F1 | Gian Carlo Minardi "Performance and reliability make a step forward"

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Like in the first four days session, Ferrari closes the last common testing session at the circuit of Barcelona with the best time, and in the last day collects 142 laps with Sebastian Vettel, bringing the kilometers done by SF16-H to almost 4.000.

Evaluating the quality of the cars isn’t an easy task because we do not know how much gasoline they had on board or their daily program. Undoubtedly, Mercedes remains the car to beat, especially due to the many kilometers covered by Hamilton and Rosberg.Together they have almost made an entire Formula 1 season, achieving the amazing goal of 6.000 km. The second place is for Scuderia Toro Rosso that has done more than 4.800 km in eight days with Verstappen and Sainz. Eight hundred less for their Red Bull “cousins” (Renault client), Williams-Mercedes, and Ferrari. Little further back, Sauber, Force India, and Renault. The third from last place for McLaren-Honda (3.250 km) that pays its penalty in the session of February and barely exceeds 1.100 km. In the last days, Alonso and Button have recovered time lost putting together 448 laps (2.085 km).

“Two sessions that stress the improvement accomplished by the teams on the reliability front. The performances also seems more compact, especially at the center of the group. Mercedes remains the reference car for everybody with behind a Ferrari ready to insert taking advantage of the new qualifying system that will begin in Melbourne (eliminations every 90 seconds during the three sessions). The Power-Unit from Germany has covered along with its four teams over 15.500 km”, observes Gian Carlo Minardi who glimpses in Toro Rosso a possible surprise for 2016. “They have covered a lot of kilometers proving to have achieved a good reliability. A reliability that penalized their end result last year“.

The American new-entry Haas and Manor end the overall standing with 2.295 and 1.950 total km.“Compared to last season, Manor has done many changes, on both power-unit and technical front, that require a certain time. Haas must be supported and justified because it has been called to make its debut in a 21 GP long World Championship with just eight testing days behind. Complications arise only on track. Everything is completely new to them and they must become familiar with nuts and bolts”.

F1 | Engines supply, Gian Carlo Minardi warns "Honda is a risk"

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While teams are engaged in the last session of collective Barcelona test in preparation for the first seasonal GP in Australia, behind the scenes one continues to work to change F1.

In addition to the changes in qualifying proposed by the F1 Commission and the Strategy Group that should come into play this year, starting from the Spanish GP, as Bernie Ecclestone directly announced “the new elimination software won’t be ready until May”; they also talk about new rules for the Power-Unit supply. The proposal would concern a minimum supply of two team for each manufacturer, with a maximum of three customers. So far, the Circus includes four suppliers (Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda) and eleven stables (Mercedes, Ferrari, Williams, Red Bull Racing, Force India, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Manor and the American new entry Haas).

According to the results of the first four testing days, Mercedes is still the leading manufacturer, not just because of its reliability (with its 3800 km travelled) but also because of its power, 950 validated HP, against 930 HP at Ferrari, 900 HP at Renault and 850 HP at Honda. So far, the World Champions supply four teams (Mercedes, Williams, Force India and Manor), like Ferrari does. With Renault and Red Bull, the Trans-alpines have two stables and McLaren with Honda. Eyes are on the Japanese manufacturer who faces a hard task after a disastrous 2015 and a change in top management.

GIAN CARLO MINARDI “If their difficulties continue also this year, Honda could decide to withdraw. Nobody likes to lose too much. According to what I have heard, the Japanese would have also some difficulties with the lubrication of the crankcase. Moreover, the change at the top management when the season has just started is not a good signal. The new rules force each manufacturer to supply two or three teams. In the event of a dramatic about-face, we will lack some supplies. It would be better to look around to find a new reliable manufacturer ” the manager from Faenza interviewed by www.minardi.it observes. “From Spain some rumors come about a nervous and worried Fernando Alonso”.