F1 | BRITISH GRAND PRIX GIAN CARLO MINARDI “A FIERY WEEKEND”

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Silverstone, the British Grand Prix, twelfth round. We await a fiery weekend on a track that is not easy. It will also be interesting to follow the grand prix also because of what happened during the final laps between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austria.

Silverstone is a tough track for both the drivers and the tyres with the front left particularly stressed in the three very fast bends – Maggots, Becketts and Chapel – where they also reach 5g of lateral force. Pirelli is introducing a new compound, a first step in light of 2025 to withstand more stress.

The car of reference remains Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, even if McLaren is approaching very quickly. In Austria both Verstappen and the team were not exempt from mistakes, and this gave us a heart stopping finish, unfortunately ending with the collision that cost the British driver his retirement.

In the last five rounds, (from Imola to the Red Bull Ring) McLaren has put together 144 points, against the 132 of Mercedes, the 116 of Red Bull (that practically races with only one driver) and Ferrari’s 104.

We go back to the traditional programme, with three sessions of free practice, qualifying and the race. The Teams and drivers must prepare themselves as well as possible for the unknown factor of the weather.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “TRA BETWEEN TWO LITIGANTS….RUSSELL WON”

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It had been a while since saw such a tight and aggressive Verstappen. In this grand prix we saw the Verstappen of yesteryear. On several occasions I saw him very incorrect, and I noticed a certain condescension in his regards,

In the collision with Norris not only did Verstappen touch him, but once he understood that he had punctured, he deliberately swerved to stop him completely, resulting in Norris’ retirement. He was probably unnerved by this McLaren in top form. Previously, he had already, even if not so blatantly, gone wide under braking to defend himself from the McLaren driver’s attacks. He should have been penalized earlier

It was a pity because we could have seen ten heart stopping laps. It will certainly be a good omen for the continuation of the season and in view of next week’s round at Silverstone in England.

George Russel took advantage of it brilliantly, taking Mercedes to the win. For him and Mercedes it was a positive weekend that legitimized them as the current third force of the world championship.

An unhoped for third place for Ferrari. Very good Sainz, who defended third position behind two cars faster than him. Pity for Leclerc’s first lap in the episode with Oscar Piastri. Definitely a race contact, but the driver from Monte Carlo seemed too optimistic. He can consider himself satisfied with eleventh place, the result of a positive come back, but there is certainly a lot of work to do in Maranello. Beyond what we read in the Constructors’ ladder, the track tells us that they are the fourth force behind Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes.

It was a fantastic race by the two Haas who said goodbye to Austria with sixth and eighth place – very important points. Profiting from Norris’ retirement were Daniel Ricciardo, an excellent ninth place for the Racing Bulls, and Gasly, tenth with Alpine. They harvested important points which, in normal circumstances, would not have been within their reach.

They will back on the track in a week’s time with the twelfth round at the historic Silverstone circuit.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP SPAIN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN IS A JACKHAMMER, EVEN WITHOUT THE BEST CAR”

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Even without having the best car Max Verstappen won once again. The Dutchman confirmed that he is a jackhammer by covering the many laps with the same pace, outclassing his teammate who crossed the finish line almost a minute later.

Serio Perez constantly ran six tenths of a second per lap slower, like in qualifying. Despite a different strategy, the results did not change. Certainly, the worth of this Red Bull is not that of Perez, but neither is it that of Verstappen who puts a lot of his own into it.

Currently, the ladder clear with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari the fourth force of the world championship. McLaren paid for its inexperience because, even if they are a strong team they are not yet ready to win because they make mistakes. The team made some important gifts to its direct rivals, in both the pitstops and terms of the strategy. Despite this, Norris finished just 2”2 from the Dutchman.

We have a fiery second half of the season (we have 3 drivers within little more than 30”) ahead of us, characterized by minimal gaps which if, on the one hand they lead to less overtaking and fewer exciting races, on the other hand, we can get excited in qualifying where it takes nothing to lose important positions.

In fact, the Grand Prix was not particularly absorbing, expect for some important overtaking. With great ability Russell managed to gain three positions, taking himself to the lead after the first corner. Just like, the challenge between Norris and Russell won by the McLaren driver.

On the Ferrari front, fifth and sixth place. With Leclerc, the engineers tried to liven things up by changing the starting strategy, with no luck. There is nothing to say about the contact between the two drivers. It was a race contact.

