Mark Webber, a dream called Le Mans

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Newly crowned World Endurance champion at the wheel of his Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1, Mark Webber in an interview released to www.minardi.it, anticipated us his goals for 2016 with the company from Stuttgart putting the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that he missed last year into the foreground.

“Le Mans is such a special event. It’s a very long, intense week and the race is incredibly hard to put together.There’s a very special atmosphere at that race and to stand up on the podium in front of tens of thousands of fans is an unreal experience. It would be great to win Le Mans, it’s such a huge challenge and would be a great feather in my cap, but at the same time I’m not getting any younger and won’t be chasing after it for the next ten years” the Australian driver told us. Mark started his career in 2002 at the wheel of the Minardi Team. He succeeded to put himself in the spotlight from his first race in Melbourne in front of his home crowd bringing his PS02 in the fifth place and giving the stable from Faenza two points. “The Minardi Team was a very special moment in my career. We got good results and I enjoyed racing hard against teams we really shouldn’t have been. Gian Carlo has always given me good advice”.

His path in Formula 1 continued without interruption till 2013 passing through Jaguar, Williams and Red Bull with a total amount of 217 grand prix and 9 victories, 42 podia, 13 pole positions and 19 fastest laps in race. “Compared to Formula 1, there is a very friendly atmosphere in the WEC paddock. Within the team both sides of the garage work towards the same goal and there is a busy exchange between engineers and drivers. The inter-team rivalry known in F1 is almost non-existent” Mark highlights referring especially to the fight with his teammate Vettel during 2013 season. Then, he describes the differences between the two cars. “The transition from F1 to WEC was a big adaptation process for me in the first few months(..) The cars are heavier than an F1 car, but faster. With three drivers in the car you have to compromise on certain things inside the cockpit such as seat and pedal positioning, and in particular some aspects of the set-up related to individual driving styles, which is something you need to get used to”.

The new season starts on April 17 with the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the first of nine FIA WEC events, and it continues at Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Nurburgring, Mexico City, Austin, Fiji, Shanghai, and Bahrain.“Last year, after our first win in Germany I knew that we could go all the way if we kept our heads down and continued to work hard. We will start testing the new car in February. This year’s car will pretty much be an evolution of last year’s car and we’re starting with a very good technical basis which allows us to focus our efforts on improving other areas such as the aerodynamic efficiency, weight, suspensions”, the Australian driver closes. “Having been part of Porsche’s LMP1 program has been very rewarding. It would be awesome to have Ferrari and BMW both in the championship and good to compete against them”.

WEC – Mark Webber calls Ferrari and BMW in LPM1. Exclusive interview

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New winner of the World Endurance Championship title at the wheel of his Porsche 919 Hybrid, Mark webber started his career in Faenza. It was 2002 when the Australian driver debuted in the Circus at the wheel of his PS02 with an exciting fifth place. In an exclusive interview on www.minardi.it, Mark told us about his season with the Minardi Team, last year’s victory and goals for 2016.

Congratulations for the World Champion Endurance title with Porsche. An extraordinary return. At what point of the season did you realize to have the chance to win the championship?
 We had some very encouraging results towards the end of 2014 and the writing was on the wall that we could get some momentum however it didn’t quite fall into place at the first race of the season in Silverstone. We worked hard in all areas and Le Mans showed that we had a very reliable, resilient package. After our first win in Germany I knew that we could go all the way if we kept our heads down and continued to work hard.

Let’s step back. In 2002 you made your debut in Formula 1 World Championship with a fantastic 5th place. Would you tell us something about that weekend and the satisfaction for the first points in your first race?
It was a very special moment in my career to drive my first F1 race in my home country with all the support from the local crowd. I remember Stoddy told me on the grid ‘Look mate, if you can get this car home that would be an absolute dream for me’. After the race start, there was a massive accident at the first corner and even though I managed to get out of it the car took quite a battering and for some time it looked like it was terminal. However we got through the whole race distance and crossed the line in fifth place which was unbelievable. The reaction from the crowd was unique and it was incredibly special to start my career in F1 in that way.

When did you meet Minardi f1 Team the first time?

