F.1 – Road to… Hungaroring

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The Hungaroring circuit, where the 10th Formula 1 GP is going to be hosted, is usually compared to a kart circuit due to his very slow layout requiring a strong downforce unlike the two next appointments on the Spa-Francorchamps and Monza tracks.

It’s going to be an insidious week-end due to the high temperatures embarrassing resistance of Pirelli’s Soft and Medium tyres, the little grid of the asphalt and the dust, which is settling in this moment, even because we are talking about a little used track. Another variable will be determined by the tyre settling outside the ideal trajectory and that could create some complications for drivers engaged in overtakings.

Due to the cancellation of the German GP we come in Hungary after three weeks of forced break. We’ll see who has worked in a better way and what newness will have been bring forward. Beyond Mercedes’ supremacy I hope Ferrari could counter attack the recovery of William, which showed strong signals of growth in the last appointments. Maranello is called to show a strong signal to be again the second World championship power even on track.

Behind these two teams the gap is short. It doesn’t take much to change the forces in the field.

Red Bull remains the great riddle of this year. They remain a fearsome entity thanks to their potential even if they are heavily paying the delay of Renault PU. Moreover, they have some complications with the chassis.

Toro Rosso “cousins” signed for the firth place in the Constructor standings. Certainly, thanks to their technical and economical potential, this goal is within their reach. So far they didn’t collect what they deserved.

The fifth position won’t be an easy goal to gain and Force India goes with an advantage of 20 points.

Gian Carlo Minardi

The downside

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The summer of Formula 1 is going to be very hot, because of the overwhelming and devastating power of Mercedes that is creating many problems to all teams, especially to constructors competitors forced into a “mission impossible” run-up. In particular, Honda’s and Renault’s problems are affecting negatively on the results of McLaren and Red Bull.

MCLAREN-HONDA

The situation of the team from Woking is certainly not the happiest. The latest interviews with Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier leaked out new situation for such a famous team, but not new for the small teams that, due to force majeure, had to face it in order to remain in Formula 1.

Dennis said that a team like his certainly can not be satisfied with a client-engine, because he does not guarantee the ability to fight for victory. This is also why the challenge with Honda is born. On the other side, his Racing Director – Eric Boullier – complains that it’s hard to find major sponsors without the results.

After criticizing small teams, now they understand what’s the meaning of having to look for sponsors, occupying constantly the last position. Fortunately, they don’t have to pay for the engine. The small teams, like Minardi, arrive in November still without an engine (for a fee), with tyres to pay and having fond out new companies, then suffer the attacks of top teams’ marketing (McLaren first place). There has always been too much presumption and some Team Principals have never wanted to keep costs down. It’s time to offer mea-culpa. At the same time, an important Mercedes past player has been sighted in the area of Monaco … Whether they’re trying to involve someone else if Honda could not retrieve the desired competitiveness?

RED BULL – RENAULT

On the other side, we have Red Bull, which shows tranquillity against Renault, although the results are below expectations. Luckily for them, they don’t have economic problems because they are a reality that is self-subsidizes. The same goes for Toro Rosso. Anyway, the two companies, with accounts in order, are still suffering heavily on the technical front. In recent days, Christian Horner said that Red Bull is ready to honour the contract in 2016, but that they’re not good at being patient. In 2017 the situation may be different

FERRARI

He starts to leak some nervousness. The victory won in Malaysia came too soon, increasing illusions. Between the Team Principals Maurizio Arrivabene and Jamers Allison betrays little serenity. The novelties are not giving the desired results and Mercedes are moving away. In contrast, we are getting closer to February, when the Power-Units are to be frozen. They must quickly take important decisions concerning the development of PU and, simultaneously, take under consideration the second driver.

