F1 | AUSTRIAN GP GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “MERCEDES IS STILL THE BENCHMARK, BUT KEEP AN EYE ON RELIABILITY”

/in , , /by

Jos Verstappen (NED) Minardi Cosworth PS03.
Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Austrian Grand Prix, A1-Ring, Austria, 16 May 2003.
DIGITAL IMAGE

After having filed away Ferrari’s first win of the season with Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona, the Formula 1 World Championship moves to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, one of the most unique circuits of the calendar. It is a short and very fast crack characterized by constant ups and downs, hard braking and sudden acceleration, where every thousandth of a second can make the difference, and the slightest mistake risks costing places on the grid.

Another element to bear in mind is the altitude. The 660m above sea level, together with the high temperatures forecast for the weekend, will put the power units, cooling systems and reliability under pressure. In a season in which several Grands Prix were affected by technical problems, this aspect could prove decisive once again.

In terms of the tyres, Pirelli chose the softest range: C3 as Hard, C 4 as Medium and C5 as Soft. This is a selection designed to widen the strategic options and favour a bigger number of pit stops, even though the new generation tyres have shown good consistency in performance. So, it will be interesting to see which approach the teams will adopt, and which solution will prove to be the most effective.

Furthermore, Spielberg is a track they all know very well and on which many teams will bring further developments, some of which will also involve the power units. Following the updates introduced in Barcelona, we may see the performance gap narrow even further, making the weekend more evenly matched.

Ferrari comes to Austria with enthusiasm and confidence after Lewis Hamilton’s win, a result that confirms the team’s progress and the importance of the experience of the seven times world champion in the development of the car. The men from Maranello are now tasked with building on the form shown in Spain.

Despite this, I still consider Mercedes the benchmark car in the championship. The real question remains reliability which in recent races has prevented the team achieving results that fully reflect the potential shown on the track.

There is also a lot of attention on Max Verstappen.  Red Bull is expected to introduce further upgrades, but the talent of the Dutchman is always an asset.  In Barcelona, he showed once again he knows how to get the most from the car, especially in qualifying, but on such a short track a perfect lap could be enough to find himself immediately in the running for pole position and the win.

The weather could also be another variable. The Red Bull Ring, nestled within the mountains of Styria, is often subject to sudden changes in weather conditions that can quickly alter the strategies and the course of the race.

So, I expect a very closely fought Grand Prix, with minimal gaps, decisive qualifying and a wide-open battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. In such a tight championship, the details will make all the difference once again.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | SPANISH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ITALY’S NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS PLAYED ONCE AGAIN. THE RIVALRY BETWEEN MERCEDES AND FERRARI IS HEATING UP”

/in , , /by

Italy’s national anthem was heard once again in Formula 1. This time it was played for Ferrari thanks to Lewis Hamilton who took his first win in the colours of the team from Maranello in Barcelona. For the British driver and for the Team it was a day of great satisfaction at the end of an almost perfect weekend.

Hamilton fought a race worthy of a seven times world champion, confirming his extraordinary value over all the weekend. I have the feeling that Ferrari has begun to take greater account of the indications and the experience of its driver and this approach is starting to produce solid results. The win in Barcelona could be an important passage in the development of the plan. It will be interesting to follow the next fifteen rounds closely.

It was a particularly interesting weekend and, in some ways, even surprising. In qualifying we saw seven cars within barely 411 thousandths of a second on a circuit that they all know perfectly and on which the teams brought major updates. This demonstrates how close the performance levels are and how every detail can make a difference.

For this very reason, it is hard to explain the superiority shown by Mercedes in qualifying compared to the difficulties encountered in the race. Barcelona was considered a key circuit for evaluating the true performance of the racing cars and, from this point of view, the weekend provided some very interesting indications.

The season is proving to be full of twists and turns and that reliability is assuming an increasingly decisive role. Currently Mercedes, as well as the client teams that use the same power unit, are not passing through a particularly easy period from this point of view.

It was a particular shame for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He was driving a very intelligent race, managing the medium tyres better than his teammate and showing once again an extremely competitive race pace. His overtaking manoeuvre on Russell four laps from the end was one of the highlights of the race, but the technical problem that forced him to retire robbed him of a result he fully deserved.

George Russelle continues to confirm that he is very effective on a single lap, but in the race Antonelli showed once again that he can be extremely competitive over the full distance. It will be interesting to see how the evolution of the internal rivalry at Mercedes develops over the course of the season.

