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

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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

 

F1 | USA GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN UNSTOPPABLE. AND ALSO A SUPER LECLERC”

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The change of performances that we saw this weekend in Ferrari was completely unexplainable, especially between before and after the sprint race.

The sole certainty has only one name: Max Verstappen. His consistency and the fact that he never gives up is incredible. Red Bull has found the right composure once again, and the Dutchman does the rest.

Despite this however, I remain of the opinion that the question of the world championship is a matter between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Only a Sprint style disaster (with both the McLarens out of the running) within the GP could really reopen the world championship.

Leclerc’s performance was no less impressive, in both qualifying and the race, with third place in the end. He was excellent. Taking risks by starting with the softs. Among other things, he finished “only” twelve seconds behind the winner, one of Ferrari’s best results of the season. With third and fourth places the Team reopens the challenge with Mercedes for second spot on the constructors.

Mercedes is in difficulty: it could not repeat the result and the performance shown in Singapore. At Austin, it was not up to the task. A pity however for Antonelli: apart from the fastest lap of the race his lap times were on par with Russell. Without the contact from Sainz he would have kept up with his teammate in sixth or seventh place. Williams’ Spanish driver, who is always very clean and correct, made a mistake this time

I also record what happened Saturday between Piastri and Norris as a mistake. The fact that no data was collected also had repercussions in the race: precious information on the pressure and the wear of the tires was missing. Norris, however, still crossed the finish line in second place.

There are still five grands prix remaining, and in a weeks’ time we will be in Mexico.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AZERBAIGIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “MAX IS ALWAYS A CONFIRMATION. SERENITY IN THE TEAM IS ALWAYS DECISIVE FOR RESULTS”

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We experienced a very interesting Grand Prix, especially in lap times set by the first ten drivers. It was however a race that confirmed how important technology is, but that everything else is decisive.

In a Red Bull that has regained composure – coinciding with the arrival of Laurent Mekies in the team – came the second consecutive win by the usual “monster” of skill Max Verstappen. The calm atmosphere in the team also had a favourable impact on the management of the team, the morale of the drivers and the strategy. All of this is reflected in the results. Tsunoda’s sixth place after several uneasy weeks is further confirmation. Verstappen certainly did his part, managing in the best way possible a car that has less down force than the others in the driven section and setting the fastest laps in the last three laps despite a 14” lead over Russell.

It was also a positive weekend for Mercedes which leaves Baku with second and fourth places, securing second place on the Constructors’ World Championship, at the expense of Ferrari where confusion still reigns. Well done Kimi Antonelli in not taking unnecessary risks, consistently driving a tenth and a half of a second behind his teammate – who I consider one of the three or four best drivers of the World Championship. Antonelli demonstrated all his worth, even from a mental point of view. Of course, he must bring some changes to his inner organization, but he will continue to grow. He has a year and a half ahead of him to improve. Even today, he fought for the podium, and let us not forget, he was up against giants such as Verstappen, Russell and Sainz.

It was an absolutely positive weekend also for Williams and for Sainz who took third place after having taken the front row in qualifying. The team was very good in the management of the strategy, and the driver was equally impressive in the race, not making the slightest mistake.

The McLaren chapter: unquantifiable. There were major mistakes by the two drivers who are aiming to become world champions, especially Piastri, both at the start and then crashing into the wall on the first lap. The team, very close to regaining the Constructor’ title, was probably distracted and must reflect on this. However, neither Piastri nor Norris can expect to sleep soundly with Verstappen in such good form. The point gap is still substantial – 68 points separate the Australian from the Dutchman – but with seven races still to go they do not represent a comfortable margin. With Norris’ seventh place, Oscar still had a good day.

The situation is quite different for Racing Bulls which can celebrate fifth and tenth places with Lawson and Hadjar. In particular, Lawson did very well to keep Tsunoda behind him, who had replaced him in Red Bull at the start of the season, causing him quite a few problems, also in terms of state of mind. I am very pleased with this result: a lot of valuable points for the team, which clinches sixth place amongst the constructors.

In two weeks, they will be in Singapore.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | DUTCH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FROM A POSSIBLE ANOMALOUS GP TO A LIVELY RACE”

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Despite the premises for a possible anomalous grand prix, we saw a lively race marked by three safety-cars, and with many surprises, starting with Piastri’s excellent start and Verstappen’s masterpiece in managing the car that was about to get out of control.

