F.4 – At Monza Joao Vieira breaks the new record

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Joao Vieira goes back to the “school desks”. The scene of the new study plan s Monza, the Temple of Speed. Therefore, the approach of the young Brazilian driver of Minardi Management is going on, with the opening race of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth, scheduled for May 3rd at Vallelunga.

The fast Monza track will host the Tatuus F.4 for the second round of the season, while Joao continues the development work on the car set up by Antonelli Motorsport team, covering over 500 kilometres, lowering the time of 2014 pole position by more than 6 dec. Last season, Joao won a final second place, accomplishing a weekend constantly at the top.

“It was a very intense and positive working day. We raced many kilometres, collecting various data that will be useful for the race weekend. We made some small changes in set-up, scoring a fastest lap time of over 6 dec than the pole of last season”, the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira, says.

“I’m really very happy with the work done by Joao. He was able to close more than 90 laps, improving constantly, until the fastest lap time of the day among other Tatuus F.4 on track, as well as beating the lap time of 2014 pole. Track conditions were incredibly optimal and thus affected his performance, but we are talking about a precious result, which proves Joao’s maturity and his excellent feeling reached with car, track and team“, the manager Giovanni Minardi analyzes.

F.1 – Gian Carlo Minardi: “FIA should shed some light on Alonso's accident”

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Finally confirmation has arrived: Fernando Alonso will not race the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of March 14th-15th and scene of the opening round of Formula 1 World Championship. Alongside Jenson Button at the wheel of McLaren-Honda, then there will be the test driver and third driver Kevin Magnussen.

A communication that will increase the already numerous questions that surround the accident of February 22nd on Barcelona’s track. Fernando had been taken to hospital as a consequence of the violent concussion. Since that day, however, no certainties. The International Federation has opened a file with the aim to clear up, but to date any official communication has not been issued.

As for now, the only accused is Aeolus. “There’s need to shed light on this affair. I hope that the FIA will clear up before the start of the World Championship”, Gian Carlo Minardi says, speaking on www.minardi.it. “When we speak about safety, I expect that all the necessary checks are aim of verification. From 1994 to date, great strides have been made in this sector, but in front of this new episode might be missing something. Maybe it was underestimated the side impact or something. Until now, so many words have been wasted, but without understanding the cause of the accident. I agree on Fernando’s decision not to take part in the Grand Prix, because after a head injury, you must always observe a period of rest for about 30-40 days. In boxing, after a KO, you have to be on the bench before coming back to the ring“, Minardi analyzes. “Motor racing is a very dangerous sport and it is useless to risk running into a new accident that could bring far worse consequences“. The decision was taken in mutual agreement with the doctors who followed the Spaniard in recent days. “The fact that they allows him to continue his athletic training is certainly a good signal“. The manager from Faenza and talent scout of the Spaniard champion clamours for truth coming to light. “We owe it to drivers, teams and especially to fans“, Gian Carlo Minardi concludes.

F.1 – Workaholic Sauber in Barcelona

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After the second round of four days on Montmelò track, winter test sessions have officially ended. From next round, it will get serious. In Melbourne, it will be there real World Championship. Everyone, or nearly so, will demonstrate 100% of the potential. Almost everyone because for Mercedes its 90% could be enough for dominating the weekend.

After playing hide and seek in the first two sessions, Rosberg and Hamilton have given a preview of their potential, scoring the best chronometric results on Friday and Saturday, using only Soft tires. Therefore, with SuperSoft tires the gap will be even greater. Stopwatch in hand, we talk about a lead of 1” from the first rivals, Williams of Massa and Bottas, and we must add additional 2-3 tenths to find the rest of the group.

Looking at the data of Barcelona, the many kilometers of Sauber emerge; the team collects more than 159 laps, which is more than 2,500 km, leaving behind the rest of the group, including Ferrari. Vettel and Raikkonen still stop at 2,000 Km. This is certainly an important and positive result for Maranello, that can rely on a good reliability of the new Power-Unit.

And it’s the sam also for the German engine. The Achilles’ heel of last season at Mercedes was exactly reliability, variable which allowed to hear different anthems from the English and German ones of two bearers. According to the various laps done, we can, however, rely no more on this variable.