It was late January in the build-up to the 2002 F1 season as my deal was done very late. It was the first time I’d ever been to an Italian racing team. It was a very modest set-up but of course I was very excited that I was now a race driver for a F1 team.

After Minardi, you moved to Jaguar, Williams, and Red Bull. What the experience in Faenza taught you?
I loved how tenacious the team was; it was obvious their budget was small but the principles inside the team was still all about hard work and preparing the cars the best they could. Many times that year we got good results purely because the underdog spirit was always strong and I enjoyed racing hard against teams we really shouldn’t have been.

Do you have a special memory of Gian Carlo Minardi?
Gian Carlo was always very warm and passionate – the values instilled in the team came from him. It was obvious he was hungry for the team to do well with the resources the team had and the drivers were a big part of that and had an important role to play. Although his English wasn’t very good and my Italian any better, it was still very easy for me to tell when he was happy or sad about how I drove! I always enjoyed a good relationship with him.

Let’s go back to the WEC. Have you had to change your driving style and attitude toward the race to conform it to porsche 919 LMP1?

The transition from F1 to WEC was a big adaptation process form me in the first few months to be honest and a completely new experience. It was definitely a new challenge having to work around the needs of two other drivers. With three drivers in the car you have to compromise on certain things inside the cockpit such as seat and pedal positioning, and in particular some aspects of the set-up related to individual driving styles, which is something you need to get used to. I loved my time in F1 as an ‘individual’, but at this stage in my career I really enjoy being totally open with my fellow team mates and engineers to get the most from our collective knowledge. The cars are heavier than an F1 car and also the seating position is different which is something to get used to. However these cars are very rewarding to drive, the speeds are high and consistency is key. As a driver in this category you have to be extremely versatile and adapt to the circumstances, whether that’s driving the car at three in the morning or when plans change and you’re putting in a triple stint.

You have almost won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What has been the most beautiful moment in the season? 
Le Mans is such a special event. It’s a very long, intense week and the race is incredibly hard to put together. The team put in a phenomenal effort, the no 18 car had a few issues but the 17 and 19 cars ran seamlessly, and the cars finished very healthily. There’s a very special atmosphere at that race and to stand up on the podium in front of tens of thousands of fans is an unreal experience. 
Winning the World Championship at the last race in Bahrain is definitely my highlight of last year. It’s an incredible achievement of Porsche to have won both the drivers and manufacturers’ title in what was only our second year back in the sport and I’m very proud to be part of this and be a World Championship winning driver with one of the most prestigious sportscar brands in the world.
How is the atmosphere in the FIA WEC world championship respect to Formula 1?

There is a very friendly atmosphere in the paddock and the manufacturers have a huge level of respect for each other as they know just how much work goes into it this project. Within the team both sides of the garage work towards the same goal, which is getting both cars as high up as possible so this is obviously completely different to an F1 team. The communication across both cars is very open and there is a busy exchange between engineers and drivers. The inter-team rivalry known in F1 is almost non-existent because encouraging that sort of competition doesn’t help the manufacturer’s aim of getting both cars up the front.

On April 17 the WEC starts at Silverstone. Have you already seen and tried the new Porsche? What are you working to improve a machine that has proven to be very fast and reliable?
I’ve not yet seen the 2016 car, we will start testing in February. This year’s car will pretty much be an evolution of last year’s car and we’re starting with a very good technical basis which allows us to focus our efforts on improving other areas such as the aerodynamic efficiency, weight, suspension etc.

What other manufacturers  would  you like to see racing in LMP1?
Ferrari and BMW – they have great racing pedigree, especially Ferrari in sportscars, while the category is a perfect platform for BMW to showcase their future technologies. It would be awesome to have them both in the championship and good to compete against them.

After successfully racing  in Formula 1 and winning   the World Endurance Championship, what are your next goals?
It would be great to win Le Mans, it’s such a huge challenge and would be a great feather in my cap, but at the same time I’m not getting any younger and won’t be chasing after it for the next ten years. I still enjoy the racing and having been part of Porsche’s LMP1 program has been very rewarding.