We are at a stage of the championship in which it really takes very little to change the result of a race or even to affect the championship ladder. For this reason, I believe that the rivalry between Ferrari and Mercedes is set to heat up even further in the coming weeks.

However, it was a more complicated weekend for McLaren. Even though it showed signs of improvement in qualifying, the team could not show the same level of competitiveness on other occasions, and it is still looking for the consistency needed to regularly establish itself in the battle at the top.

Barcelona remains one of the most technically demanding circuits of the calendar and the data collected over the weekend will be especially valuable for all the teams. The World Championship will now move to Austria, where we will have further answers on the true balance of power at play in what is proving to be an increasingly exciting season..

Another very positive weekend for Italian motorsport has come to an end.  Following the success of Formula 1, there were also very important results in the junior categories. Brando Badoer took an excellent fourth place in Formula 3, while Gabriele Mini took home a second and third place in Formula 2 and he leads the ladder, confirming his worth once again. These are very important signs that confirm the great work carried out in recent years and that should make us proud of the current state of Italian motorsport.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MONTE CARLO GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “ANTONELLI MADE HISTORY BUT THE RACE SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED”

/in , , /by

I experienced one of the most exciting days of my 55 years of motorsport.

I had a “younger brother” called Ayrton Senna who showed me see some incredible things, especially in Monte Carlo. Today, I saw an Italian driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, do something just as extraordinary.  First of all, the credit goes first and foremost to him, but also to all those who believed in him in the toughest times, when it was easy to criticize without really knowing his journey, and without understanding what he was building lap after lap.

Looking back at his weekend, from pole position to the fastest laps he set, even when they were not strictly necessary, the profile of a champion emerges once again. Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s constant pursuit for the fastest lap was probably intended, above all, to keep his concentration high and to prove his worth to himself. These are the details which make the difference between an excellent driver and a champion.

This is a wonderful moment for Italian motorsport. Adding to Brandon Badoer’s win in Formula 3, another young man that I always had great faith in, even though luck has not always on his side. We are witnessing something incredible, five consecutive Formula 1 wins by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a record for an Italian racing driver who is not yet twenty. We should be proud of him.

Mercedes has made a big leap forward compared to last season. It can count on two top class drivers and an extremely close-knit team. George Russell is going through a difficult time at the moment, but I still consider him an excellent driver. During the race he was held up by Hajdar and the penalty further compromised his final result.

We are now entering into a crucial phase of the championship. The lead built up by Antonelli is starting to make a real difference, but there are still a lot of Grands Prix to go. This is precisely why it will be vital to continue working with the same determination and maintain the focus at the highest levels.

Toto Wolff is quite right to urge the Italian Press not to get carried away with Kimi’s  current form, since he built up a lead of 42 seconds from his direct rivals before the red flag, and I agree with him. We must let him get on with his work and continue to enjoy himself. Similarly, we must not go overboard with our criticism of Ferrari but let the team work in peace. They certainly have the quality and the resources to bounce back. Today, Ferrari is once again the second force of the championship.

I noticed that Charles Leclerc was particularly nervous. He probably did not expect to find such a motivated and competitive team alongside him. I believe that the mistake that cost him a third place – which was very important for him and for Ferrari – was the result of several factors, also including some tension. There is still a lot of work to do, Leclerc must not become discouraged, but he must stay clear headed and calm to make up for those tenths of a second that he was missing.

It was a Grand Prix full of twists and turns that gave us an unusual and very interesting ladder. Isack Hajdar’s third place did not surprise me. He is one of the rookies who got closest to the championship leaders throughout the season. It has been some time since Red Bull could count on two drivers performing so closely. Max Verstappen was unlucky today but Hajdar had already shown his potential right through free practice and on Saturday he put on an extraordinary qualifying session. Only Antonelli managed to deny him pole position.

Racing Bulls’ fifth and sixth places were also excellent. It was also a historic day for the Cadillac which took its first world championship point with Sergio Perez. They made the most of the opportunity that presented itself, helped by a bit of luck and by good reliability. I hope that they continue to improve

Before saying goodbye until Barcelona next week, I would like to make a final point regarding the decision to display the red flag and to restart the race with a standing start. With ten laps to go, given the obvious issues that they were trying to manage, I believe that in all likelihood the race should very likely have been suspended.

