HISTORIC MINARDI DAY AT IMOLA AND THE DUTCH F1 GP. IT STARTS AGAIN! MAXI SCREEN AT IMOLA

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With the end of the summer break, we can restart with a super weekend of Motorsport and Formula 1. On the one hand, at the Imola Circuit there will be the 8th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, an event that confirms that it is growing, with many cars, drivers and F1 cars (37 the historic F1 cars expected) for two days of fun.

On the other hand, the World Championship starts again from the Dutch GP. It is a particular circuit in which the host Max Verstappen will try to make up for what was lost in the recent rounds. We expect an extremely competitive second half of the championship with three/four teams fighting for the win. It will be interesting to see which new developments will be brought onto the track by all the teams which surely have not been with their arms crossed.

In my opinion, Verstappen and Red Bull remain the point of reference for everybody, but they must be wary of both McLaren and Mercedes.

Mercedes will rely on its reliability, but, above all, on the quality of its power-unit which, in addition to having a consistent number of “horses”, is the one with the lowest consumption

In this moment McLaren can count on the best pair of drivers as shown also by the ladder. If Norris was not perfect in the last few rounds, making fundamental mistakes (especially at the start), Piastri has shown all his worth. As far as I am concerned, I consider him to be one of the best drivers of the new generation, and as he grows, he is able to put another driver who demands respect in difficulty, like Lando.

Zandvoort will be the antechamber to Monza.

Considering the conjunction of the Historic Minardi Day and F1, there will be a maxi screen within the Paddock of the Imola Circuit to follow all the phases of the 15th round of the world championship.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Imola.

Gian Carlo Minardi

THE 8TH HISTORIC MINARDI DAY RETRACES 36 F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH DREAM CARS IN THE PADDOCK BETWEEN VR EXPERIENCES AND PIT-STOP SIMULATIONS

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There are 37 historic Formula 1 cars expected – the absolute record of presences – which will liven up the 8th edition of the Historic Minardi Day scheduled for Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit, spanning 36 years of the World Championship.

It starts from the 1975 Embassy Hill GH2 – a unique piece constructed by Graham Hill in 1975 for the 1976 Formula 1 season. It should have replaced the previous model, the Hill GH1, born as the Lola T371. The tests in Silverstone and Paul Ricard gave positive results and the team had prepared for a positive season. Unfortunately, the aircraft accident in which Graham Hill lost his life, together with Tony Brise, Archy Smallman and Ray Brimble, led to the discontinuation of the GH2 project – going all the way to the Williams FW33 of 2011, driven by Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello, passing through the Ensign, March, Tyrrell, Shadow, Theodore, Wolf, Merzario, Ferrari, Minardi, Fondmetal, Osella, Alfa Romeo, Arrows, Monteverdi, Prost GP, Dallara, Scuderia Italia, McLaren, Jordan and Jaguar.

Not only Formula 1 cars for a weekend of Motorsport passion.  Almost 400 cars between F.Junior, F. Abarth, F. Italia, F3, F4, GP3, GP4, F3000, Prototypes, historic GT cars, and GTS will liven up the fifteen daily sessions on the track, also thanks to the important and decisive contribution of the Scuderia Tazio Nuvolari, Scuderia del Portello Alfa Romeo and the R.I.A.R (Registry of Italian Alfa Romeos). The parterre will be enriched by the ACI Historic Festival through the Terre di Romagna (Lands of the Romagna) rally, an event organized by the AC Ravenna in collaboration with ACI Storico, scheduled for Sunday. There will be no lack of incredible Supercars and Hypercars branded Pagani, Dallara, Lamborghini and Pambuffetti. The Historic Minardi Day is the occasion to admire up close, amongst other cars, Pagani Zonda S, Pagani Zonda F, Pagani Utopia e Pagani Huayra Roadster BC.

Fun facts: the oldest vintage car is the 1953 Lancia Aurelia B20. Amongst the more recent, we point out the Ferrari SF90, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Lotus Elise S3 S CR and Tesla Plaid.

