F.4 – Joao Vieira, 10 points at Magione to improve

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The fourth round of the Italian Championship F.4 powered by Abarth – held at the Magione Circuit, in Umbria – is over: for Joao Vieira it has not been a very positive weekend. The 10 points scored, thanks to the fifth place in Race-1, are a less rewarding result comparing to the expectations for this race, for the 16-year-old Brazilian driver.

Race-2 has in fact been compromised by a mistake and by the contact at the first corner, which put an end to the race.

In Race-3 the driver of Antonelli Motorsport had to settle for a thirteenth place, for a mistake at the first corner too. Therefore, the loss of more than ten positions at the first corner has inevitably affected the final result.

“It has been a weekend in which I have not achieved much in terms of results and points and I regret that, but it has been very important in terms of the experience I have gained”, Joao Vieira comments.

“It was an intense weekend, concentrated in just two days of competition and characterized by some inexperience mistakes which affected all three races. I am sure that Joao will build on this experience and the summer break will be useful to recharge our batteries, giving us the strength to finish the season improving our performance, in a finale that promises to be intense”, the Manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

After the summer break, the second part of the season will start on the demanding track “Piero Taruffi” in Vallelunga, on the weekend of September 13th and 14th, 2014.

F.4 – Joao Vieira chasing after another podium

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At the turning point of the F.4 Championship Powered by Abarth, Joao Vieira attacks the podium’s top step on the track of Magione circuit.

After a day of test-driving on the same track on last July 23rd and after great times realized, the 16-year-old Brazilian of Antonelli Motorsport will try to increase his points in raking, to climb back up to the top of it, as he did over the weekend at Mugello, which has taken him from the 19th to the 8th place.

“I can’t wait to get back in the car, because I feel ready to try winning my first race. After the test at Magione circuit, where I immediately had a good driving feeling, I think we can try, even if competition is really fierce”, Joao Vieira says.

“I think the turning point of the Championship is the right time to chasing after the top step of the podium and Joao is doing everything to get into it, between gym and track’s workouts. From the first day he got in the car till today, Joao has improved a lot and, if we consider that he’s one of the pilots with less mileage, I think he has made giant steps, given also the high level and the large number of participants – 22 – we find in this Championship”, the Manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

The curtain will rise on the Umbrian circuit this Saturday, August 2nd with the two free practice sessions (9:50 am and 12:10 pm) and the two Qualifying sessions (4:00 to 4:25 pm), which will define the starting grid of the two rounds of the race (28 ‘+ 1 Lap), starting on Sunday at 9:00 am and at 4.40 pm. In the middle, starting at 12:30 pm, the sprint race (18 ‘+ 1 Lap).

Hungarian GP – Drivers’ Scorecard

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We saw another dazzling GP with many variables and masterfully conducted by extremely deserving pilots; therefore, grading these protagonists is going to be pretty easy.

Ricciardo – 10 For the aggressive race’s behavior and the overtakings on Alonso and Hamilton, made three laps from the end.

Alonso – 10 Perfect race, always on the attack, as if every lap will be Qualifying. He was very smart, taking advantage of the Soft tyres for 31 laps; without a sensational Ricciardo, he would have certainly won this GP

Hamilton – 9 He recovered from the bottom of the starting row and, with an offensive race, he conquered an important podium for the Championship

Rosberg – 8 After an extraordinary Qualifying during the race, he didn’t emerged as in other occasions, but strategy didn’t certainly helped him. Perhaps, if he had changed the Soft tyres two laps before, he could get another result.

Vergne – 8 He struggled in second position, especially in the early laps, and he finally took points to Toro Rosso

Raikkonen – 7 Perhaps, he did the best race of 2014, hoping for gaining some serious points for the Constructors’ Championship

Mass and Bottas – 7 They could not do better, even if they had cars with high-performances, thanks to the stategies’ choices of William – in my opinion, a bit weird

Button – 6 He brought home a point with a car which was in a difficult situation, with a very questionable strategy too

Bianchi – 6 A mark of encouragement, according to the Qualifying in Q1, when he eliminated Raikkonen with a perfect lap

Vettel – 5 Bad start, nervousness and a mistake that could cost him a lot. After a good Qualifying like an ex World Champion, he suffered Ricciardo during the race

Hungarian GP – PREVIEW

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Formula 1 is ready to be back on track, entering into the second half of the season. There are still nine events, one of which Hungary, that is before the long-awaited summer-break during which the teams will be able to recharge their batteries, after a really intense start of the season.

