F1 | Gp Monte Carlo, THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi

/in /by

With his win in Monte Carlo Grand Prix Daniel Ricciardo caught up with Hamilton and Vettel with two wins each and the difference in points is only due to the different placings. This opens up an extremely interesting championship with Red Bull becoming the needle of the scales in the struggle between Mercedes and Ferrari.

It will be interesting to see how the team will now behave considering that Max Verstappen is now out of the running. His mistake a few minutes from the end the Free Practice 3 was unforgivable and he compromised his whole weekend. After three seasons I find that mistake unacceptable and those in Red Bull should intervene, also because Ricciardo’s future is drawing increasingly away from Milton Keyes and ever closer to Maranello. Should the farewell materialize, Marko and Horner will have to solve a not so minor problem on the driver’s front, to which must be added the unknown factor of the supplier of the power-unit. They still have an option in Carlos Sainz jr who is currently committed to the Renault Team, but for the first time they may be forced to opt for a driver from outside their orbit.

We saw an extremely technical and competitive grand prix with five cars in the space of six seconds. With these numbers, on a track such as Monte Carlo, it is practically impossible to see overtaking at the top. Ricciardo achieved a win with authority and determination despite the problems with his car and with Vettel and Hamilton catching up behind him.

I am increasingly puzzled by these tyres. The difference lap times with the HyperSoft, UltraSoft and SuperSoft was practically nil.

In two weeks we will be back on track at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp Monte Carlo, the drivers’ market lights up again. Ricciardo-Ferrari, but Vettel also aims at Raikonnen

/in /by

This weekend Formula 1 will stop at Monte Carlo for the sixth round of the world championship. As per tradition, the motors will again light up one day early – Thursday for free practice – and stop on Friday. After Mercedes’ last two wins Ferrari is called to give a solid reply by trying to repeat its 2017 result which ended with a Vettel-Raikonnen double in front of Ricciardo’s Red Bull.

It is indisputable that, based on the results of the first five grands prix (with two wins each for Leis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel), strategies and mistakes will make the difference. The current gap between the two drivers (17 points in favour of the British driver) is dictated by better placings. On paper Ferrari has favourable two rounds (Monte Carlo and Canada) in front of it and it will be vital to make the most of them.

In addition to the technical battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this weekend in Monaco will be crucial for the beginning of the drivers’ market. The Principality has always been the stage for innumerable meetings, especially during the Friday break, which will draw up the 2019 starting grid and also because, with the arrival of June, the technical programmes tied to the new cars will start.

Leading the list will be Ferrari once more with Kimi Raikonnen whose contract will end this year. Maranello has an option on Daniel Ricciardo who could also arrive at Mercedes in place of Valtteri Bottas. On the other hand Sebastian Vettel does not like the arrival of the Australian (with whom he already shared the pits at Red Bull) and points on an extension of the Finn’s contract. It would be quite amazing if this should happen since, in order to come back and win the World Constructors’ title, Ferrari needs two top drivers and, above all, create a direct clash between the two drivers.

At the present time there are many knots to be undone:

– Red Bull’s contract for the Renault engines is about to end. The French have already let known that they could contiue with the adventure in Formula 1 even without supplying Red Bull with Power Units which, on the other hand, can gather information on the Honda front through Toro Rosso.

– The Brendon Hartley case holds the bench at Red Bull, he is the author of many mistakes and a negative start of the season, above all if compared to his partner Gasly. Pascal Wehrlein’s name has been mentioned (Mercedes driver), but a few hours ago Lando Norris also seems to have knocked on Franz Tost’s door, especially after the arrival of new Canadian capital from Mr. Latifi at McLaren. It would be an unusual scenario as, for the first time, Red Bull could find itself having to look from a driver from outside its own group. At the moment there is only the option with Carlos Sainz who could be called back to remedy Ricciardo’s eventual departure,

– We saw Robert Kubica at the wheel in free practice and the collective tests at Montmelò and he showed how much he is still an important driver for today’s Formula 1 driver. The Pole managed to give the team many indications for the development of the car which is relegating a historic and winning team such as Williams to last place. It is clear that the young choice related to business is not giving the desired results.

