Archive for category: F1

Today there is only one solution that could become reality as soon as next season, even if only in part-time mode.

We are talking about the Qualification Race, one of the topics discussed in Geneva in the offices of the International Federation that found particular support between the parties. This would be a mini-race of 100 kilometres to be run on the Saturday, the result of which would decide the starting grid of the Grand Prix. The desire would be (the conditional is compulsory since it is only a proposal) to invert the ladder of the diver’s World Championship for the starting grid of the Qualification Race. Therefore, as of today Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas would start form the back row with George Russell in pole position.

“We have adopted the Qualifying Race in our TCR DSG Endurance Italian Championship as well, with a 10” sprint race that is valid for the starting grid of the endurance race. It is very spectacular to watch but I do not know how much it can be applied to the context of Formula since there are problems to be dealt with, starting with the wear of the clutch and transmission as we will have two starts,” was the analysis of Gian Carlo Minardi, interviewed by Minardi.it.

“If they truly want to change, I would take a step back to 2005 when the driver had only one fast lap available to make his best time, taking to the track in inverted order across the finish line of the previous race,” proposed the manager from Faenza, “Doing it in this way would give the driver and the team the maximum visibility and it would prevent traffic problems or playing with the slipstream.

“Time is running out and 20121 is upon us. We are almost at the end of September and the teams have not yet agreed on the new technical regulations. We are approaching the end game and Singapore could be the setting for major meetings,” he finished.

We have started the week of the Belgian Grand Prix. The scenographic Spa-Francorchamps track will host the thirteenth round and Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso gave us the most important news with the swap of Gasly/Albon. I am talking about turnover and not downgrading since it seems a plausible act to me between two teams with the same ownership, especially with an eye to the future.

Red Bull already knows the level of Kvyat who was the author of a podium finish in Germany, while it still does not know the full potential of the very young Alexander in his first season in the world championship. I think it is correct giving this opportunity in the light of 2020, especially when it has the possibility to take advantage of the resources “in the family”.

Red Bull Honda is growing strongly even if it must deal with the penalties on the motor front and with this action they want give themselves an advantage for next season in order to be more competitive and winning.

Last year in Spa-Francorchamps Ferrari scored an important win with Sebastian Vettel and we hope that this could be a good omen for this year as well. Some sections of the track are certainly an advantage for the “red car” even if Red Bull will be a tough and important adversary. We are faced with a championship that has little more to tell us on the final result with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton launched towards his sixth World Championship but a win by the team from Maranello could be a good visiting card for the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for the weekend of September 8th.

There is an exciting duel behind the top three teams with McLaren in the lead as the fourth force in the world championship with 82 points, in front of Toro Rosso (43 points) that must try to not nullify the work carried out up to now by defending fifth place from Renault (39 points).

Gian Carlo Minardi

We are on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, a week after the incredible race at the Hockenheimring.

The weather forecasts are for scattered clouds and afternoon storms on the Saturday while the race will be dry. The heat could present problems, especially for Mercedes which, despite the unlucky weekend we just ended, is still the car to beat and Hamilton and Bottas will be on the prowl for a quick redemption.

The characteristics of the track, slow, tortuous and short, could benefit Red Bull that will try to get even closer to Ferrari’s second pace. The SF90 showed major signs of growth and could use a weekend that is not conditioned by problems or mistakes. In Germany the machine showed that it is competitive both in the high temperatures and in wet conditions on the track, even if it was betrayed by reliability.

The challenge is on above all behind the top three teams with McLaren in great form and taking an important lead on its direct rivals and Toro Rosso that took fifth place, on the strength of the place on the podium by Kvyat and Albon’s sixth place in front of Renault with reliability problems. For TR the fifth place could be its consecration, especially after the major work carried out last season with the Honda engine in favour of Red Bull that today is harvesting the results.

Traditionally the arrival of the summer break lights up the drivers’ market, even if this year I see it as especially “dormant” since the great movements could occur in 2021 on the occasion of the new regulations. Keeping the interest high is Bottas’ future in Mercedes, whose place could be taken by Esteban Ocon, in the prospect of making him grow up beside a champion of the calibre of Hamilton who, approaching the end of his contract could be thinking of a challenge far from Brackley. In the back markers, the knots to be untangled could be in Haas and Racing Point.

Gian Carlo Minardi

The last three grands prix were characterized by as many incidents involving three different drivers (Vettel-Ricciardo-Leclerc) and created no small upheaval amongst the experts and the fans that pounced on the marshals. We met with Gian Carlo Minardi who is leaving for the Hungaroring, the stage for ACI’s appointments that are valid for Formula 4 Italia and Formula 3 Regional, to understand if this F1 has lost its desire for a scuffle.

“The episodes in Canada, France and Austria were very different from each other. Even if at times it is unpopular, the decisions and the penalties given to the drivers by the commissioners were dictated by rules and above all by precise guidelines written by Charlie Whiting and approved by everybody, drivers included. Let’s not forget that unlike what happened until a few years ago, the commissioners have real time telemetry of all the drivers available. Therefore they could analyze the behaviour of each driver in any situation and to understand what led to an error or any infraction,” analyzed the manager from Faenza.

“In Austria I appreciated the fact that the marshals decided to hear the versions of the two drivers before validating the final result. In Montreal it would have been proper to proceed in the same way, even if I am still convinced that the result would not have changed,” continued Minardi.

