Historic Minardi Day | Ten good reasons to come to Imola

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Is your passion Formula 1 and motorsport? Have you always dreamed of touching the racing cars and meeting your favourites? Do you want to pass a whole weekend under the sign of motors, music and spectacle?
The answer is the Historic Minardi Day, the event dedicated to motors and the team from Faenza scheduled for Saturday May 6th and Sunday May 7th at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit. We have found at least ten good reasons…

1) Fantastic racing cars once more thundering around the Imola

Formula 1 of the era of turbos, V10s and V12s have come back to thunder around the Imola circuit. More than 25 fantastic world championship racing cars for a forty year trip into the history of Formula 1, together with 30 historic F2 and F3 cars and GT racers await you at the pits and on the track beginning at 9.00am on Saturday until 6.30pm Sunday (price of the tickets is 12€ on TicketOne – free for children under 12). Engineers and drivers will be waiting for you at the paddock and the pits together with their racing cars.

2) “One on one” with drivers, engineers and show business personalities
Walking around the paddock of the circuit and entering the pits you will have the chance to meet team owner Gian Carlo Minardi together with drivers and engineers that wrote important pages of the history of the team from Faenza and motorsport such as Alessandro Nannini, Pierluigi Martini, Paolo Barilla, Luca Badoer, Tarso Marques, Jarno Trulli, Gaston Mazzacane, Gabriele Tarquini, Emanuele Pirro, Riccardo Patrese, Andrea Montermini and Giorgio Pantano. Simone Resta, Chief designer for Ferrari, will not be missing together with Gabriele Tredozi and show business personalities such as singer-driver Max Gazzè.

3) Motors and Music will come together at Imola in the Live Music Show with Max Gazzè.

Saturday evening will be under the sign of music with Max Gazzè, who has just completed a successful concert tour. In the confines of the paddock the singer will give us a show with his most important successes on the stage of the Live Music Show. Tickets are on sale on TicketOne together with two day tickets to experience the whole weekend under the sign of motors and music.

4)Formula 1 at arm’s reach for a unique trip in time with Formula 1

The trip will begin with Manuel Fangio’s 1957 Maserati 250 F and finish with the 2005 Minardi passing through Alessandro Nannini’s M186, the M189, the Lamborghini powered M192, the M198, Marc Gené and Gaston Mazzacane’s M01 and Fernando Alonso’s M01. Also present will be Scuderia Ferrari which this year celebrates the 70th anniversary of its foundation, the world championship winning Williams, Alesi and Berger’s Benetton, as well as Dallara, Fondmetal, Osella and Alfa Romeo and many other unique models. You will be able to see these fantastic cars in their basic components and leaving the pits before thundering around the Imola track.

5)Become a protagonist of the photographic competition and do a lap of the circuit

Beginning at 9.00am on Saturday 6th until noon Sunday 7th all the enthusiasts will be able to take part in the photographic competition. It will be enough to publish photos on your Instagram profile using the #MinardiDay hashtag. The winning photographer will have the privilege of doing a lap of the Imola track at the side of a professional driver.

6)Visit the exhibition “Imola Formula 1 1963-2006: History continues”

The exhibition set up inside the circuit’s “Checco Costa” Museum will be enriched with numerous racing cars built by Gian Carlo Minardi, for a trip amongst the most important and beautiful racing cars of the Formula 1 world championship that races around Imola.

7)Festival of Golf with many sporting and other personalities

As a prologue to the event on Friday May 5th there will be a Festival of Golf beginning at 2.00pm at Faenza’s “Le Cicogne” Golf Club with drivers, sporting personalities and VIPs who will play each other in front of all the enthusiasts who can enter the club free of charge.

8) Space for historical classic and vintage cars

There will be no lack of fantastic historical road cars within the circuit, such as the Alfa Romeo 33 of the 1970s and many other cars from the Milanese car maker which will also wind their way around the local medieval townships.

9)  Challenge your friends on the simulators.

Do you conider yourself a real World Champion? Then you cannot back off from challenging your friends at the wheel of the GT Challenge and F1 simulators in the gaming area within the paddock.

10)The ease of reaching Imola.