We arrive on a particular circuit, not really different from a Go-Kart track and just 4 kilometers long, where overtaking is very difficult. Therefore, it will be difficult to see again what happened in England and Germany, with amazing overtakings and battles. We are speaking, however, of a track in which it is dangerous to get out of the trajectories and the tyres, given the hot weather, could play an important role. For the occasion, Pirelli will bring the Soft Yellow and White Medium compounds, that have similar performances, with which the teams will play on two stops.

I expect the usual family duel between Mercedes drivers, Nico and Lewis, with Williams ready to consolidate the second place, especially if bad luck will finally abandon Felipe Massa. The track takes some time to rubber-in and placements will be unclear on Friday, since they’re going to improve steadily until Saturday afternoon. Due to the circuit’s layout, Qualifying will play an important role, as starting from the front rows means staying away from any possible contact, mainly in the first two corners.

At the moment, the forces in play seem consolidated with Mercedes, Williams, Red Bull and Ferrari. Then, depending on the track, there can be outsiders in the top ten, such as Force India and Toro Rosso. Maranello will have to slog and Raikkonen will have to pull out the nails to get into the score-zone and help the team.

In 2003, the Minardi F1 Team celebrated, together with some of its pilots, its first 300 races in Formula 1.

In our official FaceBook page you can find a Gallery with pictures of our GPs of Hungary.

German GP – Drivers’ Scorecard

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Nico Rosberg – 9 He showed all seriousness, professionalism and peace of mind needed to lead the World Championship.

Valtteri Bottas – 9 He showed to be the strongest emerging pilot, like Daniel Ricciardo. With his third consecutive podium, he is preparing to attack Alonso’s fourth place.

Daniel Ricciardo – 9 He struggled a lot, creating an amazing battle with Fernando Alonso and demonstrating not only all his talent, but also that he can fight on par with a double World Champion like the Ferrari driver.

Fernando Alonso – 9 Another great race. After Vettel, he changed rival, offering a beautiful show to the public together with the Australian driver of RedBull. He is holding the honor of Ferrari, but nevertheless they have become the fourth power of the World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton – 8.5 For the Sunday’s race; he certainly deserves a 9 too, but his nervousness has sometimes emerged, preventing him from attacking Rosberg seriously. It’s true that he came from a rather serious technical problem on Saturday, but he should be able to manage the tensions, being a World Champion.

Sebastian Vettel – 8 He completed his task, being able to stand before Daniel Ricciardo, that has been slowed by the opening contact between Magnussen and the unfortunate Massa.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.5 He was good, because he brought his Force India in the seventh place.

Jenson Button – 6 He defended with his tooth and nail, despite not McLaren at its best.

Sergio Perez – 6 He also defended well, winning the last available point.

Kevin Magnussen – 5.5 The incident with Massa was not his fault, but he should be more careful.

Kimi Raikkonen – 5 He was very submissive and not really aggressive. At this time, he cannot earn a positive vote.

Formula 1 – 8 Despite Mercedes’ supremacy, they are making us relive the battles of the past. The same vote should be given to the stewards, while Charlie Whiting deserves a 5, not letting the safety car enter the circuit at 19 laps from finish and favouring, thereby, Nico Rosberg.

German GP – PREVIEW

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Formula 1 is ready to arrive in the country of the World Champions in charge coming back, two years later, to the Hockenheim Circuit.

It will be a Grand Prix with several unknown elements, starting from the tyres. Pirelli, which has not run here since two seasons, will have the Soft and SuperSoft compounds that, in the previous appointments, contributed to make more uniform the performances of the competing cars, reducing the difference between Mercedes and non-Mercedes power units. After the last tests, Ferrari seems to have made some progresses, even if at the team they are still keeping their feet on the ground.
We expect a battle at the top between the two Mercedes drivers, with Lewis Hamilton almost forced to stand in front of Nico Rosberg, who recently renewed his contract. The English driver will have to try to cause problems to the team-mate before the team takes internal decisions. Behind them, the outsiders will try to consolidate positions by exploiting the only weak points of the “German Army”, related to reliability. On the front line there will be the “branch” of Mercedes, in other words Williams, with Bottas and Massa. Precisely the Finnish driver could be a bothering rival for Lewis, considering that his manager is Toto Wolff, who is also a shareholder of the British Team. This strategy, as it happens at Red Bull’s with Toro Rosso, should give origin to a reflection also at McLaren’s and Ferrari’s. It’s almost of vital importance to have a “satellite” team, in order to try and test new technical solutions, engineers and pilots.

