the guys engaged in Kart and then in F4 Championship to find new Fuoco, Ghiotto, Marciello or Giovinazzi.
As a Federation, we have been absolutely the first to believe in this new formula, that will be able to give us great satisfactions”. An example of this is the the FDA Canadian, Lance Stroll, champion of the Italian F4 and now at the seventh place on the demanding European FIA Formula 3. At the second place we have, a handful of points away, our color-bearer Antonio Giovinazzi.
“We have to remind that Italy contributed to write very important pages in the History of Motorsport along with Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. I saw an example first-hand at Monza when Luca Ghiotto’s car has been subjected to many controls to the limit of patience. This kind of controls haven’t involved his competitors who strangely enough run for Art Gran Prix.

At this point a question is instinctive: what our drivers ad Italy lack to reach the top and F1? “We need a series B team, or as I call it, a “Mattress Team” to make grow these guys and put them to the test. A solution that Ferrari misses to complete the FDA projet which has been very criticized in recent days”, Gian Carlo Minardi continues. “Other groups can rely on a young team to appraise the breeding grounds, sometimes gaining important results. Sebastian Vettel, himself, setted aside by Red Bull, passed at BMW arising thanks to the free practice of Friday morning that are open to youngs. Got back by “the Soft-drinker” and parked in Toro Rosso, he had the chance to grow up winning his first race at Monza. Then he passed to Red Bull Racing and became four-time World Champion. This should be a cause of reflection. In Italy we have only Ferrari. We urgently need a secondary team”.

F1-Engine Puzzle: Everything postponed until Frankfurt Motor Show

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To complete the puzzle of the tangled Motor issue, particularly connected with Red Bull Racing team, only  the last  two  pieces seemed to last.  The week-end of Monza’s GP has been stage of some meetings, not just about the renewal of the contract between the circuit and Mr. E, but also about the supply of PU to Dietrich Mateschitz’s teams. The time available to make a decision is passing inexorably and Adria Newey has begun to press.

Helmut Marko and Christian Horner encountered the top brass at Ferrari to seek a technical solution for 2016. However much will depend on Renault that is engaged in the purchase of Lotus for its comeback in F1’s front-line, not just as an engine provider.
According to the last rumors considering the purchase of Lotus very likely, the French Constructor will publicize his purposes only after the Frankfurt motor show scheduled from 19 to 27 September. So, the event of an agreement between Red Bull and Mercedes is called into question.
“Ferrari declared itself available to supply its PU to Toro Rosso and Red Bull, even if everything will depend on what Renault is going to do. Positions that were clear have been complicating.  Mercedes Motorsport has never been sure about supply such a troublesome team like Red Bull Racing. Instead, The Management of Mercedes would look kindly upon a partnership with such a juvenile brand” Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes. “According to the last rumors everything is postponed until the end of the Frankfurt Motor Show”.

Red Bull racing is now in a thorny position: it can guarantee a young and attractive brand but it is also a fearful competitor being in F1 to win.

Kart – Matteo Nannini "My week-end ruined by contacts"

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The troubled relationship between Matteo Nannini and Adria Karting Raceway, stage of the Italian national Rok final, goes on.  At the  Rovigo’s circuit the young kart driver from Forlì, color-bearer of RB Racing in the Junior Rok, attempted to achieve the Italian title standing out since the free practice. He reached his group’s top positions stopping the chronometer a few tenths of a seconds from the pole position.

What ruined and affected his result  was a  contact that leads him to finish  the Pre-final in the 16th place. Then he suffered a 10″ penalization inflicted by commisioners and he fell to the 26th place. In the final, Matteo attempted a  prompt payback, but after recovering some positions a new contact led him to complete  the race out of the to 20.

“Surely it isn’t the week-end I wished for. I like this track a lot, but once again the result has been affected by a contact. The kart has been working in a good way and this is the important thing in view of upcoming races.Now I want to leave this final behind and look to the future” Matteo Nannini comments.

