Kart | An engine problem stops Karol Basz at Oschersleben

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The second to last event of the German DKM Championship has a bitter taste for Karol Basz who was forced to retire in race-1 for an engine complication.

At the Oschersleben circuit, the fourth round of the  2016 Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft, the current World Champion, standard bearer of Kosmic Racing, had managed to be once again in good condition, had constantly held  the leading positions in free practice, signing the best time and the second place in qualifying of the Ok major category.

As it already happened in the conclusive race of the European championship in Genk, an engine problem prevented the Polish driver from fighting for the top positions, forcing him to retire in race-1 so to end the weekend with the eight position in race 2.

“These problems are a part of motorsport, unfortunately. The weekend has started very well for us, but an engine failure during the first race prevented us from fighting for the podium. Along with the whole Kosmic team, we are already focusing on the championship final in Kerpen”, Karol Basz says.

“The disappointment is strong, but there is the satisfaction for the work accomplished by Karol who once again proved to be in a great shape. In kerpen, we will try to play for the title”, Alberto Tonti from the Minardi Mangement says.

Karol Basz holds his second place in the championship with 146 points.  In 15 days (September 23th-25th), the final event in the circuit of Kerpen.

Gian Carlo Minardi receives the prize "Una vita per lo sport"

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In the set of Piazza del Popolo in Faenza,  Saturday 10th September, Gian Carlo Minardi received the Panathlon Club Faenza prize entitled “Una vita per lo sport”, a  prize created in 1990 dedicated to those citizens from Faenza who have distinguished themselves in sport.

“It is the second prize that I receive from the city of Faenza. I received the first one, “Faentino sotto la torre”, in 1987, after my entrance into Formula 1 World Championship with the Minardi team. These are the most important prizes that the municipal administration of Faenza gives to its citizens, and I am proud of both of them”, Gian Carlo Minardi says.

A recognition that does not come just for the results achieved in 21 F1 seasons. “I was chairman of the greco-Roman wrestling club and currently I am still  chairman of the Faenza Calcio”, the manager from Faenza continues.

“It was a great pleasure to receive the prize from Mauro Benericetti, chairman of the Panathlon Club Faenza and from Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Minissale, chairman of the agonistic department of the Army Sports Centre. It happened in the presence of its Olympic athletes:  Odette Giuffrida (silver medal in judo, in recent  Brazilian Olympic Games) Brazil Fabio Parisi (greco-Roman wrestling), John Sarchioto (boxing), Raffaele Di Serio (boxing), Licia Martignani (Taekwondo), Lara Mori and Erika Fasana (artistic gymnastics). As President of the Commission speed ACI Sport, I am working together with Lieutenant Colonel Minissale to activate a collaboration with the center“.

During the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Minissale, along with the medalists Basile and Chamizo, guided by Gian carlo Minardi, have touched the environment of Formula 1.

Bernie Ecclestone sells his Formula 1

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With the image of Scrooge McDuck happily swimming in his deposit, we wanted to joke, but it seems that  Bernie Ecclestone sold (or is going to sell) Formula 1 to the American group Liberty Media.

 The Italian Grand Prix weekend in the temple of speed in Monza has been rich in announcements. From Felice Massa who will leave the Circus at the end of the season, closing his adventure with Williams, to Soffel Vandoome debutting in the world championship beside Fernando Alonso in 2017 with McClaren, and Jenson Button as a third/test driver.  The renewal of the agreement between F1 and the Circuit of Monza for other three years that, anyway, has still to be signed.

“From what we heard, Bernie Ecclestone would have found a buyer for F1, even if he will stay beside the new proprietor. A Formula 1 that in this moment has to  renew itself and be spectacular again because the fans that flocked to Monza deserve more, absolutely. We have to reconsider the rules and the format”, explains Gian Carlo Minardi interviewed by www.minardi.it.

“The decision made by Massa has to be respected. He has given a lot to this sport, as much as he has received, and today he does not want call himself into question again, and worsen the technical level. A decision that we must respect. In 2017, at McLaren we will have a World Champion as a test driver/third driver and a young driver as a regular. Softel Vandoorne has proved to have all the qualities to do well, but his adventure starts with a great pressure. This choice from the team makes me think that if the young boy do not respects their expectations, Button could replace him”.