From this view – anything but calm-, one senses that something is wrong. But Formula 1 continues to live in his gilded world, as evidenced by the proposals approved in view of 2016 in Mexico City by the World Council. There has been talk of new score for Superlicense, 21 races in the calendar and penalties’ simplifications. Meanwhile, this year we lost the Grand Prix of Germany (thankfully, next year it will return in the calendar). We speak of a nation that is the mirror of maximum expression in Motor-sport (F1 world champions like Mercedes, Audi and Porsche at the top in the World Endurance Championship, Volkswagen in Rally and BMW in DTM) and in the productive sector, as well as being the reference in world economy. Despite all this, no German GP of F1.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F.1 – News for 2016 calendar

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Mexico City World Council established the first moves of the new Formula 1, approving the proposals of F1 Strategy Group.

In short:

– Penalties about the change of power unit have been simplified. The driver who will have to use a larger number of PU, will receive only penalties on the grid and no longer on the track, through stop and go or drive through

– New constructors that enter the Circus can rely on one Power Unit more for each driver. Therefore, drivers will have 5 units per car. Honda will benefit of this change already from 2015. Button and Alonso can, then, rely on one Power Unit more without having to fall back on penalties

– The scoring criteria for drivers to accessing the Superlicense have been modify. The new F.2 and GP2, FIA F3, FIA WEC or Indycar have equal importance. Moreover, there’s also the Formula E

– The new 2016 calendar has been evaluated. The curtain will rise on April 3rd in Australia and will fall down on November 27th in Abu Dhabi, counting 21 Grand Prix in total. Among the most important news, there are the return of Germany (location to be established) and a new entry: the GP of Azerbaijan as the European Grand Prix (Baku). For the weekend of September 4th, instead, the Italian Grand Prix has been confirmed in Monza.

F.1 – Formula 1 of the future will be written in Mexico

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This weekend, in Mexico, the World Council will meet with the intention of designing the Formula 1 of tomorrow.

Circus need clear and stable rules that guarantee the future of Formula 1, getting closer new constructors and fans. “The subject will be the possibility of having two races per weekend and enter a third car for the young drivers. There are many opportunities to take advantage of; let’s hope everything will be considered”, Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes. “I am concerned about some choices that are often made beyond any logic. I hope serious proposals will come out. Fortunately, the idea of refuelling seems to have been shelved permanently”, the manager from Faenza continues, hoping more clarity in the regulations. “The F.1 at the moment is shrouded in considerable uncertainty that does not help. No manufacturer, right now, is so crazy to enter“.

F.1 – Marciello, Fuoco, Ghiotto, Giovinazzi … or Hulk for the future of the Red team

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Getting closer to summer, rumors related to the market-drivers usually start to get more frequent, especially at Ferrari, where Kimi Raikkonen seems to be more and more far away from Maranello. The names alongside Vettel after the “Iceman” are many and all already in the Circus: from the compatriot Bottas, to Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo.

The performance of the British Grand Prix could be a thermometer in this sense, as Gian Carlo Minardi explains us, on www.minardi.it. “Right now, the Finnish of Williams, Bottas, is one of the likely candidates to take Kimi’s place at Ferrari. I honestly do not think it’s the right choice, even after Silverstone. He was always behind Massa and also in the early stages of the race, he was too compliant towards Hamilton”. The choice of the manager from Faenza would fall out of the current grid. “If there’s need to make a choice, it is better to opt for a younger driver, better if he is Italian. We have Marciello, Fuoco, Ghiotto that are doing a good job in GP3, as well as Giovinazzi in the F3 Euroseries. If this is not possible, then I would opt for Nico Hulkenberg, winner, among other things, of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I would change to create the conditions for the future. Ferrari right now can rely on a young Vettel and it will take time to return to the glories of the past. Mercedes supremacy is going to last. The whole team would then be under the leadership of a four-time World Champion, alongside to a young driver to make growing as the man of tomorrow”, Minardi says. “You have to do some bet”. 

F.1 – When rain changes the results

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The checkered flag at the British Grand Prix marks two Mercedes, one Ferrari, two Williams in the top five positions, followed by Red Bull, two Force Indias (with the seventh place for Hulkenberg and the ninth for Perez), one Ferrari in the eighth place with Raikkonen and one McLaren, which closes the score zone.

