The Bandini Trophy to Max Verstappen
It is Max Verstappen the winner of the 23th edition of the Bandini Trophy. The award ceremony, that takes places as usual in Brisighella on Sunday June 17, will crown the young Red Bull driver, the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix in his eighteens in Barcelona. After last season focused on the win of Mercedes as Constructors’ World champion, the event focuses again on the drivers who have been in a great shape. Verstappen inherits a prize that in the last years went to drivers like Schumacher, Raikkonen, Alonso, Vettel, and Hamilton, great champions who with their brilliant career then have testified the foresight of the prize organizers capable of discovering and giving value to talents as nobody else in this field. “After last season with witch we celebrated the win accomplished by Mercedes 50 years later its last victory, this year we are back to our origins, rewarding an emerging driver that in a few time has gained notoriety. Last year, at seventeen years, he debuted in a F1 world championship. This year he was confirmed with flying colors trough a flash promotion into Red Bull, a promotion that he repaid with his win in Spain and two second places”, says Gian Carlo Minardi, who has been part of the Honor Committee for 23 years.“His win in Spain proves that the choice was right also because his promotion into Red Bull Racing came before his win. Verstappen has shown a certain improvement and maturation after each appointment”.
Verstappen is a model to follow for the drivers and for the stables
“It is a good signal for all the young, but also for the stables” the manager from Faenza continues and stresses the importance of giving an opportunity to young drivers. “Max was good at exploiting all the opportunities, from his debut into Toro Rosso up to his passage into Red Bull baptized with a win. There are other drivers that would deserve an opportunity, and it would be an incentive both for the teams and official drivers”. The arrival of the Dutch driver put some pressure on Ricciardo, creating a healthy and productive competition within the team, a competition that urges them to do always their best. “The project for the youth of Red Bull offered us a lot of satisfactions, but burned some drivers. They have an important economic power that allows them to have a turnover, moreover they can count on a Junior-Team”.
Fuoco, Ghiotto, Marciello, and Giovinazzi
Our mind flies fast to our standard-bearers Antonio Fuoco, Luca Ghiotto, Raffaele Marciello and Anthonio Giovinazzi, who are doing well in their respective GP3 and GP2 Series championships. At Silverstone, it was the turn of Antonio Fuoco for sounding the notes of the hymn of Mameli while in Baku Giovinazzi brought the tricolor onto the summit winning twice. “As a Federation, we are very pleased with the results, because these guys were selectioned and followed through internships. At Silverstone Fuoco he won his first GP3 race, while Giovinazzi and Ghiotto have occupied important positions in Gp2. Now, the resources of ACI Team Italia are limited and we cannot afford any mistakes. However, having the support of our Federation may open to new opportunities. At the moment, we lack a reference team with which boys can do their debut, making the most of our work”.
Ferrari Driver Academy
During the collective tests at Silverstone, Charles Leclerc, GP3 leader and FDA driver debuted with Ferrari SF-H16. “Massimo Rivola is doing a great job as a coordinator and Sporting Director of this reality dedicated to the youth that wants to re-launch itself after missed results. Unfortunately, Jules Bianchi, FDA reference driver, passed away. Despite his young age, the Monegasque is fighting for the GP3 title along with Fuoco, and during testing on the English track he alternated himself with Kimi Raikkonen at the wheel, after impressing the Haas team in free practice”.