Just in the last three days, the new Force India VJM08-Mercedes has finally made its debut, slowed by serious financial problems. Despite everything, however, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez managed to collect more than 360 laps – that’s to say 1680 km and 2.5 GP – demonstrating that the new car of Force India is born under the lucky star.

Still remains to identify the real potential of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat’s Red Bull, motorized Renault, that has driven far fewer kilometers than their cousins of f the Toro Rosso-Renault. And it’s RBR that has launched in these days the new livery. After spending the winter with “camouflage”, in Melbourne it will race with the traditional livery, although on the side pods more space has been given to purple. Finally, we have McLaren-Honda, forced to numerous and long pit stops, and also slowed by Fernando Alonso’s accident, on which still linger too many doubts. Meanwhile, the official news has arrived: Alonso will not be in Melbourne. In his place, McLaren will line up Kevin Magnussen. The MP4/30-Honda collected an average of 700-800 km per session. Too few. The car shows certainly interesting solutions and once solved all the defects, they will make up for delay. Let’s not forget the leap that F1 has been able to put on track between the last test and the first race in Australia, in 2014.

Kart – Karol Basz wins the WSK Gold Cup

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After the parenthesis in Lonato Winter Cup, this weekend you the spotlights are switched on again on the WSK Series. At Adria International Raceway, the “Gold Cup” has been awarded and Karol Basz was the great protagonist, gaining the first trophy of the season.

Since the free practice sessions, the driver of Kosmic Racing Team was at his ease along the 1302 meters of the track of Rovigo, bringing the kart constantly in top positions. At the end of Qualifying sessions, he signed the fourth fastest time result, just 37 thousandths from the pole position and gaining later the victory and the second place in Qualifying Heat 1 and 2. In the third round, however, he has been unfortunately slowed by an electrical problem, forcing him to go down to last placement. With great determination and grit, he recovered, from 26th place up to the 13th place, winning the fourth place sum up the results in view of the pre-final, closed in third place, a prelude of the success in KF final. At 3:00pm the crucial challenge started, with Karol determined to gain his first success of the season. At the start he immediately gets to second position, behind the main opponent Nielsen, and the ninth passage, the Polish driver attacks peremptory, taking control of the race, winning the Gold Cup.

“This weekend everything went exactly as we had planned. Once again, the Kosmic provided me a great kart, which I made the most for winning the WSK Gold Cup. Everything was perfect. Since the beginning of the season, we have proved our potential and I’m sure that there will be new opportunities to hear playing the Polish anthem“, Karol Basz says.

“It continues Karol’s alignment on Kosmic’s work method, that is developing very well the material at their disposal. Together with Tony Kart, they are certainly the men to beat. In recent months, Karol grew a lot even mentally. He matured rapidly and you can see it both on track and before the races. Very quiet, calm and especially determined“, the Supervisor of Kart Minardi Alberto Tonti analyzes.

A very important result, in view of the first appointment in the WSK Master Series, planned for next round always at Adria International Raceway.

Winter Test, Barcelona – THE POINT… BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI

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The next appointment will be in two weeks, with the first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne. Today the fourth and final day of collective test session is ended, closing effectively the winter session.

After playing hide and seek, Mercedes gave a first taste of its true potential, beating off competitors with the best time result of Nico Rosberg (1’22″792), scored the penultimate day with Soft. What will happen with the SuperSoft? I am almost certain that this car has the potential to go down under the wall of 1’22”.

The Germans are once again on another planet. Lewis and Nico will play in a separate championship, but with an important variable. If last year we could rely on flawed reliability, this year we will not even have this excuse, considering the many kilometres run in the twelve days of test. Now, it is a matter of going to Melbourne to see who will be the second and third force. At this point, thinking about hierarchies is not easy, since we don’t know the load of fuel on board.