F1 | Italian GP – SCORECARDS

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Audience – 10 the highest mark is up to the numerous fans who flocked to the circuit, answering in a masterly way to Formula 1, they created a unique choreography once again.
Nico Rosberg – 9.5 he did not give up after the amazing pole position of Lewis Hamilton. A perfect race, and he has been perfectly backed by his team.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen – 8 they optimized what Ferrari put at their disposal, reversing a negative trend. In Monza, they came back into the struggle for the second place in the world championship.
Daniel Ricciardo – 8 he fought with a car that has some difficulties in the long straight, giving us an amazing overtake at the detriment of Williams.
Felipe Massa Valtteri Bottas – 7.5 in the temple of the speed they achieved (at least for now) the fourth place ahead of a Force India that will fight tooth and nail.
Fernando Alonso – 7.5 in spite of the complications of Honda, he proved to fight tooth and nail. He did not gain points but proved to be a first choice driver, signing the fastest lap even if he was supported by the tires, with few petrol on board.
Sergio Perez – 7 along with Hulkenberg he contained damages in his confrontation with Williams. It will be a great fight till the end.
Max Verstappen – 6 it was not his best weekend. Probably he had been warned by commissioners and by his colleagues.
Lewis Hamilton – 6 at the start he frustrated his extraordinary pole position, but what I did not like is his behavior at the end of the race. You have to know how to loose.

The winning young Italy

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In Monza, there was a lot of Italy, not only Formula 1. If Ferrari achieved the third place behind both the Mercedes drivers, in the GP2 Series Antonio Giovinazzi gave us another exciting success with the third place in second race.

By a jerk from the last place, the standard bearer at Prema Power team managed to achieve his third seasonal success after the double win in Baku, in the same category that launched both the champions at Mercedes who are playing now  for the World Champion title 2016.

With 35 points gained in Monza, Giovanazzi has risen in the standings, reaching the second place, only 10 points away from the leader. In race-1 on the podium there were two tricolor waving flags, thanks to the second place achieved by Raffaele Marciello that strengthens the third position in the championship. The unbelievable weekend of the Italian standard-bearers belonging to the ACI Team Italia is completed by the sixth place of Luca Ghiotto, another GP3 Series debutant.

A podium for Antonio Fuoco in the GP3 Series event, with the third place, the standard-bearer at the Trident team consolidates the second place in the standings, 24 points away from the leader with two scheduled weekends.

The temple of Speed also hosted the event of Porsche Supercup with the home success of Matteo Cairoli who had conquered the pole position, and the unbelievable third place of Mattia Drudi.

“I must to congratulate all our guys. That in Monza was a sensational weekend among wins, podium and placings. As ACI Team Italy, we have three drivers fighting for the title in the GP2 and GP3 championships. A great result for the Italian colors that deserve more and more important stages“, Gian Carlo Minardi says.

F1 – Italian GP: THE POINT

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In Monza, we experienced another weekend well run by Mercedes in each single session. In spite of the Medium tires, they proved to have an edge on others. At Ferrari, they had to use the Supersoft and Soft tires to try to keep up with them. The men at the Silver Arrows can take the liberty to adopt every strategy, managing to dominate, with Lewis Hamilton in free practice and qualifying, and Nico Rosberg in the race. It was complicit the mistake done by the English driver at the start, Nico did not manage to reopen the world championship with the win at the Italian Gran Prix. It will be a great struggle, even psychological, between the two drivers. Compared to his teammate, Hamilton suffers more when he loses the competition. The commissioners will have a central role because without any penalties, now the two drivers would have been at the same place in the standings. Some incoherent choices, like those we have already had in this season, could compromise the season.

Without any doubts, the true winner of this grand prix is the Monza audience that participated in a masterly manner. Few other circuits can give such a scenography as we experienced under the podium to greet and celebrate the third place of Sebastian Vettel.