F1,Italian Gp – SCORECARDS: from 0 to 10

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FIA – ZERO  what happened in Monza after the checkered-flag is really ridiculous. You can’t keep the whole paddock in suspense for two hours and a half about a supposed infraction by Mercedes and then put and end on the matter with nothing coming from it declaring that you are going to decide what to do in the future. Situations like these shouldn’t happen in F1 because they are an additional disorienting signal to the fans. There is a lack of fixed rules. Everything is dictated by improvisation and chance. You can’t call into question a sport result like that Hamilton and Mercedes achieved this way. It’s time to organize a permanent, competent, and full time technical staff. I had been perplexed by the fact that any communication about the inquiry was given only to Toto Wolff’s staff and not to journalists as well. I am not sure if a similar regard has ever been used also to all the other teams.

A scandalous FIA which carries itself iniquitously in minor formulas too. I experienced a blatant example of that exactly in Monza with GP3 Series when the car of Luca Ghiotto, who was leading the standings, was subjected to many controls to the limit of patience putting the driver under pressure. This kind of controls doesn’t usually involve his competitors for the title: strangely enough they run for Art Gran Prix.

Lewis Hamilton – 10 we have to reconfirm him as the top of the class. He had been able to manage his car at his liking, turning constantly 5 tenths of a second faster than Vettel and increasing his gap to 1” (that are Friday’s registered gaps) when the mysterious communication about the team arrived. Furthermore, as I was told, Mercedes would have finished the race with 9kg of gasoline on board. Really noteworthy.

Nico Rosberg – 8 he was really unlucky. Everything happens to him. Last week-end he was affected by a breakdown of his new generation PU being forced to run with a dated unit which had more than 4000 km on the shoulders. Despite that, he has been attacking the Ferrari driver gaining 3-4 tenth of a second per lap.

Sebastian Vettel – 8 he exploited as best he could the potential of his Ferrari taking it to the third place in general standings. He ended the race in the second place pushing to the maximum and resisting Rosenberg’s attacks.

Felipe Massa – 8 once again he finished ahead his team-mate taking his Williams on the podium and gaining some important points. A precious result even for his personal standing and for his reputation.

Valtteri Bottas – 7 with his fourth place he completed Williams’ good week-end, despite some mistakes at the box and his slow pit stops.

Sergio Perez -7 he and Nico Hulkenbeh took their Force in the top 10, strengthening the fifth lace in Constructor’s general standings. They gained points that will make a difference at the end of the season.

Daniel Ricciardo – Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr, Max Verstappen – 7 although being penalized by Reanult’s PU and being forced to start from the bottom, they have been able to recover. Ricciardo’s eight place is good. Unfortunately the bearers of Toro Rosso haven’t been collecting what they deserve. Surely the change of the motor unit will penalized them again. Verstappen would deserve half point more for his good time’s over-takings. The boy has been growing and now he is an adult.

Marcus Ericsson – 7 he has showed good things. He has very often outperformed his team-mate, Luiz Felipe Nasr, looking at the future he is undoubtedly one of the more interesting young.

Kimi Raikkonen – 6 Great time in qualifying. He demonstrates how much is permitted to a driver who has gained respect. His mistake at the start is anyway unforgivable even if he then made a good recover arose from numerous over-takings against a series of car which are decisively not so well-performing as his Ferrari. He could have made change the team ‘s strategy. They could have attempted to “squeeze” Hamilon’s Mercedes.

Vieira's champion comeback at Adria, despite the usual engine complications

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It was a bittersweet week-end for Joao Vieira. Once again he missed out a sure podium due to an engine complication of his Tatuus #50. Since the opening race the Antonelli Motorsport Brazilian driver has been slowing down by motor unit problems that affected heavily and negatively his path along the Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth.