Kart-Riccardo Negro "Kz my goal for 2016"

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After ending 2015 season with the world event at Le Mans, valid for the International KZ2 Super Cup, where he defended the OK1 official colors, Riccardo Negro cannot wait to race again regularly. After his success in the WSK Euro Series and two seasons where he seldom raced, Minardi.it caught up with Riccardo to talk about his present, past, and future.

In your palmarés you have a success in the WSK Euro Series and a third place in the World Championship CIK-FIA 2003, a 2014 far from races and a “fluctuating” 2015. Why weren’t you able to race regularly despite your good results?
It is difficult to answer. Surely, I had good results in 2013, but the following year I had few opportunities to race, maybe because of wrong decisions.

In 2015 you raced again. How do you judge your season?
Once again, it was a fluctuating season where I had not the possibility to get me noticed with regular racing. I was back on track after six month and this has affected my results. At Le Mans we could collect an important result, but we had to retreat for a failure.

Let’s go further into details. You started the year at Adria in the WSK Super Master Series with CRG.
I raced again after a six months break. Surely, it is not easy to be back in a high level competition after a so long period because you have to find your rhythm and oxygen again. It helped me to remove some rust.

…and to prepare the European FIA-CIK KZ2 Championship with the team Renda Motorsport.
We had some difficulties during the first event in Sarno, while we failed the final due to a disqualification in Spain. At that point we took a difficult decision: to skip the final in Belgium because we were offside with no chances to win the European podium.

…And ending the year at Le Mans as an OK1 official driver with a Iame engine.
I was very happy to receive a convocation from OK1 for Le Mans. Before leaving, I had the opportunity to have two testing days to learn about the new material and reach a good feeling with the team and its engineers. When we reached the circuit we spent a lot of time to improve all the material, but I was able to gain the Final, our minimum goal. After a good recover, racing with good chronometric times, the water sleeve broke forcing me to retire.

What are your goals and plans for 2016?
2016 is a great unknown in this moment. Surely, my goal is to race again at the top levels regularly. I confess my goal is KZ. Along with Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti of the Minardi Management, I am working to find the best solution.

How much is it important to race regularly for a kart driver?
Driving regularly is fundamental when you race with your kart at high levels because you have to keep your rhythm and physical shape. Even during a forced stop, between a race and another, it is important to have the opportunity to take to the track for some training sessions. In karting, the only rule to be trained is “consuming the asphalt”.

Photo: Alexandros Vernardis/The Racebox

Kart – Karol Basz and OKT still together to defend their title

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After bringing the World KF title to OTK group thanks to his peremptory victory on the international track of La Conca with a Kosmic Racing material, Karol Basz will show up at the starting line of the most important international championships as a reference driver and great protagonist of professional karting also in the upcoming season.

With the arrival of the new OK engines, experience, maturity, and talent of the Polish driver, already under the sphere of Minardi Management, will be an added value for the group from Brescia. The new engines look to be a great improvement in performance thanks to the lightening of the karts, that will make driving more pleasant.The speed increase to 1000 rev/min will enable the use of a shorter gear ratio, very profitable at the exit from the slow bends, that was “the critical point” of KF, as Ole Haugård states on the site CIKFIA.com. The experience and speed of Karol will be very useful in the development and finalizing of the new material for the upcoming sport season. Anyway, the doors of GT racing remain open: we have scheduled testing days and races to continue to taste the new challenge, in full respect of the karting program established with Roberto Robazzi’s OTK group.

“I am very happy to continue working with Kosmic Racing. With the arrival of the new engines, the next season will be different completely, and I will fight to defend the title. I want to thank all the OTK group, Roberto Robazzi and Kosmic Racing” Karol Basz declares.

“We were very pleased by the proposal coming from OTK about Karol for the season 2016 because they recognize him as a real professional driver on which to aim for the development of the new engine and the new chassis setup. Now we do not expect nothing but work to defend the title, always keeping an eye open to GT racing”Alberto Tonti states.

