Italy is here!

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Although in 2016 Italy won’t be in Formula 1 with its drivers, at an international level the situation is very different with five standard bearers already confirmed in the three most important championships: GP2 Series, GP3 Series, and FIA European F3.

A strong signal demonstrating how the “Beautiful Country” is still able to prepare and make grow its guys.“It is the result of the work of the Federation in last years and the prove that Italy has nothing to envy to the other nations” Gian Carlo Minardi says. “Unfortunately, to reach F1, besides drivers’ technical qualities you need huge budgets and it would be useful to have a minor team ready to bet and capable to find the most talented drivers. As Federation we are working to help, in part at least, our guys, also under the economic aspect with some scholarships” the manager from Faenza continues.“Last year we started the ACI Team Italia project and it continues also this year. It’s not a consolation, but the situation isn’t better outside our borders. In these days, Stoffel Vandoorne, maker of an excellent season in GP2, is engaged in pirelli’s tests at the Paul Richard with McLaren. He declared he isn’t sure to enter the world championship not even in 2017”.

Antonio Giovinazziand Raffaello Marciello will race in GP2 respectively with Prema and Russian Time colors. If to Marciello 2016 should be the year of redemption after a complicated season, Giovinazzi will debut in the waiting room of F1, after his positive season in FIA European F3 and his success in Master F3. “I was really glad reading Prema’s announcement about Giovinazzi, even if I am a bit embittered because four years ago I had already supported the candidacy of Antonio to important Teams and groups. When I saw him at Imola in his sixteen years, he made me an excellent impression”.

After the eight place achieved last year, Antonio Fuoco is again at the starting grid in GP3 series with the Trident Team, while the schedule of GP3 Series vice champion Luca Ghiotto is to be defined. The Venetian driver would be glad to sign his debut in GP2, future Formula 2, but he could remain another season in GP3 with the aim to win the title. On the FIA European F3 front, Alessio Lorandi will keep his growth.“He will be the driver of the Carlin Team, one of the top team in the championship. Even him comes from kart and at his first year in F3 has done very well despite his very young age“.

 

 

It's time for concrete actions

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Let us not hide the truth. Formula 1 is in a moment of confusion and precariousness, with sponsors running away along with fans, and the figures hardly add up. Every day we read everything and its opposite. We always hear saying “cost reduction”, but ultimately there is little concrete.

The Srategy Group and the F1 Commission have hard time to make substantial decisions for a change. We are facing a difficult economic situation. We have an oil crisis, companies that transfer their investment towards cheaper fields, recessions in TV investments, and scandals like that of Volkswagen and Renault. Also FCA is in a difficult moment facing important deadlines.

There are many opportunities to take advantage of, but it would time to close with serious and professional proposals. In this moment we are playing the engines match, but I have the impression that with drastic changes the English teams want to divert the attention on their greatest strength: the aerodynamics. Meanwhile, at Geneva, we have reached an agreement to continue with Power-Units till 2020 with the aim of lowering costs by standardising some components and arresting any developments. Spending over 20 million for an engine is really unmanageable, in my opinion, and it would be impossible to continue this way.

In terms of entertainment, teams would have asked the commissioners to be more indulgent with drivers. I am happy to have focused the attention on this aspect, especially last season. Formula 1 has grown thanks to the duels. However, keeping the same judges in all races becomes important.

With a new smile more, we are preparing to live and closely follow another intense season of Formula 1 … and may the best win.

Playing with numbers

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In these days of illusory calm, anxiously waiting the presentation of the new single-seaters, just over ten years after the last Grand Prix of the Minardi F1 team, I wanted to play with numbers and statistics.

Of course, it has been a game, but keeping in mind the scoring system of those years, the restricted economic resources, and all the difficulties in finding engines and tires, the numbers that emerged are fun and gratifying. If, on one hand the Minardi team is at the first place for the grand prix races without podium (in effect we finished three times in fourth) on the other hand we still are in the seventh place, behind giants as Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Tyrrel and Brabham, for the total grand prix races: 340 for Minardi, 326 for Liguer, 311 for Sauber and 300 for Renault which this year will return as a manufacturer. In the standings we are in the top 40, in 36th place ahead of Prost Gp, Toleman, Footwork. It took 73 races before playing a lap in the lead (1989- Portugal GP with Martini) compared to 178 races needed by Sauber and 82 by BAR. 

