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”.

F1, Belgian Gp – Scorecards

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That at the Circuit of Spa was a special day. We saw a crowded circuit as we hadn’t seen since good times. This Gp was dominated by Mercedes with a breath-taking final due to the burst of the right rear tire of Vettel’s Ferrari. This refrain will lead the discussion for the next fifteen days looking forward to Monza.As usual, we draw up our scorecards:

Lewis Hamilton – 9 honestly he would also deserved 10, but the credit of his supremacy belongs to Mercedes other than his unquestionable virtue. Even so, Lewis has outclassed his team-mate Rosberg giving him 0”458 in practice. After a perfect start, he managed the race to his linking continuing to distance himself from his main rival.

Romain Grosjena – 8 Lotus driver ended on the podium one of his best ever Gp since he has been in F1. Capable in he Practice, perfect in the race. He skilfully managed the car and and the tires. Once he had understood Vettel’s strategy, consisting in just one pit stop, he attacked Ferrari driver in the final part of the race. He gave a real shot in the arm to his Team that had lived a difficult w.e. among lawyers and bailiffs due to its economical difficulties.

Sebastian Vettel – 8 thanks to what he showed in the race. In practice he hadn’t been decisive with his ninth time that could have had compromised the Gp. Once again, the makings of a Champion has emerged during the race with a super start, a robot race pace and a peculiar management of tires aimed to reach the podium. Surely he adopted an hazardous strategy, but he was great in the last laps facing the Eau Rouge with his tires stressed by 26/27 laps. Then, unfortunately, the burst at the 28th lap frustrated all his work and strategy.

Daniil Kvyat (4°) and Max Verstappen (8°) – 8 these two guys showed us old-time overtakings. The first is gaining his Team’s trust thanks to his resolution and speedy. The second showed us how to face the Blanchimount (one of the most difficult and fastest bend) keeping his foot down and making an almost impossible overtaking. “Insanity an genius” has emerged making us understand his great potential. Surely we’ll enjoy his challenge in the future.

Sergio Pérez – 7 he gained a good qualifying, he didn’t make any mistakes during the race assuring to Force India an unexpected fifth place and some important scores for the championship.

Fernando Alonso – 7 he has demonstrated to be that Champion he is and he would deserve a more competitive car. He has showed his value during the race with a quick start that allow him to recover 8 positions and fight for a long time with Ericsson (10th) and Nasr’s Sauber during the race. He imposed 49” to his mate-driver Button.

Nico Rosberg – 6 I don’t understand what is happening to him! He was outclassed in practice by Lewis, making a disastrous start and a little aggressive race. Only the excessive power of Mercedes, that hasn’t rivals at the moment, permitted him to reach the second place and the fastest time. Not enough for someone who would aim to challenge his mate-driver for the final victory.

Kimi Raikkonen – 6 the renewal of the contract wasn’t enough to glance him over. He did the minimum required to gain some scores, but I expect more from him even if he has reached Vettel’s times in many occasions during the race. Unfortunately this times are distant from Mercedes’ ones.

Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa have no vote because Williams once again nullyfied everything with their miscalculated strategies, and their mistakes at the box. Anyway, they were good in qualifying with Bottas in the second row. Probably it’s time to review some managing mechanisms.

Goodbye Justin

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I remeber Justin Wilson with great regret. “The Gentle Giant” was a fast driver. He began his adventure in F1 with Minardi and then as a Formula Indy driver he has excelled many times.

A driver-manager who first anticipated Motorsport Crowd-funding. His personality was able to attract liking and support to his career. Unfortunately a tragic fate has deprived us of one of our guys.

Goodbye Justin

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

F1, Belgian Gp – The Point

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We watched a fascinating Belgian Gp in its 60th edition, 48 of which raced at Spa. At the same time we celebrated the 900th Ferrari’s Gp, a really important goal for the family from Maranello who has deeply contaminated the racing world and particularly F1’s world with its Dna.

After an amazing Qualifying, Hamilton gained the pole position and outstripped his mate-driver by 0”458 with a perfect lap. The Mercedes World Champion did not miss anything starting ahead and managing the race to his liking without being troubled by Rosberg who instead failed the start and was committed to regain the second place which has been occupied by an excellent Perez.
After a good start from the eight place, Vettel achieved a difficult third place thanks to a brave strategy based on just a pit-stop at the 15th lap. Unluckily this strategy has been frustrated by the bursting of the right rear tire that put him KO two laps from the end.
So an excellent Grosjean reached the third place of the podium with his Lotus making his box smile in a difficult W.E. distressed by the financial complications his Team is facing.