After signing the seventh place in qualifying, he started the fifth week-end gaining the second row in qualifying 2, thanks to the fourth Cronus just 2 dec from the pole position.
Unlucky the opening race lasts just a few hours forcing him to start from the 25th position in the 18’+ 1 round sprint race. Despite the entrance of two safety-cars, in a trail of just 2,702 km, Joao makes a wonder putting together 17 good over-takings in less than 10 laps with the green flag. With great determination, he was able to perform an outstanding comeback reaching the eight final place.
Straightened by this result he presented himself at the starting line of race 3 with the desire to go up the podium.
Meanwhile he was occupying the third place, the engine shattered any dream.“It has been a really discouraging week-end. Once again I narrowly failed the podium and once again it was because of the engine. Anyway I am very happy about the beautiful comeback in race 2. Making all that over-takings in a so few laps has been exciting”, Joao Vieira comments.

“There ‘s not much to say about it except that Joao’s potential and technical value has been showed during the race. Move from 25th place to 8th , despite two safety car, in 19’ of race is amazing. Surely with a podium in race 3 the week-end would have gained meaning. Unfortunately once again we have been stopped by an engine complication. It’s frustrating. In any case, we don’t capitulate, we wait Imola with anxiety and desire of payback” manager from Faenza, Giovanni Minardi, analyzes

F1, Italian Gp – The Point

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The fast and demanding layout of the Monza’s track has stressed the only real Achilles heel of that technological jewel that Mercedes is: reliability. We have especially perceived this weakness watching the dissimilarities on the timetable.During Friday’s long run, Ferrari payed a 1-1,2”’s penalty to the Germans. Then, during Saturday’s qualifying, the time gap unbelievably descended to 3 dec.

Meanwhile we learned that Nico Rosberg had been forced to qualifying using a dated Power-Unit with 5 Gps and 4,000 km on the shoulders due to a malfunction in that super engine specially taken to Monza.
This also forced Hamilton to run in a softer mode. Despite this sword of Damocles, Vettel was constantly paying a 5”’s delay per round to the leader. Then this gap went back to over 1”in the very final when the engineers asked Lewis to push.

The mistake at the start by Kimi Raikkoner, maker of a wonderful recover, makes me think to a change in the strategy of “The Red” which had counted on the opportunity to put more pressure to the silver arrows.
This second place is certainly important both for Ferrari and fans who have celebrated Hamilton-Vettel-Massa under the podium inciting the circuit. A podium which confirms Maranello as the second force in the world championship, exactly ahead of Williams which has completed the podium with Felipe Massa in third places before his team-mate Bottas. The Brasilian has shown what he is made of.

Sergio Perez’s Force Indias have came back on top 10 looking for their validation and for the newly confirmed Niko Hulkenberg. Also the drivers of Toro Rosso have been excellent with Verstappen maker of amazing over-takings. Instead it has been a day to forget for Lotus which had been fighting in stormy waters, even if important communications about their are expected in the coming days.

But let’s talk about the “mystery” that has surrounded the race. Ater the checkered flag has been waved, rumors started about a possible penalty to Mercedes which would’t have followed tire pressure suggested by Pirelli. From this circumstance we can undestand to what the misterious communication to Hamilton in the final phases was due. Once again we are in front of a F1-caos event. For a change nothing is undestood. We talk about possible penalizations, but on what bases? FIA should demostrate that the use of a pressure lower than that suggested by Pirelli could have been Dangerous…

This week-end a lot of meeting about the post-2017 of Italian Gp at Monza have taken places. These meetings raise our hopes about a renewal even if talking about success rates is a bit premature.
Also Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has been present at the circuit in honor of the occasion.
I think we should defent this Italian stage, because it isn’t just a Lombardy Region’s event but an Italian know-how.

F4 – Joao Vieira's season restarts from Adria

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On the modern sports facility of Adria, the Brasilian driver Joao Vieira is ready to come back on track for the fifth round of Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth. This  technical  trail and its bends with different characteristics would highlight the technical qualities of the standard-bearer of Antonelli Motorsport who is determined to turn around a season affected by a lot of engine complications.

