Archive for category: F1

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

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.

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.

We are in the second half of the season and in two weeks the motors will once again be turned on after a summer break that is only outwardly silent. Ferrari will go to Spa-Francorchamps in a strong position after the first and second places won in Budapest. It was an important testing bench for Maranello which it passed brilliantly and with full marks since it happened on a track that was favourable for it.

Now we await nine grands prix which, always on paper, four favour Mercedes and four Ferrari with Malaysia being the unknown quantity. It will surely be important for the men in red to arrive at the last appointment in Abu Dhabi with a good lead over the rivals. It will begin with two weekends labelled Belgium and Monza which will be pro Mercedes. Vettel will try to defend his place at the top of the ladder (14 points ahead of Hamilton) and with Mercedes that leads the constructors’ ladder with a 39 point advantage over the pair of drivers with the prancing horse.

Traditionally these two legs are important stages in the drivers’ market and this year will not be an exception with Vettel’s place being the true focal point. Ferrari apparently has placed nn the German’s desk a multiyear contract worth 120 million dollars in order to ensure its favourite who, on the other hand, could be persuaded for an extension of only a year.

Possible pair Vettel-Hamilton

The results of the next races will decide Vettel’s future in Ferrari and Singapore could represent the watershed for the drivers’ market. If the world championship should not go well the contract renewal would be difficult. In House Mercedes Valtteri Bottas’ renewal has slipped to mid September despite the fact the Finn is in the fight for the title. Vettel’s arrival at Brackley together with Hamilton would not be so improbable considering that Toto Wolff’s men have shown that they know how to handle two world champions who won together three world titles. Despite his four titles with Red Bull the German is still “hungry” and if 2017 should go badly the renewal would be difficult. Only the contract sum would not be enough.

Robert Kubica is chomping at the bit

The tests in Hungary gave us various positive points and signals. One of these was certainly the return of Robert Kubica in an official appointment, six years after his terrible crash in rallying. The Polish driver put together 142 laps at the wheel of the Renault making the fourth fastest time of the day and causing a fair bit of disarray in the French team.

Luca Ghiotto and Antonio Giovinazzi. Laudable work.

In the days after the grand prix in Hungary even Italy’s colours smiled. Luca Ghiotto at the wheel of the Williams at Budapest and Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel of the Ferrari in the Pirelli tests figured well accomplishing their tasks with full marks and completing the day’s full programme. For Ghiotto it was his debut at the wheel of an F1 car and he managed to put together the distance of nearly three grands prix. They deserve a moment of peace.

Stroll is ready to buy Force India

There are rumours that Lawrence Stroll (father of Lance) is interested in Force India which over the last two years has shown that it is the fourth force in the world championship despite its financial difficulties. This could further upset the market, tied with the eventual retirement of Felipe Massa. If this is the case Stroll junior would leave Williams, taking the place of Sergio Perez or Esteban Ocon (a Mercedes driver as is Pascal Wehrlein currently driving for Sauber).

Keep an eye on the young Frenchman Charles Leclerc who in Budapest set the fastest time at the end of the first day of tests at the wheel of the SF70H, attracting the attention of a number of team owners. Even Sauber, ready to become a Junior Team Ferrari, expressed words of praise. In short, there is much meat on the fire.