Reaching Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit is not like scaling mount Everest! It is easy to reach by train (the station is 3.5km from the circuit) or by car (the IMOLA exit of the A14 autostrada/freeway)

A track that is part of Motorsport History, a weekend not to be missed and to live together with all ther family and friends.

GT | A very stylish debut by Karol Basz at Imola

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At the Imola circuit Karol Basz made his debut in the Italian GT Championship. At the wheel of the Antonelli Motorsport team’s Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup the Polish driver quickly put himself on show with a very stylish debut claiming the pole position with authority and finishing Race-2 in third place after a major comeback together with Japanese co-driver Takashi Kasai and without making any mistakes.

For Karol it was the first outing at the wheel of the powerful supercar from the constructor from Sant’Agata Bolognese and already shows his excellent feeling for the car and with the team from Bologna in view of the next appointments on the calendar.

The final result was compromised in Saturday’s race by a drive through after a jumped start by the driver from Krakow who was in pole, finishing the race in sixth place. A mistake which he quickly redeemed with the podium finish in the second race.

“Pole position and the podium in the first contest with Lamborghini. I am very happy. Without the penalty in race-1 I could even have won the race. Our rhythm for the whole weekend was excellent and this is important. I wish to thank Giovanni Minardi, Alberto Tonti and all the Team Antonelli,” commented an enthusiastic Karol Basz.

“A debut that reflects all Karol’s potential. Pole position and the podium was a great result for the first weekend. It was certainly not unexpected since from the first kilometres he showed an excellent understanding for the Lamborghini and the team. The mistake at the start was a pity, due more than anything else to inexperienced in these races. As he showed in kart, he is not easily beaten,” commented Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

GT | Antonio D’Amico asserts himself at Imola and flies to the head of the table

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At the Imola circuit Antonio D’Amico was one of the major protagonists of the first weekend of the Italian GT Championship. At the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup number 116 of the Vincenzo Sospiri team, the driver from Fiano Romano, together with Riccardo Cazzaniga asserted himself with authority in Race-1 after having set the fourth best qualifying time, just missing out on the podium and the win in the second race.

Taking off from the second row of the grid D’Amico climbed the ladder with a clean race finally reaching the top place before handing over the wheel to his team-mate who held the place until the red flag which signalled the early end of the race due to the accident by Deodati.

In Race-2 Antonio D’Amico confirmed he was the fastest on the track by setting the fastest lap after having taken over the wheel from his team-mate and suffering a 15” pit stop penalty according to the regulations as a consequence of the victory and crossing the finishing line at the end of the 48 minutes + 1 lap of the race, finishing in fourth place with for him meant top place in the championship.

“Driving the Lamborghini was really enjoyable. The weekend was more than positive and gives us the right charge to confront the season in the best way. We are only at the first round and the championship is long but it was great beginning the season with a win and as leader,” commented an excited Antonio D’Amico.

“Antonio was one of Imola’s major protagonists with a clear win in Race-1 and an exceptional performance in Race-2 making his mark with the fastest lap. Without the drive through during Cazzaniga’s stint we could have had a fantastic double. We say goodbye to Imola and prepare for Misano at the top of the table,” was the comment by manager Giovanni Minardi.

F1 | Gp Russia, THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi “An exciting highly paced race. Now I await you at Imola”

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Despite a track that is not exactly exciting and only a few overtaking manoeuvres we saw one of the most exciting races of recent years, run at high rhythms. Right from the start Vettel and Bottas battled on the edge of tenths of seconds and with a dagger between their teeth. Specifically, from the 36th lap on the timing monitors were all coloured “fuchsia” – best lap times for the race – and “red” for the best personal laps by the drivers.

After Sebastian Vettel’s incredible pole position, Kimi Raikkonen made his mark with the fastest lap in the race. The constructors’ title is certainly within their reach but they need to continue along this path, denying the podium to one of the Mercedes’ drivers. The Ferrari is showing us that it is in the race and knows how to develop the car and to put the right pressure on their opponents.

Valtteri Bottas showed us at the start what this Mercedes is able to do, as well as outclassing Lewis Hamilton who could not keep pace with the times. At this pace the internal team truce could well end.

