Archive for month: October, 2015

We don’t learn now, but the news upsets us because it represents an alarm bell for the F1 world. Silverstone has delayed the payments due to Mr. Ecclestone. The future of historical Motor-sport is now strongly questioned.

After Germany and Italy, also England risks to lose its F1. We have consulted Gian Carlo Minardi who raced a lot of Gps with his Minardi Team. “I am really astonished. I was aware of the difficulties at Nurburgring and Monza circuits, but if a circuit like Silverstone is in trouble, something doesn’t work. In the last few years, exactly during the Gp, this English sport facility has had a record audience. If a theater can’t earn a living with its shows, we have to revise the rules of the games. In my opinion impoverish who organists the show isn’t fair” manager from Faenza analyzes.

Like the Italian Gp also the English event doesn’t enjoy the Government support. In the last few days, in addition to Mr. E., also Mr. Patrick Allen, managing director of the circuit, has sounded the alarm. “At present I can’t guarantee for the future of Gp. We would need someone willing to invest in the circuit. Give up the Gp would be very sad for the Great Britain and for the whole Motorsport”. Thanks to “F1 Mister”’s intervention  2016 edition won’t be at risk. “They will pay the next year for this year’s race. I personally authorized them, otherwise they would have closed by now”.

As soon as we have seen the 2016 F1 Calendar that was decided during the last FIA World Council, we have noticed an extraordinary coincidence. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku and the 24H of Le Mans, the most important event of Endurance, take place in the same week-end (19^th June).

In the last few years the World Endurance Championship, that includes the French marathon, has had a great increase of audience, also among the drivers of the Circus. After saying goodbye to Red Bull and F1, Mark Webber joined WEC, side LMP1, under Porsche colors and Nico Hulkenberg reached him this year, precisely on the occasion of the 24H.The German coming from Force India not only took part in it, he also got the victory and increased his prestige in and out the circuit. After his F1 debut at the wheel of Williams in 2010, Nico has never had the occasion to attract attention with a Top team car. Hulkenberg won’t have the opportunity to defend his victory. With such a calendar, to combine all these scheduled events won’t surely be an easy task.

And if  Mr. E., as a good conductor, wanted to trick his drivers preventing them to run in other races with such a demanding calendar?Jenson Button instilled this doubt in an interview given to Auto Express. “Each driver thinks about Le Mans. It is a great team work and win it is a great result. I like what Bernie did. He has just clarified that F1 drivers can’t drive cars which not belong to F1. I have a lot of projects for the future, they will have to wait”.

We have consulted Gian Carlo Minardi who at www.minardi.it has commented this way. “Such a long and demanding calendar can easily have some concurrences with other races. In this case thanks to jet lag they won”t even interfere, so I don’t see any problems. Many times we run In Canada in the same week-end of the 24H”.

The manager from Faenza has made no secret of the fact the he doesn’t agree with the idea that a F1 driver undertakes simultaneously in a risky race like Le Mans 24H.  “In any case, even if I have the maximum respect for this wonderful event, personally I have never given the no impediment for Le Mans to my drivers.I think that race has to be prepared differently from a F1 Gp. So I have never been willing to take any risks, indeed behind each driver there are substantial investment both from Constructor and sponsors.Hulkenberg is an exception, the majority of the drivers has a contract that doesn’t allow them to run also the 24 Hours”.

In a short lap of time, McLaren confirmed his partnership with Jenson Button for 2016 while Mercedes announced his intention to supply its six-cylinde to Manor, the small team that now gets silver de facto becoming its Junior Team.

Great job for Banbury’s team that after risking a bankruptcy and a separation from the starting grid now could raise the bar leaving the last place at the grid.Indeed, the partnership with the team managed by Toto Wolff shouldn’t involve just the Power-Unit supply but much more. This way it could become a “home”for all that young driver in Mercedes sphere, like Pascal Wehrlein, already third driver in DTM where he precisely runs for the German group. We have consulted Gian Carlo Minardi in order to better understand the meaning of this partnership.

“The strategy of Toto Wolf, who probably succeeded in avoiding the supply of his PU to Red Bull and in planning an useful partnership for his team, is getting clearer and clearer.This new partnership between Mercedes and Manor is a good signal for all of the top teams, especially Ferrari. De facto Manor becomes a Junior Team where make the drivers around Mercedes grow. Basically it is the same relationship between red Bull and Toro Rosso. A partnership that will allow the little cindarella to climb the rankings” the manager from Faenza analyzes on www.minardi.it. “This situation could embarass some team not really accustumed to the lower zone of the standings. At present Toro Rosso, Sauber, McLaren and Manor occupy the last four place of the standings. Next year, unless a Japaneses’ wonder, McLaren will have to fight to not be the last“.