Gian Carlo Minardi “To re-establish a team, I personally would start by pilots"

The saga on the future of Alonso, Vettel & C. continues. Never as this year, market-pilots has groping in the dark. Historically, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza were scene of announcements for team’s changes or renewals. Today, however, we’ve passed also Singapore’s night and we are going to attend Japan Grand Prix. Domino is in a precarious balance.

Just a move and several pieces may fall: “We are in a time of transition. We read different guess, but no one feels able to express an opinion with certainty, even if newspapers and television are somehow defending Fernando Alonso, that has proven in the last race to be a super-pilot, bringing his Ferrari a few tenths from Red Bull in the race and from Mercedes in Qualifying, in a long circuit like that of Singapore“, Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes on the website www.minardi.it. Mercedes is dominating this World Championship, even with some reliability problem. “The real potential of Mercedes isn’t known at 100%. If we consider the four laps after the safety car, we understand that they are martians, light years ahead of the earth. Hamilton has relegated the first of drivers (two Red Bull and one Ferrari) to more than 10″…“.

In these weeks, we have heard a lot of rumors, especially about the future of the Spanish champion: “Ferrari is going through a time of transformation and not easy renewal, in which new forces, people and strategies are involved. I would venture to say that, if I should find myself in the same situation of having to re-establish a team, I would begin by certain points: PILOTS. In my opinion, it’s difficult to criticize a driver like Alonso. Personally, I don’t think that Fernando wants to leave Maranello and not wanting to avail of him anymore could become a problem. Having in team the strongest driver of the World Championship must be a starting point“. In these years, numbers speak in favor of the Spanish, as pointed out by the manager of Faenza. “In these years, Alonso scored two times and a half the points of his team-mates . This year, the comparison is with an ex-world champion, while, until last year, with a very respectable driver as Felipe Massa, that in Williams scored big points for his team. This surely must mean something“.

As often happens in these moments, it may tend to highlight the amount of signings, declaring them too high. “It’s useless always do-goodism. Let’s talk about supply and demand. Alonso is a driver that pays himself through the points brought to team, which, at the end of the season, are transformed into image (sponsor) and TV royalties. The economic value of a pilot is given by what the pilot bring to his team“, continued the ex-constructor. “With his season and won points, the signing of Daniel Ricciardo will certainly undergo a retouching upwards“.

However, in his analysis Gian Carlo Minardi wanted to go beyond, putting himself even on company’s side. “From year to year, the hierarchies and the forces in field change radically. Precisely for this reason, why should I reconsider the renewal or a contract that expires only in 2016, looking already forward to 2017-2018? Let’s arrive to the expiry year. Only time will tell us whether to continue the partnership or look for new ways“. Honda is always looking for a top-driver, but if the team doesn’t find one available, then it may change its strategies, focusing on a three-year program with a young man. Sainz Jr., for example?