An incredible step forward by Alpine. Undoubtedly there is more order between the drivers who do not lose precious time getting in each other’s way. Qualifying was excellent, with the potential was fulfilled even in the race.

It was the opposite result for the Racing Bull, probably the protagonist of the most disappointing weekend of the season. Despite the updates installed, they were constantly outside the points zone and in difficulty right from qualifying.

They go back onto the track in a week’s time with the Austrian Grand Prix, which will also host the sprint race.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP IMOLA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “APPROACHING A FULLHOUSE WITH 200,000 PEOPLE. WEEKEND FULL OF EVENTS BOTH ON AND OFF THE TRACK AND WITH A FULL FANZONE, IN THE NAME OF MOTORSPORT”

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We are in the final phase of the organization, certainly a demanding stage, but we can be satisfied with the great work done on all aspects. From the point of view of the attendance, we are close to the record for Imola, almost 200,000. For the Sunday we are approaching a full house, and the days of Friday and Saturday are growing well.

These are two days full of events, on and off the track, as well as on Sunday, starting with qualifying which promises to be very tight. As per tradition, with the arrival in Europe all the teams will introduce important new technical innovations, the result of the data collected in the first grands prix of the season. Imola is the seventh round, the second quarter of the season.

Red Bull and Max Verstappen continue to be the points of reference, but the gap is definitely narrower. At least on paper, total supremacy by the reigning champions is not expected. In Miami we already saw that they can be beaten, as Lando Morris proved with, amongst other things, his first career win.  Ferrari and Mercedes, like all the others, Red Bull included, will introduce important updates. Hopefully they will also be decisive. By putting pressure on the rival, it is easier to lead him into error.

As a track we have introduced some new developments, according to the FIA guidelines, and the new homologation rules that involved, in particular, the kerbs and a smaller escape route at the Tamburello, Rivazza, Gresini and Acque Minerali bends.

Fan Zone already open on Thursday afternoon

In addition to the on-track activity, there will be no lack of entertainment in the Fanzone, already open on Thursday (prologue with free entry from 1.00pm), with 16 simulators, a Ferris wheel, F1 PitStop Challenge, DJ Set, as well as the possibility of meeting the drivers in autographs sessions on the large stage of the Music Area. Furthermore, a lot of historic F1 single seater racing cars on show in the Fanzone and inside the Motor Valley Area set up to promote the motoring excellence in the Emilia-Romagna Region.

 The weekend programme between Formula 1, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Minì

The Grand Prix programme foresees two sessions of free practice from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, and from 5.00pm to 6.00pm, on Saturday the third session of free practice from 12.30pm to 3.00pm which will be followed by qualifying from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. On Sunday the race is scheduled to start at 3.00pm. The race will be run over 63 laps of the Imola Circuit (4,909metres) for a total of 309.049km.

In addition to F.1, on the track there will be Formula 2 with a special eye on Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Prema), Formula 3 with Leonardo Fornaroli (currently second on with 37 points equal to Browing) and Gabriele Minì (third with 32 points) fighting for the leadership and Porsche Supercup.

A Circuit easily reached by train

Reaching the Circuit from the station is really easy; only 1,500 metres of protected path, all straight ahead, separate the station from the circuit, immediately walking down Viale Andrea Costa (with the new upgraded sections which are greener and more accessible), then crossing through the historic city centre with many initiatives, and finally, entering viale Dante, a treelined stretch that leads directly to the Circuit’s tower. For the event Trenitalia has scheduled special Freccia Rossa and Intercity trains, as well as additional regional trains provided by Trenitalia TPER.

A wide range of parking

For those who come by car or bus, many convenient parking areas have been setup, even close to the entries to the circuit. In addition, three temporary camping areas have also been setup, with compulsory booking until all the places are filled. The map and the directions are on  https://visitareimola.it/evento/gran-premio-di-f1/

There are all the ingredients for experiencing an intense weekend of Motorsport, while then waiting for the 8th edition of the Historic Minardi Day (24-25 August)

 

WEC, 6H IMOLA | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “LET ALL OUR PASSION BE HEARD”

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This weekend will also see the second round of the FIA WEC, which will stop in Italy at Imola’s Circuit.