A Ferrari back on the podium that gave its maximum optimizing its potential. In circuits like this one, it can rebuild the second place in the world championship at the detriment of a Red Bull that pays for its power-unit. An excellent start that of the Ferrari drivers, even thanks to a Lewis’ mistake. We must to remain realistic, because the gap with Mercedes is great if we consider the difference in the tire compounds.

Now we will go to Singapore, and Maranello will have to pay attention to Homer’s men. It was spectacular the overtake accomplished by Ricciardo who proves to be a race animal, clean, always professional and sharp. In a fast circuit where the power unit makes the difference, we saw Williams again, even if Force India does not want to give it up.

F1 | Italian GP – Preview

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The Italian Grand Prix will be characterized by high temperatures, so the choice of the tire compounds will be crucial. Last year, the race slipped away with just a single pit stop, but the presence of SuperSoft tires could determine more stops, even if the circuit is little abrasive. It will depend greatly on the temperatures and on the pressures imposed by the constructor.

Hamilton and Vettel have opted for a single set of medium tires, whereas their respective teammates have been tighter with two sets each one, like Verstappen and Ricciardo. Seven tire compounds of SuperSoft (in Monza for the first time) for Ferrari and Mercedes.

If at Spa-Franchorchamps, they touched 350 km/h, I am curious to see what will happen in the speed temple. They will have to pay attention especially in view of 2017, with regulations that will bring to a greater aerodynamic weight and more high speeds.

Be careful about Mercedes. I am almost sure that they want to show all their superpower in the Italian field and at Ferrari home. So far, they “have played” with their rivals, but what happened in Belgium makes me feel little serene. Thanks to a regulation, ridiculous and more, they  have homologated three engine for Hamilton making him pay  just a single penalty (he started at the bottom of the formation, gathering more than 60  penalty places) on a track where overtakings are possible, ending the race in the third place (thanks also to the yellow-red flags).Stopwatch in hand, the gap between Mercedes and Ferrari is great, in spite of many different announcements. At the 40th lap, Hamilton signs the best time in the race, 1:51.583 with Vettel stopped at 1:52.728 (35th lap), at that moment they were both struggling for recovering. 1:52 for Rosberg who was leading without any pressure.

At Ferrari, they will have to pay attention to Renault engines, especially to the incredible aerodynamic and frame of Red Bull.

Be also careful to Force India that could do well again, after the fourth and fifth Belgian places.

We will have the first confirmation with Friday’s free practice. Have a pleasant Italian Grand Prix.
 
 
 
 

F1 | Monza, Mercedes ready to show off all its power

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«If I were a rival of theirs, I would be very worried about Monza Grand Prix». These are the first words of Gian Carlo Minardi who has been consulted by the website www.minardi.it for talking about the Mercedes performance in Belgium.

«We are at the last European grand prix in an already an already won season by Mercedes. So far, they have played with their rivals. In Monza, at the Ferrari home and on the Italian field, they are going to show all their potential. What happened at Spa-Franchorchamps, in my opinion, is just a preamble», the manager from Faenza continues referring to Rosberg’s solitary win and to Hamilton’s recovery, who speeding from the last position along with Fernando Alonso, went up to the third place. His win was also backed by favorable events (virtual safety-car and red flag following the frightening Kevin Magnussen’s accident) masterfully exploited by both himself and the team.

«It is a personal interpretation after observing the choice to homologate three engine for Lewis Hamilton, making him pay a single penalty on a very fast circuit, even thanks to a regulation that should be revised. The second clue is made of the chronometric results. At the same conditions, Lewis Hamilton has signed 1:51.583 (40th lap) against Sebastian Vettel’s time 1:52.728 (35th lap). 1:52 for Nico Rosberg leading the race».

«Mercedes has run very well the tires, in spite of the controversy with Pirelli for some pressures, as Hamilton stressed. In Monza the tires will have an important role, also due to the use of the SuperSofts that could contribute to reach interesting maximum speeds. At Spa they touched 350 km/h».

We will meet again in Monza. Experiencing this GP devoted to a Mercedes against everybody, watching the gap that it will be able to impose on other teams, will be very interesting.

F1 | Belgian GP – SCORECARDS

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Nico Rosberg – 9 he managed the diatribe between Mercedes and Pirelli very well. At Mercedes, they have a powerfull advantage as it proves the comparison between their lap time with that of their principal competitors.  They have been good at managing the tires given that the choice for tire compound had been made more than 40 days before.