The “back office” of the race will be very hot because there are several important seats that “burn”, such as Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso. In my opinion, Fernando will weight in the balance mainly the technical guarantees. Knowing him, he’d like to win his third title precisely with the team of Maranello.
In Silverstone, fifteen days ago, we saw a thrilling due between Vettel and Alonso. We hope that this will happen again, regardless of the first consolidated positions. We’re talking about a mixed-fast circuit where the weather could play an important role.

British GP – PREVIEW

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Formula 1 is back in the circuit that wrote the history of motorsport, on a track with a “choreography” and a sports culture that is difficult to find elsewhere. We arrive at Silverstone at a particular time of the season, with an exciting duel going on between Nico and Lewis at Mercedes’.

Rosberg will try to defend himself from a good driver that has always been strong and that can count on the support of his home crowd. We expect again a direct fight, important in the view of the World Championship, with very fast actors, such as Williams and the other cars pushed by the German PU, which will certainly not stand and watch. On the other hand, it’s a difficult moment for Ferrari and Renault, which is experiencing hard days, as we can read also in the various specialized weekly magazines. As we already mentioned in the recent weeks, problems and discussions are on the agenda and something might happen.

The extra variable can be represented, as often happens, by the weather that has historically influenced the final result. On the front of tyres, Pirelli leaves momentarily aside the Soft and Supersoft, relying on Medium and Hard that could change the values hitherto expressed. There might be a return of McLaren, which has always been at ease with Hard. In the last races they have shown signs of awakening with Magnussen, while Button is “entered in the viewfinder” and could be “sacrificed” in view of 2015.

It promises to be a hot summer on the front of riders. At Red Bull’s we have a Sebastian Vettel ready to be dumped, also because of the many young drivers who push to have a chance, such as Kvyat and Sainz J. For a company that lives on marketing, the passing of the baton it’s understandable. Vettel has given all he could give, making his team walking on clouds. We might expect movements at Mercedes’ too, where Hamilton is not happy with his situation. Moreover, we must not forget that Toto Wolf is a shareholder of Williams and manager of Bottas. Therefore, I would not wonder about a possible pair Bottas-Rosberg. The Finnish driver is proving good speed and technical characteristics. As said at McLaren’s, Honda wants a top driver alongside Magnussen. Therefore Button-Vettel-Hamilton-Bottas could really “fire” the market. We expect several “games” between motor homes.

For the Minardi Team, Silverstone is an historical circuit that evokes wonderful memories such as the 5th and 6th are scored by Martini-Sala. Thanks to that fantastic result, we were able to re-enter into the Constructors’ top ten. In those years, being in the top-six was like entering today among the top three of the ranking. An unforgettable result in the history and life of Minardi.

In a few days we’ll be in England, on the Silverstone track, which represents the history of this sport.

Austrian GP – Drivers' Scorecard

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The eighth round is archived, with the new double scored by Mercedes; however, the most important piece of news is the podium of Williams.

Circuit – 10 The highest vote is deserved by the circuit and the organizers, that were able to attract the public of special occasions through a series of promotional events.

Nico Rosberg – 9 Determined and serene in the management of the race. Impeccable.

Fernando Alonso – 9 His best race. He fought with great determination for over 300km, despite a car which is not very competitive. Together with Ricciardo and Raikkonen, he tried to counteract the supremacy of the Mercedes power-unit.

Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa, Williams – 8.5 For what they showed both in qualifying and in the race. Thanks also to the German power-unit, their cars are difficult to overtake.

