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.

F1 Testing | MINARDI “Performance has come closer”

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“We are only in the first week of testing and the times recorded have not yet given us a realistic ranking, as we saw with the best times by Renault on the SuperSoft tyres (1’17″393 with Hulkenberg) and Toro Rosso (Albon 1’17″637) against the1’17″8 of Mercedes and Ferrari’s 1’18″0 with the medium mix.”

These were the first comments by Gian Carlo Minardi after the first four days of collective testing on Barcelona’s Montmelò circuit that inaugurated the F1 World Championship season have been filed away.

“Those under special observation were surely the current world champion, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, and Ferrari. Toto Wolff’s men retraced last season’s programme with a number of different trials aimed at development, just as the team with the prancing horse has not yet looked for performance”.

The new racing cars ran the first kilometres and they have already shown important reliability as shown by the laps run. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas took the titles of the workaholics with 610 laps on their account, in front of the Ferrari duo Vettel-Leclerc that completed 598 laps.”

“An important signal comes from the very many kilometres covered by all the teams, with the exception of Williams over which we should draw a veil. It is inconceivable that such a successful team threw away two days of tests. I hope that they can make up the time lost next week.”

Third place for Alfa Romeo Racing thanks to the work by Raikonnen and Giovinazzi who completed 507 laps against the 482 by Toro Rosso’s pair Kvyat-Albon and the 475 by Verstappen-Gasly, both with Honda engines.

“The other fact that came out was how the forces on the field have come closer together. It will be a great battle between Mercedes-Ferrari-Red Bull and a tight battle between Renault-Toto Rosso-Alfa Romeo and Haas. The times are already very close to the best in 2018. This means that in a short time the engineers have already managed to recover part of the aerodynamic load lost with the new regulations.

“Each team knows exactly its potential and especially its position depending on the fuel on board. Next week we will have more significant results in the light of the weekend in Melbourne,” concluded the manager from Faenza.

The drivers and cars will be back on the Montmelò track next week from February 26 to March 1 before flying to Australia for the season’s first grand prix.

F1 | MINARDI “The GPs generates unparalled business, but it is not enough”

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2019 will be a crucial year for many grands prix in the F1 calendar in which Liberty Media’s contract is due to expire and the renewal promises to be long and hard. On the one hand the promoters say they are disappointed and worried about the future caused by the very high costs for hosting a grand prix.

Recently 16 of the 21 organizers met in London to discuss the current situation and to form the Formula One Promoter’s Association that expressly shut the door on Liberty Media to revising the contracts downwards.

On the other side of the barricade F1 boss Chase Carey waved a heavy fist by giving the impression of not wanting to step back. “We will change what we are doing”.

As we know from the Monza contract that will expire at the end of 2019 and despite last season’s record attendance with 185,000 spectators over the three days, the circuit reported a deficit of 12 million Euros. Other circuits are also in the same conditions, like Silverstone what in 2018 brought in more than 300,000 fans and finished in the red anyway. The news of recent days that from next year the organizers of the Mexico Grand Prix will not have public financing puts its presence in the next seasons at serious risk.

There is general disquiet that involves nearly 70% of the circuits,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi who we interviewed, “Many contracts are about to expire both on the circuit and the TV fronts, just like the Concord Agreement. This is a serious time because the teams will struggle to revise downwards the requests in consideration of the continual increases of management costs but Liberty Media is in difficulty with the circuits and the TV with the sponsors asking that the races return to free to air,” continued the manager from Faenza.

“In the ten days of the grand prix F1 manages to generate a volume of about 100 million and losing the race would mean causing major damage to the spin offs that cannot be recovered with another event. I saw it personally when Imola lost its grand prix. However this volume of business does not interest the circuit that with the current contract has only the tickets sales as the sole source of income. This is decidedly too little to cover the enormous expenses for hosting the race. Let’s not forget that the circuits are constantly called upon to make huge investments on the structures”,

“Losing a grand prix means causing great economic damage but it is also true that we cannot continue in these conditions. I have faith in the work by President Angelo Sticchi Damiani who in recent years managed to save the Italian Grand Prix but something must change. We cannot keep organizing an event that is constantly losing money,” concluded Gian Carlo Minardi.

F1 |MINARDI “Leclerc is predestined. Vettel, be careful”

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We are quickly approaching the presentation of the new racing cars and the winter tests that will usher in the F1 World Championship. This is a season that promises to be full of new developments and with a starting grid made up of ten (out of twenty) drivers under 25.

It was on this very topic that we chatted with Gian Carlo Minardi who built his career as Team Principal by working together with young drivers.

“Well done having a starting grid rejuvenated so much, despite the presence of some long serving divers such as Raikonnen. We predict a fascinating and interesting season because each young driver that enters into Formula 1 or in a top team brings the will to emerge and to put into difficult his team mate,” was the analysis of the manager from Faenza who sees Charles Leclerc (born in 1997) as a danger for Sebastian Vettel.

