F1 | GP Mexico, Gian Carlo Minardi “Le’s hope will be a weekend without penalties”

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It’s already time for the Mexico Grand Prix. We come to a peculiar circuit which is more than 2,000m above sea level and requires a suitable configuration of the power-unit with a straight that is so long that in 2016 Bottas set a new speed record of 372.5km/hour with his Williams. Last year we experienced a decidedly chaotic weekend with a number of penalties which changed the final ladder. A little like what happened in Austin last week.

Nonetheless I hope that it will be a tranquil weekend which will be open to various evaluations. In regards to today’s F1 an intervention on the work group around the race director, which should be the same for the entire season, is a priority. Only in this way will it be possible to limit the damage as much as possible errors of evaluation in individual race episodes. Having the same group would have a single metre of judgment and thus avoiding unpleasant episodes which surely do no good for the image of this sport.

I am convinced that Liberty Media should intervene in this very area together with the other changes that it is introducing and is also considering to increase the Circus’ appeal. In fact, there are rumours of increasing the number of grands prix to 25 and eliminating Fridays practice session. 25 grands prix would be a great commitment for both the protagonists, the teams and drivers, as well as for the spectators.

Going back to the grand prix, Pirelli left home the medium mixes it used last year and make space to Soft, SuperSoft and UltraSoft. It is a grand prix in which Ferrari must think about defending the title of vice champion in the drivers’ and the constructors’ championships, especially from Red Bull which last year went very well. It will be an uncomfortable and very strong client also this year.

After having celebrated the constructors’ title at Austin, Mercedes will try to double the celebrations with the drivers’ title. After the success in Texas Lewis Hamilton is truly just a step away. The struggle that is still very open is that for fifth place in the ladder with four teams within a handful of points. Toro Rosso will again start with a new line-up. The point gained at Austin was not enough for Kvyat to earn confirmation and the trust of Red Bull and he will make way for the return of Gasly at the side of the 28 year old Brendon Hartley.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp United States, Hamilton beats Vettel 4 – 1

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This weekend at Austin will be the start of the final four grands prix the will take us to Abu Dhabi, passing through Mexico and Brazil, for the grand final, thus giving us the new world champion. The Formula 1 Circus arrives in Texas, a demanding circuit with twenty curves and several dropouts, as well as being fertile ground for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes which have triumphed here a fine four times in the last five editions of the race, leaving his direct rival Sebastian Vettel only one win, but he is still winless here in Ferrari’s colours.

After the latest debacles Ferrari is called upon to give signs of resurgence and to show us that it has left behind the troubles and solved the problems of reliability. They will probably be forced to take a step back in the development process that showed an increase in performance but at the same time lost reliability. It will not be a weekend to try to attack the British driver, but to defend second spot in both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles from Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull.

Williams in the sights

The challenge in the rear is taking off with four teams grouped within barely twenty four points. Opening the parade is Williams in fifth place which is defending itself powerfully from the assaults from Toro Rosso, Haas and Renault. At the moment the team lead by Franz Tost is the team in most difficulty as it has to deal with the new political relationship with Honda that wanted Gasly to try and win the Super Formula title in Japan which forced the team to put Kvyat on his return at the side of the rookie Hartley while Renault will be able to put its trust in the ex “torero” Carlos Sainz to win the points it lacks to leave eighth place. Amongst the “minor” teams only Force India will be able to sleep peacefully from here until November 26th thanks to its exceptional championship in which it manage to assert itself for the second straight year as the fourth force of the world championship.

Vettel meets the young drivers

During the training stage at Fiorano between the drivers chosen by the FDA and the Federal School in preparation for the Supercorso ACI Sport that begins in November Sebastian Vettel made a surprise visit and spent time with the lads. The work and the union between the Federation and Ferrari aimed at the growth of the young drivers beginning from kart continue. This weekend at Monza the curtain will be drawn on the Italian Formula 4 championship with the Italian Lorenzo Colombo committed to defending third spot

Gian Carlo Minardi

Carlos Sainz ready to trip up Toro Rosso

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The Japanese Grand Prix was Carlos Sainz’s last race in Toro Rosso’s colours. Beginning with the trip to the United States he will share the Renault pit with German driver Nico Hulkenberg, taking the place of Palmer who has been left on foot.