“I am happy and satisfied because the OTK group wanted to repay the wonderful season of Karol that ended with the world title. With the debut of the new OK material, we will have a lot of work to do and Karol’s experience will be an added value. It remains a bitter taste because I wanted to see the full time debut of Karol with GT cars, since I am sure that he would have immediately got good results. The few kilometers we have walked so far have yielded significant results. In agreement with Roberto Robazzi, however, we are organizing testing daysand racing in preparation of 2017” manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

Karol Basz awarded at the Fia Prize Giving

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Our Karol Basz could not miss the night of “World Motorport Stars” in Paris; he was awarded by  the FIA PRIZE-GIVING for winning the World Title of 2015 FK Kart.

At La Conca international circuit, the driver cured by Minardi Management imposed himself with a net and decisive domain during the most important international karting event under the wheel of a Kosmic Racing leaving only “crumbs” to his opponents.

In the famous Lido theater in Paris, close to the Arc de Triomphe, Karol shared the stage with his colleagues Jorrit Pex (KZ), Logan Sargeant (KF- Junior) and the world f1 championship Lewis Hamilton.

Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti, along with Gian Carlo Minardi and all his staff congratulate Karol for the incredible achievement in a season that, for the polish driver, has been full of satisfactions.

Joao Vieira on-the-job with JD Motordport in Barcelona

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Two days of hard work on Barcelona’s track for Joao Vieira, who almost two months later his debut in Jerez, was back under the wheel of a Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 belonging to JD Motor-sport team. 

At his first contact with the Spanish track, the Driver from Brazil curated by Minardi Management had kept working with the engineers of the team from Novara for next season; he achieved over 100 laps with interesting lap times and without any mistakes. After becoming familiar with 4655 mt of Catalan track, a lot of setup tests were made to study the performance of the single-seater.Returning from Formula 4 Tricolore, Joao and his entourage are assessing the best solution for 2016.

“These two days have been important, I had the opportunity to do a lot of work along with JD team and I a lot of kilometers under the wheel of the car without doing any mistakes, with good time lap times. Surely, I still have a good improvement margin, but I start from a good base. Unfortunately, these were the last two test days granted by regulation. Now I have to wait until February to get back in the car. I really like the car, and I get on with the team. So, i hope to be able to define as soon as possible my next schedule. Meantime I am going to keep studying English” Joao Vieira comments.

“These test sessions have been very important and positive to Joao it has been a very important and positive test session. He had the opportunity to make a lot of kilometers under the wheel of F.R. 2.0 without any mistakes. So he could work with continuity. After studying the track along with JD engineers, we made a lot of setup tests with the purpose of helping Joao’s perception with the new car. I must thanks all the team staff for their excellent work. I admit that we would like to race in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and we are working to find an agreement as soon as possible”, Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti comment. 

Gian Carlo Minardi: "ACI Team Italia is promoted"

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The curtain dropped on the World Championship at the Yas Marina Circuit which was also the scene of the last event of GP2, GP3. ACI team Italia Velocità at its first season participated with its two standard bearers Raffaello Marciello and Luca Ghiotto at the wheel of Trident cars.

Raffaele Marciello had a seesaw season and closed the championship preparatory to F1 with a solid second place in Race 1 and a total haul of 110 points, which earned him seventh place in overall standings. Luca Ghiotto saw Gp3 title slip from his hands in the last race after leading overall standings for most of the season with his 5 victories.At his first entire season, the nineteen from Arzignano has been able to put himself in the spotlight fighting with Ocon and attracting the interest of the Principal Teams of the Circus.

“As ACI Team Italia we had a really positive year with drivers coming from the branch of the Federal School in partnership with FDA. Both Marciello and Ghiotto have been able to put themselves in the spotlight in their respective championships. If Raffaele closed a difficult season with his second place in race-1, Luca was frustrated by the final loss of the title. Two/three mistakes at the start were fatal and compromised a season that was really favorable to him” Gian Carlo Minardi comments.“In terms of victories (five) he has been greater than Ocon who, however, has more constancy” the mangager from Faenza continues. “I want remember Antono Giovinazzi’s secod place in the European FIA F3 and the season of Antonio Fuoco who is already in Ferrari scope with FDA. Now we will start to work for 2016 with the purpose of valuing young drivers coming from kart, we will support those who wants to raise the bar toward professionalism”.