Ferrari’s only hiccup was the pit stop in which the German drivers lost four or five tenths of seconds which probably were a vital factor in the final result, as well as the misunderstanding when Felipe Massa was overtaken.

If these are the premises, then we can expect an exciting season, especially with the arrival in Europe and in Spain where the winter trials took place. We saw a true and clean race between two great constructors, open only to these four drivers since Verstappen (the first of the other drivers) crossed the finish line nearly 60” later.

Red Bull has a lot of work to do, not only on the French Power Unit but also on reliability. Daniel Ricciardo’s retirement early in the race was an important signal.

As we await the Spanish Grand Prix next weekend the second Historic Minardi Day will be in the spotlight at the Imola circuit. A weekend of motors, music and spectacle designed on what I would like to see during a Formula 1 weekend. Having just come out of a fantastic round of concerts on Saturday night Max Gazzè will give us a Live Music Show, as well as the chance to meet him together with other drivers that made motorsport history and in the presence of many Formula 1 cars that will makes us dream of its sounds and beauty. It will be a weekend under the sign of sport but above all of enjoyment and entertainment together with many other famous personalities.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Historic Minardi Day 2017 | Minardi “We have done something new to bring the fans closer.”

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A week before the Historic Minardi Day at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit (Saturday May 6th and Sunday May 7th) we caught up with the event’s creator, Gian Carlo Minardi.

“We studied the Historic Minardi Day of bringing the enthusiasts closer to the world of motor sport. Only their support will tell us if we have taken the right road,” said the manager from Faenza, “ Our DNA is the open wheels and we have had a great response with many racing cars from the 70s-80s- and 90s which will take to the track together with other vehicles, but it will be interesting to enter the pits to personally touch the sport meeting drivers, engineers and personalities that have written the most important pages of the world championship,” continued Minardi.

A weekend for the whole family “We have created a varied programme suitable for all ages. Motors, and also music thanks to our friends Max Gazzè who will be one of the protagonists on stage with the Live Music Show.” Tickets are on sale at the circuit and TicketOne.it.

As well as the Formula 1 racing cars there will also be classic and vintage cars “We will bring to the track spectacular cars with incredible sporting achievements such as the Alfa Romeo 33 of the 1970s. There will be two days of sport in the open air.”

Gian Carlo minardi and the Minardi Team will be waiting for you at Imola beginning at 9.00am on Saturday May 6th until 6.30pm on Sunday May 7th.

Karol Basz is ready for his debut in the Italian GT Championship with Antonelli Motorsport

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This weekend the curtain will rise for Karol Basz in the Italian GT Championship for Marco Antonelli’s team. The highly successful karting champion (2015 World Champion and 2016 Vice Champion) will make his debut on Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup on the first of seven double appointments in the season calendar.

Having just come from his excellent performance in the first round of the European CIK FIA Championship on the Sarno circuit the driver from Krakow has been called to make a difficult and total debut in which he will have only ninety minutes (two trial sessions of 45’ each) to find a feeling for the car and the track in preparation for the qualifying sessions which will determine the starting grid for the two races of 48’ + 1 lap scheduled for Saturday 29th (12.40pm) and Sunday 30th (3.55pm). In this new challenge Karol will share the wheel of the super car from Sant’Agata Bolognese with the Japanese driver Kasai.

“I don’t know what to expect because it will be a weekend of discovery for me. The Lamborghini Huracan is a fantastic car and I can’t wait to take to the track at its wheel. It will be like the first day at school for me. I will have much to learn and little time available. I want to give special thanks to all those who are helping me,” commented Karol.

“Karol is beginning a new challenge and a new programme that will run parallel to the karting championships. It is an important jump forward for the sporting and professional career of a driver who has already shown all his worth in kart racing where he achieved incredible results. We expect a lot of work but during the days of testing ha has already shown that he has a good feeling for the car and the Antonelli Racing Team,“ said Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

Fans will be able to follow the two races in live streaming on ACI Sport’s website (http://www.acisport.it/it/acisport-service/live-streaming) and on RAI.