For the first time the World Endurance Championship makes a stop in Imola, fifty years after the Mille Chilometri (Thousand kilometres) of Imola race. We are satisfied with advance sales, despite the current uncertain weather. It is important to show the organizers of the World Championship is of interest to the Italian public. We are talking about a calendar of eight rounds and many nations aspire to host it. It is an honour for us.

We are talking about a starting grid of the highest level, made up of 14 car manufacturers, 18e LMGT3 and 19 Hypercars, and the spectacle will certainly not be lacking, starting from Friday. Let us not forget that with the ticket you can go all around the circuit to see the cars in action in all the sectors of the track. In 6 hours of racing (start at 1.00pm) there will be fun to be had.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Imola.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GIAN CARLO MINARDI “WEEKEND BETWEEN WEC IN IMOLA and F1 IN CHINA”

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Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after an absence of five years. It practically starts from scratch.

This is why I find myself in line with the drivers who are complaining – Verstappen first and foremost – about the decision to schedule the Sprint race (scheduled for 5.00am on Saturday) precisely in China, with barely an hour of free practice available before the qualifying for the Sprint (starting from 9.30 Friday)

Compared to the last edition we have completely different cars, tyre with 18” rims and asphalt subject to precision grinding, shot peening and sealing to eliminate the unevenness that has developed over time. A further unknown factor. In addition, some drivers do not know it at all.

On the compounds front, Pirelli has brought the C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft compounds). In particular, the front left tyre will be particularly stressed on a track that has two very long straights and significant braking.

Red Bull remains the car to beat, but there could be some variables in the rear. This year there is a clear divide between the top five teams (Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin) and the rest of the grid. One person under special observation in Racing Bulls will certainly be Daniel Ricciardo. He must try to come out of his anonymity, to safeguard his past, and above all to help the team to keep sixth place. Tsunoda alone (excellent in this start of the season) is not enough.

As is normal when we move towards the end of a cycle, we are faced with many negotiations behind the scenes, especially with an eye to 2026, which interests the drivers and especially the technicians and the engineers.

WEC. In addition to Formula 1, this weekend will also see the second round of the FIA WEC, which will stop in Italy at Imola’s Circuit.

For the first time the World Endurance Championship makes a stop in Imola, fifty years after the Mille Chilometri (Thousand kilometres) of Imola race. We are satisfied with advance sales, despite the current uncertain weather. It is important to show the organizers of the World Championship is of interest to the Italian public. We are talking about a calendar of eight rounds and many nations aspire to host it. It is an honour for us.

We are talking about a starting grid of the highest level, made up of 14 car manufacturers, including the LMGT3 and Hypercars, and the spectacle will certainly not be lacking, starting from Friday. Let us not forget that with the ticket you can go all around the circuit to see the cars in action in all the sectors of the track. In 6 hours of racing (start at 1.00pm) there will be fun to be had.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Imola.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRALIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “A BREATH OF FRESH AIR”

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The first win of the season and the first double for Ferrari that took advantage of Max Verstappen’s retirement in the best of ways. It was a breath of fresh air for Ferrari (and F1) that said goodbye to Melbourne with a number of positive signs dictated by a competitive car which in the end also set the fastest lap with Leclerc.

The first sign of fragility in the Red Bull came a few laps after the start, even if the problems of Verstappen’s car emerged right from the first bends, probably due to an imperfect assembly. This “fall” does not cancel the excellent start of the RB 20 and the Dutchman who remains the point of reference, but the 56” gap from the leader Sainz suffered by Sergio Perez could represent a further alarming sign.

We saw a tight grand prix for all 58 laps with a nice sequence of laps by the Ferrari and McLaren drivers. Norris made his best performance in the 50th lap, then definitively bettered by Leclerc in the 57th.

Reliability problems also for Mercedes with the retirement of both drivers. I believe the exit from the track in the end was the result of a technical problem because the rear the “bucked” on him.

And taking advantage of the situation were the two Haas which took the points zone with Nico Hulkenberg (9th) and Keving Magnussen (P10). It was an excellent race also by Fernando Alonso ahead of his teammate Stroll. First points for Tsunoda with the RB (8th).

It was also a positive weekend for our young men involved in F2 and F3. Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking fourth place brilliantly making up for Saturday’s mistake. I believe the team still has a good margin for improvement because they were struggling in the straight despite the DRS. Second and third place for Formaroli and Mini respectively. Certainly, a good sign for the future.