There will be many novelties in the Paddock. Thanks to IMOLA VR EXPERIENCE (the Digital Lighthouse stand), the fans will be able to personally dive into the excitement of a unique, totally immersive and involving experience: a lap of the track alongside Gian Carlo Minardi to discover one of Italy’s most important circuits thanks to the VR Oculus visor technology. Thanks to the images recorded with an innovative filming system – a movie camera equipped with 8 wide angled stabilized lenses fixed beside the driver through a special support – it can capture a 360° immersive image in real time, you have the possibility of exploring the Imola circuit and discovering its main features through the voice of its constructor himself.

For those who want to dress like a mechanic, they will be able to put their skills to the test in the “pit-stop” area with a simulated pit-stop. The Dino Paoli-AWA (Automotive Women Association) Stand will host a Formula 1 racing car for the change of tyres (times 9.30am – 12.30pm / 3.30pm – 6.00pm). The experience will require registration on the spot and participation at the briefing.

Due to the conjunction with the Dutch F1 GP a maxi screen will be set up to follow all the sessions of the fifteenth round of the world championship. In addition, there will be a screening of an episode of the documentary series dedicated to the life and career of Roland Ratzenberger made by the German director Peter Levay.

Not to be missed will be the appointments at the Conference Room (https://www.minardiday.it/intrattenimento/) – beginning 10 10.00 am until 5.30pm – with many book presentations, conferences, lectures, Talk-shows on the history of the Cosworth engine, a screening of the documentary series dedicated to the Andrea Moda racing team, and award ceremonies.

The gates of the Imola circuit will open on Saturday 24th at 8.30am with the first track session – dedicated to the track days – starting from 9.00am with the engines switching off at 6.30pm. At 12.30am and 4.00pm the engines of the F1, F2, F300 e GP2 will be switched on, preceded by the Historic GT cars, prototypes and the minor formulas (F. Junior, F. Italia, F3, GP3…). Download the weekend programme here (https://www.minardiday.it/portfolio-items/programma-in-pista/)

Do not miss the chance to see these fantastic cars up close, we remind you that the tickets can be purchased through the circuit, Ticketone (https://www.ticketone.it/artist/historic-minardi-day/).

BIG MOTORSPORT NAMES EXPECTED TO FEATURE ON THE EIGHTH EDITION OF THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY, TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT ON TICKETONE

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There will be more than thirty champions and protagonists of Motorsport on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August who will come to the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit on the occasion of the eighth Historic Minardi Day (tickets can be bought on the website www.ticketone.it, and in the authorized Ticketone outlets and the Circuit’s ticket booths.

It will be an opportunity to meet people who wrote important pages of worldwide motorsport, and who have always been linked to the world of Minardi. Not missing on the Historic Minardi Day will be: the President of ACI, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, engineers Aldo Costa and Gabriele Tredozi,  CEO of Aprilia Massimo Rivola, Alessandro Nannini, Andrea Levy, Arturio Merzario, Benito Battilani, Beppe Gabbiani, Carlo Facetti, Fabio Babini, Francesco Bergami, Frits Vaan Eerd, Fulvio Maria Ballabio, Gabriele Lancieri,  Gianni Giudici, Giorgio Francia, Giovanni Lavaggi, Lamberto Leoni, Luca Badoer, Marco Antonelli, Marco Apicella, Massimo Ciccozzi, Miguel Angel Guerra, Pietro Corredig and Sonia Borghese, Nicolò Piancastelli, Pierluigi Martini, Paolo Delle Piane, Raffaele Giammaria, Riccardo Patrese, Roberto Farneti, Roberto Ravaglia, Sergio Campana, Siegfried Stohr, and Thierry Boutsen. Amongst the protagonists there will also be the famous illustrator and cartoonist “Matitaccia” Giorgio Serra, and the young Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Brando Badoer.

Points of interest: there have been a few former racing drivers who have come back to wear the overalls and helmet on the occasion of the Historic Minardi Day. Some are Emanuele Pirro who in 2017 took the wheel of the Minardi M198 for the first time, Gaston Mazzacane who returned to the wheel of “his” Minardi M02, and Gian Carlo Minardi in turn driving the M192—Lamborghini. In the 2018 edition the then technical director of Mercedes AMG F1, Aldo Costa, took to the track with the Mercedes W04. In 2020 Riccardo Patrese warmed the hearts of the many fans present by returning behind the wheel of “his” 1991 Williams FW14.