– On the other hand Alfa Romeo Sauber is paying the choice of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver has already won 9 points (7 more than his teammate Ericcson). Going to the tracks he already knows has given him the essential peace he needs in order to concentrate on the development of the car, as well as for accumulating the mileage necessary for achieving the feeling between car and driver.

– At Spain we saw also Alberto Giovinazzi at the wheel of the Sauber and the Ferrari in which he was the author of some great work. It would be good to see him on the track regularly.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Super Trofeo | Karol Basz dictates also at Silverstone together with Vito Postiglione

/in /by


After the win in the opening round at the Temple of Speed, Karol Basz, at the wheel of Imperiale Racing’s Lamborghini Huracan Evo number 44 together with Vito Postiglione, dictated at the historic Silverstone Circuit as well, in the second round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europa.

Despite being on his debut at the demanding British track, the Polish driver followed by Minardi Management adapted quickly to the pitfalls of the track taking top positions beginning in free practice and worked together with his teammate on the setup of the car without neglecting performance, as shown by the second place in the first round which ended only 45 thousandths of a second behind the best time.

The hard work carried out on Friday was repaid during the qualifying session when Karol Basz gained the second row of the grid on the strength of the fourth fastest time, repeating his teammate’s performance, before going on to take a strong win in Saturday’s race with a perfect performance.

The intense weekend closed with important points in view of the championship with fourth place in race-2 which left regrets at having let a win slip which would have made the weekend unforgettable and perfect. Taking off from fourth Place Karol Basz had taken control of the race on the strength of a hard rhythm which the direct rivals could not match but, at the change of drivers a technical problem with the door handle cost seconds and victory.

“After the win at Monza we managed to win here at Silverstone as well and this is surely very important for the continuation of the season, even if we are left with the regret caused by the problem with the door handle which cost us race-2. It was the first time for me at Silverstone and the track is really fantastic and above all we managed to be fast right from the start. On Friday we tried out some setups and gathered a lot of data which will be useful at Misano as well. I thank both Vita Postiglione and the Imperiale Team for the excellent job. I now await the next round to recover the points lost today,” commented Karol Basz.

“La fortuna non è certamente dalla nostra parte perché dopo il successo conquistato sabato avremo potuto vincere anche gara-2. L’episodio al cambio pilota che ci è costato 14”. Avremo potuto lasciare Silverstone in testa al campionato, mentre ci troviamo ad inseguire a sette lunghezze di distacco. Il ritmo gara era veramente buono come dimostra la rimonta messa in atto da Vito Postiglione. Avremo potuto vincere con nove secondo di vantaggio. Ora ci aspettano i test di Misano dove nel Racing-weekend proveremo a conquistare la vittoria in entrambe le gare. Il campionato è molto competitivo e ogni errore lo paghi pesantemente. Anche su una pista impegnativa come Silverstone però Karol non ha commesso errori e si sta confermando tra i protagonisti del Super Trofeo” commentano i manager Giovanni Minardi e Alberto Tonti

“Luck certainly wasn’t on our side because after the win on Saturday we could have won race-2 as well. The episode at the change of drivers cost us 14”. We could have left Silverstone at the top of the ladder, whereas we are now 14 points behind. The race rhythm was really good as shown by Vito Postiglione’s comeback. We could have won with a nine second lead. We now await the test at Misano where in the Racing weekend we will try to win in both races. The championship is very competitive and you pay a heavy price for any error. However, even on a track as demanding as Silverstone Karol made no mistakes and he confirmed he is one of the protagonists of the Super Trofeo,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

The next round is at the Misano Circuit, on June 22nd and 24th.

Karol Basz is part of the 2018 Lamborghini Young Drivers Program and is getting ready for Silverstone

/in /by

Last year’s excellent debut in the Italian Gran Turismo Championship and, above all, Karol’s win at Monza in the opening round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europa at the wheel of the Imperiale Racing Team’s Huracán EVO, together with the positive weekend in the United States did not go unnoticed by the people from Sant’Agata Bolognese which included the Polish driver amongst the 20 participants of the next Young Drivers Program.