The first four drivers lapped with impressive times, including Hadjar who took third place on the field, starting with his position on the grid, despite the problems that affected the two Ferrari drivers, Norris and Russell.

With Norris’ retirement due to reliability issues, the Australian stashed away twenty-five points in their direct battle. Even without the retirement, Piastri would still have gained, as Norris himself admitted that he would not have gone beyond second place. It is an important result in the battle for the title between the two McLaren drivers, which remains open anyway as we have nine intense races ahead, also considering the possible penalties for the replacement of components, or reliability issues, as we saw today.

Important points for the constructors’ ladder were won by Albon and Bearman, finishing fifth and sixth respectively with Williams and Haas. Hadjar’s third place takes Racing Bulls to only two points behind Aston Martin. The battle is intensifying, as is the one between Ferrari and Mercedes for second place. With the double retirement by the team from Maranello and Russell’s fourth place, the lead of the” red” cars has been reduced to just twelve points.

It was a rookie mistake by Hamilton. After showing signs of recovery during free practice, he was behind Leclerc in qualifying to then drop out from the race.

In seven days, they will go back on track, and we head to Monza amid many unknown factors.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP HUNGARY, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MCLAREN DOMINATES. FERRARI SLUMPS IN THE FINAL PART”

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At the Hungaroring McLaren scored its seventh one-two finish of the season, the fourth in a row, demonstrating its overwhelming domination. So far both Norris and Piastri have been the protagonists of a very fair duel, the likes of which we have rarely seen. They knew how to manage any type of strategy in the best way possible, changing them (rightly so) between the two drivers, with Norris earning the win on the track.

An excellent third place for George Russell who never gave up even though Mercedes was not perfect once again, especially during Antonelli’s tyre change. However, Antonelli still managed to take a point which should give his morale a boost. Now he has a month’s holiday to recharge his batteries and rediscover the right peace of mind for the last part of the season.

After Leclerc’s masterful lap in qualifying, Ferrari said goodbye to Hungary with fourth place. The driver from Monte Carlo was very candid after qualifying, declaring that he was absolutely surprised at having taken pole position because their real potential was for third or fourth place. Anyway, the collapse in performance after the second pit-stop was inexplicable, costing him over 37” (plus penalty) from Norris in just 30 laps, after running two thirds of the race at an excellent pace that allowed him to keep the two McLarens behind him.

It was another positive result for Sauber, with Bortoleto battling it out with his manager Fernando Alonso, finishing fifth. The Brazilian is putting his teammate in difficulty, confirming his excellent past in the lower formulas. After a few disappointing results, Aston Martin has been reborn, taking both cars into the points. A completely unexpected ninth place for Verstappen who, despite having fought tooth and nail, crossed the finish line more than seventy seconds behind McLaren.

We now have to wait almost four weeks before starting again with the Dutch Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP BELGIUM, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “I DO NOT SHARE THE CRITICISM OF ANTONELLI. FERRARI IS IMPROVING”

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Spa-Francorchamps certainly gave us an eventful Gran Prix, as often happens in such wet track conditions, and in looking for safety: we had to wait an hour and a half before the start. It was a race that confirmed McLaren’s dominance, with Piastri demonstrating he has something more compared to Norris. His overtaking maneuver was a masterpiece, as was his overall management of the race. He made two minor mistakes, which can happen on a track like Spa.

Ferrari got onto the podium with Leclerc, third across the finish line, consolidating second place on the constructors’ world championship. The driver from Monte Carlo paid a penalty of 20 seconds, but this can be seen in a positive light: it shows that the innovations introduced are working, especially considering the great power of the team led by Andrea Stella. Hamilton made up for his “mistake” in qualifying where his time was cancelled by a few millimetres: otherwise, he would have started from the top 5.

Fourth place for the usual Verstappen, after his extraordinary win in the Sprint where he was masterful. After a good qualifying session, Tsunoda was again outside the points zone.

At the moment, I see Mercedes in turmoil. Looking at the race times, Antonelli was faster than Russell, and I honestly do not understand the strategy adopted towards him at his best moment. Certainly, he made a mistake that compromised his qualifying, – and consequently the race – but I do not agree with the criticism levelled at him.

Another weekend in the points zone for Albon, who drove his Williams into sixth place, and for Bortoleto who is improving, as is his Sauber. This is not a surprise, considering his past in F3 and F2: Gabriel is confirming his skills on the track. Equally as positive was Lawson’s eighth place, for both him and Racing Bulls. This confirms that, too often, some decisions are made too hastily. Pierre Gasly closed the top 10 with an important point for Alpine which has a lot to review internally.

