F1 | GP MIAMI, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “AS WE AWAIT MANY OF YOU IN IMOLA WE GO TO FLORIDA”

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Adrian Campos racing in the 1987 USA GP at the wheel of the M187

Formula 1 lands in Florida in the United States before making its annual debut in Europe with the round at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit next 7 and 18 May 1.

For the Miami Grand Prix, Pirelli opted for the C3-C4-C5, a softer grade of compound compared to 2024 where the weather could be an extra variable. Despite high temperatures around 29°-30° there is a possibility of rain which could also affect the strategies and pit-stops- Traditionally it is a one stop race. The track built around the stadium is characterized by very smooth asphalt that subjects the tyres to medium-low longitudinal and lateral forces. The thermal wear will be a decisive factor.

The leitmotiv of the weekend will be the internal struggle in McLaren which will try to widen the gap from its direct rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, but above all the battle between Piastri and Norris. On the one hand the Australian will try to consolidate his leadership, both within the team, as well in the championship, while Norris will be called to respond to the mistakes made in Bahrain. He must demonstrate that he has regained the confidence and coldness necessary to fight for the drivers’ championship.

On the other hand, we have Red Bull that must find peace of mind within the team, despite Max Verstappen always present and in splendid form. Especially in qualifying, on the fast lap, the car is able to express itself fully. Precisely the two qualifying sessions, for the Sprint and GP, will be important because they will be played out on the edge of thousandths of a second.

On the Ferrari front, after Leclerc’s podium two weeks ago, we hope it will make a further step forward by fine tuning the developments introduced at Sakhir. Keep an eye on Mercedes as well, currently the second force in the world championship.

The track built around the Hard Rock Stadium is 5,412 kilometres long to be lapped 57 times in the race. Set up by taking advantage of the parking areas, service roads and even arterial streets, it is distinguished by 19 bends: seven to the right and 12 to the left. Even though located in an area with no high contours, some height differences have been created: the most notable between bends 13 and 16, where the track passes under an underpass on irregular terrain and through a braking lane of Florida’s Turnpike. So, just like Jeddah, there will be three DRS zones in Miami at the end of which are the best opportunities for overtaking on the track.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SAUDI ARABIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “LECLERC-HAMILTON. THE GAP IS TOO HIGH”

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In Saudi Arabia we saw a weekend under the banner of McLaren, but especially under the name Oscar Piastri who forcefully took the number one spot within the team led by Andrea Stella, as well as the lead in the ladder by taking his third win of the season. He is confirming that he is a complete driver.

Always present is Verstappen, the author of an extraordinary pole position after the difficult weekend in Bahrain. However, I do not agree with the penalty. I believe that 5” are too few considering the advantage obtained by his action and also because they came at the start of the race. He had plenty of time to recover, crossing the finish line in second place, little more than 2” from the Australian. A drive-through would have been more consistent.

Leclerc’s grand prix is also to be applauded. Not only did he give Ferrari its first podium of the season in a GP, but he hid and lessened the car’s real problems which were instead very evident with Hamilton who had a pace that did not line up with a seven times world champion. At the present time it is rather inexplicable.

Antonelli’s defence right against Hamilton was excellent. Mercedes is the second force of the world championship with a pair of drivers with very little difference between them. Russell is in splendid form, as he showed with the third place in qualifying and fifth in the race.

It was a negative weekend for Norris. He is racing inconsistently, and his difficulties are obvious. The comeback in the race was certainly positive, also the result of a good strategy, but the mistake in Q3 was very heavy. Despite having the best car on the track, he could not overtake Leclerc. This makes the result achieved by the driver from Monte Carlo even more important. Norris is suffering heavily the “problem” of Piastri who exploits his McLaren to the utmost.

A positive weekend also for Carlos Sainz, who is on the upswing with his Williams, and who once again left his teammate Albon behind him, and for Hadjar, who gave the Racing Bulls the point of the top 10, with Lawson in twelfth place. Making a comparison with last season, the biggest disappointment is coming from Aston Martia, out of the points zone.

In two weeks’ time, they go to Miami, before landing in Europe at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit on May 16-28-

It was an Easter weekend of Motorsport. If in Jeddah we saw the fifth round of the F1 World Championship, Imola hosted the second round of the WEC World Championship, attracting more than 65,000 fans. I thank them one by one for the warmth with which they welcomed me, especially at the moment of the start of the 6 hours, just as I thank the entire Formula Imola team for their excellent work. Congratulations and thanks also came from the organizer of the WEC. With the arrival of F1 in four weeks time, I hope to be able to see an even warmer and bigger crowd. The fans are our “sponsors”, and the encouragement to continue to improve. We must put those who have to make certain decisions in difficulty.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1| GP BAHRAIN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “PIASTRI A COMPLETE DRIVER. NORRIS IN MENTAL DIFFICULTY.”