Safety must always be the highest priority. I have dedicated my entire career to this cause and continue to do so through ACI Sport. For me, the movies are a different matter altogether

See you in a weeks’ time.

Gian Carlo Minardi​

F1 | CANADIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “Antonelli is leading Italian motorsport forward

/in , , /by

The fourth straight win by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who also took the Canadian Grand Prix, confirming that Italian motorsport is at the top of the world championship ladders. This is also an extremely positive sign for all the work being carried out by ACI Sport and the Federal School.

It was an exciting Grand Prix, just like the whole weekend. Looking back at what we saw on Saturday, with a few more laps Kimi could probably have taken the Sprint Race as well. Both he and George Russell gave us thirty fantastic laps, giving life to a very fair and spectacular duel.

Toto Wolff certainly deserves credit. As the perfect head of the family, he knew how to mend the tear that arose after Saturday’s scuffle. We will surely see other clashes between these young men as the season progresses.

Like the great champion that he is, Antonelli gave his best performance on the very last lap, showing that he still has room for improvement and an extraordinary ability to keep his cool when managing the race.

It was also a positive result for Ferrari that took second place with Lewis Hamilton. On this occasion the British driver managed to clearly outpace his teammate, giving the impression that he has rediscovered his enthusiasm and consistency following the difficulties of last season.

Congratulations also go to Franco Colapinto, who finished in an excellent sixth place with the Alpine F1 Team ahead of his teammate Pierre Gasly, eighth across the finish line. Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Oliver Bearman also performed well, making the most of the opportunities created by the high-profile retirements of Russell and Lando Norris.

It was an excellent race also for Isack Hadjar who was able to match Max Verstappen’s lap times something that Red Bull Racing had not seen for some time.

On the other hand, it was a race to forget for McLaren that paid a heavy price for a major strategic mistake at the start, compounded by various problems during the race. The team was probably aware that it did not have the pace to fight it out at the front and decided to play the card of the intermediate tyres, but without achieving the desired results.

Now the championship comes back to Europe with start times that are decidedly convenient for us fans.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MIAMI GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “ITALIAN MOTORSPORT AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD”

/in , , /by

Andrea Kimi Antonelli had the Italian national anthem played once again in Florida a few after Gabriele Mini’s win in F2. This was a day of special significance for those who love this sport.

Italian motorsport is currently going through one of its finest periods in recent years. The results achieved by Antonelli and Mini, and Leonardo Fornaroli last year, confirm that the work done is producing talents capable of making their mark at the very highest international levels.

This represents a source of great pride and satisfaction for me too in my roles as the Managing Director of ACI, Chairman of the Speed Commission and Supervisor of the Federal School which, under the leadership of Raffaele Giammaria, is reaching important milestones

Once again Antonelli proved his worth with an exceptional weekend, starting with the commanding pole position. In the race he fought it out on the edge of thousandths of a second against the world champions McLaren and Lando Norris.

We are talking about a young man who is only 19 years, who still has wide room for improvement, and is making rapid progress, even though this does not come as a surprise for those who have followed him since the karts. Year after year he has deserved the place he is now occupying. I have every confidence in him because he has a maturity beyond his age. As is my habit, I followed the GP keeping an eye on the times lap by lap, and it was impressive.

As was to be expected, the enforced month-long break has shifted the balance on the track, starting with McLaren’s improvement following a difficult start to the season. All the teams have had time to analyse the data gathered in the first few races, although there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly in terms of reliability, as we saw at the end.

Ferrari has made progress, but at the moment it is still not quite enough to worry Mercedes and McLaren at race pace. Charles Leclerc in particular struck a problem in the end that cost him third place, while Lewis Hamilton seemed to me to be struggling slightly more.

It was a difficult weekend for George Russell too. Apart from not being at home with the track, I had the sense that he is feeling pressure from the growth of his teammate.

The circus now moves on to Canada, where everyone will bring further new developments. The season is still long but seeing Antonelli reach 100 points after only a few races is something that should make all Italian motorsport proud.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | JAPANESE GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ANTONELLI IS AN EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG DRIVERS”

/in , , /by

After his win in China, Kimi Antonelli confirmed that his excellent form by taking a clean sweep at Suzuka: pole position, the win, fastest lap, and the lead in the world championship.