This is significant recognition for the driver followed by Minardi Management who is only at the beginning of his second season in the GT championships and who this weekend will fly to the historic Silverstone track for the second round of the single make competition in partnership with Vito Postiglione.

The Young Drivers Program organized by Lamborghini’s Racing Team had reached its fifth edition and its protagonists will be involved in specific training which provides tests, on track development with the Huracán Super Trofeo Evo and athletic training under the supervision of professionals in the sector, as well as lessons in theory and training on Lamborghini’s products and communication.

“I feel honoured to be in the Lamborghini Junior Driving Program. The trust which the Italian brand gives me even more motivation and its support will allow me to achieve even better results. Already during in the next round we will do our best not to disappoint the expectations of the Lamborghini Group and all my fans and sponsors” commented a satisfied Karol Basz

“We are very satisfied in this opportunity that Lamborghini gave Karol because it further enhances his talent. It will be a great chance to grow, but now we must concentrate on Silverstone which is a circuit that is as beautiful as it is demanding that Karol will discover only this weekend, even though he is doing a lot of work on the simulator, as well as continuing his athletic training. We are sure that with Vito Postiglione and the Imperiale Team that he will be able to fight it out for the top places,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti

F1 | Spanish GP, THE POINT of Gian Carlo Minardi

/in /by

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes dominate the Spanish Grand Prix with Valtteri Bottas who completed an excellent performance in second place in front of Red Bull’s Verstappen.

We had already understood from the beginning of qualifying that we faced a weekend that would not be easy for Ferrari and the result of the race and lap times were the proof. I do not believe Ferrari made a mistake in its tactics by calling in Sebastian Vettel in the 42nd lap as he already had tyre problems.

The fourth place leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, even though they leave Barcelona with some points. Kimi Raikonnen’s retirement was a pity. It was a grand prix chasing Lewis Hamilton who lapped with important times which left a gap of 20” between him and his team mate, to which must be added another 6” to find Verstappen and 7” to Vettel. Bravo for the Dutchman who, despite the contact when he overtook Sirotkin and the damage to the rear spoiler, managed to bring home third place at the expense of the Ferrari driver who mounted fresher tyres.

This weekend Pirelli opted for the newer mixes with a 4mm lower tread which we will find once more at another two grands prix, one of which is Silverstone. Honestly, I do not understand this technical alternation that destabilizes the progressive development of the cars since a lower tread also affects the other aerodynamic parametres.

It will be interesting to see if, in the next few rounds (Monte Carlo, Canada and France) in which the traditional tread will make a comeback, the gaps between cars will be confirmed. What is certain is that in the race Mercedes confirmed the supremacy it put on show in qualifying and the winter tests.

Behind the top three teams Magnusson, Sainz, Alonso (who came back from his first WEC win on the Spa track), Perez and Leclerc won important points. In two weeks Monte Carlo will host the F1 Circus and Ferrari must try to take back the ground it lost here in Spain.

Gian Carlo Minardi

9.000 people decree the success of the Historic Minardi Day with special guest Valtteri Bottas

/in /by

Gian Carlo Minardi, together with Formula Imola and the Bandini Trophy managed to condense into a single weekend more than half a century of sporting competitions through historic racing cars which brought to the track of Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit an exceptional parade of champions.

In the course of the two days 9,000 enthusiasts flocked the circuit next to the Santerno River to experience as protagonists an International weekend of Motorsport inside the circuit’s pits, paddock and track to meet pilots, technicians and cars from Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 3000, Gran Turismo and Prototypes which wrote the most emotional pages of the four wheeled sporting history.

There were a number of emotional moments which particularly marked the third edition of the Historic Minardi Day, beginning with the arrival of Mercedes – AMG Petronas Motorsport’s driver Valtteri Bottas for a session with autograph hunters and a walk along pit lane together with Gian Carlo Minardi and Selvatico Estense, the Circuit’s President before taking to the wheel of the World Championship winning Mercedes WO7 to go to the medieval hamlet of Brisighella to receive the Bandini Trophy which this year celebrated its 25th edition. Amongst the prize winners were also ACI President and also FIA Vice President Angelo Sticchi Damiani, Aldo Costa designer of the F1 world championship car and Lewis Hamilton’s track engineer Riccardo Musconi, as well as Nick Heidfeld from Formula E who put on a display with his Mahindra Racing car in the streets of the hamlet.