Sergio Perez – 8 Despite the penalty, he has been able to come back and to score points with his Force India, keeping the fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Daniel Ricciardo – 8 He couldn’t do more than this. He’s one of the few drivers who managed to bring a non-Mercedes powered car among the many German power-units. His car has several problems, which are evident mostly with his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton – 7 At the moment is exactly the opposite of his team-mate. Too nervous. I remain convinced that the error in qualifying is not his fault.

Daniil Kvyat – 6.5 Excellent performance, despite the fact this was  a new track for him. He was able to show his qualities again. Unfortunately, he was “betrayed” by his Toro Rosso.

Kimi Raikkonen – 5 He’s still struggling with the F14-T, such as Jenson Button is doing with his McLaren. Perhaps the use of harder compounds will give a help to the British driver.

Problems have emerged again at Renault’s, certainly leading to new internal meetings. The problem at Renault’s, however, will not have an easy solution.

F.4 – Joao Vieira preparing the second round at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit of Imola

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After the positive debut in the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth, marked by the first points scored at the Adria International Raceway, for Joao Vieira it’s now time for the second round scheduled next weekend at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit.

Waiting for the first green lights of Imola, the 16-year-old Brazilian driver came back at the wheel of Tatuus F4 T014 of Antonelli Motorsport Team at Mugello, signing his debut on the Tuscan track that will host the third weekend of this new series, strongly supported by FIA. For Joao it was an opportunity to get acquainted with the demanding layout of the international track owned by Ferrari, characterized by important slope changes and very fast and blind corners, such ad the “two Angry” (in Italian, “Le due arrabbiate”).

A positive start, that saw Joao firmly occupying the top positions and scoring important time results, with steady improvements at each session. “It has been a very fruitful day and I was positively surprised by the fast adaptation of Joao to the track, considering that he had never seen the circuit before. With the used compounds he was the fastest and only a technical problem denied him the opportunity to sign the best performance with a new set”, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

In preparation of the second round, the 16 year-old driver native of Gurupi moved to the headquarters of the Mestrino based Bhai Tech Advanced Vehicle Science Centre for a session in the simulator. “I’ve had the opportunity to study the track and trajectories. In this way I will have the opportunity to work easily once on the circuit”, Joao Vieira comments. “With regard to the Mugello track, I liked it straight away. A very technical track with fast and difficult corners. The work with the team was focused on the weekend of race”, the Minardi Management’s driver continues. The head, however, is already in Imola. “After scoring points in Adria, the goal is the podium. On the simulator I started studying the track and the ‘Acque Minerali’ and ‘Rivazza’ are the two most demanding corners”, the Brazilian concludes.

The curtains on the weekend at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola will be risen on Friday 27th June with three free practice sessions, in preparation for Saturday’s qualifying (28th June, 11.10 am and 12.00 am), which will determine the starting grid of the two rounds of competition (28’ + 1 Lap), beginning on Saturday at 5.30 pm and Sunday at 4.50 pm. In between, starting at 10.50 am, the sprint race (18’ + 1 Lap).

Austrian GP – Preview

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Formula 1 prepares his return to Austria, on a track that has had a “makeover”: I already had the chance to see and taste it a year and a half ago, during a race of the Italian Championship organized by ACI Sport. We are speaking of a well-structured circuit, with a good organization.
The Grand Prix will be surrounded by a series of promotional events. In the main one, the Austrian drivers who have raced in F1 world will return to step into their historical cockpits: therefore we’ll see Niki Lauda at the wheel of Ferrari 312T and Gerard Berger on 88C, Alexander Wurz on Benetton B198 and our Patrick Friesacher on Minardi PS05.
Red Bull is creating a great media event to watch and follow – they are masters in this kind of things. As I said it is a revisited track, certainly less dangerous than in the past, where the chassis and aerodynamics will be able to give a hand to the home team.

After the interlude in Canada marked by first seal of Daniel Ricciardo, Formula 1 is coming back to Europe. Mercedes has showed its only Achilles’ heel – reliability – that could liven up the World Championship. To say what will happen is not easy. There is a high chance of rain, and traction and aerodynamics will be an important component, as well as the tyres, especially on a dry track. Pirelli will bring in fact Supersoft and Soft. I expect a Mercedes ready to play the hare, with a Red Bull – strongly growing – ready to chase her. Ferrari seemed to be able to surprise us with important innovations, which unfortunately in Montreal have not yielded the expected results.
Do not forget about Williams, Force India and Toro Rosso. Depending on the circuit, or on the pairs pilot-circuit or power-unit-circuit, we might have some surprises. Fifteen days ago we saw a Williams in great shape. Without the inconvenience during the pit stop, maybe Massa could have fought for the first place, also keeping away from the contact with Perez. Who has had the ability to grab the Mercedes power-unit will do the killjoy, especially in the case of a KO of Rosberg and Hamilton.
We hope to live a red-hot and non-programmed final.