Lewis Hamilton – 8,5 for the race and his recover. It is during a race like this one that we can evaluate the value of a team and especially of a driver. He managed each opportunity he had with great coolness.

Fernando Alonso -8,5 what I said for Lewis it is also true for the Spaniard . Considering the current resources of his McLaren, he raced at a very interesting pace.

Daniel Ricciardo – 8 maker of a great race he brought Red Bull in the second place.

Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez – 7,5 they achieved an important  and unexpected result that worth the current fourth place in the  constructor’s world championship, ahead of Williams. I see them in a great shape for Monza.

Kimi Raikkonen – 6 beyond the standings, complaining is not useful, especially if you keep on minimizing the problems of your car.

Daniil Kvyat – 6 it was his least worst seasonal weekend. He has not entered the point zone, due especially to a technical issue. Toro Rosso, at this moment, is paying its choice for a 2015 engine.

Sebastian Vettel – 5 he has some responsabilities in the first bend, where he closed Raikkonen. His start was excellent but it was frustrated immediately by a mistake that a four times world champion should avoid.

Max Verstappen – 4 you cannot ruin what you have done the day before with an unprejudiced Garibaldi style race. He has the complaisance of commissioners because they tolerate him doing what others dream. In Maldonado, they would have already revoked his license. This kind of behavior will have to be an argument in the meetings with drivers and sports commissioners. His talent is indisputable but has to be controlled. In addition, I do not find fair to complain by radio that way because the risk is to affect commissioners’ decisions.

F1 | Belgian GP – THE POINT

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Nico Rosberg wins the Belgian Grand Prix in the demanding track of Spa-Francorchamps, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton, speeding from the last row along with Fernando Alonso.

A recovering weekend for Ferrari whose start during the free practice had been under its level. They managed to invert the direction in view of qualifying gaining the whole second row. Unfortunately, all their work has been frustrated at the first turn. Both the drivers had made a good start, differently from Vesrtappen. The impetuosity of the Red Bull Dutch driver caused a contact between the Ferrari drivers with an action at the limit of regulation with the complicity of Sebastian Vettel who closed the bend too early, frustrating the result.

Inexplicably, Max Verstapen is never punished by commissioners, as it happens, instead, to his competitors. Rosberg has suffered a penalty for much less. I do not refer just to the first turn, but to the many direction changes during the challenge with Kimi Raikkonen and to his action with some other drivers. Beyond his outstanding qualities, it seems to me that he complains too much.

Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull have achieved the second place easily. This way, they extend their distance from Ferrari on the standings. An unexpected result, especially if we look at the competitiveness in T2 where aerodynamics has a central role. The real surprise at Spa was Force India that with the fourth and the fifth places of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez surpasses Ferrari in the standings (two points) and grabs the fourth place.

Fortune favors the braves. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamolton, speeding from the last row, have exploited every single occasion, from the virtual safety-car to the red flag, and at the end of the first lap they were already in fourteenth and fifteenth positions. Their pace in the final especially that of the Spaniard who cannot count on a car like Mercedes proves how he is still “hungry”. He exploited all his experience in F1 to bring McLaren ahead of Toro Rosso in the standings.

In seven days, we are all in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. It is also the last seasonal event in the Old Continent. If in Belgium they touched 340/355 km/h, I cannot image what will happen at the end of the straight track.

ACI Team Italia | The challenge restarts at Spa-Francorchamps with Giovinazzo, Marciello, Ghiotto, and Fuoco

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In conjunction with the Belgian GP, thirteenth event in the World F1 Championship, also the ACI Team Italia is getting ready to turn on the engines with its four standard-bearers engaged in the ups and downs of the Spa-Franchorchamps in the preparatory GP2 and GP3 Series Championships.

