F1 | GP BRAZIL, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “COMEBACKS ARE MORE COMPLICATED WITH THIS GREAT COMPETITIVENESS”

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For the twenty first round, the third in a row, Formula 1 arrives in Brazil, in Sao Paolo, on a track that is as historic as it is fast, and which has its own peculiarity, it is run anticlockwise.

We are 700m above sea level, in an area characterized by sudden weather changes. The track has been completely resurfaced, certainly an extra variation considering the drivers will have only one session of free practice. In fact, Brazil hosts the fifth of the six Sprint races. On the compounds front, Pirelli continues the trend of soft sets, with C3-C4-C5. A configuration that, lately, has brought good results to Ferrari, author of the last two wins.

Like the win in Mexico, I expect a good fight on the edge of tenths of a second. Approaching the end of the  season, possible penalties for changes of the Power-Units and/or components also come in to play. Precisely on Verstappen’s Red Bull there is talk of possible changes with the consequence of penalties to be paid on the starting grid.

It is certainly a track that favours overtaking and eventual comebacks, even if you must take into account greater competitiveness and an upwards compaction of performances which make an eventual comeback harder. Today we have four teams that can aspire for the podium, if not for the win.

Behind McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston Martin, there is a fiery battle between Haas and Racing Bulls for sixth place, currently in the hands of the American team that boasts a 10-point lead on the Faenza based team that is recovering slightly. Williams and Alpine, separated by only three points, are fighting for eighth place.

Good GP to everyone

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | GP MEXICO, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI IS TO BE APPLAUDED. THE DIRECT CHALLENGE WITH MCLAREN STARTS AGAIN. VERSTAPPEN: HEAVY PENALTIES BUT CORRECT “

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Once again, these young men knew how to entertain us, giving us a good grand prix, and on the whole it was a very interesting weekend. Carlos Sainz made the most of his performances in the best way possible, just like Ferrari took home a second straight win. Together with important points with Leclerc’s third place, to which is added the additional point for the fastest lap.

As we had been expecting for some time, the challenge between McLaren and Ferrari has started again. McLaren, that keeps the lead in the constructors’ world championship, finished the weekend with an important second place with Norris, but a Ferrari not only removed Red Bull from second place, but it got closer to its direct rivals from Woking. Now the gap is 29 points.

This is certainly an important sign in view of the near future that was hard to foresee until a few months ago, and it is synonymous with peace of mind, and a rediscovered tranquillity within the team.

In Red Bull they were probably aware of this possible scenario, finding itself having to race with only one driver, especially after having made the decision to trust Perez. It is an incredible involution by the Mexican.

Staying in Red Bull, Verstappen paid, all at once, for all the bonuses accumulated up now. Besides everything, they are severe, but correct, penalties, probably the fruit of the meeting on Saturday between the drivers and the marshals. They are two penalties that Verstappen paid heavily, managing anyway to climb back to sixth place.

The challenge within Mercedes between the seven times world champion and the possible next world champion was exciting. It was a very correct challenge, with Hamilton taking advantage of indecision by Russell. He showed his experience and all his worth.

Between all the teams that are growing in this end of the season we surely find Haas, once again in the points with its drivers, so consolidating sixth place at the expense the Racing Bulls that was deprived right from the start of its driver, who was blameless. These are episodes that are part of the races.

Next week we go back onto the track once again, in Sao Paolo, Brazil for the fourth last race round.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP MEXICO, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERY INTERESTI NG DISTRIBUTION OF PERFORMANCES. UNCERTAIN RESULT”

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From Texas to Mexico. We are witnessing a truly exciting end to the championship, as it should be  as we approach the end of an intense cycle. We have an upward compaction, especially amongst  the four top teams with a highly interesting distribution of performances.

Luckily, for some months it has become very hard to guess the poleman, let alone the possible  winner of the race. The gaps are  narrowing, a sign of high competitiveness.

I surely do not feel like taking for granted the win by Max Verstappen who remains one of the  points of reference. Right now, he is racing with great cunning and j ust as much skill, as he  showed only a week ago in Austin.

Norris has an excellent car, the McLaren, but he does not always manage to  make the most of  this potential, as the 57-point gap to the Dutchman demonstrates.

Leclerc, who just won in COTA, took  himself to 22 points from the McLaren driver, reopening the  challenge for second place.  It is an open battle also on the constructors’ front, with Ferrari only  eight points behind  Red Bull.

Keep an eye on the challenge for sixth place between Haas and Racing Bulls, currently in the hands of the American team, with a lead of two points. Just a week ago, the Faenza based team  showed signs of recovery, thanks in part to the addition of Lian Lawson.

The world championship arrives in Hermanos Rodriguez, a track  located 2,000 metres above sea  level with the drivers having 30 minutes more for free practice 2, validating the softer compounds  of the 2025 range (C4, C5, and C6). For the weekend Pirelli has confirmed the switch to a softer selection, with C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft, to broaden  race strategies. Despite high downforce, very high speeds are reached, due to both the straights and the rarified air dictated by the altitude. On the strategy front, it is a track with only one stop, but they must watch out for possible safety-cars. The track is little used during the year; therefore, the asphalt will have more rubber from session to session leading to improved performances…

It promises to be a weekend to follow with great interest starting from free practice 1, which will on the track Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the when of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP USA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI PERFECT. LAWSON AND COLAPINTO TO BE APPLAUDED. CORRECT TAKING AWAY THE POINT FROM THE GPV”

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The three races in America started with an extraordinary double by Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was the protagonist of a perfect start. That type of attack by Verstappen on Norris was probably expected.

The driver from Monte Carlo was just as skilled at the start after the safety-cay caused by Lewis Hamilton (protagonist of a mistake not worthy of a seven times world champion), maintaining a high pace for all the grand prix. Just as infallible was the strategy regarding Carlos Sainz that allowed the double taking them to only eight points from second place on the constructors’ ladder with five races still to be run.

This was a prestigious result for Ferrari and a good omen that confirms the important step forward, especially in the long run configuration. They must still improve something in qualifying, but we are talking about tenths of a second. Leclerc and Sainz can only recriminate for having blocked each other excessively during the sprint. Otherwise, they would have made it harder for Verstappen to return to success.

Third place for Red Bull with Verstappen, who found his smile once again, the fruit of a tussle with the poleman Norris and the subsequent penalty. Unfortunately, we do not know the guidelines dictated during the briefing between the race director and the drivers. It certainly seems to me that there was more permissiveness during the first lap compared to the rest of the race, because the two episodes – always with Norris and Verstappen as protagonists – are very similar.

George Russell and Lian Lawson also stood out. Both, starting from pitlane, were the protagonists of important comebacks with both finishing in the points zone. Sixth place for the Mercedes driver, with the mistake in qualifying that probably wiped out a result that could have been more important, and eighth place for the Racing Bulls flagbearer in his first race of the season. An important result for the direct challenge with Haas in view of sixth place, currently to the hands of the American team with a two-point lead, the result of both Hulkenberg’s eighth place and, above all, the better result in the Sprint.

Just as important, tenth place by Colapinto who put an unjudgeable Albon in serious difficulty. In just a few races the young man has shown that he deserves to stay in the world championship. We hope that correct choices are made in his regard. Until a few laps from the finish, he had also set the fastest lap of the race, taken away only in the final lap by Ocon with an action that has little to do with sport or technique.

Precisely for this reason I am absolutely in favour of eliminating this regulation. It would be fair to reward if it is done during the race. Used in this way it has so sense.

Gian Carlo Minardi