We have entered the second half of the championship that promises to be heated, especially in the back lots, with four teams within a handful of points. However, I would not rule out Alpine, currently in last place with 20 points: a successful weekend is enough to make up ground.

Hungary now awaits us, before the summer break.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MCLAREN IS A SPACESHIP. ANTONELLI, A ROOKIE’S MISTAKE, BUT IT’S NOT ALL HIS FAULT”

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McLaren put on show all its technical supremacy, giving us a battle between Norris and Piastri that was as good as it was fair, especially in the first 20 laps.  Luckily, they were there to entertain us, otherwise there was little to see behind them, except for a few good battles. Their technical advantage is such that the two drivers can battle it out cleanly, and now it seems that they can only lose the races.

One of the main protagonists was out of the running right from the start, Max Verstappen, having been hit through no fault of his own by Antonelli who made a rookie’s mistake. I do not want to make excuses, but part of the responsibility also lies with the Mercedes team: they made some serious mistakes in qualifying, sending him onto the track too late. He started from a position that did not reflect either his value, or that of the car. I hope that he can quickly forget this episode, arriving in in good spirits at Silverstone where he took his first win in Formula 2 last year.

We saw a Ferrari that is improving, even though it still loses an average of 3 tenths of a second per lap. However, Leclerc’s third place and Hamilton’s fourth place were two encouraging results for the rest of the season, as we await the next developments planned in Great Britain. Furthermore, the Team took back second place in the World Constructior’s championship, behind McLaren. This too is a good sign for morale.

There was also a great performance by Racing Bulls, with Lawson deserving special praise, especially considering what he went through at the start of the season.

Fernando Alonso was equally impressive. He battled with Lawson for 70 laps, and he was fantastic defending against the attacks from “his” driver, Bortoleto. His gesture towards the Sauber driver at the end of the race was also very nice. The experience shows all his worth in battle.

It was an important grand prix for the second-tier teams which took valuable points, especially Racing Bulls, Sauber and Haas, making the most of the absence of a Red Bull and a Mercedes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP IMOLA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “242.000 TIMES THANK YOU”

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The Grand Prix concluded three fantastic days at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit for both the excellent weather conditions and the 242,000 people who invaded not only the circuit, but also the city of Imola. As Formula Imola we are very satisfied with this excellent result that rewards nine months of intense work. The invasion of the track at the end was an indescribable spectacle.

As far as the race was concerned, I must say that the first bend was worth almost the entire GP with Verstappen’s wonderful overtake of Piastri, as well as the last ten laps with the Red Bull driver setting four fastest laps in five rounds. We saw a few overtakes with a GP played on strategies and on the Safety-car. I am sure that the public enjoyed itself and appreciated the show. It is the source of great pride and satisfaction. Now we will see if we are ready for possible future choices.

At the end we also saw Norris overtake his teammate. I believe that this was mainly an overtaking move dictated by strategies since Piastri was under investigation and risked a 5” penalty. Although this time they could do nothing against Red Bull and Verstappen, McLaren continues to exude peace of mind.

Positive signs also came from Ferrari that, as far as I am concerned, produced its best race of the season. There was a lot of talk about a disaster in qualifying but let us not forget that the gap from pole was just six tenths of a second. Currently six tenths are not a few to make up, but it is the confirmation that it only takes a nothing to be kept out of Q3. It set up a good strategy by differentiating between the two drivers, conveying an internal peace of mind that I was not ready for. A fourth and sixth place that can be read with confidence for the future.

It was also a positive weekend for Williams that took fifth place with Albon, although there was no lack of mistakes from Sainz, who was eighth nevertheless and in the points zone at the end of the race. A more than positive ninth place for Red Bulls with Hadjar. I like this young man more and more and I am sure that he will make people talk about him in the near future.

Tsunoda completes the top 10. Besides the bad accident in qualifying, he completed his “task” despite a significant gap from his teammate. I think I see Red Bull on the rise compared to the start of the season.

At Imola, Franco Colapinto made his return to Formula 1. Returning in the seventh round with a “different” car is never easy, especially with these regulations that do not allow you to train on the track in the correct way. Not even when you are called upon to replace a colleague after the start of the championship. He made a major mistake in qualifying, but in the race, he honourably took the car home. He must be left to work in peace and given time to grow. Experience cannot be bought at the supermarket.

