F1 | Gian Carlo Minardi "Ferrari tension. Red Bull in the ascendant"

Early in season, Ferrari presented itself at the start as the main rival of Mercedes, but six GP have been enough to downsize the situation drastically.Starting from the first Australian event, the superiority of the Silver Arrows of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has been clear, just as the hesitation of Maranello.

Anyway, Red Bull has added itself. Backed by an excellent chassis with an extraordinary aerodynamics and by a good power unit, it was able to get back on top at every race up till the win with Max Verstappen in Spain. The coming of the very young Dutchman has contributed to give a boost to Daniel Ricciardo who signs the pole position in Monaco thanks to a perfect lap. Unfortunately, for the second time it was the pit that has ruined his race, delivering the win in Hamilton’s hands.

“Mercedes, independently from some reliability problems and mistakes, proved to be again an unapproachable car. Moreover, when it is vulnerable, Red Bull strategy fails. In Monaco, like in Spain, it is Ricciardo who lost the top of the podium”, Gian Carlo Minardi explains.The Italian-Australian did not spare criticism towards the team. “In some circuits Red Bull exceeds Ferrari thanks to an excellent chassis, in spite of an engine that still leaves some “horses” in Maranello. From the beginning of the season, the SF16-H has not proven to be that perfect weapon to defeat the reigning German World Champions. Many times, we have stressed how the gap is unchanged.The situation for Milton Keynes is the opposite. After a difficult 2015, they are bridging the gap”, the manager from Faenza continues.

The fourth place of Sebastian Vettel in Monaco behind Perez’ Force India, and the third Spanish place are results that begin to become uncomfortable for the German. “A strong irritability shows through the team, especially from Vettel who has also changed his declarations toward the team drastically. The young man paws the ground and starts to feel tight in his positioning. Maurizio Arrivabene, for his part, continues to point Mercedes, but a potential third place in the World Championship would be a defeat”.

Montreal could be an important testbed for both Ferrari and red Bull. “We’ll have the same tire compounds used in Monaco and the weather could affect the choices. Thanks to the long straights, the chassis and the aerodynamics have a central role, as the brake system. Red Bull will try to fill the gap of power with the goodness of Adrian Newey’s design” Minardi ends.