The forecast is for an incandescent final in the support positions since the gap between between Toro Rosso (sixth in the constructors’ ladder) and Renault (in eighth place) is only ten points. In the middle is the American Haas team with a single point advantage over the French constructor.

Franz Tost will be called upon to confront a true driver alert. Having been left without the driver with a pedigree able to make 48 of the 52 points (the other four were gained by Kvyat) who dragged the team in the wake of fifth placed Williams, in a week’s time he will have to do without the young Gasly who was called upon to replace Kvyat in the Malaysian Grand Prix. In fact, the Frenchman will be involved in winning the Super Formula Championship in the final round Japan. Honda decided not to let the driver go.

If on the one hand Carlos Sainz will try to help Renault to climb the ladder at his ex team’s expense, Toro Rosso will try to counter the comeback with the return of Kvyat to the wheel of the STR12, while it is still uncertain who will take the second seat.

The transfer of the Spaniard to Nico Hulkenberg’s side is part of the negotiations that in 2018 will bring the Honda motor to Faenza which leaves the French power-units early while they will continue to power the Red Bull of Verstappen and Ricciardo.

“I hope that the eventual decrease in income from the lost television rights will be compensated by financial agreements of which we know nothing since for the moment Scuderia Toro Rosso comes out weakened. They have been denied their top driver who has gone to their direct rival at a crucial time in the season. They could attack Williams’ fifth place, but they could also slip back to eighth spot with serious losses in terms of the budget for 2018” commented Gian Carlo Minardi.

F1 | Gp Japan, Minardi “Vettel must find his peace of mind once more”

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It’s already time for the Japan Grand Prix, a vital appointment for Sebastian Vettel after the last two weekends marked by negative episodes. There will not be another final trial, even though it is pointless crying over spilt milk.

Regardless of what happened at Sepang and Singapore and despite the strong declarations by Ferrari President Sergio Marchionne, which I do not share since we are faced with a young team that must work one step at a time to build a winning cycle, they must look forward and at Suzuka the German driver will have to rip points away from Lewis Hamilton. It is certainly a hard task. Ferrari is called to confront five finals.

There is certainly bitterness for the lost chance because, looking at last week’s race and his race times, Vettel could have won the 25 points bringing himself 10 points closer to the British driver.

We are coming to a historic circuit which is fast and demanding where any error could carry a heavy price since the runoffs are reduced. Despite Hamilton’s statements I do not yet see Red Bull on a par with Ferrari and above all Mercedes but the aerodynamics could overcome any lack by the Renault power unit and it could put itself once more between the two pretenders to the title. The eight points taken away from the British champion by Verstappen are vital lifeblood for Seb. In addition, Mercedes’ difficulties could be a weapon for Arrivabene’s men, even though the temperatures in Japan will be very different from those in Malaysia and Singapore.

For his part Vettel could show that he is a world champion who is able to avoid being affected by negative episodes by quickly finding once more his peace of mind. In recent times I have seen a driver lacking tranquillity, also in his declarations, and the contact with Stroll in the victory lap was a blazing example.

We expect an interesting weekend and hope to witness again a race full of emotions.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gian Carlo Minardi “Important moves for all of F1”

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Everything went according to the script. It was an open secret over the last few weeks and at Singapore came the shower of official releases which completed the mosaic, launching a 2018 season which will be rich with new developments in the technical field.

After three rather disastrous seasons the wedding between McLaren and Honda came to an end (more than 200 penalties inflicted on the grid) with the English team ready to embrace the next three seasons (beginning in 2018) with the Renault engines freed by Toro Rosso. In order not to abandon the Circus, the Japanese colossus in turn had recently reactivated its contacts with the team from Faenza and today announced a three year agreement.