With a delay of 1″ we have the Williams of Massa and Bottas that closed their work with the fastest time of the day. Behind them, in a range of 2-3 dec, we find Sebastian Vettel’s and Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari. Force India impressed me a lot. Whereas the new car came to light only in the last three days, Hulkenberg and Perez were able to put together nearly 1700 km, proving that VJM08-Mercedes is well set up. Not bad also Lotus, despite a crack of Maldonado caused today by a brake problem. But yesterday, Grosjean made several long runs, as well as Sauber. They surprised thanks to the number of driven kilometres and their performance. Felipe Nasr ended the day with 159 laps more, collecting the largest number of km of the four-days (exactly 2537 km). A good signal also for the engine of Maranello.

However, we arrive in Australia with several unknown elements. Red Bull hasn’t still showed its real potential, while Toro Rosso with the young Verstappen and Sainz Jr. has collected additional 2000 km.

With yesterday (February 28th), the engines has been stopped and I have the impression that most wanted to verify the reliability, making a large number of kilometres – except for McLaren. McLaren is certainly late, but it can rely on a more than valid combination. With regard to chassis, it has very interesting solutions that take time, but will soon be able to recover the gap. Alonso’s accident could have taken more time. Just about the variable of Sunday, we are waiting for answers. There are still too many unclear points about the event. When it speaks about safety, I like I’d like to shed some light on this matter. I would hate if the fact were filed by blaming everything to Aeolus. In Romagna (Italy) there is a saying: “Rumours are taken away by the wind”.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Kart – Karol Basz in Lonato, thinking to WSK

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At the International South Garda Karting Circuit the traditional event of Winter Cup has takes place, now in its XX° edition. Among the over thirty drivers entered in KF category, the bearer of Kosmic Racing Team, Karol Basz, certainly could not missing.

For the native from Krakow, the appointment of Lonato has been the occasion for tuning the material, in view f the starting of the season next week, with a double appointment on the track of Adria for the “WSK Gold Cup“(from February 26th to March 1st) and the first round of the “WSK Super Master Series” (from 5th to 8th March). Once again Karol has Left the sign, especially with difficult conditions of wet track, signing with two wins of Qualifying rounds.

“Despite the really changeable conditions, pace and speed were very good, but in Final I have been unfortunately touched by a rival who made me loose lots of positions, frustrating all the job done for Qualifying. However, Winter Cup has been an opportunity to test all the materials in view of upcoming weekends, that will certainly be better”, the driver managed by Minardi Management, Karol Basz, says.

“If we just look at the final result, the weekend was not a happy week, but if we consider the detail, we can see once again that Karol stood out in wet conditions, gaining two wins in Qualifying rounds, closing the session with a fifth placement. Thanks to the changeable weather conditions, this has been the right occasion to test all the material before the starting of the real season, that will begin next week with the Gold Cup, and then WSK Master Series”, the supervisor of Minardi Kart, Alberto Tonti, analyzes.

Barcelona Winter Test – THE POINT… BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI

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The second session of collective test ended. From Jerez Formula 1 moved in Barcelona, for the second four-days of work, in preparation for the first round of World Championship scheduled for the weekend of March 15th, in Melbourne.

After missing the initial round, Force India has also added to the group, thus completing the starting grid, waiting to discover the fate of Marussia and Caterham. It is useless we try and kid. We can sit here and write words on words, but to really understand the potential of the various teams is very difficult, almost impossible.

What is clear is that:

  • cars are under stress, as evidenced by the numerous red flags of these days
  • all the components are “close” to the limit. Analyzing the data, it appears once again that the kilometers done by most teams are many
  • a great difference on time result performances has emerged between “Soft” and “Medium” (also 2″) and therefore giving feedback without knowing the programs is difficult
  • considering the time results, cars look very compact (excluding McLaren, which hardly get with difficult 600 km).

However, rumors and well-informed people speaks about problems related to consumptions problems. On this front, Mercedes remains number 1, while there are difficulties at Ferrari and Renault.

With regards to the French constructor, there is a burning market behind the scenes. The Transalpines would plan their frontline comeback, with a 100% commitment as constructor and not only as Power-Unit supplier. They dread finding without clients in 2016. In the next days, there will be of course updates with more details.