To date, however, our view is very different, because the forces on track are dictated by the grid and by the positions before the arrival of the rain. We have one Mercedes that can rely on 8-9 dec of advantage on Williams, which rises to 1-1.2 sec against Ferrari. That’s to say: “ages”.

Talking about the race, without rain factor, the result would have been very different. Behind the two Mercedes there would be two Williams showing an intense battle between Vettel and Hulkenberg for the fifth place. Until then, the German driver of Force India was driving very well and he could trouble the compatriot of Maranello. The arrival of the rain and the ability of some drivers have changed the fate of the race. It must be expected that also drivers’ market can be influenced just by what we have seen on the track this weekend.

F.1 – Minardi: “Titles are not won by chance. Well done Hamilton and Vettel!”

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Leitmotif of the British Grand Prix that took place in the temple of Motorsport at Silverstone, is once again Mercedes, which wanted to play “cat and mouse” with opponents. With regard to starts, I am convinced that, in view of the problems accused by Hamilton in Austria and Rosberg during the test sessions, the men of Toto Wolff have used a more conservative mapping of the Power-unit (low speed) than the two Williams and Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India, authors of a flying start.

They left the two Williams “quiet” at the start, until the first stop. By then, Hamilton was perfect, as well as when he decided to open the dances. The icing on the cake came in the final stages, with the entrance to the pits to switch the intermediate compounds in the most propitious moment. In these circumstances, the drivers have the best view of the race and these are decisions that make the difference between a champion and a good driver. The same goes for Sebastian Vettel. The two most titled World Champions have guessed the exact moment to change their tyres; one won and the other gave a podium so far unexpected. This is the proof that the titles are not won by chance.

Two things left me puzzled: the lack of incisiveness of Nico Rosberg – an explanation could be found in Williams’ aerodynamics. Having a low downforce, perhaps it disturbs mainly those who follow it.

F.1 – British Gp: DRIVERS' SCORECARDS

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Let’s give votes to the protagonists of an exciting race thanks to the amazing start of Williams and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and rain, that has reshuffled the cards on the final.

Lewis Hamilton – 10 Despite having by his hands a spaceship, none can deny him full votes this weekend. He was flawless throughout the weekend, unlike his teammate.

Felipe Massa – 9 He was the protagonist of the British weekend. He was the only one to improve in the second stint of Q3 and the author of a stunning start that launched him straight in the lead. Unfortunately, the strategy and a car were not competitive on the wet, denying him the satisfaction of the podium.

Sebastian Vettel – 8.5 Thanks to the rain, he straightened a weekend that was closing far from the first positions, giving an unexpected podium at Red team. He was great to exploit the strategy and to sense the necessity of changing his tyres at the best time, unlike Raikkonen.

Daniil Kvyat – 8 He continues to drive constantly kilometers with a car that suffers, obscuring the star, Ricciardo. Good his final sixth position, for him and Red Bull.

Nico Hulkenberg – 8 Although his not competitive car, he proved to be a driver so far underestimated. Beautiful even his departure. Without the rain, he could also attack Vettel for the fifth place finish.

Carlos Sainz – 7 He was the author of a solid performance until the time of retirement. Once again, Red Bull was forced to give up the points because of the transalpine power-unit.

Nico Rosberg – 7 With the car he drives, he has to do more, especially for Qualifying and for the first part of the race. He grabbed a second place thanks to the strategy of his box and for the errors of Williams. I did not see him such “hunger” as he should be under these circumstances. In wet conditions he was recovering very well for Hamilton, who, however, has correctly predicted the exact moment to enter the pits.

Fernando Alonso – 7 of encouragement because he fought tooth and nail to grab this small point despite a dangerously uncompetitive car.

Valtteri Bottas – 6 He suffered throughout the weekend the “old man”. Whereas he is a possible candidate for Raikkonen’s place at Ferrari, this performance should make him reflect. Too compliant, also against Hamilton. That being the case, I do not see he as a Ferrari driver.

Now we have three weeks of relaxation, where everyone will be called to work overtime.