“These were positive moves for Formula 1. On the one side the arrival of Renault at Woking could bring McLaren to the upper reachees of the ladder pointing towards becoming the third-fourth force in the world championship beginning already in 2018”

“Despite Honda’s obvious difficulties the three year agreement with Toro Rosso is very important as it brings an important guarantee to the team. A second string team will be able to count on the technical and financial support of an official house.

“In recent seasons Toro Rosso changed many suppliers, slowing down the planning and development of the racing car. I personally experienced this situation. To find yourself in September, or worse still in November, without an agreement is destabilizing for the team. I hope that the Japanese find the right road” was the analysis of Gian Carlo Minardi, interviewed at the microphones of www.minardi.it after the official communiqués that came from Singapore.

There was also news from the drivers’ front. After three seasons the Spaniard Carlos Sainz will say goodbye to Italy’s Romagna region to move to Enstone taking Jolyon Palmer’s place at Nico Hulkenberg’s side. Despite the indiscretions that spoke of a turnover beginning this year (from Sepang) the Spaniard will transfer to the Renault team only beginning at the Australian Grand Prix and remaining under contract with Red Bull, thus surely forming a very interesting pair with the German.

“Renault must keep out of this tricky situation. An official house cannot find itself struggling for the seventh/eighth place caught in the middle of client teams. The first step is working on the pair of drivers. There will surely be other moves. Today some of the most important pieces of the 2018 puzzle were put in place.

The excellent work by Giovanazzi for the Haas team must be emphasized, closing within a few tenths of a second from Grosjean as he undertook the practice aimed for the grand prix” concluded the manager from Faenza.

F1 | Gp Singapore, Minardi “A tactical race. Qualifying will be important but not decisive”

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Formula 1 is in Singapore this weekend, the stage for the first night grand prix in the history of the Circus which this year will celebrate its tenth edition. The Maine Bay Street Circuit is one of the circuits that is not yet sure it will have a follow up on the calendar. Losing this round could mean losing a piece of “made in Italy” since the entire lighting system was made by a company from Italy’s Romagna region.

It is a very demanding track (5,065m) for cars, motors, drivers and tyres. Even though it is run at night the humidity is very high and the 23 curves put extra strain on the left rear tyre and Pirelli has chosen the softest mixes with Soft-SuperSoft and Ultra-Soft. Traditionally the race runs right up to the two hour race limit also due to the presence of the safety-car which, because of the particular layout of the track, is a constant presence in all the previous editions.

The slow curves and the many changes of direction could favour Ferrari which will be called upon to react after the time gaps suffered at Monza. Singapore could represent a real watershed for the development of the championship. Should Ferrari stay in front of McLaren we could hope for an absorbing end of season. A new success by Toto Wolff-s men could mean the curtain coming down. Sebastian Vettel is the driver with most wins at Marina Bay (four) against the two wins each by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Last year it was Nico Rosberg’s turn to sign onto the winners’ list.

It will be a very tactical race where qualifying will give a great hand even though pole position does not guarantee victory since the slightest error comes with a heavy price due to the closeness of the barriers. The end of the contract between McLaren and Honda is almost certain with the arrival of Renault at Woking and the Japanese colossus ready to move transfer to Faenza (Toro Rosso) although the news is still not official. There are also important moves on the drivers’ front with Carlos Sainz ready to say goodbye to Faenza to a new home at Enstone next to Nico Hulkenberg. Gasly could be promoted by Toro Rosso. Matsushita could come with the new Japanese engines thus leaving the Russian Kyvat on foot.

There is also talk of the future of the category and how to structure the weekends. I like reading that Ross Brawn is open to Friday mornings dedicated to drivers from F2. For years I have been maintaining the importance of this initiative with the aim of promoting young drivers.