In 2023 Thierry Boutsen thrilled the crowd by taking to the track aboard the Ferrari 312 T5 #2 formerly of Gilles Villeneuve, engineer Gabriele Tredozi drove the Minardi PS04B, and engineer Aldo Costa took to the cockpit of the Dallara Stradale EXP, as did the World Rally champion Miki Biasion, Gianni Morbidelli at the  wheel of Pier Luigi Martini’s Minardi M189, Miguel Angel Guerra of Vittorio Brambilla’s March 761, alternating with Roberto Farneti, Arturo Merzario returned behindthe wheel of the Lucchini Alfa Romeo (Scuderia del Portello). Never missing is Pierluigi Martini, accompanied by his Minardi M189, the perfectly restored Tyrrell P3402 and P34/07, by the Ralt RT30 Ford-Cosworth and the Ferrari 126 C4 formerly driven by Michele Alboreto in 1986.

F1 | GP BELGIUM , THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “CRAZY COMPETITIVENESS. GREAT RUSSELL. YET ANOTHER MISTAKE BY NORRIS”

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We are now in the fourth year of a regulation that is coming to its end, and it is giving us fascinating and very combative grands prix, the result of an upwards compaction of the performances, with more pretenders to the podium and the win.

In particular, Spa-Francorchamps, a demanding circuit for cars and drivers, gave us a classic with three drivers (Russell, Hamilton and Piastri) within little more than a second (1.173s) and the first six within less than 10 seconds.

George Russell was excellent in believing in himself and the duration of the tyres, taking the win ahead of his teammate who completed the Mercedes one-two. Behind them a very good Oscar Piastri who is putting all his worth on show. On the other hand, when you win the F3 and F2 championships, in your first year, you have already shown your talent. Furthermore, he sat out a year waiting for the seat to be freed. He is no less than Lando Nonda (sixth place for him), once again, the protagonist in the negative at the start. The summer break probably comes at the right time. He will have time to think about the mistakes he made.

The only fault for the Australian was the mistake in the pitstop. Having arrived slightly long – luckily without hurting his mechanic – he lost about two seconds. Considering that he finished six tenths of a second from Hamilton and 1.1” from Russell, we could have witnessed a different finish. We are seeing a very different phase of the championship in which the slightest slip-up can really cost a lot. The challenge is in thousandths of a second, also concerning the updates.

It was also a positive race for Charles Leclerc, finishing barely 8.5” from the leader. An unexpected result I would say, especially in these hot conditions. Seventh place for Carlos Sainz, 19” from the leader. He played all his cards to bring home the best result.

It was a disastrous result for Sergio Perez. Starting in the front row, he finished only eighth. Paying a gap of more than 43”, but above all behind Max Verstappen, who started in eleventh place and finished fifth, with a gap of more than 30”. I do not know what decision they will make, but the standings are getting shorter. Red Bull’s lead over McLaren has been reduced to 32 points.

It was a more than positive result for the reigning world champion. In such a competitive grand prix he managed to climb up to fifth place.

Now we are all going on holiday. The appointment is for Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August with the 8th edition of the Historic Minardi Day  at the Imola Circuit in conjunction with the Dutch Grand Prix. At Imola there will be maxi screens available also in the Paddock area to follow all the phases of the 15th round of the F1 World Championship in the best way possible, experiencing a weekend of international Motorsport amongst incredible historic F1, GP2, F300, F3 and F.Italia racing cars, GT cars, prototypes, Hyper cars, and also much more.t. Therefore the victory was awarded to Lewis Hamilton, with Oscar Piastri 2nd and Charles Leclerc 3rd completing the podium.

[UPDATE] All this before the disqualification given to George Russell. At the end of the GP, his car was found to be underweight. Therefore the victory was awarded to Lewis Hamilton, with Oscar Piastri 2nd and Charles Leclerc 3rd completing the podium.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 F1 | GP BELGIUM, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN MUST HELP THE TEAM, NOT ATTACK IT”

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From Hungary we quickly pass to Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps. A circuit absolutely the opposite compared to the Hungaroring. It is very fast and long with its 7,004 metres and just as demanding for the cars and the drivers. The unknown factor of the weather is not to be underestimated. On the Friday and the Saturday, the chance of rain is around 50%, lowering to 20% for the Sunday.