“I am still of the idea that Formula’s strength is the chance to fight on the track and the duel between Leclerc and Verstappen is a shining example. The two young men entertained and excited us and they gave us a very enjoyable race. I am convinced that we witnessed only the first chapter of an exciting challenge. Therefore it’s time to review and rewrite these rules completely, even following Whiting’s death”

Will Verstappen and Leclerc be the champions of the future?

We’re facing a very high level generational change. Both Leclerc and Verstappen showed they are two great drivers, both with the characteristics for becoming champions and with an all-round vision of the race and the rival. Three laps from the finish the driver from Monaco gave a very strong sign of his talent by responding very well to the Dutch driver’s assault. On the other hand, in the final lap he left too much space and Verstappen quickly took advantage of it. Thus I can give Max 10/10 for the race and 10-/10 to Charles. They will give us other important duels.

After nine grands prix which are the best drivers?

Se guardiamo alle spalle dei tre top team, ci sono i due piloti McLaren con Carlos Sainz jr. e Lando Norris supportati da una vettura in forte crescita, a cui aggiungerei il pilota della Toro Rosso Alexander Albon . In Austria Sainz, partito ultimo, è arrivato all’ottavo posto alle spalle di Norris, ottimo sesto, e Gasly.

If we look behind the top three teams there are the two McLaren drivers with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris supported by a car that is growing strongly and to whom I will add Alexander Albon, the Toro Rosso driver.

Amongst the top teams we have Hamilton who has been absolutely perfect, Leclerc who is growing from race to race and looking for blessing from the team and Verstappen whose talent has never been in doubt. This is the season for maturity. I also add Vettel, the four times world champion who is experiencing a difficult time, even if he has shown that he is suffering the rival’s pressure.

Staying with Ferrari, if the SF90 cannot win when Mercedes is in difficulty…

I see a revival by Ferrari, sadly not exploited fully. The recent results need to be analyzed, as well as the strategy adopted and the choice of tyres. If we look ahead to the English grand prix we notice that on paper Ferrari and Mercedes have opted for different strategies (4 Mediums and 8 Softs for Mercedes against the 3 sets of “yellows” and 9 “reds” for Ferrari). Silverstone is a very fast track with particular bends in which last year we twice had the safety-car and problems with the tyres for Bottas which gave Vettel the win.

Five days from the Canadian grand prix the penalty the marshals gave Vettel that gave Lewis Hamilton the win is still a hot theme. The marshals followed what the regulations say, but I am still of the idea that in that predicament Vettel could not have done anything else, just as nearly all his colleagues have confirmed, including Hamilton, the sole exception was Nico Rosberg.

In the light of what happened the regulations must be reviewed to protect safety without eliminating the melee which is this sport’s true DNA and also because I do not understand why the very dangerous episode between Ricciardo and Hulkenberg was not penalized.

Up to the 48th lap we had been watching a great battle between two champions who had created a void behind them and it is a pity that the second part of the grand prix was conditioned by a single very questionable episode. Rather than immediately giving Vettel a 5” penalty, the marshals could have postponed the decision to analyze the telemetry of the two cars once the engines had been turned off and to watch the video and then inflict a penalty on the Ferrari driver in the French Grand Prix.

The spectacle and credibility of F1 and Motorsport must be protected. Specifically, this episode tarnished an extremely competitive race and there is also an aspect that continues to leave me amazed. Faced with the pole position won by Vettel with the incredible time of 1’10”249, the fastest race lap by the German was 1’14”875 set in the 57th lap with Leclerc 1:14.356 (63rd lap), Verstappen 1:14.767 (67th lap) and Hamilton 1:14.813 (62nd lap).

Only Valtteri Bottas in the penultimate (69th) lap went below the barrier of 1’14, stopping the chronometer at 1’13”078.

This is an enormous difference between qualifying and the race that the teams and the tyre supplier should explain to us. We will try to gather some information and, in expectation of the French grand prix I will be waiting for you on Wednesday 19th at Turin on the occasion of the inauguration of the Salon of the Auto Parco Valentino and the parade of supercars and F1 cars that will begin at 8.00pm.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Ciao NIKI. Last night we lost not only a Champion and a piece of world automobile history but a great test driver who knew how to make difference in setting up a car when telemetry did not exist, a charismatic man and a successful manager who knew how to make Mercedes great with Toto Wolff.

My memories of Niki are tied especially to his past with Ferrari. I saw him often on the track at the wheel of an F1 car whenever I went to Fiorano.

The Montecarlo Grand Prix now fails into the background but surely Mercedes will want to continue its positive trend by trying to set a new record. Last year’s defeat still hurts and they will want to find quick payback against the menacing Red Bull. Ferrari must deal with the Milton Keynes’ excellent chassis and a determined Verstappen who for a year has not made any mistakes. It will certainly not be easy for Vettel and Leclerc. The mistake in qualifying in Baku by the driver from Monaco will be useful for him in the light of this demanding weekend. I saw him in great form even during the post Barcelona tests and I hope that Ferrari will be able to give him a car to put him into the fight for the top.

We are already in the sixth round. We need positive signs. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will be ready to fight it out once again without leaving anything to anyone else.

Gian Carlo Minardi