CIK FIA | Karol Basz just missed out on the podium in the first European race at Sarno

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After the en-plein garnered in the last appointment of the WSK Super Master Series (6 wins in one weekend) Karol Basz returned to the Sarno track for the first round of the European CIK-FIA.

Kosmic Racing’s Polish driver established himself as a great protagonist for the whole weekend solidly winning top positions in the “OK” from the first rounds, closing qualifying with third place overall and reinforced by the four podium finishes in the five rounds raced. As part of group A Karol put together a win, two second places and a third place.

He only missed out on the podium in the final, finishing in fourth place after fines come back and two external overtaking manoeuvres,

“It was a really difficult weekend. Our rhythm was very good but in the Final I Iost time in the first two laps sliding down to sixth place. We’re only in the first round and the championship is still long. We must concentrate on the next appointment,” commented Karol Basz

“In the Final he did very well to make up the lost positions with two excellent external overtaking manoeuvres. The podium was within reach but overall the weekend was very positive. Karol fought all the way for the podium and we will fight for the championship until the end. Now we will concentrate on Imola,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

Next weekend Karol Basz will make his debut in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of the Team Antonelli Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit. The two races will consist of 48’ + 1 lap scheduled for 12.40pm on Saturday April 29th and 3.55pm on Sunday April 30th and will be streamed live on the website of ACI Sport (http://www.acisport.it/it/acisport-service/live-streaming)

Photos by Alex Vernardis & Loredana LRN / The RaceBox

Karol Basz doubles up. He starts the Italian GT Championship with Antonelli Motorsport

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It is a season rich with commitments for Karol Basz who came out of a fantastic weekend at the Sarno circuit in the last round of the WSK Super Master Series and he has already doubled up his on track commitments. On April 30th at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit the Polish driver who is guided by Minardi Management and already a protagonist of the karting world with the Kosmic Racing Team (2015 world champion and 2016 vice champion) will make his debut in the Italian Gran Turismo Championship at the wheel of the Antonelli Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup

For Karol it will be a complete debut as he will have to familiarize himself with both the supercar from Sant’Agata Bolognese and the six circuits on the calendar. After the first race at Imola the season will proceed to Misano (June 2-4), Monza (June 16-18), Mugello (July 14-16), Imola (8-10 September) and Mugello (October 6-8). Due to a clash of dates with the Ok world championship in England Karol will miss the second last race at the Vallelunga track.

It was at the Imola track that the driver from Krakow took part in two days of testing at the wheel of the “Lambo” showing constant progress and he already has an excellent feeling for the vehicle and track confirming his place in the highest positions of the table and sharing the driving with the more experienced Kasai.

“I can only say I am satisfied with having reached this agreement with the Antonelli Motorsport team. It will be a completely new experience for me and I have a lot to learn in a very short time. At Imola i managed to run many kilometres always lowering my times, especially on the final day and I must thank all the members of the team. The Lamborghini is a surprising car,” commented an enthusiastic Karol Basz.

“We are truly happy at having reached this objective and to be present for the Italian GT Championship with Karol who naturally will continue the entire programme in the karting world with the Kosmic Racing. It will be a completely new experience for him coming for the kart and having to get to know the team, the car and the circuits. In the two days of testing however he showed his talent and above all his versatility. He only needed a few kilometres to adapt to the driving style needed for the Lamborghini giving excellent results in his times,” was the analysis of managers Alberto Tonti and Giovanni Minardi.

F1 | Gp Bahrain, THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi “Ferrari was perfect”

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With this win Ferrari showed that it is able to take up the task as soon as others make the slightest error and to make the others commit errors by putting them under pressure. It was a win built on its performance during the race. Ferrari had already shown it was in race form during Friday’s qualifying sessions. It is clear, as we saw, that Mercedes is still the car to beat, especially in the single lap in qualifying and by Lewis Hamilton’s attempt at coming back. We are talking about a gap of 0.4-0.5 seconds per lap in favour of the Germans.

Ferrari got its strategy right and Sebastian Vettel did not make the slightest mistake, taking full advantage of the material available to him, including the work in the pits. The move against Valtteri Bottas was the best overtaking manoeuvre of the Grand Prix (as well as being a determining factor in the final result)

Ferrari was also helped by an act of naiveté by Lewis Hamilton and by the excessive severity of the race officials. We may have seen a more combative end to the race between the two protagonists of this world championship. The Englishman confirmed that his weak point is in the start; subsequently he made himself the leading actor of an exceptional race with a number of laps in qualifying mode.