We come quickly to this round after the episodes that marked in a particular way the final part of the race in Budapest. Now Verstappen should be trying to lead the team, rather than attacking it badly with inappropriate team-radio and acts on the track certainly unworthy of a three times world champion. He is the tip of the iceberg. After years of unchallenged domination, he must help the team, as he has already done in the past, and as he certainly knows how to do.

In my opinion, today Red Bull and Verstappen are still the point of reference, even if behind them is a McLaren in great shape that is proving to be competitive in many different conditions. With last weekend’s one-two, it overtook Ferrari in second place on the constructors’ ladder and is trying to put its sights on the leadership that is running with only one driver.

With the Hards Ferrari had been the fastest car with Leclerc, before switching to the mediums.  It remains to be seen if they will be able to repeat the performance as Pirelli has brought the C2-C3-C4.

In the meantime, came the news of Mattia Binotto joining Audi’s programme. An operation that could be very attractive for some technicians now working at Maranello. 2026 is approaching quickly and all the teams are committed to reinforcing their departments, especially on the engine front. In September, Vasseur will announce the new organizational chart.

And talking about the engines, Alpine could be leaning towards the Mercedes engines. If this is the case, it could be a sign of a sales negotiation.  It would be strange to think that a team linked to Renault using a Power-Unit of a competitor, but at the present time it is hard to interpret these rumours.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP HUNGARY,THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUNISHED. A DANGEROUS MANOEUVRE AND SHAMEFUL TEAM-RADIO. MCLAREN IS TO BE APPLAUDED”

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The Hungarian weekend and grand prix were certainly interesting, and it was entertaining right from the start. At the start Piastri-Norris-Verstappen got to the first bend side-by-side, with the Australian taking the lead of the race by overtaking his teammate and poleman Norris. Verstappen having gone long, ceded the position he gained to the British driver-to avoid a possible punishment – and McLaren returned to the top two positions.

With a “questionable” undercut, but at the time, he was protecting the team from any attacks by Red Bull and Mercedes. Norris overtook his teammate and leader.  From that moment on there were severable discussions between the teams and drivers, but in my opinion the correct decision was made. Norris returned the lead to his teammate who went onto his first career win in F1. McLaren is mainly fighting for the constructors’ rather than the drivers’ title. We are talking about a team growing strongly that at this time has the best chassis in this configuration, as shown by the results in free practice, qualifying and the race, together with the best engine – Mercedes – of the lot.

We are seeing a marked change in the forces on the field compared to the start of the season with Red Bull encountering a few too many difficulties.  If, on the one hand, one driver is missing, Perez, on the other hand, there is a highly nervous Verstappen who made a very dangerous manoeuvre that deserved an exemplary punishment. Compared to Hamilton (who took his 200th podium) he committed an infraction that is not worthy of a three-times world champion (and not even the first this year).

It is especially shameful to hear that team-radio against his own team that, in the last three seasons, delivered an unbeatable car into his hands. Instead, today he must put his own spin into it. He has an important lead – he has a 76-point lead over Norris – which he must preserve on the track. He cannot and must not allow himself to swear in that way.

A positive fourth position, 19 seconds behind, for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc. Carlos Sainz sixth behind Verstappen. It is a result to be read in a positive light, even if their performance is quite inexplicable. From lap 29 to lap 36 the driver from Monte Carlo was one of the fastest on the track. At that time, he had the hard compounds. Let us hope that Maranello will be able to identify the problems encountered.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – JULY 21: Race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and PREMA Racing (4) celebrates on the podium during the Round 9 Budapest Feature race of the Formula 2 Championship at Hungaroring on July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)

The Sunday started with the wonderful win by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Formula 2, the second of the season that launched the Prima driver into sixth place on the ladder, on his debut in the championship.

