Minardi “Monte Carlo should set a trend”

With the free practice sessions, the racing weekend in Monte Carlo has officially started. This GP is rich in history and well known all over the world, as it offer a stunning scenario due to its breathtaking geographical location. You can love or hate Monte Carlo’s street circuit, in any case it is not an ordinary track and qualifying is so important, since overtaking is almost impossible despite KERS, DRS and Pirelli tyres.

Monte Carlo has one more feature that makes its circuit even more unique: racing enthusiasts have the chance to get close to their racing idols and see cars running among buildings and almost touching side walls “It’s not an ordinary track. We race here to entertain the audience who has the chance to see racing cars zipping through the narrow streets of the circuit at 250 km per hour” says Fernando Alonso “The track is a very particular one, as much as the race. We drive a lonely race, since it’s very difficult to overtake. The real battle is the one against time on Saturday and against on-track mistakes on Sunday. During the race drivers have to take car’s mechanical parts under control and avoid crashing against guard rail”. Alonso’s thoughts are echoed by Gian Carlo Minardi, the man who helped the Spaniard to enter F.1 “The atmosphere you have the chance to experience in Monte Carlo is never experienced in any other circuit all around the world. Despite all the barriers which make you feel like being inside a cage, you feel you can touch cars with your own hands. You just tremble to the rhythm of engines. People have the chance to pass by Motorhomes and be so close to their idols. It’s really incredible!!”

The GP in Monaco should be taken as an example to try to bring racing enthusiasts and sponsors closer to F.1. A great amount of money is involved in the world of F.1, but despite that, even F.1 has been affected by the crisis. Many teams won’t be able to stand comparison with top teams to bring the development process of the cars to the end and develop the 2014 racing season’s plan. At the same time, they’ll have to “sell” their seats to the best offerer who is preferably supported by nations. “From this point of view F.1 has to rejuvenate. Between ‘90s and 2000 it was almost impossible to get a pass paddock. It was an honour for sponsor companies to attend F.1 racing events and they were very interested in the world of Circus. Now everything is changed and I think F.1 has to open itself outwards. A race enthusiast wants to have the chance to get close to his idols and cars. Monte Carlo should set a trend”, says Minardi “In Spain on Thursday afternoon, you had the chance to visit paddocks by adding an extra pay. Paddocks were so crowded. TVs have always been privileged from this point of view, as they pay rights. I think that it would be interesting if enthusiasts could have the chance to experience a F.1 day, as far as possible, without disturbing teams’ work. This would facilitate the entry of new sponsors into F.1. Today you see always the same people inside paddocks, along with professionals. F.1 should have been taken to a more human level”, ends the manager from Faenza.