Tests Barcelona, tomorrow the spotlight will be on the 2018 season

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The tradition has been confirmed. Even this year the Montmelò track circuit will see the debut of the new racing cars that were presented over the last few days (with the exception of Force India). It will begin on Monday 26th with the first of two rounds of collective tests each of four days (from the 26th to March 1st and March 6th to 9th) before leaving for the first grand prix of the season in Australia on the Melbourne street circuit.

The teams and drivers will be called upon to carry out a lot of work whose main aim will be the collection of as much information as possible whether aerodynamic (comparing them with those of the wind tunnel and the simulator), as well as the behaviour of the new Pirelli mixes and testing the reliability of the power-units that have to resist the extra kilometres, equal to seven grands prix per unit (to avoid incurring penalties).

According to the weather forecasts the four days will be conditioned by rain and cold with temperatures between 2 and 6°C. If for the moment the fear of snow seems to have been averted, the work of the Formula 1 teams at Montmelò will be accompanied by a wet track on Tuesday and Wednesday while the forecast is for a sunny day for the final session with temperatures around 10°C.

In the Ferrari camp, Kimi Raikonnen will break the ice for the SF71-H leaving the wheel for Sebastian Vettel on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Finn going back on track on Wednesday. Whereas in Red Bull it will be once more Daniel Ricciardo’s turn to get into the car after the unlucky day of filming at Silverstone which ended with the car going off track. The Australian will be on the track again on Wednesday 28th while Max Verstappen will continue the work on Tuesday and Thursday.

Fernando Alonso will begin McLaren’s programme by taking out the MCL33 with the Renault engine for the first day of tests in Barcelona while Stoffel Vandoome will have to wait the following day to begin getting the measure of the new orange and blue car.

As we wait for Mercedes to officialise the work programme for its drivers, Williams has opted for a real relay with Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin (in his debut in F1) swapping places at the wheel of the FW41 by taking to the track for half a day each. In this rotation there will also be space for Robert Kubica who this year will be the test driver. As well as having given the car its first shakedown at Aragon, the Polish driver will take to the track at Barcelona on the afternoons of Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th.

Everyone will be looking at Force India, the true revelation of the last two seasons with successive fourth places. Despite not having yet fixed the date for its presentation, it has officialised the programme for its drivers at Barcelona. In the first four days of tests all the drivers under contract will be involved and the debut will be entrusted to Nikita Mazepin, while the regular drivers Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez will get into the action on the second and third days. Nicholas Latifi will close the programme.

In the course of the four days Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly will alternate at the wheel of the Honda powered STR13 and the New Zealander will get the ball rolling. The official presentation of the new car is set for tomorrow (Monday 26th) right in pit lane a few minutes before the start of the session, even though the team itself gave us a preview during the shakedown at Misano.

After having taken advantage of Thursday and the 100km allowed by the regulations for the filming day, Marcus Ericsson will take the wheel of the Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 for its official debut on Monday. The Swede will also be at the wheel on Wednesday 28th, while on Tuesday and Thursday the work will be carried out by Formula 2 champion and debutant Charles Leclerc. The team from Hinwil will work to try to cancel last year’s disappointing season which ended in last place. Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will swap places at the wheel of the Haas with the Frenchman called to get the ball rolling.

All eyes will also be on the Haas Renault R.S.18. After the publication of the images by the team, the Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul has already stated that what has been seen so far does not reflect the real forms of the new racing car, but only its new colour scheme. All we can do is wait for the first laps of the circuit.

HOUSE MINARDI | Good weather can be seen in the morning

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Monday the spotlight will officially fall on the 2018 Formula 1 world championship with the first four (of eight) days of testing at the Barcelona track which will pre-empt the Melbourne Grand Prix. In the last few days we had the first (virtual) taste with the presentation of the first cars. Haas, Williams, Red Bull, Sauber and Renault lifted the covers showing the new lines and above all the new liveries that will colour the starting grid of the 21 grands prix, as we await Mercedes and Ferrari which will show them today (Thursday February 22nd).

We expect a demanding season characterized by the novelty of the Halo (as well as only three motors per driver) which created hard work for the teams in planning and testing the chassis. Halo has changed the philosophy and the physiognomy of the racing cars. Since it is in front of the driver’s head and placed high on the vehicle it has changed the centre of gravity of the vehicles and forced the engineers to review the weight distribution.