On the Sunday Aldo Costa excited the crowd by making his debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car when he took to the track in the Mercedes W07, the first racing car designed by the engineer from Parma who grew up in the ranks of the Minardi Team. The incredible voyage between the past, present and future brought together by Gian Carlo Minardi for its third edition, and which also had the participation of Toro Rosso, ended with the Mahindra Team which is the protagonist of the Formula E World Championship. The day ended with an extraordinary caravan made up of the more than one hundred vintage cars from the 1st Savio Circuit Trophy and the Wheels of History event in the parade lap of the Circuit.

Many personalities made a stop in Faenza for the Golf challenge between VIPs and drivers which began the three days of the event, beginning with Prisca Taruffi, Gabriele Tarquini, Gianni Morbidelli, Pierluigi Martini, Alessandro Nannini, Luca Badoer, Riccardo Patrese, Miguel Angel Guerra, Gabriele Lancieri, Sergio Campana, Emanuele Pirro, Paolo Barilla, Matteo Bobbi, Alex Caffi, Carlo Facetti, Roberto Ravaglia, the young Kart drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Nicholas Pujatti, as well as engineers Gabriele Tredozi, Aldo Costa and Mauro Forghieri who was also the leading player of the presentation of his book “Capire la Formula 1” (Understanding Formula 1. The secrets of the evolution of Formula One from the 1960s to the present day) at the “Ayrton Senna” Conference Room. Also presenting books were journalist Pino Allievi with his “VITE DI CORSA Incontri in pista con piloti, manager, astronauti, cantanti, gente strana” (“LIFE OF RACING, Meetings on the track with drivers, managers, astronauts, singers, strange people), Mario Donnini with his “Formula 1 dal 1950 ad oggi” (Formula 1 from 1950 to today) – “Senna & Imola una storia nella storia” (Senna and Imola, a story in history) – “Mario Andretti Immagini di una vita” (Mario Andretti. Images of a life), as well as a presentation by the Scuderia Tazio Nuvolari of the book “Giorgio Lucchini – una vita per le corse” (Giorgio Lucchini – a life for racing) and driver Siegfried Stohr who brought to life his show “Piloti d’altri tempi” (Drivers of times gone by).

The fans stormed the pits of Alfa Romeo, Lamborhgini and Dallara Stradala who gave enthusiasts a lap of the Imola track, as did the Coloni Motorsport with its two seater racing car. In this setting of inestimable Supercars there was also the caravan of Pagani cars led by founder Horacio Pagani.

Gian Carlo Minardi: “It was an incredible and emotional weekend. I must thank all the participants for the passion which every year they bring to the Historic Minardi Day unique and incredible pieces that give us indescribable emotions and also the enthusiasts for the warmth they show us. It is not every year that we can host at the same time Valtteri Bottas, Aldo Costa at the wheel of a Mercedes F1 car and Formula E. I conclude with a big thank you to all the staff and the ex-Minardi volunteers. All that remains is to get to work on the fourth edition”.

Pier Giovanni Ricci (Director of the Circuit): “The success of the third edition of the Historic Minardi Day confirms how much the Imola Circuit is the perfect stage when we speak of motorsport, great emotions and the unmistakable sound of Formula 1 cars. I wish to thank Gian Carlo Minardi and Francesco Asirelli, the patron of the Bandini Trophy, for having brought us a champion of the calibre of Valtteri Bottas, a passage between past and present which we always experience with great passion. With a look towards the future as was also testified by the presence of the Mahindra car from Formula E, the sector of sustainable mobility on which we are betting with great commitment and conviction. I close with a big thank you to all the Formula Imola staff, the medical service, the track marshals, the security and fire fighting services, who all contribute substantially to the success of the events in a particularly challenging time. We are now ready for the Superbikes”.