Canadian GP – Drivers' Scorecard

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After the Canadian Grand Prix, and the closing of this American parenthesis, it’s time to give some votes.

Daniel Ricciardo – 9 He showed what he’s made: should anyone still had any doubts about him, he must have changed his mind. No doubt, he’s the positive revelation of this season.

Nico Rosberg – 9 He brought home a second place despite a car that during the race experienced some reliability problems. Since qualifying and in the early stages of the race he showed to his team-mate that he’s a tough nut.

Jean-Eric Vergne – 7.5 Excellent qualifying and race for the Toro Rosso driver, who keeps the Faenza’s team before Lotus.

Lewis Hamilton – 7 Unfortunately, for the second time he was knocked out by reliability.

Felipe Massa – 7 Unfortunately, shortly after the race I was misled and in the first comments I put all the blame on him. He was actually the author of a great race, messed-up by Perez.

Jenson Button – 7.5 A good fourth place for the English driver, despite a McLaren not at the top.

In what proved to be the most exciting race of the year, I would give all the others a 6, both as an encouragement and for the show that they were able to create anyway.

To raise their paddles for the teams: I’d give it a beautiful 9 to Red Bull for winning their first race in this 2014, interrupting the supremacy of Mercedes and beating everyone to the draw with the contract of Adrian Newey. A good 8 to Williams and Toro Rosso. One point less for Force India. Unfortunately, the promises have not been followed by facts, and so Ferrari gets a narrow 6, only for its reliability.

Canadian GP – PREVIEW

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We’ve arrived at the seventh round of F1 World Championship and we are fast approaching mid-season. This weekend, Formula 1 flies overseas to Canada, Montreal, before coming back again to the Old Continent with six consecutive races, ranging from Austrian GP (returning this year in F1 calendar) to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

It is a mixed track, halfway between street and permanent circuit, extremely difficult due to high consumption and important breaks. Also, we must not forget the weather issue, with the winds from the two Oceans that might influence the course of the race. We arrive at the circuit named after Gilles Villeneuve, with the hope of seeing Ferrari ready to redeem thanks to the numerous novelties of which we have been hearing so much about. The objective of Maranello has to be the third step of the podium and the second place among Constructors, i.e. the first among the “others”. To do so, however, they need major and constant developments, also because we see a Red Bull constantly growing, ready to chase the invincible Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo is galvanized by the two consecutive podium finishes, but I would not give for missing a four-time World Champion such as Sebastian Vettel, even though, to date, it has happened all that once happened to Webber. At Red Bull’s the atmosphere is certainly not serene, with Adrian Newey ready for a sabbatical year.

In this beginning of the season we have seen starting grids and arrivals consisting of teams’ pairs, with two Mercedes, two Red Bull and two Ferrari, with Williams, Force India and Toro Rosso ready to bring home positions and important points, also taking advantage of errors by the top teams. Even here in Canada, I expect a very similar plot. Excluding the first six places, there are four positions left to complete the Top Ten. The ones more prepared and capable to hit the race will then be the ones to smile, coming back to Europe with a good outcome.

Force India will try to keep the fourth position, with Massa and Bottas ready to overtake McLaren for fifth place.

Bye "Shark", bye Vincenzo

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Today is a sad day for Minardi Team. After a long illness, Vincenzo Emiliani, named by friends “Lo Squalo” (“The Shark”), long time designer of the Minardi team, left us. Together with Eng. Caliri, he was the first designer of the Faenza team, since the days of Formula 2, remaining in the group until the end of the 90s, before moving on to the court of the Japanese giant Toyota.

Today, to accompany him on his last journey, there were many friends of that historical group that with great passion and professionalism contributed to the passage of Minardi Team from F2 to F1.

Bye bye Vincenzo!