F1 | Gp Hungary, MINARDI “The real contest is behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull”

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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

F1 | Gp Hungary, MINARDI “The real contest is behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull”

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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

F1 | Gp British, MINARDI “A fast track, Ferrari and Mercedes say they fear it”

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The British grand prix at Silverstone is the 10th round of the season. I am pleased to learn that the circuit has extended its contract with Liberty Media for the next five years as well. Ferrari is going into the “wolf’s den” where it won with Sebastian Vettel a year ago in front of Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikonnen. We are talking about a historic circuit that is particular and demanding and which will put the drivers and cars to the test.

One the one hand Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto fears the English track, defining it “…one of the season’s hardest tracks, a track where the car is put to the test in set up and balance, just as the tyres are strongly stressed”
On the other hand Toto Wolff is hoping for rain and milder weather for “his” engines after being forced to “survive in Austria” and he hopes for weather of about 28 degrees.

There is no doubt that Hamilton and Bottas are the rivals to beat. Ferrari showed signs of revival which unfortunately were not fully exploited. We are talking about a fast track with particular bends in which the safety-car and tyre wear will have an important role. Last year the gaps were in fact wiped out twice by the entry of the safety car. Therefore it will be an important variable to consider in the strategies. Hamilton will be looking for a comeback, also after the disappointing grand prix in Austria but he will have to be careful with the wear on the tyres that last year slowed the Finn. Ferrari and Mercedes will show up at Silverstone with different strategies, at least on paper: 4 Mediums and 8 Softs for Mercedes against the 3 “yellow” sets and the 9 “reds” for Ferrari.

The third factor will be Max Verstappen with the Red Bull Honda who will be energized by his first win for the season which put him into third place in the drivers’ ladder in front of Vettel. We hope that we will see an exciting weekend without controversy.

After its excellent start to the season McLaren comes to Great Britain after having confirmed its drivers after having shown once more that it has one of the best pair of drivers with 52 points to its credit and fourth place, twenty more than Renault which supplies its engines. The mood is high in Alfa Romeo as well after Antonio Giovinazzi’s first point at the “Ring” in Austria, together with the two by the Finn that launched the Swiss team into sixth place.

Gian Carlo Minardi

What’s happening in this Formula 1?

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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.

F1 | Gp Austria, MINARDI “The real challenge is behind the top three teams”

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Formula 1 is coming to Austria, a track that is as fast as it is short in which a lap is completed in little more than a minute. Last year Bottas’ record was 1’03” and this weekend it will almost certainly be adjusted downwards.

We are talking about a track in which traction and braking are important components, just as the tyres are particularly stressed. For the first time the three top teams have opted, at least on paper, for a different strategy with Mercedes bringing 9 sets of Soft against Red Bull’s 8 sets with Verstappen and Ferrari’s 7.

In light of the Ring’s technical characteristics we hope to see a more hard-fought grand prix and less boring than what we saw in France last weekend. Being at an altitude of 667 metres the atmospheric conditions, together with the entry of the safety car, could be important variables to be taken into consideration.

Everyone will certainly have to deal with this super Mercedes that is about to break every record. If the forecasts are not met, as we saw in Paul Ricard, Ferrari will have to be wary of Red Bull. Behind them however, there is an interesting tussle with the growing McLaren in the fight for fourth place between the Renault powered constructors. We hope that this weekend too will not be conditioned by penalties as happened in the last two grands prix. Just as with Vettel, the decisions concerning Ricciardo in France seemed too harsh to me.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Vettel-Hamilton, MINARDI “The decision was too hasty”

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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

F1 | GP Canada, MINARDI “The haemorrhage must be stemmed”

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Formula 1 flew overseas and reached Canada on a track which, for its technical characteristics, should favour cars with medium-low down force, such as Ferrari.

Montreal is a very demanding track with long straights and noteworthy braking where the traction has a major role with important changes of direction and many chicanes with the possible entry of the safety-car, the weather and the tyres with Pirelli bringing a solution very similar to that of 2018.

With these characteristics Vettel and Leclerc should suffer less compared to the recent weekends, also because the moment has come to stem this haemorrhage by trying to take points away from Mercedes which will bring the second evolution of its engine.

In the light of the results achieved to date Hamilton and Bottas are still the favourites for the win even here in Montreal. On the power-unit front this will also be an important test for a growing Honda and Red Bull.