“Having a young driver such as Leclerc rather than a satiated driver like Raikonnen will be an important incentive for Vettel who must show that he has left behind negativity of last season in which some mental gaps emerged and come back to being the four times world champion at the start of the season. I consider Leclerc predestined with fantastic natural talent. I hope that, even if in the short winter, that Ferrari managed to take the final step that as missing in 2018 to overtake Mercedes,” concluded Minardi.

Arrivabene-Binotto, Minardi “The proper choice but the new developments are not over”

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On Monday evening the indiscretion by the Gazzetta dello Sport was confirmed in Scuderia Ferrari’s official press release that announced that a month before the presentation of the new Ferrari, and two before the start of the world championship, the change between Maurizio Arrivabene and Mattia Binotto in the role of Team Principle.

We met Gian Carlo Minardi who positively commented the exchange. “I fully agree with Ferrari’s decision since I have a lot of faith in Mattia Binotto as a technician and the results confirmed it. He comes from the Ross Brawn school that gave Ferrari incredible results together with Todt and Schumacher, before going on to win the world championship first with Jenson Button with the Brown GP and laying the foundations for Mercedes’ incredible successes.”

“I do not believe the changes are over and the next two weeks will be crucial, It seems like a retur to the past and the Domenicali era with Massimo Rivola who is now with Aprilia. IN addition, the arrival of Laurent Mekies is a very positive signal and he could be an important partner in the role of Sporting Director. I know Laurent very well since he comes from the Minardi School before oging to Toro Rosso and then to the FIA. He knows the Federation’s regulations and environment and this is a good sign for the future.”

Binotoo will be called for a role that will be full of new developments as he will also have to manage the drivers, “He will have a specific and not easy commitment of managing Sebastian Vettel who has to be recovered after a complicated season and who will have to find the strength to set aside 2018’s negativity”

F1 | MINARDI "Hamilton has grown even more"

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We have reached Abu Dhabi, the 21st and final round of the World Championship. The curtain will fall on the season at Yas Marina but it will also inaugurate the 2019 season with the collective tests on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 where we will see some changes of teams by drivers.

It will be interesting understanding Pirelli’s programme since I still believe the supplier must give us some sporting explanations. We saw a second half of the season constantly characterized by the same problems tied to the lack of difference in performance between the mixes, as well as blistering and graining problems.

We have 20 grands prix behind us and comparing with the 2017 results there are interesting outcomes, even in light of the future.

Mercedes, world constructors’ champion for the fifth straight year, confirmed its positive trend, even if it collected less points (630 against 688 last year). This is more than Ferrari which showed important growth of 31 points, despite Sebastian Vettel who collected 15 points less than 2017. The German driver closed last season in second place with 317 points. The gap is completed by Kimi Raikkonen whose pace speaks of 46 more points (251 against 205).

In an intense and tight championship the new World Champion Lewis Hamilton once again confirmed his excellent qualities by collecting 20 more points (383 against 2017’s 363).

Despite problems of reliability Red Bull also showed positive signs. Ricciardo and Verstappen collected 24 more points. From next year they will have the Honda engine.

If the first three positions were confirmations, behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull there was no lack of new developments. A good leap forward by Renault, Haas, McLaren and Sauber which went from sixth, eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively to fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth place in the World Championship. All at the expense of Toro Rosso and Williams.

If behind Red Bull’s satellite team there is a technical explanation (they worked on behalf of Horner’s team to develop the Honda engine for 2019), for Williams the situation seems even more critical even if Robert Kubica’ s return full time beside the young promising Russell really pleased me. This was an intelligent combination. The Polish driver has the culture to help the extremely promising young driver.

Racing Point Force India (ex Force India) deserves a separate discussion. If to the current 48 points we also added the 49 points collected in the first 12 grands prix there would be a great duel with Renault for fourth place. This is a positive result and synonymous with the team that knew how to hold on to its technical level (finishing in fourth place in the previous two seasons) despite the financial problems that led to the change of ownership and loss of points at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Let us jump into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1, the last race for Fernando Alonso. Minardi "It is only a see you later"

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On Sunday at Abu Dhabi Fernando Alonso will race his final Formula 1 Grand Prix after his debut in 2001 with Minardi, a 17 year career, 2 world championships and three just missed. From 2019 the Spanish driver will write a new chapter by chasing the 500 Miles of Indianapolis.

The last few years with McLaren gave little satisfaction and did not give the results he had hoped for and which he would have deserved but compliments were not lacking from colleagues and others who work in the Circus. We wanted to talk on the telephone with the man who brought Fernando Alonso to the Formula 1 Circus, Gian Carlo Minardi.

“I was present at his first test with Minardi in 1999 after his win in the Nissan World Series, at his first Grand Prix in Melbourne in 2001, again with Minardi, but I will not be present at Abu Dhabi because I am convinced it will not be his last Grand Prix. The race at the Emirates will only be a see you later,” commented the manager from Faenza.

“I wish him the best of luck in his next challenge and I tell him to enjoy himself since he still has a lot to give and receive from this sport,” concluded Minardi.

F1 | Minardi “Ferrari must help Vettel. Leclerc’s arrival is positive”

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We are coming into the weekend of the Mexican Grand Prix, the nineteenth and third last round of the Formula 1 World Championship and with another match ball for Lewis Hamilton to win his fifth world title.