Gian Carlo Minardi

[UPDATE] With the 20″ penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso, considered responsible for triggering George Russell’s accident on the last lap, the Spaniard slips to 8th place with Tsunoda 7th and Stroll in 6th

F1 | GP QATAR, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI IMPROVED, BUT NEWEY HAS TAKEN A FANTASTIC ROAD”

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We are now close to the first grand prix of the season. It begins in Bahrain with a new programme (just like Abu Dhabi): the engines will start up on Thursday with two sessions of free practice, Friday free practice 3 and qualifying, Saturday 4.00pm the grand prix. This is already the first innovation.

We come to the first round (of 24 GPs) after having seen the three days of collective tests. Three days from which it was hard to draw a conclusion. It starts again from where we left off: A Red Bull in front of everybody. Adrian Newey has taken a different road from the rest of the pack and if everything goes as it should once again there is little all the others can do, also because he has introduced innovations which will be hard to duplicate in short time.

I was particularly impressed by the long runs covered by Max Verstappen on the Friday. He put together many laps at the same pace with extreme serenity and naturalness.

Carlos Sainz had also achieved the same result with the SF-24 the day before (even if the lap times were different), but it is not easy to make comparisons. Ferrari seems to have been born better compared to the previous car.

Another factor that emerged following the tests was the upward reduction of the performances, as well as reliability. Precisely for this reason I expect a very hard-fought Q2.  The cars normally have the same tyres and fuel. Just last year, especially at the end of the season, we had a fine tussle.

At the moment, I find it hard to evaluate the Mercedes. Russell set his best times with compounds that will not be present this weekend, as did Leclerc.

It will be interesting to follow this first round to start to understand the forces on the field and who will be the most skilled in these months, The RD drew attention with Tsunoda and Ricciardo…

But be careful! Eyes are also on Formula 3 with Fomaroli and Mini and the debut of Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Formula 2.

So, we expect a weekend full of Motorsport. Good viewing to everyone.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Ph @F1

F1 | GP BELGIUM, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “GREAT UNKNOWNS BEHIND VERSTAPPEN”

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If, on the one hand, we have a Red Bull that is absolutely beyond the limits of which we will (probably) never know (as shown by the fastest lap set in Budapest), there are great variations behind Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman is certainly making the difference. Without him we would be watching a championship with five/six different winners. For this reason, in view of Spa-Francorchamps the real question is: Which will be the second force?

Since the first grands prix we have seen radical changes from second to sixth place, due to the management of the tyres, weather conditions and, obviously, the developments of the car. It is not an easy to predict the name of the second place, above all in view of a long and demanding circuit such as Spa.

Today we have McLaren as the second force. At the start of the season, it was Aston Martin, then overtaken by Mercedes, with the introduction of the B version. Who is missing from the roll call is Ferrari. Let us see if they will be able to patch things up. They are passing through a moment of discomfort, as we can see from the strained faces. It will not be easy to recover.

Among the things we are seeing is an exciting competitiveness in qualifying, with the drivers enclosed within a handful of tenths of a second. A situation that changes drastically in the race.

It will be interesting to follow Sergio Perez as well, after his third place in Budapest. The Red Bull driver came from the last five unexciting rounds.

To try and avoid the rain, this year the round in Belgium has been brought forward, even if the forecasts talk about temperatures of 17-19°C with the possibility of showers. All this reminds me of an anecdote:

On 2 June 1985 the Belgian Grand Prix should have been run precisely in Spa-Francorchamps (it was the first year in the world championship for us), but the race was suspended because the asphalt crumbled as the cars passed, making it all very dangerous. A situation created by both the high heat and the newly laid street surface. The GP was later recovered with Piero Martini finishing in twelfth place with the M185.

It will be interesting to see what will happen on Sunday, and also Saturday afternoon with the sprint race on such a long (the longest of the championship) and demanding track.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP MONTE CARLO, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ALWAYS AND ONLY MAX. MINI AND FORNAROLI TAKE ITALY TO THE TOP”

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Gabriele Minì’s win in the Formula 3 feature race (with pole position and fastest lap) and Leonardo Fornaroli’s second place in the sprint race are the most beautiful image for Italy in this weekend in the Principality of Monte Carlo. These two boys can make us hope for a brighter future, and to them must also naturally be added Andrea Kimi Antonelli who is currently a protagonist in Formula Regional.