They go back to the track in a week’s time, in Monte Carlo, and then on to Barcelona.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SAUDI ARABIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “LECLERC-HAMILTON. THE GAP IS TOO HIGH”

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In Saudi Arabia we saw a weekend under the banner of McLaren, but especially under the name Oscar Piastri who forcefully took the number one spot within the team led by Andrea Stella, as well as the lead in the ladder by taking his third win of the season. He is confirming that he is a complete driver.

Always present is Verstappen, the author of an extraordinary pole position after the difficult weekend in Bahrain. However, I do not agree with the penalty. I believe that 5” are too few considering the advantage obtained by his action and also because they came at the start of the race. He had plenty of time to recover, crossing the finish line in second place, little more than 2” from the Australian. A drive-through would have been more consistent.

Leclerc’s grand prix is also to be applauded. Not only did he give Ferrari its first podium of the season in a GP, but he hid and lessened the car’s real problems which were instead very evident with Hamilton who had a pace that did not line up with a seven times world champion. At the present time it is rather inexplicable.

Antonelli’s defence right against Hamilton was excellent. Mercedes is the second force of the world championship with a pair of drivers with very little difference between them. Russell is in splendid form, as he showed with the third place in qualifying and fifth in the race.

It was a negative weekend for Norris. He is racing inconsistently, and his difficulties are obvious. The comeback in the race was certainly positive, also the result of a good strategy, but the mistake in Q3 was very heavy. Despite having the best car on the track, he could not overtake Leclerc. This makes the result achieved by the driver from Monte Carlo even more important. Norris is suffering heavily the “problem” of Piastri who exploits his McLaren to the utmost.

A positive weekend also for Carlos Sainz, who is on the upswing with his Williams, and who once again left his teammate Albon behind him, and for Hadjar, who gave the Racing Bulls the point of the top 10, with Lawson in twelfth place. Making a comparison with last season, the biggest disappointment is coming from Aston Martia, out of the points zone.

In two weeks’ time, they go to Miami, before landing in Europe at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit on May 16-28-

It was an Easter weekend of Motorsport. If in Jeddah we saw the fifth round of the F1 World Championship, Imola hosted the second round of the WEC World Championship, attracting more than 65,000 fans. I thank them one by one for the warmth with which they welcomed me, especially at the moment of the start of the 6 hours, just as I thank the entire Formula Imola team for their excellent work. Congratulations and thanks also came from the organizer of the WEC. With the arrival of F1 in four weeks time, I hope to be able to see an even warmer and bigger crowd. The fans are our “sponsors”, and the encouragement to continue to improve. We must put those who have to make certain decisions in difficulty.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1| GP BAHRAIN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “PIASTRI A COMPLETE DRIVER. NORRIS IN MENTAL DIFFICULTY.”

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Once again, we saw an extremely competitive race in which strategies and the safety-car were decisive for the result. A Grand Prix that entertained us with a lot of overtaking, which showed once again that just the slightest slip is enough – see some of the imperfections in the pit-stops – to lose positions.

Congratulations to Oscar Piastri, the protagonist of a perfect weekend. He marked his 50th GP with pole-position and the win. He is confirming that he is a complete driver who is maturing. He is the pretender to the title, considering Norris’ mental difficulties.  His teammate was not as predictable with some mistakes in both qualifying and at the start. A mistake that affected his race finishing behind Russell.

The forces in the field are becoming clearer with McLaren increasingly the master of this championship, ahead of a good Mercedes, and a discrete Ferrari. For the first time since the start of the season Antonelli finished the race outside the points zone. His overtaking move on the four-time world champion Max Verstappen was beautiful, but the entry of the safety car messed up Mercedes’ plans, in this way thwarting the excellent work with an imperfect strategy.

They were precisely the ones who may have been the victims of this too intense calendar. In my opinion, 24 races are too many. Teams and drivers are subject to a tight schedule and the risk of mistakes is just around the corner.  Probably, because of the turnover, some procedures did not work properly among Horner’s men.

I found the decision to not proceed in relation to Russell correct. This was a minor mistake dictated by an external management problem connected to the ECU. I do not think he had much of an advantage.

Having said this, in six days’ time they go back onto the track in Jedda, in Saudi Arabia, for the fifth round of the season.

Gian Carlo Minardi