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Once again, we saw an extremely competitive race in which strategies and the safety-car were decisive for the result. A Grand Prix that entertained us with a lot of overtaking, which showed once again that just the slightest slip is enough – see some of the imperfections in the pit-stops – to lose positions.

Congratulations to Oscar Piastri, the protagonist of a perfect weekend. He marked his 50th GP with pole-position and the win. He is confirming that he is a complete driver who is maturing. He is the pretender to the title, considering Norris’ mental difficulties.  His teammate was not as predictable with some mistakes in both qualifying and at the start. A mistake that affected his race finishing behind Russell.

The forces in the field are becoming clearer with McLaren increasingly the master of this championship, ahead of a good Mercedes, and a discrete Ferrari. For the first time since the start of the season Antonelli finished the race outside the points zone. His overtaking move on the four-time world champion Max Verstappen was beautiful, but the entry of the safety car messed up Mercedes’ plans, in this way thwarting the excellent work with an imperfect strategy.

They were precisely the ones who may have been the victims of this too intense calendar. In my opinion, 24 races are too many. Teams and drivers are subject to a tight schedule and the risk of mistakes is just around the corner.  Probably, because of the turnover, some procedures did not work properly among Horner’s men.

I found the decision to not proceed in relation to Russell correct. This was a minor mistake dictated by an external management problem connected to the ECU. I do not think he had much of an advantage.

Having said this, in six days’ time they go back onto the track in Jedda, in Saudi Arabia, for the fifth round of the season.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP JAPAN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS. ANTONELLI DROVE LIKE A TOP DRIVER.

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Imola -MINARDI DAY

The Japanese Grand Prix was a very interesting race, perhaps not so much on the overtaking front, but in terms of lap times with the first six finishing within 19 seconds, the top three within little more than 3”.

Verstappen once again made the difference in Red Bull, confirming all his worth, after having given us a preview on Saturday by taking home an extraordinary pole position, ahead of the two McLarens, despite having an inferior car.

Tsunoda, in his first outing with Red Bull, paid for what is the true value of the car. If, during free practice he had managed not to make a bad impression in comparison to his teammate, in qualifying the Dutchman made the difference. Starting so far back it became difficult to catch up. He set good lap times, but he crossed the finish line 58’ behind.

This weekend consecrated the forces in the field in both the constructors’ and the drivers’ fronts. Although Piastri had something more than Norris, I agree with the strategies and the choices made by McLaren which, in any case, with second and third places, consolidated its leadership in the championship. In both qualifying and in the race, the team from Woking “gave” Verstappen a tenth of a second, which cost it the win.

Positive signs came from Mercedes which consolidated second place, thanks to fifth and sixth places with Russell and Antonelli respectively. In particular, Antonelli raced like a top driver on a demanding track like Suzuka which he, just like the other rookies,  did not know, setting not only the fastest lap of the race, which gave him not only the new track record and the youngest driver to set it, but he was the driver who completed the most laps with the “yellows”. After a defensive first part, from the 32nd to the 53rd lap he consistently lapped within a few tenths of a second from his best performance, recovering six/seven tenths of a second on his teammate on each lap. A strategy that decidedly paid off in terms of lap times. The support of an engineer like Bono, who worked alongside Hamilton for the last twelve years, is invaluable. Let us not forget that this is only the third round.

Although improving on a year ago, Ferrari finished in fourth place with Leclerc, 16 seconds from the top, which translates into a gap of almost three tenths of a second. This is not a lot, but it may not be easy to make up.

I was positively impressed by Hadjar, who was excellent in both qualifying – just behind Antonelli-, and also in the race with eight place and important points for the team.

However, there is little time because they go back on the track on Friday with the fourth round in Bahrein, a track that everyone knows very well, including the rookies.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP JAPAN, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI, IT’S TOO EARLY TO TRY ANYONE. SUZUKA A VERY TECHNICAL TRACK”

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We are fast approaching the third round of the World Championship where the main changes are related to the grid, with Tsunoda joining Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, and Lawson taking his place in Racing Bulls.

I do not expect big changes in the cars (liveries aside) given the short time available to the teams, which will introduce important updates later, when they arrive in Europe.

Suzuka is a very technical track, and one of the most historic on the calendar, where the drivers will have the chance to express themselves, also because of the tight battle between the teams.  Amongst the rookies, it will be interesting to see who will adapt best to the track’s characteristics, as it will be new to all of them. The rain forecast for Sunday represents an additional unknown factor.

Japan is an important test to verify the forces on the field. We will see if McLaren’s supremacy will be confirmed, and if Ferrari and Mercedes will be able to close the gap. On the Ferrari front, we take note of the results of the first two GPs, but it is still early to try anyone and, above all, to pass sentences.

On the tyre front, Pirelli brings the C1- C2-C3 which represent the hardest compounds to cope with the historically very abrasive asphalt, even though the track has been resurfaced.

Gian Carlo Minardi