I await with trepidation the Spa-Francorchamps weekend in a week’s time.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP HUNGARY, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MERCEDES HAS MADE THE MOST OF THE DEVELOPMENTS”

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Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) Minardi PS04B.
Formula One World Championship, Rd13, Hungarian Grand Prix, Practice Day, Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary, 13 August 2004.
DIGITAL IMAGE

Formula 1 has arrived in Hungary for the turning point of the world championship. This weekend will see the start of the second half of the season which promises to be very hot with an open battle between three teams. Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes.

is a track with a very high downforce, and it is the second shortest track of the world championship after Monte Carlo. Amongst other things, the track is not used much during the year. This is precisely why it will not be easy to choose the tyres, and the performances will change positively from session to session. The track is not very severe for tyre wear. In fact, Pirelli has brought the softest compounds, C3-C4-C5.

In the latest grands prix, the updates introduced by Ferrari did not pay off, unlike Mercedes – which personally is optimizing the developments in the best way possible – and McLaren which has always been at ease on tracks with high downforce. On the Constructors’ ladder, Ferrari has only a 7-point lead over McLaren and 83 over Mercedes, the winner of the last 2 GPs. It remains to be seen whether it will be able to defend itself

Verstappen and Red Bull certainly remain the point of reference and everyone will race to defeat them, which has already happened this year.

An important rival, above all for reliability, will be the high temperatures. Entering the second half of the season possible penalties for changing Power Units and the components will also have to be taken into account. Before the summer break they will go to Spa-Francorchamps (26-28 July), a track that is very tough on the engines, followed by Holland (23-25 August) and Monza (30 August – 1 September), another selective track. And let us not forget the Historic Minardi Day at Imola on the 24th and 25th August

The last few days have also been characterized by the drivers’ market. In particular, Haas has rejuvenated its line-up, betting on the experience of Ocon (born in 1996) and on Oliver Bearman (2005), as well as having extended the collaboration with Ferrari until 2028 for the supply of the Power Units. The team wanted to give an important signal of peace of mind and continuity.

Carlos Sainz remains the needle of the scales of the latest movements, who interests, in particular, Williams, Alpine and Audi. At Monza we will probably have further details.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | BRITISH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “WE ARE WITNESSING THE REHABILITATION OF F1. AN ELECTRIFYING RACE”

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Silverstone, also thanks to its absolutely unpredictable weather, gave us an exciting grand prix and, together with the great work of the teams, we are about to experience an electrifying second half of the championship.

It was the second win in seven days for Mercedes, but this time won on the field, from George Russell’s pole position to Lewis Hamilton’s win. Both drivers were competitive for the whole weekend monopolizing the front row of the grid. Too bad only for Russell’s retirement, but it was a positive result, and the merit goes to Allison. Like in McLaren whose team principal Andrea Stella must be congratulated, also for his very realistic comments after the race.

Unfortunately, McLaren once again made mistakes that were decisive for the final result, mistakes which were dictated from the inexperience of becoming a winning team once more. Too bad for both Oscar Piastri who was “sacrificed” on the occasion of the pitstop, and for Lando Norris. It was good race on their part, but they could have done more.

Once again Ferrari missed out and had to be satisfied with Carlos Sainz’s fifth place. Just like Mercedes found the crux of the matter, I wish the same for them. May they go back to fighting for the win with Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes to entertain us even more.

Two leading actors like Russell and Leclerc were missing, and Albon and Tsunoda took advantage by completing the points zone behind the two Aston Martins (that returned to the points zone) and an excellent Niko Hulkenberg in the Haas. The fight for the points zone also intensified in the back.

In Red Bull the usual Max Verstappen kept his honour high, while Sergio Perez tripped up on monumental mistakes. Today’s race, which was also the result of a mistake in qualifying, can in no way be judged.

In short, we are witnessing the rehabilitation of Formula 1 and I like this very much. To be applauded, as always, is the competence of the extraordinary English public.

The unpredictability of Silverstone with its highs and lows made us rejoice even more for Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s win on Saturday, his first in Formula 2. A win that came in even more particular and complicated conditions compared to what we saw on Sunday.

He showed us all his worth, reminding me of drivers of times gone by. Hats off to him.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BRITISH GRAND PRIX GIAN CARLO MINARDI “A FIERY WEEKEND”

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Silverstone, the British Grand Prix, twelfth round. We await a fiery weekend on a track that is not easy. It will also be interesting to follow the grand prix also because of what happened during the final laps between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austria.

Silverstone is a tough track for both the drivers and the tyres with the front left particularly stressed in the three very fast bends – Maggots, Becketts and Chapel – where they also reach 5g of lateral force. Pirelli is introducing a new compound, a first step in light of 2025 to withstand more stress.

