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 | ITALIAN GP THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN WAS STUNNING. WELL DONE MCLAREN FOR THE SPORTSMANSHIP. NOW EVERYONE AT THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY”

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A fantastic weekend just finished at Monza on both the technical and sporting points of view with the new record set in qualifying by Max Verstappen, which he then converted into a stunning win with a lead of almost 20” over the two McLaren drivers, It will be interesting to see whether this trend, dictated by Laurent Mekies, will continue throughout the rest of the season.

It was a sensational weekend also on the side of the participation of the public with Monza, breaking all the attendance records, which demonstrated how much passion there is in Italy for Motorsport, with a spectacular invasion of the track.

Going back to the Grand Prix, I was left positively impressed with the sportiness, calmness and organization by McLaren when they asked Piastri, the current leader of the world championship, to give back to Norris the position he had lost due to a mistake by the team during the pit stop (a problem with the front left). Without wasting time, Oscar immediately let his teammate pass, who thanked him the gesture. I do not know how many other teams, and drivers, would have done the same thing. Amongst other things, McLaren wanted to give a strong message by setting the fastest lap of the race in the penultimate lap.

On the other hand, I did not like Toto Wolff’s comments after the race when he declared he was not satisfied with fifth and ninth places by Russell and Antonelli, highlighting that only one driver did well today, Max Verstappen. Such comments are not good for a team that is already experiencing a few problems. A TP should protect his team. I was surprised by the penalty for Antonelli which came on the last lap when the fact happened on the 46th lap.

Fourth place overall for Ferrari that tried everything to exceed its potential by focussing on a low down-force setup. However, this result represents the maximum achievable with this car.

It was an excellent result for Albon, seventh with Williams, and then for Bortoleto just behind him with Sauber. Albon was able to overturn a qualifying session that ended only with fourteenth place, by fighting for the top positions by setting some very interesting times.

We await eight interesting rounds. In two weeks, at Baku, McLaren could confirm tits championship title. While the internal battle between its two drivers remains open.  While we wait for the Azerbaijan GP, I look forwards to seeing many of you at Imola for the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, where I expect to find the same enthusiasm experienced over the last few days at Monza. It would be a nice gesture towards all the collectors who, with great dedication and passion, often working in the evenings to prepare their cars to come to have fun on the track and to entertain the fans. I am looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14.

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 | THE BRITISH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “CHAOS AND SPECTACLE: MCLAREN DOMINATED, HULKENBERG ON THE PODIUM, DISASTER FOR FERRARI”

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Silverstone gave us a race that was as crazy as it was spectacular, marked by many mistakes by teams and drivers, with Ferrari and Mercedes among the protagonists in the negative way.

The absolute star of the weekend was McLaren that showed a race pace two seconds per lap faster than its rivals. A disarming, and in some ways worrying, superiority built on an excellent aerodynamic downforce. It was a shame for Oscar Piastri who compromised his race when the safety car returned; a trivial mistake, but one that cost him dearly. More than a win for Norris, it seemed like a race lost by the Australian.

Applause also for Sauber and Nico Hulkenberg, starting 19th, the German finished on the podium behind the two McLarens, taking the first podium of his career. His was an impeccable race in which he knew how to make the most of the mistakes by others.

Disappointment for both Ferrari and Mercedes, where Hamilton, without the mistake, could easily have aimed for the podium. It went even worse for Charles Leclerc, sunk by questionable strategy and by a few personal mistakes: it was a Sunday to forget.

Kimi Antonelli was also unlucky, forced to refire after being rear ended by Lawson who badly damaged the rear of the Mercedes. Once again, the young Italian talent found himself out of position due to faulty strategy.

After Saturday’s extraordinary pole position Max Verstappen finished fifth. He was penalized by a spin and a setup that was too focused on dry conditions. The Red Bull, lacking downforce, suffered in the wet conditions.

Such unusual conditions often give us unpredictable placings: aside from the first two places, standing out are the names of teams and drivers that seemed destined for anonymity after qualifying. Shining were Sauber and Alpine which were able to capitalize on the opportunity. Aston Martin took home valuable points with Stroll in seventh place and Alonso in ninth

The next round, Spa-Francorchamps at the end of July.

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 CANADA, THE POINT BY CARLO MINARDI “KIMI, AN AMAZING PODIUM. HE HELD HIS OWN AGAINST THE SHARKS. NORRIS, WHAT A MISTAKE!!”

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Kimi Antonelli’s podium finish in the Canadian Grand Prix represents a moment that is as wonderful as it is important for Italian motor racing. This podium came after three hard grands prix for the driver from Bologna, mainly due to reliability problems.

At 18 years of age, he was the protagonist of an extraordinary race in a very hard context such as the Montreal track. If we analyze his lap times, we can see that in some circumstances he was even faster than his teammate, who won the race. Hats off to Toto Wolff and Mercedes who invested in him, but, above all, congratulations to him for earning this result on the track.