Regardless of the result, what was most striking was the quality of his performance. To borrow a saying that was so dear to former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi – “eye, luck and skill” – this case had all the ingredients the eye of Mercedes in the choice and the development of the driver, the flawless administration of the variations of the race, and, above all, the skill of the driver.

From the technical point of view, Antonelli secured the win in the second half of the race, following the restart after the safety car. He maintained an extremely consistent race pace, consistently lapping under 1.33 – with only two exceptions -, and setting seven fastest laps, extending his lead over his closest rival Oscar Piastri, to 14”. A detail that highlights not only pure performance, but also the excellent management of the tyres and tyre wear on a demanding track such as Suzuka.

It was a wonderful start to the day that let us witness a hard-fought race, made even better by the win by an Italian driver who, despite his young age, is demonstrating that he learnt a great deal from his debut season. For Italian sport, Kimi is an exceptional role model and a great inspiration to many young people. He is a source of pride for the Federation, ACI Sport, and the Federal School with which I have had the pleasure of working over the years.

Mercedes still has room for improvement at the start but overall, it has shown that fit remains the technical hallmark, thanks to an extremely well-balanced package.

The battle between Leclerc and Russell also provided interesting comparison between Ferrari and Mercedes. The driver from Monte Carlo made the most of the situation, defending his place very well despite an inferior performance, particularly in terms of race pace. Ferrari took home an important podium finish, but there is still a gap to bridged especially in the consistency of performance.

There are signs of a comeback from McLaren after two difficult races: the return to the top indicates potential that must still be fully expressed. As they have the same Mercedes power unit, the focus is mainly on the chassis and the aerodynamic balancing.

Alpine too is benefitting from the excellent performance of the Mercedes engine that continues to be the hallmark. Gasly managed to hold off the attacks from a champion of the calibre of Max Verstappen. for all the grand prix

It has been an exciting start of the season. It is a shame about this forced month long break, though  all the teams will have the chance to work in their factories to analyse the data collected at first the three circuits which are all very different from one to another They will be able to do this without the stress of two demanding trips like Bahrein and Saudi Arabia. When the season resumes in Miami will be able to see a few changes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | CHINESE GP THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “KIMI HAS ALREADY MADE HISTORY: POLE, FASTEST LAP AND VICTORY. AN EXCELLENT BATTLE IN FERRARI”

/in , , , /by

This is a historic moment for Italian motor racing. Twenty years after Giancarlo Fisichella, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has brought the Italian flag back to the highest step of the Formula 1 World Championship. It was an extraordinary achievement crowned by pole position, the fastest lap and victory, a result that eluded an Italian driver for more than fifty years.

Congratulations also go to all those who believed in him right from the start: starting with my son Giovanni Minardi, who brought him to Mercedes, to ACI Sport, to Mercedes, and to Toto Wolff for the work they have done in these years. But the main credit belongs to him: “Kimi” has grown race after race and he proved it again today, by setting the fastest lap in the 53rd lap with tyres that already done 42 laps.

He managed the race like a champion, demonstrating that he had learned from the past. This is one of his best qualities: he never makes the same mistake twice. This is a very important sign for his career.

The consistency of his race pace is also impressive. We also saw this during the Sprint and in previous races: a pace that is always very high. As his fuel tank emptied, he continued to improve, lapping with minimal differences between each lap, often in the order of thousands of a second.

Ferrari continues to have a better start, but at the moment, it is still three-four tenths of a second slower than Mercedes at race pace. The fair and spectacular battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is really exciting, with the British driver finally taking his first podium finish in Ferrari’s colours.

As I have already pointed out, reliability makes all the difference in this phase of the season. Points are precious and those who managed to keep out of trouble were rewarded, Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz Jnr and Franco Colapinto were very good and capitalized on the many retirements, taking home important points for their respective teams. On the other hand, McLaren’s debacle, with neither car starting, was sensational.

Now, let us enjoy Antonelli’s splendid win. In two weeks, Suzuka awaits us, a real circuit that will tell us more about the values on the field.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AUSTRALIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MERCEDES CONFIRMED. FERRARI? THEY DID NOT GET THE STRATEGY WRONG”

/in , , /by

The new Formula season opened with a grand prix full of twists and turns, starting with Max Verstappen’s mistake in Q1, that contributed to making the race particularly interesting.  Among the mistakes to point out was also the one by Oscar Piastri who started the season with zero, and Kimi Antonelli in FP3.