Surely Ferrari’s strategy has been a bit risky. I think, anyway, that Pirelli should better investigate what happened also as a result of a comparable problem spotted by Rosberg (however Pirelli underlines that Mercedes case was caused by debrises). Yet, in both events it happens to a tire not resting and surely the excellent Pirelli Technicians could tell us if it was about a technical construction problem or it was a problem of structure tiredness considering that in Vettel’s case any drop of performance ascribable to a tire compound wear wasn’t displayed. Indeed Ferrari Champion’s lap times has been stable till the moment of the burst.

Once again we have some problems at Williams’ with mistakes at the box that frustrated Bottas’s great performance in qualifying with the third time. We have to observe, anyway, that during the race both Bottas and Massa had a car which had erroneously stressed the tires. An optimistic note about this Gp comes from the two young Kvyat (4th) and Verstappen (8th) who juiced up the race with their grit and overtakings demonstrating in this way that bet on young sometimes is good.
There is not much to say about the unlucky Kimi in practice, capable for a 7th final place in spite of a start from the 15th place, but the ’55 seconds gap from the first and the lack of competitiviness of his car compared with Pérez and Massa who preceded him, didn’t permit the Finnish to celebrate in the best possible way the contract renewal for 2016.

As usual, the next fifteen days are going to be caracterized by a strong work in view of the next Gp at Monza, that is one of the historical F1’s showcase.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Mercedes wins 2015 Bandini trophy

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Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team wins this year’s XXII edition of the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini trophy.
The prize dedicated to the unforgettable Italian driver will be collected by Toto Wolff, Executive director of the Star team, in the medieval village of Brisighella on 30 August. Moreover, Paddy Lowe, Technical manager of the group, will be honored with the Senate President medal.

As usual, many sportsmen and insiders emerging for their high quality and passion will be rewarded on this occasion.

That’s who will be awarded: Herman Rilke, the most eminent F1 circuit designer; National Cycling Ct Davide Cassani; illustrious Italian cameramen Franchino Scandinaro; former F1 Minardi’s designer, Gabriele Tredozi who is going to claim his prize driving a PS04 Minardi; Rai sport Journalist Sandro jacobini; journalist and director at Omnicose Franco Nunges; GP3 Aci Sport Team Italian driver Luca Ghiotto; RTL newscaster Florian Koing; driver and Sky sport columnist, Davide Valsecchi.

In such a charming setting, before such illustrious guests, Mercedes F1W05 Hybrid, 2014 World Champion sinle-seater, will be exhibited.

We remind to fans the Museum of F1 Champions’s Tracksuits and the attractive shows of classic cars: classic Mercedes and Fiat 500 ‘s parade.

F1 – Road To … Spa-Francorchamps

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After a three weeks break, the F1 Worls Championship is ready to start again with enthusiasm thanks to the appeal of the Spa-Francorchamps and to the results at the Hungaroring. It also restarts with some uncertainties due to the variable weather conditions, a constant feature in Belgium, to the first sharp turn –stage of some spectacular moments- and to the fact that for the first time the start won’t be completely assisted. As usual, the guarantee is the German “battleship” signed by Mercedes.

The struggle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg remains open with the two bearer of Mercedes detached by 18 length. Behind them a great challenge branded Ferrari and Williams.The Red from Maranello shows up in the Ardennes strengthened by its second seasonal success signed by Sebastian Vettel in Hungary that has refueled enthusiasm and dreams for an almost unattainable venture.Yet, watch out for Williams. The Circus is getting ready to approach two/three fast racetrack that on paper could favor the team from Grove. A little help for Vettel and Raikkonen could come from Pirelli that like in 2014 is going to present Soft and Medium tires although of different construction. “Yellow” tyre compounds could really favor the SF15-T. Watch out of weather conditions.

Differently from what seen on the slow Hungarian track, the Power-Unit will be critical for straight roads, accelerations and changes of directions at the Spa-Francorchamps. Surely it is a long track where a driver can make a difference, still he can’t do wonders.The driver is always essential on this track, but current cars will especially highlight challenges between drivers belonging to the same team, rather than provide for technical gap among cars belonging to different stables. From the point of view of the frame, Red Bull could have its say If it won’t have reliability complications, even if the uunknown of first penalisations looms over.

Among group B teams I  have confidence in Toro Rosso that lost important scores in the last races ending in any case the first part of this season with a good Verstappen’s fourth place in Hungary. I expect from them an aggressive and interesting final season. Spa could be their springboard to approach the fifth place in constructir general standings which was their early season goal. Instead I don’t trust much Lotus, engaged in a negotiation with Renault for the team transfer. I don’t trust much also Force India due to its economical problems.

Manouvres for 2016 are going on behind the scenes, while  the Working Group gathers on 18 August. I hope for decisions other than ones sketched in recent meetings. If anything, I’ll comment them separately.