I could see from the photos that the cars are very beautiful with interesting technological solution and enchanting colour schemes. I await the first tests at Montmelò with a lot of curiosity and in order to understand what could be the forces in the field. Good weather can be seen in the morning.

Gian Carlo Minardi
* The video was recorded on Tuesday February 20th.

Kart | Andrea Kimi Antonelli sets his seal on the Winter Cup

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Three weeks after the authoritative win in the WSK Champions Cup with which Andrea Kimi Antonelli ushered in the new season in the colours of the Energy Corse team, the young driver from Bologna won the 23rd edition of the Winter Cup.

Saturday on the Lonato track Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed that he is the protagonist of the Mini Rok category by putting up two wins in the Qualifying Heats of Group B and then continued his winning streak on Sunday with success in the Super Heats, crossing the finishing line more than five seconds in front of his nearest rival.

Only in the Final Heats did he let up the pace to Poland’s Piotr Protasiewicz, crossing the finishing line in second place, before masterfully completing the weekend with a win in the Final which gave him the second trophy for the season.

“We are truly happy with Andrea Kimi’s new wins since he showed extraordinary and constant potential for all the weekend, even if it is true that his masterpiece came in the Final. After having slipped to fourth place he did not lose heart and with great determination he climbed back up to get the win. His growth with the Energy Corse team continues with them once more making excellent material available” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

“It was an excellent weekend in which I enjoyed myself by winning four races and finishing the Final Heats in second place. Unfortunately I did not start the Final well, but as soon as the tyres came up to heat I climbed back up to the head of the race and to the Cup” was the comment from a satisfied Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be once more one of the protagonists on the Lonato track on the weekend of March 1st to 4th for the second round of the WKS Super Master Series.

Kart | Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominated Adria under the rain…but a contact in the Pre-Final kept him out of the Final

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After his success in the WSK Champions Cup last week Andrea Kimi Antonelli was putting together another weekend as a protagonist on the Adria track in the first of the four rounds of the WSK Super Master Series.

Despite a difficult start due to a technical problem that meant that he slipped to twentieth place in the first round, on a wet track Saturday Energy Corse’s kart driver from Bologna put together three consecutive wins in as many rounds in the Preliminary Heat and climbed up the ladder to seventh place.

The cold shower came a few metres after the start of the Pre-Final due to an unlucky contact with another kart which forced him to retire early, keeping him out the Final.

“Unfortunately it was a weekend of highs and lows. After an uphill start due to problems with his kart on Friday Andrea Kimi did not lose heart and he dominated the three subsequent rounds under the rain. Sadly, this fantastic job was nullified on Sunday morning during the Pre-Final when he went off the track. In any case we are happy with his weekend because Antonelli made further steps forward in his feeling with Mick Panigada’s new material and he is feeling increasingly at home with the team. We await the appointments at Lonato with trepidation,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

Photo: KSP Reportages/Energy Corse

F1 | Minardi “Force India could be the possible surprise” Here’s why…

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If, on the one hand Liberty Media is grappling with some dissent – the latest in order of time the decision to say goodbye to the grid girls which is generating a lot of protests from the enthusiasts – there is also an air of some nervousness within the teams due to the awareness that at Brackley the World Champions are not yet satisfied and that they are sharpening their weapons in view of the new season

Once more the strong point should be the new German Power-Unit which is getting ready to break the 1,000cv barrier, as stated by its Head motor engineer Andy Cowell. With the new regulations (three units available per driver in a long season of 21 grands prix) the PUs will be a vital component for achieving the final results.

“Certainly the teams are working quickly on the new cars, but the news that is coming from Brackley in England makes us think that the new season will be labelled Mercedes. In this new era for F1 the power-unit is a very important component and even more so this season with the new regulations,” was the analysis from Gian Carlo Minardi.

“If the rumours are confirmed on the track Mercedes’ client teams will also have a big benefit, with Force India with an advantage over its direct rivals. They come from two noteworthy seasons, finishing in fourth place, and it can count on a very good pair of young drivers (Perez and Ocon, editor’s note) and on a solid organization. I expect that Williams will be behind after having decided to bet on a pair of very young drivers (Stroll and Sirotkin, editor’s note). Force India could prove to be the surprise package in 2018. Against this, the rumours say that Renault is a little behind schedule” concluded the manager from Faenza.

Maranello is warned. Beware of the “pink panther” of the battle hardened Sergio Peréz and Esteban Ocon.