After three test days at Imola and Misano, Joao wants to restart from the important second place conquered on the selective latches of Mugello and aim to the first seasonal victory.
“It’s time to turn around the championship working for an aggressive victory. This break period gave me the opportunity to “recharge my batteries”coming back home in Brazil for some days and now I can’t wait to race again. During the three test days we had excellent results, even if once again we were slowed down by engine complications” the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira says.

“After the three test day at Imola and Misano, I am sure that finally the dreamed victory will come. I saw a reinvigorated Joao after the summer break and now he is more sure of his means. We’ll give a hard time and finally we’ll try to gain at least the third final place” Giovanni Minardi, the manager from Faenza analyzes.

F1 – Road to…Monza

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After the emotions at the Spa-Francorchamps and those at Brisighella where Mercedes was crowned with the Lorenzo Bandini trophy, we are now preparing to live the Monza Gp, in its 66th edition.

Most assuredly it’s going to be a very complicated week-end as during its launch  we could witness President of Lombardy  Roberto Maroni’s expressions of opinion and AC Milano President Ivan Capelli and ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani’s replies, with some off-stage meetings trying to break through the post-2016 scenario. Also Matteo Renzi is going to come at the circuit to do the honors on Sunday.

This week-end will be also characterized by the financial complications at Lotus and by the motoring future of Red Bull whose agreement with Mercedes could be called into question given the difficulties encountered by Renault in purchasing Lotus. A meeting between Red Bull’s top brass and French Constructor that has recently took place could open doors so far closed.

From what I have learned in Brisighella, Mercedes Motorsport doesn’t look kindly upon an agreement with “the Beveragers” unlike the management of the German group. Once again, having an hand in this there is Mr. E. who is conducting the orchestra. In recent days, he payed wages to Lotus employee’s and he engaged to ensemble a parterre of people to keep the World Championship competitive and interesting. We then have a Ferrari interested in buying a segment of Toro Rosso.

Talking of the track, we are waiting a press conference from Pirelli who is going to explain in detail what happened at Spa. Differently from last year, the constructor will take the Soft and Medium tire compounds to the track, With regard to the weather, the next week-end could be bothered by milder temperatures.

So, we are approaching the end of the championship and everybody will give their maximum. Mercedes remains the favorite but they’ll have to pay attention to reliability. At Monza, the Pus will turn to their maximum for the 67% of the trail, hard breaking will have a fundamental role too, so changes of directions. We have to pay attention to the first variant, scene of difficult moments. Ferrari, Williams, Red Bull, Force India, and as we hope also Lotus will try to fight for top places. It will give Rosberg one of the last chances to keep the world championship open. We hope that the “new dad” could reach Monza thoughtless, ready to fight with his team-mate.

There are all the ingredients it takes to experience a great weekend and Gp. Everybody in front of TVs or tribunes. I’ll be present at the circuit and I hope to see terraces and field crowded by supporters. It would be also a good motivation to sign the new contract.

Gabriele Tredozi's PS04 to remember Justin Wilson

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The traditional appointment with the Lorenzo Bandini trophy has taken place in Brisighella celebrating the amazing 2014 season of Mercedes, F1 World Teams’ and Drivers’ Champion.

Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe personally came and do the honors collecting the prize. Prestigious rewards also went to Gabriele Tredozi, historical engineer for the stable from Faenza and “dad” of many Minardi F1. Tredozi personally arrived in Brisighella at the wheel of his PS04 with a special F1 suit dedicated to his friend, driver Justin Wilson, tragically perished after the Indicar race.

“It was a terrific day. The spectators clapping sportingly and warmly for Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe were numerous, not only from Romagna” Gian Carlo Minardi remembers. “I am very glad for the prize with the gold medal to Gabriele Tredozi, an engineer that I really esteem being aware of his great worth”.