 

F.1 – British Gp: THE POINT… BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI

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The race started changing the cards on the table, with the two Williams who get immediately the lead in front of Hamilton and Rosberg, authors of a bad start, as well as at Ferrari and that was able to until to keep up with Mercedes right from the first pit-stop.

With tyres changing,Lewis cleared his supremacy up, going to lead the group. With the arrival of rain in the final stages of the race, Williams missed the podium, in favor of Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari. Ferrari guessed the strategy, even if the work to do is a lot, considering the gap accused in Qualifying. A third very important place them back on the podium, but they will have to beware of Williams, which is growing steadily.

Lewis Hamilton showed on track all his British experience, guessing the exact moment to switch to Intermediate compounds, while in this race Nico was not 100% perfect. Very good Felipe Massa, author of an excellent time lap in Qualifying and of a solid race, closed in front of Bottas. Until the pit-stop, he had led the race, and then “give up” to Mercedes and to the rain, in favor of Maranello. It was positive the sixth and seventh positions of Kvyat and Hulkenberg, who led the Red Bull (orphan Ricciardo forced to retire) and Force India to the top. Force India completed the Gran Prix with the ninth position of Perez, behind the SF-15T of Kimi Raikkonen. A small point went to Fernando Alonso, who ended the British weekend of McLaren with the tenth position, after a difficult start, because of Jenson Button’s difficult retirement.

Mercedes has, once again, proved its dominance in terms of Power-Unit, with six cars in the top-ten while Ferrari will have to watch its backs by Williams’ return.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F.1 – Gian Carlo Minardi: “I would like to see again Formula 1 at Imola circuit”

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The days pass and the rumours around the future of the Italian Grand Prix are becoming more insistent. The latest initiative is named after the President of Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni, who through the signature collection – called “Get on track with Lombardy. Sign for the GP in Monza” – is attempting to convince Bernie Ecclestone.

As we know, the contract between Monza circuit and FOA expires in 2016. Meanwhile, in recent weeks Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit has stepped forward, through a delegation headed by the Mayor of Imola Daniele Manca, that have met Bernie Ecclestone. “It can be done. There are good intentions and foundations as well. Imola was a good experience that could revive since 2017. I want that Italy remains at all costs in the calendar of Formula 1. But while Imola contacted me, I don’t know anything about Monza since one month. There is the desire to save the Italian Grand Prix, but money lack“.

One possible alternation with Monza is not bad even for Gian Carlo Minardi, who has commented on the website www.minardi.it: “In these days I’ve read that Imola would usurp the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. My reading key is different and I don’t see it as a negative aspect. Thanks to a new and solid company, Imola has proposed to Ecclestone, so that Italy doesn’t lose its world stage. The Italian Grand Prix is Monza, but if there were any problems, Imola could take over for hosting the Circus. The turnover could also be a viable solution”, the manager from Faenza concluded, “but here discussions of a political nature which go out of my league will open“.

F.1 – Road to Silverstone

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We enter the second part of a championship that now has little to tell in terms of World Champions. Mercedes holds the absolute leadership. There’s just open the internal fight between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. In the latest appointments, we saw Nico being on perfect form than the teammate, who was distracted and nervous. Last year the German driver was very fast, signing the pole position and leaving the victory to the teammate only for the gearbox failure.

It will be a Grand Prix to follow carefully, especially for Williams, which at Silverstone “opened the dances” to a great second part of the season, which gave it the third position among Constructors. The British team will be kept under control in particular by Ferrari that is the second force in field at the moment.

Silverstone is particularly abrasive circuit and for 52 laps Pirelli will bring Medium and Hard compounds. Be careful to the rain that has always been an important feature. Right now, England is crossed by high pressure that could remove the uncertainty of a wet track.