There is a much meat on the fire and at Sepang (Malaysia) we could already see some movement. Let us go one step at a time. Now it is Singapore’s turn.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Interview with Gian Carlo Minardi “Liberty Media appreciated Automobil Club work for the GP”

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The weekend at Monza legitimized Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton also taking the lead of the drivers’ ladder at Sebastian Vettel’s expense when he could not do better than third place, suffering a further blow with the 36 second gap from the winner. Amongst the protagonists of the Monza paddock on the weekend was also Gian Carlo Minardi who gave us an exclusive interview.

Gian Carlo, after Monza has Ferrari’s hopes for a world title dried up?

Mercedes came here after two perfect weekends, backed by an important technical advantage. At Monza I did not expect Ferrari to suffer such a big gap. It can only respond to the rivals with serenity and the will of the whole team to find once more those tenths of a second to test and worry Hamilton and Bottas. It also requires a Kimi Raikonnen that does not drive off and on. In qualifying under the rain he managed to stay in front of Vettel but then lost himself in the race. The overtaking manoeuvre inflected on him by Daniel Ricciardo was disheartening. He did not even try to defend himself. Certainly the scales have swung heavily towards Mercedes, but nothing is lost. There are still many races in front of us beginning in Singapore. However, the people at Maranello also look over their shoulders at Red Bull.

Saturday at the Italian Grand Prix was the opportunity to also talk about the current freezing of the setups.

What we witnessed Saturday during the qualifying under the rain was something that should never happen. This episode was the result of a regulation that is useless, to say little, since it does not give us a greater spectacle. In fact, it did the exact opposite as we all saw with the more than two hour delay and brought no financial relief to the teams (always a current theme in F1). There are tyres for the rain; there must be the chance to modify the setup according to the climatic conditions. At Monza the situation was exaggerated as the qualifying could not begin until the track was absolutely dry. I must congratulate the public that patiently waited the proper running of the event.

Another hot theme is the penalties to the drivers for changes of components tied to the power-unit

This is another regulation that must be eliminated or modified. Reading that a driver was penalized 35 positions (when it goes well) in a grid made up of 20 cars makes me laugh. It is ridiculous that a driver has to pay a technical mistake. He would already be annoyed because he could not finish the qualifying and then be forced to start the race practically at the back of the grid. If they really want to keep this regulation then the team should pay with the reduction of points in the constructors’’ ladder or with a fine. The system must be totally reviewed because it falsifies the forces in the field and the results. At Monza, without the penalty to Red Bull we would have seen a very different result and other colours on the podium. I will also say another thing: Mercedes, with the technical advantage it has, can allow itself to change the power-unit, start at the back and arrive in any case on the podium. It does not seem very sporting to me.

We saw a great hug between you and Fernando Alonso

We saw each other Saturday at the end of the free practice when he had just set the seventh fastest time. We joked on how he managed to set that time. I saw him very calm despite the troubles he is passing through. It is always a pleasure catching up eith him, even though unfortunately we could not stay together long due to his many commitments.

Did you meet the new owners?

I had the pleasure to meet and get to know Chase Carey, a very expansive person who expressed appreciation for my work with the Automobile Club on the occasion of the parade. There is much that can be improved, but it was a wonderful experience, just as they need to update some of the structures at hte Monza circuit. I touched the changes made by Liberty Media, such as the new boardwalk at the entrance to the circuit that allows the fans to meet the drivers who participate.

AT Monza there was also a part of the Minardi Team with F1 experience

It was a weekend full of emotions. I was pleased to see many friends such as Jean Todt, the President of the Federation, Jean Alesi and Ermete Amadesi, the father of the Leoni brothers of the CEA who at Monza celebrated their 50th birthday, together with many others with whom we discussed F1. In addition, it was the chance to have a small get together with Paul Stoddart, Patrick Freisacher and Zsolt Baumgartner – who drove the two-seaters guests drove in – and Gabriele Tredozi, my former engineer.