On the Formula 1 front, Max Verstappen showed all his talent in Monte Carlo, outclassing Sergio Perez, protagonist of a rookie’s mistake in qualifying. Precisely in qualifying Verstappen made himself the protagonist of an extraordinary lap in which he snatched away pole position from Fernando Alonso. In turn, the Spanish driver demolished Lance Stroll.

One more Monte Carlo exalted the champions. Luckily the rain came to save us from a pedestrian race, giving us some excitement, as well as making the boys take out their “grip”. Nando took home his fifth podium in six races. Too bad about the team’s mistake mounting the dries despite the driver’s indications to use the wets. This probably would not have changed the result but we would have witnessed a tussle with the Dutchman, also in virtue of the minor close encounters with the guard rail.

It was also an excellent performance in both qualifying and the race by Esteban Ocon and Alpine closed the weekend with third and seventh place to its credit. As promised, Mercedes came to the track with many innovations, “giving itself” fourth and fifth place, as well as the best lap with Lewis Hamilton.

In the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona we will be able to analyse better these innovations because in Monte Carlo the drivers make the main difference.

It was a pity for Yuki Tsunoda. After his wonderful gesture in Faenza (helping the population to shovel away the mud), he would have deserved the satisfaction of reaching the points zone. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by a brake problem strongly caused by the streets of Monte Carlo. As we would have expected, with the arrival of Europe   and better-known tracks, even the rookies put themselves on show in both qualifying and the race. Oscar Piastri took his first point thanks to tenth place behind teammate Norris, while De Vries finished in twelfth place. Only Sergent was not able to confirm Saturday’s good work.

Now for Ferrari. They came to the track with some modifications, postponing the important package to the weekend in Spain. This time even qualifying was not exciting and a series of mistakes was made by the team and by the drivers which requires an in-depth analysis, as well excessive wear of the tyres. As we know, major technical changes will be introduced in Barcelona: in the hope that it will contribute to a Major step forward because sixth and seventh place is really too little.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

GIAN CARLO MINARDI CALLS ALL THE FANS TO IMOLA “WE’RE READY. A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AWAITS US”

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If, on the one hand the Azerbaijan GP gave us the usual unstoppable Red Bull which set the third double of the season (in the first four rounds), on the other hand Ferrari set its seal on the double pole position and on the two podiums with Charles Leclerc interrupting the positive streak of Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin (always on the podium since the start of the season).

“I was left positively impressed by the two times set by Leclerc in the final part of the GP with the fuel tank full and hard tyres. The driver from Monte Carlo lapped in the same times as Verstappen and Perez staying in the tussle for the fastest lap, together with Nando (which then went to George Russell after the pit-stop). It was exciting. A positive sign, above all connected to the wear of the tyres, one of the SF-23’s Achille’s heels,” commented the President of Formula Imola, Gian Carlo Minardi.

Leclerc crossed the finish line little more than 21 seconds from the winner Perez, paying a gap of 44 tenths of a second per lap. “A major step forward compared to the 7-8 tenths of a second at the start of the season. Ferrari managed to make the most of the month without races to make its car grow, also because now demanding tour-de-force awaits them with 5 GPs in six weeks”.

After Miami the world championship will come to Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit for the Qatar Airways Gran Prix of the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna from May 19 to 21. “At Imola I expect even smaller gaps. Ferrari and Aston Martin could start to interfere in Red Bull’s schedule. Amongst other things it will be the setting for a new form of qualifying: the drivers will face Q1 with the hard compound, Q2 with the medium and Q3 the soft. An unknown factor to keep us entertained and a major reason to support Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and all our favourites. I hope to see many fans also on the Friday and Saturday when there will also be support races”.

The President of Formula Imola called all the enthusiasts and fans together to experience the first European round with many new features, and an intense racing programme between Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 e Porsche Supercup “If the teams have taken advantage of this month long gap to develop their racing cars, we have worked to make the Circuit as accessible and comfortable as possible. In order to satisfy the needs of the fans we have set up another six grandstands and other new developments will be announced soon. Furthermore, the weekend’s programme will be full of races, with many Italians already protagonists. Above all in Formula 3” Tickets are on sale on the Circuit’s website.