Four events away from the checkered flag, both Raffaele Marciello and Antonio Giovinazzi, are struggling for the Champion GP2 title, respectively 11 and 13 points away from Russian leader Sirotkin. In the first seven events, the beginner at Prema managed to attract attention by achieving two wins on the demanding city circuit of Baku and a podium, bringing his booty to 100 points, two less than the most expert at Russian Time, maker of three podium places and constant positions. More detached is the second debutant, the Venecian at Trident, Luca Ghiotti 21 years old, maker of a precious second place in race-1 on the British Silverstone’s track. “The all of these three boys deserve the highest place in the standings. Unfortunately, fortune has not always backed them. We hope that holydays could be a break, for an important final”, Gian Carlo Minardi says.

The third place, just 11 points from the top belongs to Antonio Fuoco in the GP3 Series Championship. The driver at the trident team left for the holidays with two successes in his pocket, the last of which gained at the Hockenaim circuit two weeks ago, and four podium places. An important marching pace that push the twenty years old driver from Cariati among the candidates to the title and as a successor for Ocon, who won the title in 2015 and who will sign his debut in the World F1 Championship this weekend at the Manor wheel.

F1 | Belgian GP – Preview

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Tre weeks after the last grand prix and a July rich in events, Formula 1 is ready to turn on the engines again and get to  a circuit that has written important pages of the motoring as Spa-Francorchamps.

A circuit in which the drivers have still a central role, differently from many other realities, more or less innovative.  A racetrack that is always fascinating and very demanding for tires. After last season, Pirelli has made some corrective actions, and it will present itself on the track with the Medium, Soft, and SuperSoft tires. At Ferrari, they bet decisively on the softer tire compounds, and they will bring just a set of Medium tires for each driver.

A track in which the engine, along with the weather, has an important role, and McLaren should have an updated power-unit at its disposal that could help Alonso and Button in reaching the point zone again, keeping their growth in view of the last grand prix.

At this point of the season, some teams wonder if they should to keep developing their 2016 cars or focus on the next season that will be at the center of important technical changes that could lead, guessing the right design of the car, to a change of the forces on the field. This is the first question for Mattia Binotto. Ferrari is struggling for the second place in the World Championship along with Red Bull, but if they want to have some more ambitious plans, it is possible that they sacrifice the current season, especially in the imminence of so important changes. They can keep developing those components useful also in 2017.

At Manor, they will have the newness of Esteban Ocon, winner of Formula 3 and Gp3 titles in the last two years. They have two interesting young drivers and they are focusing their efforts to defend the tenth place in the standings against Sauber, thanks also to the backing of Mercedes.

F1 | Deep red

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Due also to the fifth and sixth place achieved respectively by  Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen in the German GP, in confirmation of the qualifying result, even the standings condemns Ferrari as the third power in the world championship, in favor of Red Bull.

Adrian Newey’s creature, in the first part of the season, was capable to recover the gap, becoming protagonist of an important growth, till the conquering the “scepter” as a second power.  “I would add it was possible thanks also the healthy rivalry between Ricciardo and Verstappen. The arrival of the Dutch driver in the team has awakened Daniel, bringing important points for the world championship”, Gian Carlo Minardi explains to www.minardi.it.

“Red Bull started the season with a gap by 30″ that decreased to 7” after only twelve events. A goal that the Ferrari Stable has failed so far. Examining the gaps during the race, in spite of some developements accomplished, the gap remains about 30 seconds from Mercedes, letting down the expectations they had at the start of the season. In spite of any set phrases, also Vettel’s patience is about to run out”.

In the days before the weekend in Hockenheim, it arrived the announcement ratifying the end of the cooperation between Maranello and James Allison and the arrival of Mattia Binotto. “He grew up in Ferari professionally speaking, in the wake of important technicians, skilled coordinators and organizers as Ross Brawn and Pino D’Agostino. He has to reorganize the sports management and bring the lacking serenity. I think that he has all the capacities to find out the right people within the company, to reverse the course. As a fan, I say to him a strong “break a leg”. Ending the season in third would be a heavy defeat, especially after the announcements early in the year”, the manager from Faenza concludes. “Ferrari has all (economic, technical, and human) resources to be back to the summit. They need an internal restyling.  Doing this job requires a Team Principal  present 14/15 hours per day, who encourages  the Technical director supporting him in his choices, protecting him, updating himself in real time about all the steps in the different departments”.