And it was the Mercedes driver who showed a very important sign of growth and maturity. With little more than three minutes left in Q1 he took to the track with only one useful lap and a car not in the best condition, he managed to qualify for Q2 and then even took place on the front row, setting the second-best time behind his teammate.

The first Grand Prix of the season confirmed the current supremacy of Mercedes that took a one-two finish, albeit with a smaller margin than on Saturday. In the second half of the race the two cars managed their lead, even managing to cover 47 laps with the hard tyres, compared to the 32 of Charles Leclerc.

On the other hand, Scuderia Ferrari confirmed its strength is at the start, taking advantage of this in the best way possible. Despite a less than perfect start, George Russell was able to defend his position, while his teammate lost several places before quickly recovering the lost ground.

I do not believe that the people from Maranello on the wall made a mistake in the strategy they adopted. The team wagered on possible deterioration of the Mercedes’ tyres which, in fact, was the only option to try to put them in difficulty. However, this deterioration did not happen. The good work carried out by Pirelli with the new compounds must be pointed out.

Also to be pointed out is Verstappen’s excellent comeback, favoured by 4 VSCs and by a strategy of two pitstops that let him set the fastest lap of the race. The race management also handled the race well.

Isack Hadjar was unlucky and also very convincing, proving that he was very close to his teammate throughout the whole weekend.  It had been a while since Red Bull Racing had shown two such competitive cars.

Among the positive notes of the start of this season there is also Arvid Lindblad who took home the Racing Bull’s first points on his debut thanks to a solid eight place. Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto with Audi and Pierre Gasly also scored points.

However, the Aston Martin F1 Team still has a lot of work to do. The possible cancellation of the GPs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could offer a little more time to make up the ground lost. In any case, it will still be a week of intense analysis by all the teams ahead of the next race in China.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | ABU DHABI GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “NORRIS, A WELL-DESERVED TITLE”

/in , , /by

The 2025 World Championship ended with Lando Norris’ triumph, a fitting conclusion to the 24 grands prix. The British driver had his ups and downs like every protagonist in the championship, but he managed to close the gap from his teammate and assert himself with maturity. The most complete team won, as did the driver who, over course of the whole season, showed he deserved the title.

Today Norris was again the protagonist of decisive overtaking after the first pit stop. I fully agree with the decision of the marshals to penalize Tsunoda for three changes of trajectory while defending, as well as the decision not to intervene in the alleged track limit violation during the overtaking manoeuvre against him, the manoeuvre occurred on the straight with no advantage gained. Norris simply kept wider to avoid a possible collision caused by the movement of the Red Bull driver. The team radio communications were also judged correctly.

This result confirms how much composure within a team affects performance. Today, McLaren carried out an impeccable weekend, as did Red Bull with Verstappen. Even though the Dutchman reaffirmed the value of his four world championship titles, the Dutchman was the “victim” of a mid-season phase of internal tension that compromised his path to the title. With the arrival of Mekies, the team found its balance once again and was able to reopen the battle up to the final race.

Piastri finished in third place on the ladder, the two races without points during the season proved decisive for the Australian.

It was an excellent performance by Charles Leclerc, fourth across the finish line with a Ferrari that continues to show a gap that is difficult to explain compared to Hamilton, especially in qualifying. We saw some very close sessions, decided by thousandth of a second, where one small detail could have sent you from the front row to the back of the grid. In the race, Leclerc climbed back solidly, finishing in the points. With the change of regulations in 2026 we will probably see a different scenario.

Contrary to expectations, Mercedes fell short in the final round. Russell limited the damage with fourth place in qualifying, while Antonelli’s performance in Q2 was inexplicable after an excellent Q1. It was a season of highs and lows for the young driver from Bologna, but he ended the season with an encouraging seventh place in the drivers’ world championship, the first among the rookies. In the final race he gained valuable experience in race management, which will be essential in 2026. He has a promising future ahead of him. For Mercedes an era is coming to an end, and it will be essential to know how to interpret the new regulations in the best way possible. There is little time to catch their breath, the first tests in the new year are already scheduled for the end of January.

The Abu Dhabi race was also the race that said to goodbye to Sauber that is ready to pass the baton to Audi. It had a season of growth, rewarded with important points, and Hulkenberg’s first podium finish at Silverstone. It was an important season also for Renault that closed its chapter in Formula 1 after a difficult journey with Alpine.

