F1 | Spanish GP – THE POINT

/in /by

A Spain Grand Prix that since first meters gave us an unpredictable emotion with the contact between Hamilton and Rosberg that put the both Mercedes offside. We can split the guilt almost in equal parts (51% to Lewis, and 49% to Rosberg) although it was absolutely to be avoid, considering their supremacy in qualifying.

The Management of Mercedes will be able to overcome this moment of tension as it already did in the past, also because they have no competitors on track. The contact increased the show on track with an amazing struggle between Red Bull and Ferrari played on strategy.

The different strategy used by Verstappen and Ricciardo is the proof that the commercial aspect was favored, anyway, the amazing victory of Max will remain in the annals. He drove magnificently without mistakes despite a determined and combative Kimi Raikkonen. The very young Dutch driver wasn’t overwhelmed by the events, despite a demanding week. Red Bull proved to be strongly growing. The tire puncture at the end of the race prevented Ricciardo from trying the final attack against Vettel.

Ferrari that had arrived here with the aim of winning, failed. It didn’t succeed in exploiting a golden opportunity despite a Kimi’s and Vettel’s podium. The Finnish grasps the second place in the world championship behind Rosberg who leads the standings, but in Maranello there is a lot of work. We had the first signals in Sochi.

Noteworthy is the sixth place of Carlos Sainz who was able to overcome a difficult moment. I wish him a bit more luck, he is a fast driver with his head on his shoulders

Let’s see what will happen in Monte Carlo.

                                                                                                                

CIK FIA | Karol Basz dominates the European OK at Zuera

/in /by

Great victory for Karol Basz in the first European CIK-FIA event at the Zuera circuit. A success built with great determination and intellect by the World Campion of Kosmic Racing who after achieving the second position in Pre-Final, signs the victory in Final at the end of an amazing struggle.

A crescendo weekend for the driver handled by the Minardi Management who proves to be a term of comparison for International karting. After ending the Heats in fifth, thanks to a tenth and third place (he signed the fastest lap), he managed to move up the standings without any mistakes, driving in a precise and accurate way and beating off a stiff competition. In Pre-Final, he achieves he second position and ends a tenth from the winner, before gaining the success in the first of the four scheduled events.

“It was a difficult race, but at the end we won. I am glad we won, this victory is very important. We did an excellent job and now we are optimist for the upcoming event. I must congratulate the whole team and my team mate Patrik Hajek on his first seasonal victory”, Karol Basz says enthusiastically.

“I must congratulate Karol. I saw a determined and very focused driver. In Final, he did a masterpiece. He struggled and gained the victory in the field as just the true champions can do. This is the best way to start this European Championship. After last season world victory, the CIK-FIA is surely one of ours goals. I can not deny this”, manager Alberto Tonti says.

Aci Team Italia plays its trump card. The start at Montmelò

/in /by

This weekend, from the Barcelona’s circuit, the new season of the ACI Team Italia starts with its rapresentatives, Raffaele Marciello, Luca Ghiotto, Antonio Govinazzi, and Antonio Fuoco.  After last season’s positive beginning with Marciello and Ghiotto engaged respectively in GP2 and GP3 with the Trident team, this year the program made by the Federation doubled the efforts so to call in its ranks also Fuoco and Giovinazzi.

Antonio Fuoco, class of 1996, will be protagonist of GP3 Series with the colors of the Trident team with the aim of achieving the title after signing his debut in the last season with the second place in Austria.

Regarding GP2 Series, the prelude of Formula 1, next year will have an important technical revolution, three rookies will represent Italy: Luca Ghiotto (Trident), class of 1995 and GP3 vice-champion, Antonio Giovinazzi (Prema), class of 1993 winner of Master F3 in Zandvoort and GP3 vice-champion, and Raffaele Marciello (Russian Time) at his third season.

“A new ACI Team adventure is starting with a group of boys that has been able to emerge in the most important championships. It is the result of an intense program strongly wanted by the Federation that has handled these boys since karting, before their passage to the single-seaters with the ACI-CSAI Formula Abarth, Formula 3 Italia, and Formula 4” Gian Carlo Minardi says. “We have great expectations for Marciello, Ghiotto, Fuoco and Giovinazzi and hope to show that Italy is second to none in drivers’ quality. In Barcelona we will have the first act of a long season, and I wish all these guys a great luck”, the manager from Faenza concludes.