The car of reference remains Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, even if McLaren is approaching very quickly. In Austria both Verstappen and the team were not exempt from mistakes, and this gave us a heart stopping finish, unfortunately ending with the collision that cost the British driver his retirement.

In the last five rounds, (from Imola to the Red Bull Ring) McLaren has put together 144 points, against the 132 of Mercedes, the 116 of Red Bull (that practically races with only one driver) and Ferrari’s 104.

We go back to the traditional programme, with three sessions of free practice, qualifying and the race. The Teams and drivers must prepare themselves as well as possible for the unknown factor of the weather.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “TRA BETWEEN TWO LITIGANTS….RUSSELL WON”

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It had been a while since saw such a tight and aggressive Verstappen. In this grand prix we saw the Verstappen of yesteryear. On several occasions I saw him very incorrect, and I noticed a certain condescension in his regards,

In the collision with Norris not only did Verstappen touch him, but once he understood that he had punctured, he deliberately swerved to stop him completely, resulting in Norris’ retirement. He was probably unnerved by this McLaren in top form. Previously, he had already, even if not so blatantly, gone wide under braking to defend himself from the McLaren driver’s attacks. He should have been penalized earlier

It was a pity because we could have seen ten heart stopping laps. It will certainly be a good omen for the continuation of the season and in view of next week’s round at Silverstone in England.

George Russel took advantage of it brilliantly, taking Mercedes to the win. For him and Mercedes it was a positive weekend that legitimized them as the current third force of the world championship.

An unhoped for third place for Ferrari. Very good Sainz, who defended third position behind two cars faster than him. Pity for Leclerc’s first lap in the episode with Oscar Piastri. Definitely a race contact, but the driver from Monte Carlo seemed too optimistic. He can consider himself satisfied with eleventh place, the result of a positive come back, but there is certainly a lot of work to do in Maranello. Beyond what we read in the Constructors’ ladder, the track tells us that they are the fourth force behind Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes.

It was a fantastic race by the two Haas who said goodbye to Austria with sixth and eighth place – very important points. Profiting from Norris’ retirement were Daniel Ricciardo, an excellent ninth place for the Racing Bulls, and Gasly, tenth with Alpine. They harvested important points which, in normal circumstances, would not have been within their reach.

They will back on the track in a week’s time with the twelfth round at the historic Silverstone circuit.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MCLAREN IS THE ANTI-VERSTAPPEN”

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This weekend the Formula 1 world championship stops at the Spielberg Circuit where the Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled.

We are going to the “home” of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, together with his RB20, is certainly the man to beat, even if he does not seem to have the best car at this time. As Perez’s results show, it is the Dutchman who makes the difference by leading the team.

At this moment McLaren the team most in form seems to be McLaren that continues to grow, even if it is not free from blunders as happened in Barcelona. Behind them we find Mercedes, on the rise, and Ferrari, called upon to give a decisive turn to its season to safeguard second place on the constructors’ ladder.

Amongst the second ranked teams, if, on the one hand we have a growing Alpine, on the other hand, Aston Matin seems to have lost its bearings in the latest rounds.

We come to a very fast track that is run in little more than a minute (in 2023 Verstappen took pole with 1:04.391). With its 4,315m it is the third shortest track behind Monte Carlo and Interlagos, in which there are only 10 bends and 2 straights. It is in the Alps at about 660m above sea level. It is a mix of “important” climbs and descents with a difference of 63.5m between the highest point and the lowest point (second only to Spa-Francorchamps), with gradients of up to 12%.

Tyre wear is not the highest and Pirelli brought its softest compounds C3-C4-C5. Traction coming out of the slow bends will be a major factor, just like stability in braking.

The Red Bull Ring sees the Sprint format back on stage with qualifying after the single session of free practice and the Sprint race on Saturday, followed by qualifying which will decide the starting grid of the Grand Prix scheduled for 3.00pm Sunday. A weekend with a lot of points up for grabs.

Once again qualifying will be an important part of the weekend.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SPAIN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN IS A JACKHAMMER, EVEN WITHOUT THE BEST CAR”

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Even without having the best car Max Verstappen won once again. The Dutchman confirmed that he is a jackhammer by covering the many laps with the same pace, outclassing his teammate who crossed the finish line almost a minute later.