Nico Rosberg’s retirement brought a second driver to the team, as we understood also via team-radio. It is obvious that we will not have the jostling for position that we saw in recent years. The man in pole position disappointed us even though he finished in front of Kimi Raikonnen.

A number of teams had problems due to the heat. Verstappen’s accident may have conditioned Ricciardo’s race. Red Bull comes out in qualifying whereas in the race proper it still lags behind due to the power-unit.

The next appointment is in two weeks with the Russian Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

Historic Minardi Day | Motors and Music meet at Imola

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 “I planned the Historic Minardi Day on the format I would like to see in Formula 1. An “open door” F1 in direct contact with the public. At Imola all the enthusiasts and fans will be able to see and touch the racing cars, meet the drivers and their favourites but above all once again hear the historic sounds of the powerful Formula 1 cars. During the press conference for the Australian Grand Prix Chris Horner – Red Bull’s team principal– said that the most beautiful sound of the entire weekend in Melbourne came from a twelve year old car, a Minardi PS05 despite the fact that at the time it was not competitive. At Imola it will be possible to hear them once more.”

Gian Carlo Minardi.

The second edition of the Historic Minardi Day is coming together for the weekend of May 7 and 7 at Imola’s Dino and Enzo Ferrari Circuit. It is an event dedicated to drivers, fans, collectors and enthusiasts that want to relive the emotions tied to the history of Formula 1 and the team from Faenza founded by Gian Carlo Minardi.

After the success of last year’s first edition the Historic Minardi Day confirms the formula of having the paddock and boxes open to the fans that will be able to touch the cars and to meet the drivers and technicians. The gates of the Imola circuit will open and the motors of the powerful and historic F1, F2, F3 and GT cars will come alive beginning at 9.00am on Saturday May 6th and everything will close only at 6.30pm on Sunday 7th.

The cars on the track: F1, F2, F3 and GT
A forty year trip in time, thanks to a starting grid made up of more than twenty five Formula1 racing cars which will come back to roar around the 4.909 m of the track next to Imola’s Santerno River eleven years after Michael Schumacher’s win at the wheel of a Ferrari F248 F1. It will begin with Manuel Fangio’s Maserati 250F in 1957 up to the 2005 Minardi passing through the Minardi M1986 – protagonist of the 1986 F1 with Alessandro Nannini and Adrian Campos driving – the M189 with which Martini-Sala won 6 points in 1982, the Minardi M192with the Lamborghini motor of the pair Martini-Fittipaldi, the M198 of Tuero and Nakana, the 2000 Mo1 of Marc Genè and Gaston Mazzacane  and the Mo1 with which Fernando Alonso made his debut in the world championship.

Ferrari will not be missing with the 212B3 and 312B4 “snow sweeper” (1973), Clay Regazzoni’s 1974 Ferrari 314B4, the March 761, the 1972 Tecno F1, James Hunt’s 1979 Wolf WR7 and his historic rival Nikki Lauda, the 1980 world championship Williams FW07, the Alfa Romeo powered 1981 Osella FA1 and the Alfa Romeo 184 T. The 1990s will be represented by, amongst others, Jean Alesi and Gerard Berger’s B197 Benetton and the Fondmetal F1 and  Dallara 190.

Nearly thirty cars from Formula 2 and Formula 3 from the most important constructors with the Minardi 1982 F2 acting as host. On track there will be cars from the 60s, 70s and 80s such as the March-BMW, the Ralt F3000, the Tecno, Lola and Dallara. There are important numbers and will be joined by historic GT cars amongst which are the Alfa Romeo 33 TT3, Ferrari Berlinetta 250, Porsche Macan Turbo, Lotus and Dome Le Mans.