Before leaving, I’d like to wish Fernando Alonso, victim of an accident this morning, all the best and to get well soon. I wish him to get quickly at the wheel of his McLaren-Honda. The CAT scan is negative.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Gian Carlo Minardi: "Formula 1 is short-sighted"

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Formula 1 has again switched on its hybrid engines, giving rise to the second round of the Spanish collective test sessions. After Jerez, Circus moved to Barcelona. In addition to the intense work in the factories to improve new cars, the F1 Commission met in Geneva. The long awaited “white smoke” on the new 2016 regulations has not been reached. “It seems like to go back to the early ‘90s“, Gian Carlo Minardi said with a bit of irony. “Formula 1 will not ever change. Instead of proposing, it prefers the fastest and simple way, that’s to say to defer“.

In 1992, during an interview with MinardiNews, the monthly of the team from Faenza, Gian Carlo Minardi had already launched this alarm. In those years, F1 World Championship was struggling with the costs that were becoming unsustainable. Team Principal of the homonym team had focused his attention on important aspects aimed at reducing costs, but not to the technical limitations, because “… F1 must continue to be the ultimate expression of automotive technology”, he commented on MinardiNews in 1992. The areas on which should take action are very different “Limiting the number of cars to take to the track for each team. Getting just two, for example, it would save over the year on the construction of another car, with attached parts. Moreover, one mechanics team less to carry around the world …

To limit the number of engines to use for each Grand Prix. So, motorists would be forced to build more reliable engines, avoiding special units just for Qualifying. At the same time, to limit the tyres. In this way it would get to annual savings”, the manager from Faenza was analyzing, “of two/two and a half million dollars, which can also mean survival for a small team”. Reading about these proposals today it makes shudder, because these ideas have seen the light only in later years. “All things that have occurred after 8/9/10 years, to run after the escape of the great constructors and because of costs’ rising“. To date, however, things do not seem to change. “In Geneva, in a complicated moment for F1, none has taken decisions or tried to suggest important solutions. Everyone continues to further its one cause“, the former builder continues. “In 1992, the meetings were captained by the thirteen teams on the grid and ten exactly were represented by the same owner. The other three were Flavio Briatore for Benetton, Jean Todt for Ferrari and Peter Collins for Lotus, that is all characters who were very familiar with the circle”.

To hold court, it was the proposal to bring the engines to 1000 hp. “In order to change the image of the environment and attract the attention of fans, the core is not in increasing power. There’s need to bring back attention to the driver, even in the highest technology. Let me explain: why spend hours in the wind tunnel, generating aerodynamic appendages, to earn a few milliseconds at high costs and with a very limited public understanding? Wouldn’t it be better to have a clean and “simple” wing? Who is in front of TV or sitting in the stands, may not realize if a car is more powerful than 1 km/h or 1 tenth of a second. There are many other things to change, for example, making cars more appealing to the eye, or having hard-fought races, with actions of lead to the limit. Having wider tyres could be a nice choice too. Even the aesthetics would have earned“, Minardi concludes.

F.4 – Joao Vieira discovers Misano World Circuit

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Joao Vieira’s new season is going on in the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth. After two days of test at “Piero Taruffi” circuit, the Brazilian has signed his debut on Misano World Circuit, scene of the seventh and final round of the 2015 calendar in the Italian series.

At the wheel of the Tatuus F4 team of Antonelli Motorsport’s team, he discovered the secrets of 4226 meters in Santa Monica track, named after Marco Simoncelli, going on simultaneously with the development of the car, programmed together with Marco Antonelli staff.

“This circuit is as beautiful as challenging. It was certainly a very interesting day, because I had the opportunity to know a track on which I had not ever run, being able to continue the development of the car both with the engineer and all the staff. It’s wonderful being back to race with regularity. I wait for May the 3rd with enthusiasm“, the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira, says.

“Today it has been a very successful day, in all aspects. Joao has had the opportunity to cover many kilometres on a track that he did not know yet, carrying on the program with his team. Despite the low temperatures, it is not raining, allowing us to complete the work. Now we go on, getting closer to the first race of Vallelunga“, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

F.4 – At "Piero Taruffi" circuit Joao Vieira's 2015 has started

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With two days of pre-season test session, at Vallelunga it has brought the curtain up on the new season of Joao Vieira. After four months from last appointment on the track of Adria, the Brazilian driver from Gurupi is back at the wheel of Tatuus F.4 of Antonelli Motorsport.