F1 |Spanish GP – Preview

/in /by

Next weekend the Circus arrives in Spain. The circuit of Barcelona is very familiar to the teams and drivers, and they will put in place numerous technical newness coming from the experience in the first four GP.

It is going to be an important event where we can evaluate the technical level of each one. Once again, the comparison term will be Mercedes that, in spite of its disarming power, hasn’t still shown all its cards. Ferrari will have a double responsibility: getting closer to Aldo costa’s “creature” and protecting itself from Red Bull and a fast growing Williams.

Max Verstappen has reached Milton Keynes. He was promoted to Toro Rosso in place of Daniil Kvyat who comes back to Toro Rosso, a team he knows very well after his debut in Formula 1 where he had gained a promotion for the following year beside Daniel Ricciardo. As I have already stressed, I think it has been an impulsive decision. The Russian driver, as he has already demonstrated, is not a driver “to be set aside”

Regarding the tires, Pirelli will bring the Hard, Medium, and Soft compounds. In winter tests, Mercedes impressed us proving an excellent feeling with the “whites” medium tires. Hamilton and Rosberg will have at their disposal five sets of “whites” and seven of “yellows”, yellows, each. At Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen decisively bet on the softer compound with eight sets of soft tires and four sets of medium ones.

Regarding Regulations, we are waiting important decisions that will have to define the future of Formula 1. As far as I know, there is at least a car manufacturer very interested to join the Circus as a manufacturer, but we need rules clear and accurate. Don’t forget that at the end of this year Red Bull will be again without an engine. In the last weeks, Renault  came  forward, putting aside the hatchet, to try an approach and a renewal of the supply contract. At Enstone they have realized that it will take some time to get back to being competitive, so Horner’s structure could be an important partner.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

F4 – Second place and points at Adria for Joao Vieira

/in /by

Returning from the points achieved in the opening race of the Italian Formula 4 Championship powered by Abarth in Misano, at Adria he gained the second place in the first Qualifying Heats after having signing the third place in qualifying just 76 thousandths away from pole position.

Started from the second row, the driver of the Antonelli Motorsport puts Cunati under pressure overtaking him at the 15th lap and ends the race second, gaining the first seasonal podium. Thanks to the fourth place conquered in the second round, Joao entered into the Final and greeted the second event with the fourth place, after fighting a lot of time for the second position. Thanks to his 42 points, Joao gets to the fifth place in the overall  standings.

“It was certainly a positive weekend with the second place in race-1. We still have engine problems, so we lost a lot, despite the short straights. I will have to count on qualifying with the aim to start my race as forward as possible. So I will try to defend myself in the race, even if it will be more difficult in the fast circuits”, explains Joao Vieira who is going to come back on the track for a testing day in Imola in view of the upcoming event at the end of this month.

“The glass is half full because we come back with a podium  and 42 points. The potential of Joao and of the team is surely higher, but once again the engine didn’t support us. In the short straights at Adria Joao couldn’t close his attacks”, manager Giovanni Minardi explains. 

F1 | A stormy air?

/in /by

The third place achieved by Kimi Raikkonen at the Grand Prix in Sochi was not enough for Ferrari to see the glass half-full. The new Mercedes double win and the reliability problems of the SF16-H are creating some anxiety in the race department and president Marchionne, new CEO of the Prancing Horse, depicted himself as embittered. “It bothers me to see Ferrari suffering this way”.

After just four GP, Mercedes has put together 157 points and dubbed Ferrari that stops at 76 points. It is also due to the three withdrawals of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen in Australia, Bahrain, and Russia (because of the double pileup caused by Kvyat that from the Grand Prix of Spain will be downgraded to Toro Rosso and will replace Verstappen who is promoted alongside Daniel Ricciardo).Only in Shanghai both the Ferrari cars saw the checkered flag gaining the second and fifth positions.