“I wish to thank all the collectors and drivers who accepted to participate actively in this feast of sport, in particular Paul and Graham North from Britain and Dutchman Frits Van Eerd who this year will be amongst the protagonists of the Le Mans 24 hour race with an LMP2 together with Rubens Barrichello and Jan Lammer. The Historic Minardi Day will be the opportunity to embrace all our friends from the Fan Clubs in Italy and around the world.”
Gian Carlo Minardi

Drivers and Technicians in the paddock

Fans will have the opportunity to meet drivers that wrote important pages of motor sport history and that of the team from Faenza such as Miguel Angel Guerra, Pierluigi Martini and Paolo Barilla who won the Le Mans 24 hours, Alessandro Nannini, Adrian Campos, Luis Perez Sala, Roberto Moreno, Luca Badoer, Tarso Marques, Jarno Trulli, Gaston Mazzacane, together with five times Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro, Riccardo Patrese  the 1992 Vice world champion with Williams, Andrea Montermini and the engineers Garbiele Tredozi who joined the team in 1988 and was its technical director from 2001 – 2005 and Aldo Costa who left Faenza to go to Brackley to the world championship winning Mercedes with Hamilton and Rosberg.

“We have created a varied programme. Not only will there be lots of action on the track with the Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and  GT cars but also the Live Music Show and the Minardi Classic which will visit some of the most beautiful medieval towns in the Romagna around Imola which will end at the Imola circuit, as well as a photographic competition.”
Gian Carlo Minardi

When the engines are turned off on Saturday May 6 the spotlights will come on in the paddock for the Live Music Show (beginning at 9.00pm) which will see on the Minardi Live Stage Dedo and the Megaphones and the exceptional guest star will be Max Gazzè, a great artist and excellent driver. Tickets are already one sale at the circuit and TicketOne together with the two day passes.

Together with C.R.A.M.E. (the Historic Auto and motor Club of Romagna), whose president Bruno Brusa owns a GM75 Minardi, on the day of Saturday May 6 more than 40 classic and vintage road cars such as the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider Zagato will wind around the wonderful local hills stopping at magnificent medieval towns and cities of art before making their entrance in the Imola circuit in the late afternoon. The vehicles of the Minardi Classic will remain on show in the paddock for the rest of the event.

The prologue to the event will occur on Friday May 5 with the feast of Golf which begins at 2.00pm at Faenza’s “Le Cicogne” Golf course with drivers, sporting personalities and VIPs who will take part in a challenge that all enthusiasts will be able to witness at the club. Entry is free.

There is also room for photography. Beginning at 9.00am on Saturday 6 until noon on Sunday May 7 all the enthusiasts will be able to take part in a photo competition. Entries went will be examined by a judging panel led by Angelo Orsi, the famous reporter of the Formula 1 world championship. The panel’s decision will be final. The author of the winning photo will have the privilege of experiencing a lap of the Imola circuit at the side of a professional driver.

On the occasion, the display “Imola Formula 1 1963-2006: History continues” set up within the circuit’s “Checco Costa” museum will be enriched by many cars constructed by Gian Carlo Minardi for a trip through the most beautiful and important racing cars of the formula 1 world championship that raced around  the Imola circuit.

There will be no lack of street food with food vans where the public will be able to sample the flavours of the famed cuisine of the Romagna region and also a corner dedicated to a gaming area with challenges on simulators.

F1 | Chinese Gp, THE POINT of Gian Carlo Minardi "Ferrari can win the title but needs Raikkonen"

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On the Shanghai circuit we saw one of the best grands prix of recent seasons. The new regulations and the introduction of the wider tyres have given us true overtaking manoeuvres and not artificially ones created by the DRS. The actions of Verstappen and Vettel at Daniel Ricciardo’s expense are to be applauded. The German’s overtaking manoeuvre at his team mate’s expense was beautiful.

After Melbourne’s first race of the season the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari is becoming an interesting reality. The team from Maranello has confirmed that it is in clear making up the gap. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will be the true protagonists of this year’s world championship and we have all the conditions for a great fight for the whole season. Mercedes has shown that it has an advantage of about 0.2-0.3 seconds which, unlike last season, remains constant in both qualifying and in the race

Ferrari can aim for the Constructors title, assisted by a Mercedes that has been weakened by Valtteri Bottas – the protagonist of an amateur’s mistake which could quickly reopen the driver’s market – but Ferrari needs Raikonnen to be decidedly more reactive. A twenty second gap from Sebastian Vettel is clearly too wide, as well as having the possible come back on Mercedes’ British driver thus losing seconds that proved decisive.