Joao Vieira in Brazil between Kart and F1

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Some days before Brazilian GP, Joao Vieira was invited by Petrobras to take part in its traditional kart race along with professional drivers and Brazilian Olympic athletes.

It was an opportunity of recreation for the green-gold driver from Gurupi, who is now focused on the groundwork for the next championship. It was, anyway, a demanding challenge, and the young driver closed in seventh. Coming from Italian F4 Championship powered by Abarth, now Vieira assesses a jump in class.

Just last October, in Spain at the circuit of Jerez, Joao got behind the wheel of an Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with the purpose of make some test for 2016; other testing day with different single-seater will follow.

“I was glad for the invitation. Driving a kart, is always a good experience, also in a competitive situation where you have to measure with GP2, F3000 and Stock Car drivers. We had fun, and I must thanks all the organizers and Petrobras” Joao, who experienced Brazilian GP from the pits, comments.

“F1 is amazing. It puts onto you an indescribable adrenaline. Experiencing the race from the pits and see up close Ferrari and Toro Rosso was wonderful. When I am in Italy, I live in Forlì, a few steps away from Faenza. Now I am already oriented toward 2016 and in the upcoming weeks I ‘ll be back on car for some test days” the driver of Minardi management concludes.

ACI Team Italia ready to grow

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The Adria International Raceway has been the scene of the 12th edition of Aci Sport Federal Super-course, Speed section, the annual advanced course that rewarded, as usual, some young drivers coming from the Italian Championship powered by Abarth and from Kart.

The drivers selected at the end of 2015 season and invited to face the Super-course are Diego Bertonelli and Riccardo Ponzio coming from F4; Lorenzo Colombo, Aldo Festante, Davide Lombardo, and Leonardo Lorandi from Karting. After a careful consideration at the end of four long days of intense learning both in class and on track, Lorenzo Colombo, 15 years old from Legnano, has resulted the best karting driver while Diego Bertonelli, 17 years old from Forte dei Marmi, has been the best one among F4 drivers. 

Gian Carlo Minardi could not missed the event as Supervisor of this Federal Super-course who comments as follows: “I have to congratulate all the selected boys. It has been really hard to choose a winner at the end of these four days, especially among the four kart drivers. All their scores were close, and this proves that they have assimilated very well their tutor’s and instructor’s suggestions and teachings.Also Beronelli and Ponzio, who already knew the circuit and the car, have been able to improve considerably in comparison to their race performances just over a month ago.Both of them have had an excellent apprenticeship opportunity that could bring them substantial results next year.We have learned with pleasure that other Federations are exporting our project and our know-how with young drivers”.

Within the end of the year, some scholarship could be delivered, so to broaden the project of ACI Team Italia that has Ghiotto and Marciello among its current representatives.“ ACI Sport general manager, Marco Ferrari, has declared he wants to make available some scholarhips to the winners of the Super-course  to make easier their passage from Kart to Formula 4 Italia”, the manager from Faenza concludes.

 

Kart – Another podium for Karol Basz

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Karol Basz, new KF World Champion, closes his season with a third place in the WSK Final Cup. Having constantly fought with best drivers for top positions and always done his maximum, the Polish driver for Kosmic Racing said goodbye to 2015 from a new podium at the Adria Kartin Raceway circuit.After having signed the third place in Qualifying and in Pre-final, he just missed to win.

“It is pleasant to finish the season with a podium. It has been an amazing year along which Kosmic team and I have proved to be able to reach any results. We have succeeded in winning and conquering the podium of the most important competitions gaining the world title. I hope to be able to announce my plans for next season very soon” Karol Basz, Minardi Management driver, comments.

“Despite Friday’s pole that had suggested us a new success, we are satisfied about this podium. Karl has proceeded on his positive path. This victory wasn’t our main goal of the season, so we have also tested different materials, and we are glad of the result. Now we start working for 2016” Alberto Tonti, Karting manager of Minardi Management, comments.

“I am really satisfied about Karol’s season along which he achieved the goal of the season, the world title, with honors. At Adria, once again, he showed all his talent; he never back down conquering the maximum. Now we will work to raise the bar for the next season” Giovanni Minardi comments.