Behind the scenes, the Circus will also talk about drivers-market and I hope it can be taken into account even our young drivers, who are standing out in the preparatory categories, such as Marciello, Fuoco (who made their debut in the post-Austria test sessions), Ghiotto, the winner of GP3 and Giovinazzo that is fighting in the International F.3. Just about young drivers, last weekend I was present at Imola circuit for the ACI Racing weekend. It was interesting both for numbers and also quality, with 40 GT cars and 27 Formula 4 open-wheels, with a grid composed by16 F.4 cars, all close in just 9 dec. Who was sitting in the stands has seen hard-fought races with the drivers of the future in action. The FIA will have to take another step forward since, to date, the jump from F.4 to International F.3 is very wide and we see too often spectacular and dangerous crashes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F.1 – Gian Carlo Minardi: “These regulations have to be changed”

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The Austrian Grand Prix will be remembered not only for the double of Mercedes, but also for the penalties imposed to McLaren, Toro Rosso and Red Bull for exceeding the maximum number of Power Unit (four per season per car). Sum it all together they have touched a record of 70 penalty positions on the grid. Even Jenson Button would have to back 25 positions (in a line-up that counts on 20 cars maximum). It gets a little better his teammates.

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will be forced to change again the engine in view of the Silverstone Grand Prix. Here come another 20 positions of relegation, to which further penalty will be added in the race (drive through or stop and go) whether they fail to succeed in paying them all on the grid. “At this rate McLaren will eventually serve it penalties in the next season. It’s definitely a crazy and too complicated regulation“, Gian Carlo Minardi says. “Fans can’t understand anything and this leads to a dangerous leaving. These regulations should be rewritten and revised. Look what happened to Maldonado. He lost control of his Lotus in the straight out of the wake“. Alain Prost was of the same opinion: “This aspect of the regulation should be changed. The driver has already been penalized because he could not finish the race or qualifying. And he has even to undergo an additional penalty”. Jean Alesi: “Who wrote these rules wants the ruin the Formula 1. Just need to talk to the fans in order to understand how much the public is moving away. To know the rules, it takes a degree in engineering … ” and Carlos Sainz following his son: “People no longer understands what are the criteria that determines the line-up. The rules of Formula 1 are too complicated”.

F.1 – Austrian Gp: DRIVERS’ SCORECARDS

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Nico Rosberg – 9 Like the team mate, in Qualifying he made a mistake, which probably cost him the pole position. He get back a lot in the race, overtaking against Hamilton at the start, flying to the victory by scoring the fastest lap of the race.

Lewis Hamilton – 7.5 Unfortunately the three errors (in Q3, at the start and exiting the pit) play against him, considering the technical potential available. Perhaps this supremacy of Mercedes is the cause of the distractions. It brings the two drivers to exceed and fall into errors. The championship will be played certainly between them and their respective mistakes.

Felipe Massa – 8.5 Good race for him, who successfully defended the third position thanks to his experience, eliminating the technical difference with the Ferrari that managed to close the gap.

Sebastian Vettel – 8.5 What happened in the pits is certainly not his fault. Author of a perfect weekend, he suffered a problem of construction that had already slowed Raikkonen early in the season. After recovering Massa, he failed to pass him, even because of Mercedes PU’s the supremacy.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.5 Nice weekend and a good race for him, who ended with important points and the sixth place for Force India, which extends its lead over competitors.

Pastor Maldonado – 7.5 Once again he gave us a great show, losing control of his car on the straight, and then retrieve it. He prevailed over Verstappen.

Max Verstappen – 7 He lost the comparison with Maldonado, but he brought new points to Toro Rosso. His overtakings were exciting, without making mistakes. He is up to this F1 despite his young age.

Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo – 7 They have fought bringing home important points for their teams. Sergio Perez closed an important comeback with two points that complete the good weekend of Force India. Daniel Ricciardo was the last of the top-10, despite Red Bull in difficulty on the straights because of Renault.

Kimi Raikkonen – 4 Like in Canada, he lost control of the car, after being eliminated in Qualifying and starting from the back rows.

The situation at McLaren-Honda was very difficult. For the team, it will not be easy to convince new sponsors and I do not know how long Honda can economically support McLaren. To date, we haven’t seen improvements. On the opposite side, the team with Mercedes engine have resumed oxygen. In the top-10 we find seven teams with German PU and only one Ferrari, one Toro Rosso and one Red Bull.