The people at Maranello must watch over their shoulders for a Red Bull that leaves nothing to chance. The third and fourth places of Verstappen-Ricciardo are annoying in regards to points. The Dutchman gave us many passing manoeuvres and quickly reached the top places after starting well back, together with a good struggle with his team mate which ended with a move on the outside.

It was a difficult weekend for Antonio Giovinazzi. After the ingenuous mistake in qualifying (after having reached Q2) he repeated the performance in the race. The choice of slicks was a risk and the team had the job of protecting him. Instead of taking a risk, it would have been more useful giving him the chance to grind out kilometres. Unfortunately this all cancelled the good work in Australia. I hope that in the six days until Bahrain that he will have the chance for a quick comeback.

It was a risk that paid for Toro Rosso with an important seventh place for Carlos Sainz. He should that he is a great driver with a good future in front of him.

In a week we will have the third chapter of a championship that looks interesting.

Gian Carlo Minardi

WSK Super Master Series | Karol Basz’s extraordinary weekend at Sarno

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In the Sarno international circuit, the setting for the last appointment of the WSK Super Master Series, Karol Basz made for himself the perfect weekend. There is no other adjective to describe the achievement the Kosmic Racing Team’s Polish driver in the “OK”. Six wins in as many stages, starting with 4 coups in the respective qualifying Heats (with as many fastest laps in the races) that gave him pole in the pre final.

Inserted into Group A the Minardi Management standard bearer carried on his roll, showing cool headedness and determination and a special feeling for the track booking the overall victory by making his also mark in the pre final.

Starting from second place Karol slipped to fourth place but like a power hammer he quickly won back the leadership, leaving to his rivals only the satisfaction of the fastest lap. Thanks to this latest win Karol climbed the final championship ladder finishing the season in second place overall.

This was an excellent calling card in view of the first round of the European CKIK-FIA scheduled for two weeks time on the very same Neapolitan track.

”I dominated the whole weekend with four wins in the Heats and wins in the pre final and the final. We did a good job and we are ready for the first European race,” said a satisfied Karol.

“I am excited by what Karol did today. He is a true kart-hammer. I always said that he was the most complete driver in the karting world and today we had the latest proof. Clear headed and precise in every occasion. He was the protagonist of an exceptional weekend. Everything went perfectly. Well done Karol and well done to everyone in the Kosmic Racing Team. It’s no secret that our objective is both European and world wide,” commented Alberto Tonti.

“Once more he showed he is the driver to beat. I am happy for the weekend, above all in light of the first European race which will be run here at Sarno. It’s no secret that we’re aiming for the European-World double,” commented Giovanni Minardi.

 

Antonio D’Amico with the Sospiri Racing Team in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia

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The doors of the Lamborghini Blancpain have opened for Antonio D’Amico in the Asian Super Trophy with Vincenzo Sospiri Racing.

After the exciting season in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of the Lamborghini supercar next weekend (April 7-9) he will fly to Sepang in Malaysia to sign on for the first of the five appointments of the Asian Super Trophy which will be followed by races in Thailand (Buriram on May 19-21). Japan (Suzuka on June 23-25 and Fuji on August 18-20) and China (Shanghai on September 22-24).

“I am eager to start this new experience in Asia, my first championship outside Italy but the second at the wheel of a Lamborghini. It will undoubtedly be a demanding season as I will have to learn new tracks but it is also exciting,” commented Antonio D’Amico

“I am happy that Antonio can begin this new experience. With the experience of Vincenzo Sospiri Racing he will become a protagonist of an important season, “was the analysis of manager Giovanni Minardi.

The driver from Rome will share the wheel with Brazilian Nicolas Costa and the objectives are already clear.

“We will start well aiming for victory, It will certainly not be easy but we have the potential to reach important results beginning with the first race in Sepang,” continued Antonio, “Wednesday and Thursday will be two half days of collective testing to familiarize ourselves with the track, the car and the team.”