2026 is approaching and expectations are already high.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | QATAR GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MCLAREN, WHAT A MISTAKE!!”

/in , , /by

Max Versappen relaunched his bid for the title with a clear win in Qatar. This win, together with the second place and fourth place by Piastri and Norris, allows the Dutchman to reduce the gap between him from the Briton to twelve points. It was a particularly intense weekend characterized by complex strategies focussed on the management of the tyres, a decisive factor on Losail’s asphalt.

Despite its evident superiority in qualifying, in the Sprint Race and in the race pace, McLaren compromised a potentially decisive result due to a mistake under the safety car. A mistake that weighed heavily on the result, especially when compared to the solid and impeccable performance offered by Verstappen and a Red Bull team that was once again impeccable in its management of the strategies.

In a championship decided on the edge of hundredths of a second, every mistake risks having a significant impact. McLaren, buoyed by having won the Constructors’ title, seems keen to give its drivers plenty of freedom in the fight for the World Championship. It is a commendable sporting philosophy but one that could prove costly. Norris will go to Abu Dhani with a favourable margin, but the feeling is that the composure and the lucidity shown by the team led by Laurent Mekies do not guarantee a peaceful night’s sleep

Kimi Antonelli, the author of another convincing performance also deserves a mention. The young driver from Bologna was penalized during the first spit-stop, when almost all the group except McLaren and Ocon stopped at the same time, forcing him to slow down to let several cars pass, including Sainz, who finished third. However, Antonelli managed to recover, despite losing fourth place to Norris in the end due to a small mistake. Two points that could prove costly in the overall standings, but they will not affect the Italian driver’s excellent end of the season.

It was a weekend of celebration for Italian Motorsport also thanks to the Formula 2 title won by Fornaroli. For the second consecutive year a rookie took out the championship, following last year’s win in F3, a result that confirms the talent of young Italian drivers and the work carried out by the Federation.

The weekend in Losail also mathematically confirmed Ferrari’s fourth place in the Constructors’ World Championship, a position that accurately reflects the car’s performance throughout the season.

Now all eyes turn to Abu Dahbi where the new world champion will be crowned in a week’s time, The battle between Norris (408 points), Verstappen (396) and Piastri (392) is more open than ever. And it is not impossible that the third driver could come between the two rivals.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | LAS VEGAS GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI — “A WIN THAT IS WORTH DOUBLE FOR VERSTAPPEN”

/in , , /by

The Las Vegas Grand Prix gave us a twist worthy of the best thrillers, if not horror films, for Norris and Piastri, with the double disqualification of McLaren that came after the end of the race due to a skid block plank wear breach. This occurrence reopened the World Championship, not just between the two McLaren drivers, but also thanks to the inclusion of Max Verstappen, the protagonist once again of an extraordinary start and a perfect race, in which he not only managed the lead, but also sent a strong and decisive sign to his direct rivals in the last three laps, consistently setting the best performance.

In the end, Lando “pulled the hand brake”, probably to avoid a penalty due to excessive wear of the skid block, crossing the finishing line twenty seconds behind the Dutchman after an imperfect start that cost him the lead.

It was another excellent performance by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. A slight mistake during the final lap of qualifying in the wet conditions cost him a place in Q2, followed by a five second penalty for jumping the start. Despite this, the young Italian climbed back from seventeenth place up to fifth (then third after the disqualifications), impressing with his consistent pace during the 47 laps on hard tyres. In direct comparison with Russell, he was ruthless in his consistency, and in his duels with Piastri and Leclerc, he showed great maturity.

At Ferrari, Leclerc gave everything the car allowed him to give. Both he and Hamilton managed to rectify the complicated qualifying session in the wet – even more so the British driver who was forced to start from the rear – with both finishing in the points. For the Constructors’ Championship, however, little has changed: second place remains far away. The current ladder faithfully reflects the values on the field, with McLaren and Red Bull a step ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.

Positive results also for Sainz and Hadjer who said goodbye to Las Vegas with fifth place and sixth place respectively, ahead of Niko Hülkenberg. These important results consolidated the positions of their respective teams. Ocon and Bearman took advantage of the double disqualification to gain two positions and complete the Top 10.