Since the winter tests, Mercedes had showed a disarming superpower which was proved by the first four Nico Rosberg’s wins and by two double wins. “We have had signals of a new superpower since the test days that showed a situation different respect the announcements. Recovering during the season is not easy, especially without any tests. Despite some reliability problems also at Mercedes, the best time made by Rosberg at the second to last lap is another signal of their potential. It is the proof that he had managed the race until that moment”, Gian Carlo Minardi explains. “The problems accused by Hamilton could also be children of developments projected towards the future”, continues the Manager from Faenza engaged in the organization of the 100th edition of the Targa Florio scheduled this weekend.

Once finished the Russian grand prix, Maurizio Arrivabene, managing director and team principal of the Prancing Horse, offered his mea culpa. “When things don’t work there, someone is always responsible. The reliability can suffer when you are obliged to run after someone and have to pull out the best from any single component. Thus, also the development of the cars is slowed”, Minardi adds. “Unfortunately, in some circumstances, they lacked the referent man who can smooth 3-4 tenths of seconds”.

As usual, with the arrival in Spain, the teams will bring numerous newness obtained through the experience and data acquired during the non-European events.The Circus will prolong his stay in Barcelona for two testing days scheduled in May, 17 and 18. With a tweet, Sauber (in a strong economic difficulty) said that it will not present, having no new solutions to be tested and no young driver available according to the rules which asks each team to try a young driver in at least one of the two days.

F1 | Verstappen replaces Kvyat at Red Bull. Minardi "An impulsive decision"

/in /by

Red Bull noticed the both last mistakes made by Daniil Kvyat. Helmut Marko, in the post-GP, made us sense that something could have changed, and now we have the official announcement by Milton Keyne’s team.

Starting from the Spanish Grand Prix it will take place the cockpit reversion between the Russian driver and Max Verstappen who greets Toro Rosso and goes in Red Bull next to Daniel Ricciardo. Thus, they demoted Kvyat who is back into Toro Rosso where he had attracted attention at his debut gaining a quick promotion into a top-team, after just a season in Formula 1.

“I get the impression that at Toro Rosso they have acted too impulsively in rejecting a driver that did so well at his F1 debut with Toro Rosso and the following year in Red Bull (Ed. He ended the season ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the standings). Moreover, in these first four GP he also gained a podium”, Gian Carlo Mianrdi says speaking about the third place achieved by Kvyat in China. “On the other side, we are moving too quickly with Max Verstappen who would need to grow and mature without too many pressures”, the Manager from Faenza continues. “The risk is to ruin, in one shot, two young drivers.

Kart – American away game for Riccardo Negro

/in /by

Riccardo Negro flied overseas at the court of Enzo Mandarino’s VemmeKart team, and attended the SKUSA Spring Nationals event. A completely new challenge for Riccardo who signed his debut in the S1 category with a group and a material to be uncovered.

After finding the right feeling, he had important time results, keeping the pace of the best drivers and ending qualifying in ninth position, 4 tenths of seconds away from pole position. In final, stated from the seventh place, he get slower due to an accident at the first bend that involves six drivers, loses some time and ended just out of top ten.

“I must thank all the team VemmeKart and Vincenzo Mandarion for having thought to me. It has been an amazing experience. Although everything was new to me, circuit, kart, category 1, I managed to race with the best drivers’ times. In final, unfortunately, I dirtied the tires and lost a lot of time to avoid the accident. It took three laps to reach again the right pace and I closed the weekend with the eleventh place”, Riccardo Negro explains back in Italy.

“First of all, I want to thank VemmeKart and his team principal Enzo Mandarino for this occasion of cooperation with our Riccardo. Apart from the race, that was useful to Riccardo, he removed some rust, the feeling with the material and the staff is excellent and auspicious for the future. Along with the team we are considering new opportunities in Europe…we will see”, manager Alberto Tonti explains.

F4 | Joao Vieria at Adria “Important qualifying"

/in /by

From the Adria circuit, Joao Vieira starts his way into the Italian Formula 3 championship powered by Abarth. The Brazilian standard-bearer at Antonelli Motorsport is starting the second round after gaining the first points in the inaugural event of Misano, despite of some engine problems.

Along the curvy track, Joao will try to threaten the standings lead, on a grid that once again will be rich. The opening race saw more than 40 drivers challenging on the track and forced the promoters to modify the weekend format with three qualifying rounds, before the access into the Final.