At Austin Ferrari managed to delay the celebration with Kimi Raikonnen’s win and Sebastian Vettel’s fourth place which was surely an important result for the team from Maranello that reduced the gap slightly from Mercedes on the Constructors’ front. It was a result that revitalized the shares in the team of the Finnish driver who came back to victory after 5 years and 115 races and who will leave Maranello to return to Hinwil.

I do not share the comments about this since I am convinced that the choices made by the team’s management are the right road to return to victory. The results speak on their own with Sebastian Vettel constantly faster than his team mate, even if he was the protagonist of too many errors (9 in 18 grands prix is a very high average for a driver who wants to win the title). At Austin he had overtaken Raikonnen as well, just as he had all season.

At this time Ferrari must recover Vettel the driver in view of both the final three rounds and in consideration for 2019 and the arrival of Charles Leclerc will give him the right stimulus.

Raikonnen was perfect at Austin and I hope to see him with the same determination, which had been lacking in the first part of the season, also in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. He has to be the deciding factor to help Ferrari win the constructor’s title.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp America, PRESENTATION by Minardi “Calm is in Ferrari”

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The Formula 1 World Championship comes to the Americas for the double round of Austin-Mexico City. It begins in Texas that is currently being hit by bad weather with heavy rain which also struck the track that is the setting for the eighteenth grand prix.

It will not be an easy weekend for Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari that are calling for a real miracle to open the title. From what we hear from inside the team there is a strong tension in the air due to the many errors made during the season by both the driver and by the team itself. It would be opportune to begin thinking about 2019 and President John Elkann is responsible for reorganizing team, without striking technical revolutions.

Ferrari has shown on a few occasions that it has built a competitive car whose results have been limited by mistakes that have compromised the season. Sebastian Vettel must show that he is a World Champion. Everything can happen but he must be able to get back up again.

It will be an interesting weekend on the front of the second ranked teams with an open battle between Haas-Renault for fourth place in the Constructors’ ladder and Sauber-Toro Rosso for eighth place. In the last four rounds Racing Point Force India will to try overtake McLaren for sixth place.

As we told you in recent days (http://www.minardi.it/f1-gran-premio-damerica-il-weekend-delle-prime-volte-con-gian-carlo-minardi/), with Gabriele Tredozi and Pierluigi Martini the United States Grand Prix represents a crucial point in the results of the Minardi Team and have become part of our history. I took a lot of pleasure in reliving these events with you.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Grand Prix of the United States, the weekend of the “first times” with engineer Gabriele Tredozi

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We continue our trip in time towards the United States Grand Prix and after Gian Carlo Minardi we approached Gabriele Tredozi, the engineer from Brisighella who marked his debut in the Formula 1 World championship wearing the Minardi Team colours beginning in 1988

We wanted to experience once more the emotions of Detroit ’88 and Phoenix ’90 from the technical point of view.

“I remember the Detroit weekend very well. It was my sixth grand prix in Formula 1 and I was the race engineer for the M188 number 23 entrusted that up to Canada was entrusted to Adrian Campos and from Detroit to Pierluigi Martini. That weekend Piero climbed into the car for the first time during free practice and he quickly set excellent times that showed he could be in the first ten places when he closed qualifying in sixteenth place. Bringing the car to the finishing line on debut on a street circuit and disjointed such as that of Detroit in sixth place was an extraordinary result, especially because the M188 had a number of problems,” remembered Tredozi.

The Minardi M188 designed by Caliri, nicknamed the “camel” due to its chronic instability was powered by a Ford 3.5 aspirated V8 and its very short wheelbase and the torsion bar suspension (an absolute innovation at the time) were badly suited for irregular road surfaces.

“This was a very rigid car and certainly not easy to drive, particularly on a street circuit. In August, in view of the grand prix at Monza, we managed however to resolve a large part of the problems thanks to an important intervention with the adoption, amongst other things, of the dynamic dome to increase the flow of air into the engine which let us gain two seconds”.

“This development was then transferred to the M189 that made its debut in Mexico (the third grand prix of the 1989 season, editor’s note), also beginning the following season at Phoenix by taking the front row with Martini, who was beaten only by Berger in the McLaren in the final minutes by only a few tenths of seconds,” continued Tredozi,

The Minardi M189 was surely the best car built at Faenza, both in terms of results with 6 points won (5th and 6th places in Great Britain, 5th place in Portugal and fourth place in qualifying in Spain and 6th place in Australia), as well as its performance at speed.

“The generational leap between the M188 and the M89 was important. The chassis was worked for the first time with a 5 axis numerical machine that exploited CAD-Cam technology instead of by hand, with rear shock absorbers to balance the gear box and great attention paid to the profile of the spoilers. The start of the season was not easy due to water cooling problems, but once we modified the system the efforts were repaid with the fifth and sixth places at Silverstone which were followed by other important results such as the front row at Phoenix 90,” concluded the engineer from the Romagna, “They were two incredible results that made Minardi history, achieved also thanks to Martini’s technical skills”.