F1 | Gp Austria, MINARDI “The real challenge is behind the top three teams”

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Formula 1 is coming to Austria, a track that is as fast as it is short in which a lap is completed in little more than a minute. Last year Bottas’ record was 1’03” and this weekend it will almost certainly be adjusted downwards.

We are talking about a track in which traction and braking are important components, just as the tyres are particularly stressed. For the first time the three top teams have opted, at least on paper, for a different strategy with Mercedes bringing 9 sets of Soft against Red Bull’s 8 sets with Verstappen and Ferrari’s 7.

In light of the Ring’s technical characteristics we hope to see a more hard-fought grand prix and less boring than what we saw in France last weekend. Being at an altitude of 667 metres the atmospheric conditions, together with the entry of the safety car, could be important variables to be taken into consideration.

Everyone will certainly have to deal with this super Mercedes that is about to break every record. If the forecasts are not met, as we saw in Paul Ricard, Ferrari will have to be wary of Red Bull. Behind them however, there is an interesting tussle with the growing McLaren in the fight for fourth place between the Renault powered constructors. We hope that this weekend too will not be conditioned by penalties as happened in the last two grands prix. Just as with Vettel, the decisions concerning Ricciardo in France seemed too harsh to me.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Vettel-Hamilton, MINARDI “The decision was too hasty”

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Five days from the Canadian grand prix the penalty the marshals gave Vettel that gave Lewis Hamilton the win is still a hot theme. The marshals followed what the regulations say, but I am still of the idea that in that predicament Vettel could not have done anything else, just as nearly all his colleagues have confirmed, including Hamilton, the sole exception was Nico Rosberg.

In the light of what happened the regulations must be reviewed to protect safety without eliminating the melee which is this sport’s true DNA and also because I do not understand why the very dangerous episode between Ricciardo and Hulkenberg was not penalized.

Up to the 48th lap we had been watching a great battle between two champions who had created a void behind them and it is a pity that the second part of the grand prix was conditioned by a single very questionable episode. Rather than immediately giving Vettel a 5” penalty, the marshals could have postponed the decision to analyze the telemetry of the two cars once the engines had been turned off and to watch the video and then inflict a penalty on the Ferrari driver in the French Grand Prix.

The spectacle and credibility of F1 and Motorsport must be protected. Specifically, this episode tarnished an extremely competitive race and there is also an aspect that continues to leave me amazed. Faced with the pole position won by Vettel with the incredible time of 1’10”249, the fastest race lap by the German was 1’14”875 set in the 57th lap with Leclerc 1:14.356 (63rd lap), Verstappen 1:14.767 (67th lap) and Hamilton 1:14.813 (62nd lap).

Only Valtteri Bottas in the penultimate (69th) lap went below the barrier of 1’14, stopping the chronometer at 1’13”078.

This is an enormous difference between qualifying and the race that the teams and the tyre supplier should explain to us. We will try to gather some information and, in expectation of the French grand prix I will be waiting for you on Wednesday 19th at Turin on the occasion of the inauguration of the Salon of the Auto Parco Valentino and the parade of supercars and F1 cars that will begin at 8.00pm.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP Canada, THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi “These penalties are killing motorsport”

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I do not agree that a race as tight as the Canadian Gran Prix with three drivers within a bare 6” after 70 laps should be ruined by judge’s decision. These decisions are killing Motorsport.

We saw a hard fought race between two great drivers. Vettel certainly made a mistake by coming long into the bend, which in a race as frantic as this one could make sense, just like the struggle between drivers who are part of the history of this sport.

I am not worried about the points lost be the German in view of the world championship but about these decisions that compromise the credibility of Formula 1.

I had not seen such big gaps in a long time. Behind the first three drivers, Bottas paid with a gap of 51” which rose to 57” at Verstappen’s expense who finishing fifth over the line and in front of Ricciardo, the first of the lapped drivers and the second Renault driven by Hulkenberg. A point for Kvyat with Toro Rosso completed the top ten with Gasly (8th) and Stroll (9th).

Before closing I find Kevin Magnussen’s declarations to his team improper when he said that he had never driven such an ugly car. Pity that he was the one who destroyed it against the wall and that his mechanics had performed a miracle in rebuilding it to give him the chance race the GP.

This is all for this evening but I will give you an appointment in the next few days to go deeper into the episodes of this seventh round of the world championship in Montreal.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP Canada, MINARDI “The haemorrhage must be stemmed”

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Formula 1 flew overseas and reached Canada on a track which, for its technical characteristics, should favour cars with medium-low down force, such as Ferrari.

Montreal is a very demanding track with long straights and noteworthy braking where the traction has a major role with important changes of direction and many chicanes with the possible entry of the safety-car, the weather and the tyres with Pirelli bringing a solution very similar to that of 2018.

With these characteristics Vettel and Leclerc should suffer less compared to the recent weekends, also because the moment has come to stem this haemorrhage by trying to take points away from Mercedes which will bring the second evolution of its engine.

In the light of the results achieved to date Hamilton and Bottas are still the favourites for the win even here in Montreal. On the power-unit front this will also be an important test for a growing Honda and Red Bull.

The challenge for fifth place just behind McLaren – fourth with 30 points – is heating up with Racing Point, Haas, Toro Rosso, Renault and Alfa Romeo Racing enclosed in a bare four points. In Montecarlo Scuderia TR made a great leap forward by scoring ten points with its drivers Kvyat and Albon and Canada could once again be fertile ground.

Gian Carlo Minardi