F1 | Video-interview with Gian Carlo MInardi at Imola
At Imola during the BossGp Championship, we met Gian Carlo Minardi in the Minardi Team pit. Here is what he told us.
Archive for month: October, 2016
F1 | Japanese GP – Preview
A week later Sepang events and the double win of Red Bull, Formula 1 comes to Japan on a historic and technical track like that in Suzuka, with few escapes, where every mistake is costly for the drivers. We comes to the home of Honda that strengthened by Alonso’s and Button’s performances in Malaysia, along with a growing McLaren, will try to conquer some extra precious points for a more satisfying 2017.
A special plaudit has to be done to the Japanese audience who always rushes in the the bleachers, proving a great love for the Circus and also for the Minardi Team. After Ayrton Senna’s passing, the audience had decreased, but the old splendour is back little by little.
This weekend we are at less than five grand prix away from the end of the World Championship with Nico rosberg ahead of a very nervous Lewis Hamilton. Post-Sepand declarations made by the English driver are shameful. Such attack towards his employer is unacceptable. The problem could be caused by some tests for the upcoming season, mainly regarding the lubricants.
At Ferrari Sebastian Vettel will pay a three places penalty on the grid for the contact at the start. It is the least he could get by the commissioners. Ferrari in this final season is showing all its limits, not just against Mercedes. In Malaysia, Kimi Raikkonen collected the maximum with the fourth place, and this was also sensed through the team-radios between the driver and the pit.
In terms of tires, Pirelli will bring the Hard compounds, Medium and Soft. Ferrari focuses strongly on soft tires with nine sets for Vettel and Raikkonen, against the eight sets for Hamilton and Rosberg and six at Red Bull. A different solution at Mercedes with three sets of hard and two of medium for Hamilton against two hard and three medium for Rosberg. Only one white medium tire compound for Vettel and three red hard. Two sets of hard and medium for the Finn. Another component could be the weather, still very variable with temperatures around 20 ° C and a chance of rain for Saturday.
There are all the features to enjoy an interesting race on a historical and technical circuit with several overtaking opportunities. We will have the fight at Mercedes with a nervous Hamilton,determined to take a revenge, and Ferrari compelled to react after Kimi Raikkonen’s fourth place and Vettel’s mistake at the start.
Karol Basz conquers the WSK Final Cup and arranges the World Final in Bahrain
An absolute success for Karol Basz in the European WSK Final Cup that follows the second place in the German championship and in the European CIK FIA. At the Adria circuit, the Polish driver from Kosmic Racing Team dominated the whole weekend proving his great supremacy in view of the world championship that will take place next November in Baharain.
Since Qualifying Heat, Karol has made clear his goal, and signed two wins and a third place that gives him the pole position in Pre-Final. Without any hesitations and with a perfect race, he crosses the finish line, leaving his opponents just the satisfaction of the most fast lap, putting the final seal in his showcase after few hours with the win in the Final where he almost touches the best lap of the race.
Such a strong and decisive success stresses the qualities of this driver who will arrive in Bahrain with the World Champion’s scepter.
“It was a weekend without any problems, and we brought home the maximum. Now we are going to prepare for the most important event in the year: the World Championship”, Karol Basz enthusiastically says.
“Karol continues to prove his resolution, determination, and engagement. All these qualities make him the most complete driver in international karting. Along with Kosmic, we will focus on the World Championship in Bahrain where Karol is determined to double his 2015 success” manager Alberto Tonti says.
F1 | Malaysian GP – Scorecards
Lewis Hamilton – 9 extraordinary in qualifying with the new Sepang circuit record. He was perfect in race, betrayed just by car reliability.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen -9 an amazing and fair race from the couple of Red Bull. They handled very well their advantage against Rosberg.
Nico Rosberg – 9 he was the last in the first bend due to contact caused by Vettel and he managed to recover up to the third position, confirming the positioning in spite of a shameful penalty. He made the maximum.
Kimi Raikkonen – 8,5 surely he made his best. His Ferrari cannot do more than this. P4 and 28” are normality for this Ferrari.
Valtteri Bottas – 8 he was able to bring some important points to his Williams, especially in the fight with Force India for the fourth place.
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button – 8 they both have brought some very important points to McLaren, especially in view of Japanese race.
Jolyon Palmer – 7,5 he defended the first point with tooth and nail
Carlos Sainz Jr – 6,5 he also deserves a positive mark because the limits of his car are clear and especially those of an engine that has already made some seasons. HE suffers the comparison with last generation engine.
Sebastian Vettel – 4 after Spa, again a mistake at the start. It is definitely too much for a World Champion. His penalty of 3 positions to be expiated at Suzuka’s starting greed is correct.
F1 | Malaysian GP – THE POINT “Shame on the penalty to Rosberg. Vettel to be penalized*"
It appeared an anomalous race, but Formula 1 has proved to be an unpredictable sport due to very high temperatures that affected the strategies and due to Hamilton’s debacle that has given us an amazing fight at Red Bull between Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen which ended with the win of the Australian driver ahead of the very young team-mate who had asked space.
At Sepang, Red Bull consacred itself in the second position of the world championship to the detriment of a Ferrari that fought with a single car, that one of Kimi Raikkonen. The first coupe de theatre happened few meters away from the start with the ruinous entrance of Sebastian Vettel. The Ferrari driver, in addition to ruin his race, has heavily conditioned the Sunday of Nico Rosberg who has had to recover from the bottom.
Now I am curious to see what decision the commissioners* will take against the Ferrari driver because, after the Spa-Francorchamps episode, he has damaged a collegue’s race again at the start.
It is shameful the penalty of 10” inflicted to Rosberg for his overtaking at the detriment of Kimi Raikkonen. It was a simple race-contact. If we start to penalize this kind of actions, we really want the death of Formula 1. Right now, there is a strong need of these duels. They are essential for survival. It is not the first time that commissioners have had an heavy hand against the german driver at mercedes, conditioning the world championship.
Too many times they use double standards. Fortunately, he managed to cumulate a gap against Raikkonen that was superior to 10” nullifying this way the penalty, and the reliability complication that affected Lewis made some justice.
A third place that transforms into important points for the world championship.
Good race for Kimi Raikkonen that finished in fourth. The Finnish driver made his best and this is the real Ferrari position.
It is to be framed Fenando alonso’s race who from the last row closed in the seventh place, proving that McLaren-Honda is growing strongly. A good business card for his home race scheduled in Suzuka next weekend.
Before the greetings, I want to congratulate Antonio Giovinazzi, new leader in GP2 Series with only another scheduled event. He won race-1 and achieved the fourth place in race-2 that was won by Luca Ghiotto ahead of Raffaele Marciello.
Unlucky weekend in GP3 Series for Antonio Fuoco, affected by a tire puncture.
So, it was a another positive weekend for ACI Team Italia.
*Commissioners, after the race, have penalized Sebastian Vettel who lose three positions on the starting grid of the Japanese Grand Prix.