From the very first curve he made himself the master and then managed a very tight race in the best way possible, with five cars separated by barely five seconds with ten laps to go.  Apart from the mistake that involved the two McLaren drivers, with Norris confirming all his mental fragility, Antonelli was able to keep behind the current leader of the world championship. Piastri, who last year was in the battle for the title until the end, Norris, by twice attacking the two times reigning world champion Max Verstappen who managed to avoid being overtaken by making the most of the strategy by quickly entering the pits to change tyres.

He was surrounded by sharks, and he did not let himself be intimidated despite being the youngest and the least experienced. Let us not forget that experience cannot be bought at the supermarket but can only be acquired on the track without making mistakes. Just like he did today. This result can help us make the Italian system grow and credit also goes to ACI Sport.

In addition to Kimi’s podium, Mercedes also “took home” the first win of the season thanks to George Russell. The changes introduced in Canada paid off, earning them second place on the constructors’ ladder. For the first time since the start of the season McLaren finished a GP off the podium.

Fifth and sixth places for Ferrari.  This result reflects the current strength of this car. In a championship that is still very long and hard fought there will be room to recover. For now, those at Maranello can console themselves with the third successive win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Certainly, having cars in the first four positions is an incredible result, synonymous with competitiveness and reliability. Obviously, they still know how to build winning cars.

Now we wait to see what will happen in Austria.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SPAIN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN NERVOUS. CORRECT NOT TO PENALIZE LECLERC. PIASTRI SUPERLATIVE”

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Barcelona gave us some important surprises. Such as Sauber’s fifth place with Hulkenberg, as well as the confirmation of Racing Bulls again in the points zone with the excellent Hadjar, seventh across the finish line.

Mekies’ men must ponder a bit on the points thrown away at the start of the season. They now find themselves in sixth place, 26 points behind Williams. Personally, Hadjar is one of the best surprises of this 2025. I really like his approach to the race weekend, and also with the team. I am sure that he can do well. The first points of the season for Fernando Alonso, ninth across the finish line. Aston Martin is starting the see Newey’s hand.

Thanks to third and sixth places Ferrari climbed over both Red Bull and Mercedes in one fell swoop, moving up to second place on the constructors’ ladder. They did well, especially Leclerc who sacrificed a position in qualifying, saving a set of the compound. Certainly, a little help also came from the entry of the safety-car.

With the entry of the safety-car in the last 11 laps. following the retirement of Antonelli, the GP livened up and I found the penalty given to Verstappen in the tussle with Russell correct, as I also found correct the decision not to proceed with the one given to Leclerc. Verstappen, a little too nervous this weekend, was the only one to also use the hard tyres.

McLaren confirmed it is unbeatable, and Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull can only race for third place, barring some cataclysm. Piastri took his fifth win of the season firmly placing his bid for the world championship. Except for FP1, he “branded” all the sessions, including the fastest lap of the race. He was superlative. The car certainly supports him in the best way possible.

The reliability problems in Mercedes which, in this start of the season have struck both drivers, as well as Alonso’s Aston Martin (that carries the Mercedes engine) are starting to cause concern. Until his retirement Antonelli was having a very good race continuing his apprenticeship by solidly taking the fifth/sixth place. His lap times were in line with Russell, while he still needs to improve at the start.

We are witnessing a fine championship with a major diversification of performance between qualifying, heart stopping, and the race. If, in the fast lap the difference really is minimal – on Saturday in Q1 the 20 cars were enclosed within the space of 8 tenths of a second, and in Q2 barely 6 tenths – in the race the gap increased considerably. In fact, before the entry of the SC, only nine cars were on full laps.

In two weeks, they go overseas to Canada.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP MONTE CARLO, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “IT IS A RACE THAT IS RUN ON SATURDAY”

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Monte Carlo is a race that is run on Saturday with qualifying. You can put all the pit stops you want, but the only variables that can possibly change the result are accidents and safety-cars.

Monte Carlo is a race that enhances the skills of the drivers and, since we are talking about professionals, they were great at not making mistakes, as well as being a stage for sponsors and glamour.

This new regulation did nothing but make interpreting the race difficult and probably someone had even forgotten it. Compared to past editions we had no upheavals. I have the habit of following the GPs by also keeping an eye on the times and gaps, but as a mere spectator it is not easy. I dare not imagine in the grandstands.

However, congratulations must be made to McLaren, especially Norris for the pole position and win, as well as to Leclerc. There is no use complaining because he did very well by taking second place in both qualifying and the race. Hamilton paid the four tenths of a second gap from pole, that is then the gap of the Ferrari. Therefore, he carried out a masterpiece taking it to the front row.

Congratulations also go to the Racing Bulls, for both the race and the strategies that placed the two cars in the points zone, just like Williams and Haas that finished the race with Ocon in seventh place. Important points for all of them. Certainly, the two Mercedes failed, authors of an inexplicable strategy, and Fernando Alonso, forced to retire due to a technical problem.

We say a quick goodbye to Monte Carlo move on to Barcelona where the new TD will be introduced. Involving all the teams, I believe little will change.

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