A comeback on track more than positive, inaugurated with the best chronometric results in both session, both in wet and dry conditions. A promising start for the driver managed by Minardi Management , who prepares its second season in the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth. So many kilometers on Campagnano’s track, working on pace and set-up in view of the first appointment of the season, scheduled for May 3rd, right on the Capitoline circuit. 

“It’s beautiful being back at the wheel after so long. Finally back to drive. There were two very intense and profitable days. I quickly found the pace and the feeling with track and technical team. After a year spent together, we know each other very well and this will make the job easier. We tried different set-up thanks to the rain that fell on Saturday”, Joao Vieira analyzes.

“A promising start. Certainly, at this point of the season, time results are to be taken with a pinch of salt, but being on the top list is leading to hope for the best. That means that Joao has quickly found again his pace and the work of last season is bearing fruit. He has driven many kilometers as well as worked with the engineers on the development of the car”, the manager Giovanni Minardi says.

From beating metal sheets to rapid prototyping: the evolution of Formula 1

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While days run by and we get quickly to the second session of collective winters test at the Spanish track of Barcelona, we have met Gian Carlo Minardi at his Headquarters in Faenza (and could not be elsewhere).

Although he had left behind the nr. 21 in Via Lazzaro Spallanzani (Faenza) – Headquarters of his Minardi Team since 1984 – with his going out from the Formula 1 World Championship, in the new office it continues to breathe the air of Formula 1, through the helmets of the many drivers who have worn the yellow-blue colours, through the cars’ wheels, the models and the Cosworth F1 – TJ 2005 10V engine, used as coffee table. The eye focuses on a photo album that we readily open. The mind begins to travel quickly back in time, as if we had the DeLorean of “Doc” Emmett Brown and Marty McFly. There are photographs that seem prehistoric times, but that are part of the history of Italian Formula 1 World Championship. Today we are used to hearing about the wind tunnel, the latest generation of simulators, able to reproduce reality, but it was not always this way. “Having a look to these photographs, you have the impression that a century has passed. But we talk about only 30 years ago“, Gian Carlo Minardi says.

Our travel begins from the years ’84 -’85. “It’s amazing how the world has changed, without realizing it, and the great strides made by technology. But let’s also ask questions. Is all this necessary? Let me explain. In the ‘80es to build two Formula 1 cars 22-23 people were employed. The technical office was a room of 26 square meters. Today, despite the help of technology, teams are more than 400 employees. Certainly cars and aerodynamics are more complex, but, still giving space to the evolution, I think we have reached incredible levels of staff“, the former Team Principal continues. “In 1984, the chassis were built with composite materials, in particular Carbon fiber and Kevlar and the bodywork was created manually, as all the equipment for its realization (models), using materials for easily workable modeling. The required geometries were obtained manually. The difficulty was to do equal left and right sidepod. The cars were really handmade. It was also very frequent to produce parts or bodywork components, such as the closing element of dampers compartment, obtained in metal sheets molded by hand from the trusty Otello, historic Ferrari bodywork builder of the late ‘60s. So, until the early ’80s, each piece was handmade, before taking it in the wind tunnel“.

The next step was the introduction of computers and, subsequently, of 3D modeling. “In 1988 he made his entrance in the Headquaters the FTP machine with three-axis nurmerical control. Once made the drawing, you could see the car growing. This machine was followed by the “JOBS“, a machine tool with the control on five axes that allowed to realize the full shape of the body, shaping a block of resin through the mathematical calculation of the external surfaces, produced by CAD designers. This first model was used to obtain the mold on which realize the car chassis made of carbon.

The real revolution arrives in the 2000s, when it starts to use the machines for rapid prototyping, or stereolithography.

Through the solidification by laser of a liquid resin, you obtained very useful “finished” elements, especially for creating the components necessary for aerodynamic tests in the wind tunnel. Technology that has allowed to speed up the production of these components“.

Rapid prototyping comes in Faenza. “Minardi was among the first companies to have this technology, certainly the first in F1 to install a 3D Systems SLA® 7000, a step followed shortly by some top teams. Made the first study with Cad tecnologies, the first model on ½ scale was built, in order to go in the wind tunnel“.