F1 | McLaren-Honda, the announcement this week

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It really is the case that the rain has dampened the waters. On Saturday with the track conditioned by the driving rain that delayed the qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix by more than two hours Zack Brown apparently signed an agreement with Cyril Abiteboul for the supply of the Renault power-unit beginning as soon as 2018.

In this way the collaboration with the colossus Honda would end after three years of great suffering characterized by many retirements and problems, not least those that marked the grands prix at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.

The announcement of the supply of engines and the new partnership could already come within the week, on Thursday.

Honda will try to remain in the Circus and could once again approach Toro Rosso. Six months ago a number of meetings between the two were already reported after Sauber’s waiver (which in turn will continue with the supply of engines from Maranello). As we write, Honda’s Chief of Motorsport Yusuke Hasegawa is apparently flying to Japan to draw up the new program.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Ocon-Perez, Minardi “FIA must intervene”

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The grand prix at Silverstone saw the latest chapter in the heated struggle within the Force India team between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez. The key incident occurred in the thirtieth lap on the very fast section of the track that leads into the Eau Rouge-Raidillon when the Mexican driver touched the anterior left wing of his team mate’s car with the rear right of his car reducing it to bits and puncturing his own tyre.

The contact forced the Race director to put the Safety-car on the track to give the marshals the chance to remove the pieces from a very dangerous part of the track.

“Luckily the two drivers were able to return to the pits and nobody was hurt, but we have reached the point that FIA must intervene in a decisive manner in regards to the two drivers to put an end to the struggle between them before someone is hurt” commented firmly Gian Carlo Minardi.
“It is not the first time that Ocon and Perez have touched and Force India is showing that it is unable to manage the rapport between its drivers. Today it went very well, but it could have put in danger the other drivers or also the public,” concluded the Manager from Faenza, “What we saw went well beyond an on track battle between the two drivers.”

The latest contact cost the Silverstone based team a number of points, finishing the weekend only in ninth place and with two points, even though its fourth place in the Constructors’ championship is still firm.

 

F1 | Gp Belgium. The track favours Mercedes. Minardi “The best defence is to attack”

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With the end of the summer break we are getting ready to start the final part of the championship which has proven to be very balanced. We are nine rounds away from the end and, at least on paper, Ferrari and Mercedes have four favourable grands prix each. The winner will be the one better able to put on track the latest developments and who will make the least errors since, up till now, neither Vettel nor Hamilton have been blameless.

We start with Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, two tracks that favour Mercedes before going to Singapore which could also be the watershed for the drivers’ market. In this final part of the season possible penalties for the replacement of components of the Power-Unit could also come into play. Sebastian Vettel is slightly disadvantaged compared to Lewis Hamilton.

We are coming to a track that is very demanding on both the cars and the drivers with a heavy aerodynamic load and very high speeds.

Traditionally the weather is very variable and for the first time in the Ardennes Pirelli will bring the Ultra-Soft mix. Friday’s free practice will be decisive for studying this mix and understanding the laps it could cover before changing to the harder mixes.

As in Belgium, so at Monza where the first curve will represent an important unknown. Historically the La Source bend has decided the fate of many drivers in the race and where Ferrari lost a championship when Grosjean took off dangerously on Fernando Alonso.

Red Bull could be the third force with Verstappen and Ricciardo ready to steal points by taking advantage of its good aerodynamic load before going all in at Singapore. We will probably not see again the beau geste by Toto Wolff’s men when they gave Vettel three points which could prove decisive.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Minardi “In Formula 1 lacks personalities willing to make a wager”

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The two days of tests on the Budapest track as well as bringing Robert Kubica on track for a official appointment with Renault, the debuts by Luca Ghiotto with Williams and Charles Leclerc (an FDA driver) in the Ferrari and without forgetting the great work completed by Antonio Giovinazzi during the free practice in the Hungarian Grand Prix and at Barcelona for the Pirelli tests also brought attention back to the problems of young drivers to put a place in the top racing category.