Two races, and a Sprint Race, from the end, the three contenders to the title are separated by just 24 points. We can expect a thrilling end of the season, both technically and mentally. See you in a week’s time in Qatar.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BRAZILIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ANTONELLI WAS EXTRAORDINARY, LIKE VERSTAPPEN AND NORRIS. IT WAS A SHAME NOT SEEING LECLERC AMONGST THEM”

/in , , /by

It was a weekend that could have tipped the world championship in Lando Norris’ favour, given the number of mistakes made by his teammate and main rival for the title. There are still three GPs and one Sprint Race left, and it will take little for him to find himself on zero points – as happened to Piastri in the Sprint Race – but at the moment Norris is leading with great composure, managing his tyres and car perfectly. It was a great show of strength by McLaren, but above all by Lando.

Kimi Antonelli’s performance for the entire weekend is to be applauded: second in qualifying, second in the Sprint Race and in the GP. He masterfully resisted Verstappen’s comeback in the final laps, managing his tyres and race pace in the best way possible. We have a young man who is growing, making the experience gained in his first season in F1 bear fruit, including the mistakes that are part of a rookie’s growth path.

Max Verstappen was also very good. Starting from pit lane, he secured the podium with an impressive third place. Although he was helped by the safety car and the virtual safety car, he showed his talent once again, completing the 71 laps at qualifying pace regardless of the compound used, and a  set up that penalized him in the most demanding part of the track.

It was a shame for Ferrari, forced to retire with both its drivers. It would have been interesting to see Leclerc battle it out with Norris, Antonelli and Verstappen. With the two Ferraris failing to cross the finish line, Haas and Racing Bulls took advantage with important placings in the Constructors’.

Haas is doing an excellent job, especially with Bearman: it is a team that works calmly and consistently, and the results prove it. Racing Bulls also did well, with seventh and eight places that consolidates sixth place in the world championship ahead of Aston Martin – out of the points today – with a lead of ten points.

The next round will be in two weeks with the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MEXICAN GP, THE POINT BYGIAN CARLO MINARDI “THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BETWEEN NORRIS AND PIASTRI IS WIDE OPEN. VERSTAPPEN WAS SAVED BY THE MARSHALS”

/in , , /by

Lando Norris 357 points against Oscar Piatri’s 356.

The Mexican Grand Prix completely reopened the battle for the drivers’ world championship between McLaren’s drivers. With four races to go – and two sprint races still on the calendar – the two teammates are separated by just one point.

We witnessed one of the most exciting Grands Prix in recent times, enlivened by different strategies and a decisive change of compounds by Pirelli. For the first time, the choice of tyres really had an impact on the result, keeping the verdict in suspense until the last bend.

A perfect Norris

Lando Norris raced one of his best weekends ever, impeccable in qualifying and dominant in the race. His win, with a 30 second lead over Leclerc, was clear-cut and well-deserved.

For Ferrari, second place was an important result: their second consecutive podium and the highest possible outcome at this point in time. A podium earned on the track and defended until the very last lap, with the usual fighting Verstappen right behind them.

Verstappen saved at the first bend

As always, Red Bull’s Dutchman fought tooth and nail. However, at the first bend, he was saved by the marshals; penalties have not been imposed for similar incidents for some time for such incidents, but, in this case, he was already a few metres of the line, with two tyres on the grass.

He was excellent in controlling the car, avoiding contact with the barriers, but if there had been gravel instead of grass, his race would have ended there.

Hamilton and the right penalty

It was a very different situation for Hamilton. I agree with the marshals’ decision: not only did he fail to follow the instructions for returning onto the track, but he also gained ground with that manoeuvre. It is true that following the correct trajectory at that point was not easy and, in any case, anybody would probably have done the same, but seen in this light, the penalty was correct.

Bearman surprised with Haas

It was an excellent performance by Oliver Bearman, fourth across the finish line and fighting for the podium for a long time. It was a valuable result for both the young driver and the American team, which found a high-level weekend once again.

Mercedes confused but Correct

The situation in Mercedes was more chaotic. Russell then gave back the position to Kimi Antonelli, demonstrating great fairness, but these incidents should be managed more quickly: these are decisions that must be taken immediately, without waiting too many laps.

Piastri saved what could be saved

It was a more complicated weekend for Oscar Piastri, who struggled with a very slippery McLaren. Despite the difficulties, he managed to finish in fifth place, limiting the damage.

The world championship is now wide open. The battle between Norris and Piastri is heating up, while Verstappen’s race for the title seems definitively over.

Gian Carlo Minardi