The challenge for fifth place just behind McLaren – fourth with 30 points – is heating up with Racing Point, Haas, Toro Rosso, Renault and Alfa Romeo Racing enclosed in a bare four points. In Montecarlo Scuderia TR made a great leap forward by scoring ten points with its drivers Kvyat and Albon and Canada could once again be fertile ground.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MINARDI “NIKI leaves us as a Champion, as a great test driver, manager and charismatic man”

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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

Gp Barcelona, MINARDI “The last resort for Ferrari? Almost”

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We are going back to where it all began. Formula makes its entry in Europe on the Montmelò track, the stage for the winter tests. This track has no secrets for the drivers and the teams. Here Ferrari had fuelled hopes for a world championship by making excellent times but the season’s first four grands prix told a different story.

Mercedes managed the incredible feat of scoring four doubles and setting the new record (also helped by Ferrari’s lack of reliability).

Barcelona will be an important challenge in a grand prix where Binotto’s men will have to change gear in order not to lose more ground to the Mercedes that had remained hidden during the tests and did not express all its potential. It finished the grands prix with a good fuel load on board which is the sign they can manage any situation.

Ferrari’s last resort? No, but it must give a strong sign. We are coming to the fifth round. Anything can happen but the time has come to repeat last winter’s supremacy. Behind Ferrari and Mercedes we find a good Red Bull which is missing Gasly’s points, he was certainly not perfect in the start to the season.

Just as interesting and exciting is the struggle in the “second division” for fourth and fifth place. There are six teams within a range of 14 pints.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Road to Bahrain | MINARDI “Villeneuve lost a chance to keep quiet”

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We are on the eve of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the second round of the Formula 1 World Championship that had its first act in Melbourne which gave us some verdicts that may be confirmed or overturned in Sakhir. Jacques Villeneuve upset the last few days when he used some inelegant (to say the least) words concerning the return of Robert Kubica. I believe he lost the chance to keep quiet. With all due respect for the results achieved, maybe his career in Motorsport would not have begun without his surname. Kubica’s decision must be respected.

To me it seems more correct speaking about Motorsport rather than creating disquiet with sterile debate, where we find Ferrari that exudes tranquillity with the statements by Binotto, Vettel and Leclerc who do not make glaring claims even if I fear that the true Mercedes is the one we saw in the penultimate lap in Australia with Bottas who, with extreme ease, lowered the best time by 1”.

We come to a true track with parametres that make the thermometer important for the future of the season and where the high temperatures will have an important bearing on the reliability. The one to watch will be Red Bull – Honda that two weeks ago gave proof of great strength with the first podium reached by the Japanese in the hybrid era.

There will be a great struggle behind the first three, as we saw right from qualifying in Melbourne with sixteen drivers within a range of 1” in Q1 where Gasly paid a high price for a mistake in strategy.

Getting back to the matter of Kubica, Williams was the negative point and I truly hope that they have identified the area where they must intervene even if, seeing the big gap, it will take time to recover. In many cases you resort directly to the B version of the racing car. Luckily the budget is not a priority problem for them.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Post-race Melbourne. Too much criticism. Let’s put some things in order

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The first race of the season has been filed away with the win by Mercedes with Valtteri Bottas in front of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Honda. And Ferrari? Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line in fourth place with a gap of nearly a minute, in front of Charles Leclerc.

The result surely was less than expected, especially after the winter tests in Barcelona.

“The winter tests did not prove to be true and I hope that, from what we saw in Melbourne, it is not the reality,” analyzed Gian Carlo Minardi, “We are only at the first race of the season made up of 21 rounds and we do not see the day from the dawn. We have to consider that Albert Park is an abnormal track with many bumps that alter the geometry of the suspensions. Furthermore, the race was conditioned by the tyres that did not answer as expected with the surprise of the Hards. In Bahrain we will have truer results and it will be a more realistic gauge, also because, considering the expected temperatures, it could highlight some problems,” continued the manager from Faenza.

“I am still convinced that the main difference between Mercedes and Ferrari is in the power unit and the best management of the power must be found by one team rather than the other. Sunday’s debacle must surely make them think”.

The post race period left a trail of criticism, both Ferrari, guilty of also finishing behind the Red Bull, as well as having paid too big a gap to be true and also of Daniel Ricciardo from Abiteboul.

“It makes me smile and I find it hard to believe some criticism, after only gp, directed at a driver who in recent years achieved more than respectable results, above all if these come from one of the people most criticized for Renault’s lack of results. Renault should think about the criticism about the motor, especially compared with the excellent result obtained by the direct rivals of Honda that, with Red Bull, celebrated the first podium of the hybrid era. I have the impression that certain statements are expressed to divert attention from more important problems.

“We need to recognize that the Japanese made a great step forward and the result gives morale and solidity to the work carried out both by Honda and Red Bull”.