“The testing day at the Adria circuit has been very positive. This make us hope for the weekend. I managed to cut some tenths of seconds compared with the last year, and I am now just one tenth from pole. Qualifyings will surely have an important role because the trail is like a karting circuit where an overtaking isn’t very easy especially with so many cars on the track. We can’t rule out the possibility of a safety car”, Joao Vieira explains.

“It will be a very difficult weekend, and qualifying will play a great role because of the track features and of the numerous cars on the grid. Last year, anyway, Joao was maker of an incredible recover, showing all his technical qualities. Unfortunately, in Misano we still had some engine problems. I hope that everything will be ok in Andria, for both Joao and the team”, manager Giovanni Minardi says.

F1 | Russian GP – SCORECARDS

/in /by

Nico Rosberg – 10 pole position and win. He concedes nothing to his competitors. His fastest lap in race signed at the penultimate lap proves the supremacy of Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton – 9 despite a reliability problem in Q3 that forced him to start from the tenth row, he recovered to the second place demonstrating to be a driver who never gives up.

Fernado Alonso – 9 his sixth place is worth as victory, given the current level of his McLaren-Honda. I put him among the first ones in series B. The sequence of times in race is remarkable.

Jenson Button 7.5 – taking the second car in the points, he completed the good Sunday of McLaren-Honda.

Sergio Perez 7.5 – excellent race for the Mexican driver at Force India. What a pity the puncture at the start of the race that forced him to make an unexpected pit stop.

Valtteri Bottas -7.5 he did not exploit the front row in the best way, and turned to be little aggressive. He got some substantial points to Williams.

Felipe Massa -7.5 he fought to stay next to his team mate. His fifth place is precious.

Kimi Raikkonen – 7 an important third place to Ferrari, but he made too many mistakes both in qualifying and in race.

Kevin Magnussen  -7 he gives to the returner Renault the first world points with his seventh place.

Romain Grosjean – 7 the trans-alpine at Haas is back in the top 10, after China, with an eight place.

Kart | Karol Basz wins in Germany

/in /by

The new season of the German DKM Championship started from the circuit of Wackersdorf, and Karol Basz was ready. The standard bearer of the Kosmic Racing team won the first round in the OK category with with great determination in a Final fought on the edge of tenths.

In this weekend, he raced only at the top of the standings, signing the second place in race-1, before conquering the top step of the podium in race-2.
A result that proves the qualities as a sprinter of the World Champion, also in view of the CIK FIA events.

“I am very satisfied and glad of Karol’s victory that strenghtens the qualities of one of the best and most reliable professional drivers at OTK. Also, in Germany where we have one of our main sponsor, Europart GmbH” manager Alberto Tonti observes.

“I am really glad to be back at the top and to have gained this important win, also in view of next events of the European Championship where I’ll try to double this win” Karol Basz says.

F1 | Russian GP – THE POINT “Rosberg tsar of Russia”

/in /by

It is the fourth success for Nico Rosberg and Mercedes that once again has proved all its overwhelming power making Hamilton recover after the suffered problems in Q3. Nico Rosberg is surely in great shape and optimized the astonishing lap he did in qualifying. He concedes nothing to his competitors, the fastest lap signed in the penultimate lap demonstrate that up to that moment he had been the leader of the race.

In this early season, the Luck turned its back to Lewis Hamilton who, anyway, proves to be a strong driver who never gives up, supported by a superior Mercedes. This new demonstration of excessive power is disheartening to its chasers, firstly to Ferrari that is facing a difficult time.

In Russia, it had the chance to defend itself just with Kimi Raikkonen. With qualifying mistakes and those made at the start after the safety car, the Finnish driver did not prove to be a world champion. In qualifying, Sebastian Vettel had grabbed the front row revoked by a penalty for a gearbox change, he was also protagonist of a good start, unfortunately thwarted by a Kvyat under pressure. The Russian driver is affected by the results of Ricciardo and by the rumors about Verstappen to be promoted in Red Bull next year.

This weekend, Red Bull has certainly disappointed also in strategy, deciding to mount medium tires.

In fortnight, we will get to Spain and, as usual, all the teams will make important changes decided after first GP races. Even the forces in the field are emerging with a Ferrari in front of a growing Williams who finished the trip with two cars in the points, as well as McLaren-Honda with Fernando Alonso in sixth and Button in tenth.