On drivers’ front, Pierluigi Martini is in the fourteenth place for the number of grand prix raced with the same manufacturer (103) on 118 starts accomplished during his F1 career that placed him in the 48th place (in the first one there is Barrichello with 323 GP) and in the sixth place among italian drivers. Among the top six youngest debutants, the Minardi team is embodied by Fernando Alonso (19 years and 218 days) and Esteban Tuero (19 years and 320 days). Not bad.

As we said these are just numbers, but if we want to keep playing making suppositions, we notice that with the current scoring system, the Minardi team would have gone to points starting from its debut season thanks to “Piero” Martini’s eight place in Australia. In twentyone seasons, we would have not reached the top 10 only in 1987. The other great regret regards the supply of engines. Today, manufacturers are required to provide the same Power-Unit, unless exceptions made ad hoc, as in the case of Red Bull for 2016. As Minardi team, we had tryed to draw attention on this rule (unfortunately in vain), since sometimes we were forced to run with an engine of three generation before. Despite everything, however, in some circumstances, we managed to stay ahead of far more noble manufacturers. Little satisfactions.

With an extra smile, we are preparing to live and closely follow another intense season of Formula 1 … and may the best win.

The long-standing engines issue

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Last season will be remembered not just for the Mercedes domain and for Lewis Hamilton’s third world title, but also for the strong debate connected to the supplying of Power-Units, with Red Bull as starring.

After having blamed Renault harshly, Horner & C. have knocked on the doors of Mercedes and Ferrari, obtaining a year dated supplying and the “marching orders” from the president himself Carlos Ghosn. A scarce solution for a team whose purpose is to win, after having dominated the stage for four consecutive seasons and after being away from top position in the last two years. As we know, after hesitation, peace is back (paid weight in gold) between “the soft-drinkers” and the trans-alpine constructor. We have a different situation at Toro Rosso that will host again Ferrari, with a 2015 supply thanks to an exception. ” The client engine supply is a situation with wich I am very familiar. Keeping out the parenthesis of“Modern Engine” break when we fought against official car manufacturers as Ferrari, Honda, and MBW with a private engine built and developed from scratch, we had always had client engines that pay aminimum of 70-80 hp since 1988” Gian Carlo Minardi recalls.

“Even in 1991, with Ferrari engines, we were three steps back. Moreover, in those years, to make a great difference were also gasoline and lubricants. We have fought for years to make sure that every manufacturer provided the same engine to every client”. Almost as it has happened since some years, unless exceptions.“Before PU, the usage of the same engines had levelled all the performances, and also the private teams were able to obtain great satisfactions, as Brawn Gp has demonstrated” the manager from Faenza continues. “With pleasure, however, despite customer engines, we had some satisfactions” as the front row conquered by Martini in 1990 during qualifying in Phoenix, the fourth place in Estoril and the fifth in 2002 in Melbourne achieved by Webber who placed his Minardi PS02 ahead of Toyota despite an Asiatech. On some occasions, we could have been very competitive with an official engine”.

Ready to go

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Although the engines are still turned off,the 2016 season of Formula 1 World Championship goes live, ahead of the first common test on February 22 in Spain.Gene Haas’ s team has done its first step towards Melbourne with a favorable crash-test. “All the stables are working busily to bring on track their new car for the tests in Spain, and they are planning the possible developments ahead of Melbourne grand prix.

“Unlike what used to happen years ago, to take part to the common tests it is essential to have a shell homologated by FIA passing all its checks” Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes “Being in the weight limit allowed by the regulations. In my experience, my team didn’t pass the tests at the first attempt in a single circumstance. It was 1991, and due to an error of assessment while we were testing the deceleration, the “seat back”, that housed the reservoir, broke. This problem slowed us a lot, but we managed to limit the damage because in those years the approval to race had to arrive before of the inaugural weekend of the season. Today it is not that way. So it is an important milestone”.

Being a “newbie”, the American team will be observed in special. “Making your debut with 21 scheduled races is not easy both under an economic and logistical aspect. They have gained energies from experienced F1 men and, as we can read, they want optimize their team with a structure composed of a maximum of 200 people. I agree with this kind of management, because I find wrong to have a staff composed of 400-500 or 1000 people just to build two cars”.

In recent weeks, coming back “home” for a while in Spallanzani street, Gian Carlo Minardi has been guest at Toro Rosso. “I could visit the new establishments and I was glad to see their coordination. I am sure that, thanks to Ferari engine, they will be able to raise the bar on the reliability front, the real Achille’s heel of last season. They missed about 60-70 points especially due to the retreats of Carlo Sainz in the final laps” the manager from Faenza concludes.