The first two points for Lance Stroll with Racing Point, ninth behind Kimi Raikonnen and in front of the Toro Rosso’s Kvyat on his comeback. “He was very good and, unlike Perez, made no mistakes It was not easy for him putting aside the label of the paying driver, but I am convinced that he has his papers in order to stay in F1. Last year he was in a team, Williams, which had a number of problems that sadly have grown exponentially this year. I saw him in action in the lower formulas where he won. When you win it means you have the right characteristics. But becoming world champion is another story,” concluded Minardi.

Road To Australia | MINARDI “In Melbourne in memory of Charlie”

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I am shocked and incredulous at the premature death of Charlie Whiting, a person who made Formula 1 history in recent years. My course through the world championship was tied to him as he became part of FIA in 1988 and Race Director in 1997. There was mutual respect and he was always close to my staff when we brought innovative solutions onto the track. I extend my condolences to his family.

Sadly, in these cases the show must go on and we are at the gates of the first grand prix of the new season. We finally get back to racing and the teams will be forced to put all (or nearly) their cards on the table to show the true values on the field.

I am still convinced that the reins of the race are once again in the hands of Mercedes and Ferrari despite an important compaction of performance towards the top also by second level teams where the drivers will have to make up the difference. The tests show how all the teams have worked very well and the expectations for Melbourne are for a weekend of competitiveness.

Last year we had a remarkable start by Ferrari that scored first and third places with Vettel and Raikonnen and Lewis Hamilton in second place. We are only in the first round of a very long season made up of a good twenty one races. It will be very important to keep both feet on the ground regardless of the final result.

It is the start of a season full of talking points.

ANTONIO GIOVINAZZI: Beginning with the return of one of our flag bearers on the starting grid, something that has been missing for too long. I hope he and Alfa Romeo will be able to fight it out for the places just behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull that will have the unknown factor of the Honda engine. Reliability will be an important factor for all the teams, as we saw in the second session of tests in Barcelona, even if for some years they have accustomed us to incredible results right from the start.

KUBICA’S RETURN: After eight years since his last grand prix Robert Kubica will make his second debut in F1. Sadly the premises are not rosy with the expectation of Williams in great difficulty. It is inexplicable what is happening to a team that has written some of the most memorable pages of this sport. I hope that the earthquake that it is experiencing –Paddy Lowe will leave the team – will be turned into an incentive to find the right road and to rise again since it does not deserve these results. We can sense they miss founder Sir Frank Williams who has been kept away from the team and the tracks by sickness

A POINT FOR THE FASTEST LAP: In the last few hours the allocation of an extra point for the fastest lap in the race was approved (if the driver places in the top ten) which will be valid for both the drivers’ and the constructors’ ladders. It seems banal, but in the course of the season these are twenty one points that can make the difference. An extra variation on the strategy front comes into play, especially in a very close season.

I await with great anticipation the free practice but especially the first qualifying session that will have us a measure of the world championship to come. I will catch up with you on Sunday to comment the Australian Grand Prix. Good world championship to you all.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MINARDI “Qualifying will be close in Melbourne”

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The countdown has begun for Melbourne, the first grand prix that on March 17th next will will begin the new F1 world championship season.

The teams and drivers have left behind them the second session of collective tests with many kilometres run and the best time set by Sebastian Vettel (1’16″221) in front of Lewis Hamilton (1’16″224) who was three thousandths ahead of team mate Charles Leclerc (1’16″231) and Valtteri Bottas (1’16″561) in the second Mercedes.

Mercedes was also the most active in the last four days with 580 laps, breaking the thousand lap barrier (1,190) in the eight days of tests (148.75 laps/per day) in front Ferrari’s 997 laps (124.62 laps/day) and Renault with 961 laps completed. We must go down to eighth place to find the Honda powered Red Bull with the pair of Verstappen-Gasly that completed 833 laps (104.12 laps/day).

“The figure that came out of the last session is the coming together towards the higher times with ten –twelve drivers enclosed in a gap of less than a second,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi.

“It is not easy to establish a ranking but I have the impression that Mercedes has space for improvement after having set the best time only in the last five minutes. Ferrari showed that it has a competitive car and is on a level with the current champions, even if there were problems of reliability.”

“In Melbourne in ten days time the bluffs will end and we will finally see the true forces on the field. I expect to see a very hard fought qualifying”.

As for the choice of tyres, a certain alignment emerged. Nearly all the drivers opted for 9 C4 (Soft) mixes, 3 C3 (Medium) and 1 C2 (Hard). Amongst the top teams, only Leclerc differed with 2 C2s and 2 C3s.