Serio Perez constantly ran six tenths of a second per lap slower, like in qualifying. Despite a different strategy, the results did not change. Certainly, the worth of this Red Bull is not that of Perez, but neither is it that of Verstappen who puts a lot of his own into it.

Currently, the ladder clear with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari the fourth force of the world championship. McLaren paid for its inexperience because, even if they are a strong team they are not yet ready to win because they make mistakes. The team made some important gifts to its direct rivals, in both the pitstops and terms of the strategy. Despite this, Norris finished just 2”2 from the Dutchman.

We have a fiery second half of the season (we have 3 drivers within little more than 30”) ahead of us, characterized by minimal gaps which if, on the one hand they lead to less overtaking and fewer exciting races, on the other hand, we can get excited in qualifying where it takes nothing to lose important positions.

In fact, the Grand Prix was not particularly absorbing, expect for some important overtaking. With great ability Russell managed to gain three positions, taking himself to the lead after the first corner. Just like, the challenge between Norris and Russell won by the McLaren driver.

On the Ferrari front, fifth and sixth place. With Leclerc, the engineers tried to liven things up by changing the starting strategy, with no luck. There is nothing to say about the contact between the two drivers. It was a race contact.

An incredible step forward by Alpine. Undoubtedly there is more order between the drivers who do not lose precious time getting in each other’s way. Qualifying was excellent, with the potential was fulfilled even in the race.

It was the opposite result for the Racing Bull, probably the protagonist of the most disappointing weekend of the season. Despite the updates installed, they were constantly outside the points zone and in difficulty right from qualifying.

They go back onto the track in a week’s time with the Austrian Grand Prix, which will also host the sprint race.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SPAIN, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “WHO GOES STRONG HERE CAN DO WELL ANYWHERE. LE MANS WILL GIVE FERRARI THE RIGHT BOOST”

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Fernando Alonso(ESP) European Minardi PS01
Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona 26 April 2001
DIGITAL IMAGE

We have come to the tenth round of the calendar, and we are quickly approaching the conclusion of the first half of the world championship. After the Spanish Grand Prix, there will be 14 rounds remaining, practically the number of races that made up the calendars of a few years ago.

Montmelò is a peculiar track, demanding both technically and on the tyre front with Pirelli bringing its hardest compounds, C1-C2-C3. In particular, bends 3, 13 and 14 are very demanding for the lateral G forces. Furthermore, 9 of the 14 are right-handers, so they put more stress on the front left tyre.

We are talking about a track that everyone, drivers and teams, know very well. Normally, the car that goes strongly here also adapts very well to other tracks. Precisely for this reason, this will be a very important test for everyone.

Of course, the duo of reference remains the pairing of Red Bull-Verstappen. The characteristics of the track suit the configuration of their racing car very well, but it will be just as important to observe Ferrari after a difficult weekend in Canada., as well as to verify the confirmation of McLaren, and assessing the progress by Mercedes.

After the disappointment of Montreal, last weekend Ferrari may have been revitalised by the repeat win at the 24 Ore of Le Mans with its 499P Hypercar. A win achieved by having the better over eight manufacturers involved in the premier class. A result that will certainly also give the F1 sector the right stimulus to continue growing.

In the last few days, the Federation has opened the doors to the maximum category also to the deserving seventeen-year-olds. After the entry of Max Verstappen, who has amply demonstrated he deserved the place, the same FIA has set the minimum age to enter F! at 18.

I believe it is more correct to evaluate the results on the track, rather than on age. If the youngster demonstrates the right qualities by conquering on the field, through the selective FIA brand championships, the points for accessing the Super License, it is fair that he has his chance to put himself on show, obviously after having run the minimum number of kilometres at the wheel of an F! car. I have read that this operation may have been made to facilitate the entry of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Let us not forget that he will come of age in August, so it is not far away. In addition, he has amply demonstrated with facts that he deserves entry to the major category. Before him, the same Russell, Piastri, and Norris (to name but a few) had put themselves on show, also confirming themselves in F!, Let us welcome this change to the regulations.

Gian Carlo Minardi