Finally, a nice as unpublished gem. “Here is the model of the Minardi 2006, which unfortunately never saw the light. It is the last creature of Eng. Gabriele Tredozi. We were already ahead in the design of the body“, Gian Carlo Minardi says,  concluding the story,” when in September 2005 began negotiations with Red Bull for the transfer of ownership“.

A special thanks to Eng. Gabriele Tredozi for the invaluable technical support. On our official FaceBook , there is a wide gallery with more photos also of the Minardi PS06.

F.4 – Joao Vieira gets ready for the new season at “Piero Taruffi” circuit

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The new season of Joao Vieira is ready to really getting going on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th of February. On “Piero Taruffi” the Capitoline track in Vallelunga, the young Brazilian driver, whose career is managed by Minardi Management of Giovanni Minardi, will come back at the wheel of Antonelli Motorsport’s Tatuus F.4, to take part in the first two-days of pre-season test.

After his debut last season in the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth, Joao will continue working with the team of Marco Antonelli, taking advantage of the gained know-how, aiming for the tricolored title. The challenging circuit of Campagnano will inaugurate the first (of seven) round of the 2015 Championship. Subsequently, F.4 Circus will travel to Monza, Franciacorta, Mugello, Adria, Imola and Misano for the grand finale. Last year, along the 4,085 meters of the circuit, Joao stood out with amazing battles, resulting consistently among the fastest drivers and closing the three races with points.

“I’m really happy to be back behind the wheel, after four months from Adria race. Weather forecast rain and this will allow me to become familiar with the circuit in these conditions, working on the set-up. Last year I had to get to know all quickly: team, car and tracks. This year, instead, I will have the opportunity to make the most of all the work done in one year. The goal is to start immediately determined from the first race in Monza”, Joao Vieira says, ready to go to Vallelunga.

“I am glad the engines finally switch on. After the positive experience of 2014, I am sure that this year will be a successful for Joao and he can fight for the Championship win”, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

Thoughts, from Jerez to Barcelona

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In a week teams will switch on the engines, kicking off the second four-days of collective test. After the inauguration at Jerez circuit, Spain will be again the background for the tests of F1 Circus, from Thursday 19th to Sunday, February 22nd. This time will be Montmelò circuit to host the open wheels and it will be the fifth weekend (as well as the first European round) of 2015 Formula 1 World Championship.

After the first session, teams withdrew in their Headquarters, in order to analyze the collected data and program the new tests to be produced in the next session. A year of hybrid technology development has already given a return: the cars are 3″ faster than the first session, twelve months ago. The work within the teams is intense, having to maximize the potential of their new creatures. “Once back at home, team has to analyze thousands of data collected on track and compare them with those of wind tunnel and simulator. Another problem is that if the test program is not completed, it is necessary to plan s best as possible the next test that will inevitably become more complex”, Gian Carlo Minardi says on www.minardi.it. The manager from Faenza lived with his Minardi Team, for over twenty years, the phase of inauguration and pre-seasonal development. “In these fifteen days separating the first official launch from the second, the work will be developed in parallel with the introduction of new aerodynamic and improving overall car reliability, looking for appropriate solutions to the problems of reliability suffered in the past season. For example, Mercedes gave me the impression of having worked in this direction, by focusing the work on the electronics and mechanics of gearbox; the same crash gearbox suffered the third day seems apparently a result of a wanted stress test”, the former builder continues.

Tests are meticulously prepared events and teams go on track with programs defined and studied day by day. “It always follows a schedule of works, planned by the technical staff around a desk and considering both car and driver. Programs can be changed only if there are serious technical problems. This explains why each team seems to act without any interest in the competition with other rivals. In this phase, Team Principal has normally a marginal role. Therefore, it is easy to meet the Patrons of Teams around the circuit, to follow the work on track of theirs drivers. This happens especially in smaller teams, when they have in their ranks young or not very experienced drivers. Nice the image of Tost, Team Principal of Red Bull, who has focused on two rookies like Verstappen and Sainz Jr and was moving around Jerez track”.