F1 | GP AUSTRALIA, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “I AM DISGUSTED”

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They want to make Formula 1 a show but in Melbourne they really hit rock bottom. From the yellow flag we went from the first (of three) read flag following Albon’s accident passing quickly through the virtual safety car and safety car. The peak was reached two laps from the end after Magnussen’s Hass went off the track when the race director Wittich had the red flag waved again choosing for a new restart from which came the third red flag for the collision between the two Alpines which eliminated each other.

In the lead Carlos Sainz caused Fernando Alonso’s spin taking third place. For this move the Spaniard will be penalized 5” despite the direction opting to start the race again, cancelling the previous restart. Alonso returned to the grid taking his position (third place with Sainz fourth) as did the others, except for Gasly and Ocon. The race restarted at the end of the two hours of the race with the last lap under the safety car.

It was really too much. There continue to be rules that are not clear and completely different interpretations from grand prix to grand prix. It is time to say enough and impose clarity. The race director was not free of mistakes, in my opinion distorting the order of arrival of the grand prix that has significance on world championship. The most damaged in this situation are certainly the two Alpine drivers who could appeal.
Ferrari could also appeal Sainz’s penalty., instead I saw Vasseur resigned. The Spaniard made a mistake in the in the collision with Alonso but the penalty was senseless because the subsequent restart did not take into account the new order.

Every decision is justified under the word “safety” but today, with these decisions, the drivers were once again put in even more danger. They could have easily used the SC and the VSC as always, without making all these pantomimes. The same experts have groped around in the dark giving personal interpretations.

The race direction was the real protagonist of this grand prix, stealing the stage from the drivers. Clear decisions with non-subjective decisions are needed.

Coming to the race, we witnessed good overtaking. Verstappen and Red Bull’s supremacy is impressive, even of we did not discover this today.

A step forward by Mercedes, even if the problem on Russell’s car is certainly an alarm bell on reliability, also because they are substituting a lot of components on the client cars. They are bringing forward intense work to go to Baku and Imola with many new developments. They have certainly not given up.

There were small step forwards by Ferrari. It was a good race by Carlos Sainz, even if lap times were distant, not only from red Bull but also Aston Martin paying a gap of 3 tenths of a second between the fastest lap and Fernando Alonso’s time. This weekend there were also mistakes in qualifying and starting in certain positions on this type of track is extremely risky as Leclerc’s retirement showed.

The third consecutive podium for Fernando Alonso which consolidates his third place on the ladder but above all for Aston Martin as the second force behind Red Bull.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GP SPAIN | IL POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MERCEDES-HAMILTON UNSTOPPABLE”

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Even if there was no need for confirmation Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton gave a new demonstration of their supremacy by winning the Spanish grand prix ahead of a just as excellent Max Verstappen who with the Red Bull tried everything to try and overturn a difficult situation.

Just like in Portugal we again witnessed an excellent duel, this time in three between Verstappen, Bottas and Perez, for the point for the fastest lap. This time the Dutchman did not miss the appointment leaving his team mate more than a second behind.

It was a GP that again saw Bottas lose the challenge with his team mate, paying a major gap, even if the number two driver brought home his “homework” of taking points away from his direct rival Sergio Perez. At the moment he cannot do more than this.

It was a masterpiece race by Leclerc who was the protagonist of a stupendous start in which he got the best of the Finn crossing the finish line in fourth place with a Ferrari that is growing but still pays about eight tenths per lap compared to the Mercedes. The driver from Monaco puts much of his own into it as the gap with his team mate showed.

The careless mistake made by Alfa Romeo during Giovinazzi’s pit-stop was incredible. It was a mistake that is rarely committed in lower categories. In this circumstance the mistake was made in both the preparation and the check of the set. In addition, not even the second set was ready. It was a festival of mistakes and always at Antonio’s expense. It was sad because his rhythm was superior to Kimi’s and he could have put himself into the fight for tenth place.

We file away a good weekend that, in addition to the excellent challenge between Hamilton and Verstappen, gave us very hard fought qualifying sessions, especially in Q2 with 14 drivers enclosed within barely 1”.

I look forward to Monte Carlo where I expect many drivers enclosed with the space of a few tenths of seconds. We all know how important qualifying is amongst the streets of the Principality.

Gian Carlo Minardi