With the departure of the Manor team before the start of the season the places available for this year’s world championship decreased to only twenty. It is certainly an ever tighter funnel for the many young drivers climbing the pyramids of the training categories until they reach the new Formula 2.

This time the person feeding the debate was Gunther Steiner. The Haas Team owner – in his second season the F1 –and currently in seventh place on the constructors’ ladder – emphasized the lack of small team such as Minardi which in its 21 seasons was able to launch many young drivers who then went on to confirm their skills in the top teams and writing their names in the winners lists.

“Minardi’s DNA was that of always working with young drivers, beginning in Formula 2 and carrying on this attitude even into Formula 1. However, Minardi worked and wagered non only on young drivers but it also trained mechanics, press officers, technicians and engineers that then found places in the most prestigious teams”

“I have been saying for years that Formula 1 lacks personalities with the will and the capacity to wager on the young by bringing new faces into the paddock. Recently we have witnessed only the important changes of team colours. Personally I established an agreement with Bologna University which advised us of the most deserving students to be placed into the Minardi team structure,” continues the manager, “The top teams that aim for the world title must have in their teams drivers already trained. It is up to the other teams to take on the task of finding or giving experience to the young drivers of the future by finding the perfect mix of experience and talent. Therefore it is vital supporting a Junior Team” remembered Gian Carlo Minardi interviewed at the microphones of the www.minardi.it blog.

In his analysis the manager and chief engineer of the American team commented “When Minardi was there he was almost happy to be last because he knew that he had the duty to bring young drivers into Formula 1. He would surely have preferred being further ahead, but he could live with that because it was their business model.”

Against this the manager from Faenza remembered the successes achieved by his team such as the seventh place in the 1991 world championship and the efforts made by them to make its debut in Brazil on April 4th, 1985.

“In its history Minardi won many important placings despite limited financial resources and even more restrictive regulations. I lived a period in which the starting grid was made up of more than the current ten teams and with points given only to those who finished in the first six places.”

“In addition, we did not have the same protection in the supply of engines and tyres which, as I always said, are black and round. When we finally got the opportunity of having important engines such as the Ferrari (we were the absolute first team to become clients for Maranello) we achieved seventh place in the constructors’ ladder. Other teams needed more years to achieve the same results.

“In order to make our debut in 1985, we had to build our turbo engine (Motori Moderni) fighting against the official houses. In order to continue our adventure in 2000 we bought old Cosworth engines (relabelled Fondmetal at first and then European) whereas today the technical regulations oblige the constructors present to supply more than one team and identical specifications for all in regards to the supply of tyres,” concluded the ex constructor.

F1 | Toro Rosso – Honda. Negative result

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After the about face by Sauber (which currently has a Ferrari engine) which months ago had announced the arrival of the Japanese power unit, despite a preliminary agreement signed by then team boss Monisha Kaltenborn there were rumours in the paddock in Hungary of a possible agreement with Toro Rosso (which currently has a Renault engine).

For Red Bull’s satellite team it would have been an important opportunity since together with the Honda power unit there would have been some important liquidity (as well as the driver Nobuharu Matsushita). In addition, they would have counted in an official motor. An absolute first for Faenza.

“Everything will remain unchanged in 2018. Toro Rosso will continue with Renault respecting the contract in force and Sauber with Ferrari. According to the last words by President Marchionne, Sauber could become Ferrari’s Junior Team. The negotiations between Toro Rosso and Honda were solid, but the Japanese seem to have tired of the constant to and froes. It would have been a great chance for TR being finally able to count on an official engine with a good input of liquidity”

“At the present time Liberty Media cannot allow itself to lose an important constructor such as Honda whose only option is to hope to continue its collaboration with McLaren which in Budapest celebrated sixth place and the fastest lap of the race thanks to Fernando Alonso” commented Gian Carlo Minardi