 
Photo: Alexandros Vernardis/The Racebox
 

Joao Vieira in action with JD FR 2.0

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At the Spanish Jerez de la Frontera circuit, Joao Vieira has taken his first steps driving an Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. Among the 28 drivers who have taken part of the first day of collective tests, the Brazilian driver has got behind the wheel of JD Motorsport team’s car for a first contact with this single-seater car, after having filed away his Tricolor Formula 4 season. 

For Joao it has been the first contact with the Spanish circuit and the single-seater which animates the trans-alpine brand, with the purpose of first evaluations in view of 2016.This first contact has been characterized by uncertain weather with a wet track in the morning and a dry one in the afternoon that have not anyway let Joao to make mistakes.“It was a really useful day to me because I had the opportunity to test a totally new car. Renault is more aerodynamic than Taurus F4. You can feel it especially in bend. Also the engine is more powerful. We are working for 2016 and in the next few weeks we are going to test another car to evaluate the best choice”,  Minardi Management driver Joao Vieira comments.

“We can only be glad about Joao’s work. Despite the changing conditions of the track have made his first contact more difficult,he has done well anyway not making any mistakes. Everything was new to him, from the track to the car.  We have to thank Renault for its invite and JD team for its work. We are looking around in view of 2016 and in the next few weeks we are going to test another car” manager Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti comment. 

Lamborghini test for Karol Basz

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In the circuit of Vallelunga, close to Rome, new KF World Champion Karol Basz has measured himself with a Super Trofeo Lamborghini.

For the talented driver from Cracow, who already belongs to Minardi Management world, it has been the first contact with both “Piero Taruffi” circuit and the powerful super-car from Sant’Agata Bolognese.”It has been a very important day for Karol, he had the opportunity to measure himself with a very selective and demanding car as Lamborgini is, in a technical circuit like that in Vallelunga. I have to thank Antonelli Motorsport team represented by Marco Antonelli and Lamborghini for this valued opportunity. It is the first test in view of 2016 and many others will come after in order to define next Championship” manager Giovanni Minardi analyzes.

“I am very happy about this day because I immediately felt at ease with the car. Everything was new to me, starting from the car till the circuit.Lamborghini is really an extraordinary car. Its power and braking system really impressed me. In addition to the last seasonal kart events, we will plan other test-days” an enthusiastic Karol Basz comments.

F4 – A penalty prevented Joao Vieira from winning

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The Brazilian flag flies high thanks to Joao Vieira that won race-2 at the Misano World Circuit where the Italian F4 Championship powered by Abarth took place. A good result especially after the terrible crash occurred two weeks ago in Imola.

Unfortunately, after so many problems related particularly to the engine, the celebration and happiness for having won the first victory of the season, lasts little. The wet blanket of penalization (for not respecting the track limits beyond which warming up the tires during the sighting lap isn’t allowed ) falls upon our Joao and other four drivers.

An uphill week-end for the yellow-gold driver. After conquering the sixth place in both qualifying sessions, the commissioners canceled the chrono to the three cars of Antonelli Motorsport. Spriting from the last row in race-1, Joao becomes protagonist of the umpteenth comeback and closes in tenth which gives him the pole in race-2 where he gains a clear victory on track, that unluckily was annulled at the end of the race. As a precaution, also due to the after-effects of the accident in Imola, Joao doesn’t compete in race-3. “In a way I am happy because despite all the difficulties I succeeded in making a good comeback, winning then the sprint race. What a pity the penalization. It changes nothing in the standings, but it is a question of personal satisfaction. In race-3 I didn’t compete following the suggestion of my manager because I had suffered some pain during the previous races. Before thinking about 2016, I’ll continue the medical checks and exams” Joao Vieira comments.

“Joao closes a bitter season due to a lot of engine complications. This penalization have been the icing on the cake. I am very satisfied about his reaction on track. He didn’t discourage, proving all his worth in race. In race-1 he made a wonderful and incredible comeback that took him in pole for race-2. Now we’ll continue physical checks before starting our plans for 2016” manager Giovanni Minardi comments.