F1 | MEXICAN GP, THE POINT BYGIAN CARLO MINARDI “THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BETWEEN NORRIS AND PIASTRI IS WIDE OPEN. VERSTAPPEN WAS SAVED BY THE MARSHALS”

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Lando Norris 357 points against Oscar Piatri’s 356.

The Mexican Grand Prix completely reopened the battle for the drivers’ world championship between McLaren’s drivers. With four races to go – and two sprint races still on the calendar – the two teammates are separated by just one point.

We witnessed one of the most exciting Grands Prix in recent times, enlivened by different strategies and a decisive change of compounds by Pirelli. For the first time, the choice of tyres really had an impact on the result, keeping the verdict in suspense until the last bend.

A perfect Norris

Lando Norris raced one of his best weekends ever, impeccable in qualifying and dominant in the race. His win, with a 30 second lead over Leclerc, was clear-cut and well-deserved.

For Ferrari, second place was an important result: their second consecutive podium and the highest possible outcome at this point in time. A podium earned on the track and defended until the very last lap, with the usual fighting Verstappen right behind them.

Verstappen saved at the first bend

As always, Red Bull’s Dutchman fought tooth and nail. However, at the first bend, he was saved by the marshals; penalties have not been imposed for similar incidents for some time for such incidents, but, in this case, he was already a few metres of the line, with two tyres on the grass.

He was excellent in controlling the car, avoiding contact with the barriers, but if there had been gravel instead of grass, his race would have ended there.

Hamilton and the right penalty

It was a very different situation for Hamilton. I agree with the marshals’ decision: not only did he fail to follow the instructions for returning onto the track, but he also gained ground with that manoeuvre. It is true that following the correct trajectory at that point was not easy and, in any case, anybody would probably have done the same, but seen in this light, the penalty was correct.

Bearman surprised with Haas

It was an excellent performance by Oliver Bearman, fourth across the finish line and fighting for the podium for a long time. It was a valuable result for both the young driver and the American team, which found a high-level weekend once again.

Mercedes confused but Correct

The situation in Mercedes was more chaotic. Russell then gave back the position to Kimi Antonelli, demonstrating great fairness, but these incidents should be managed more quickly: these are decisions that must be taken immediately, without waiting too many laps.

Piastri saved what could be saved

It was a more complicated weekend for Oscar Piastri, who struggled with a very slippery McLaren. Despite the difficulties, he managed to finish in fifth place, limiting the damage.

The world championship is now wide open. The battle between Norris and Piastri is heating up, while Verstappen’s race for the title seems definitively over.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | MEXICAN GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “IS MCLAREN READY TO DEFINE ITS INTERNAL STRATEGIES?”

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We are at the threshold of the Mexican Grand Prix. Making predictions is increasingly complicated, as we saw last week in Austin, with a drastic change in performance by some teams – see Ferrari – between the Sprint Race and the GP. Even the participants cannot explain this type of leap, although they still finished the Sunday with a third and a fourth place.

These racing cars are certainly sensitive to changes, and any small thing is enough to go from hero to zero. We saw this with Williams and Sauber. On the other hand, the situation is different in McLaren; the lack of data gathered during the Sprint Race had negative repercussions on the race result as well.

I am still of the opinion that the team to beat is McLaren, even if the calm atmosphere in Red Bull means that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri cannot sleep soundly, especially with Max Verstappen in such splendid form and doing practically whatever he wants.

The Mexican GP is run at high altitude and, as we know, this affects the performance of the power unit. This should therefore benefit the Mercedes unit. We are now five races from the end of the championship, and I think this could be the decisive race for defining McLaren’s strategies. There are then two Sprint races in four weeks. Verstappen is far behind and, together with Russell, could tip the balance, but they still have to be careful, as history teaches us.

As in Austin, even in Mexico Pirelli will adopt a leap of compounds, bringing C2 (hard), C4 (medium) and C5 (soft). The intention is that of livening up the race with more pit stops. We will wait and see.

Also keep an eye on the battle between Racing Bulls and Aston Martin for sixth place in the constructors’ championship, with the two teams separated by just three points-

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | USA GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN UNSTOPPABLE. AND ALSO A SUPER LECLERC”

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The change of performances that we saw this weekend in Ferrari was completely unexplainable, especially between before and after the sprint race.

The sole certainty has only one name: Max Verstappen. His consistency and the fact that he never gives up is incredible. Red Bull has found the right composure once again, and the Dutchman does the rest.

Despite this however, I remain of the opinion that the question of the world championship is a matter between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Only a Sprint style disaster (with both the McLarens out of the running) within the GP could really reopen the world championship.

Leclerc’s performance was no less impressive, in both qualifying and the race, with third place in the end. He was excellent. Taking risks by starting with the softs. Among other things, he finished “only” twelve seconds behind the winner, one of Ferrari’s best results of the season. With third and fourth places the Team reopens the challenge with Mercedes for second spot on the constructors.

Mercedes is in difficulty: it could not repeat the result and the performance shown in Singapore. At Austin, it was not up to the task. A pity however for Antonelli: apart from the fastest lap of the race his lap times were on par with Russell. Without the contact from Sainz he would have kept up with his teammate in sixth or seventh place. Williams’ Spanish driver, who is always very clean and correct, made a mistake this time

I also record what happened Saturday between Piastri and Norris as a mistake. The fact that no data was collected also had repercussions in the race: precious information on the pressure and the wear of the tires was missing. Norris, however, still crossed the finish line in second place.

There are still five grands prix remaining, and in a weeks’ time we will be in Mexico.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP USA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MERCEDES’ SUSPENSION IS STARTING TO PAY OFF”

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Formula 1 arrives in Austin, Texas, with the constructors’ title already in McLaren’s hands. The battle for the title between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris is still open, with the team repeating its intention to allow the two drivers to battle it out and race freely.

Despite the last three grands prix having been a little more complicated for the world champion team, even though they were always close, McLaren remains the benchmark car to beat, with Mercedes a close second. I have the impression that the team led by Toto Wolff has found the right formula to make the new suspension work in the best possible way. This was confirmed just two weeks ago in Singapore where Russell winning in hot and humid conditions. Therefore, they could be the arbiters of this championship, together with Max Verstappen.

On the tyre front, for the second time in the season, Pirelli will bring three non-consecutive compounds to the track. After Spa-Francorchamps, it will once again propose the combination with C1 as the Hard, C3 as the Medium and C4 as the Soft with the aim of trying to diversify the strategies.

The sprint race makes its return. This means that the drivers and teams will have only one session of free practice, followed by qualifying and the sprint race (18 laps at 7.00pm on Saturday).

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | SINGAPORE GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ON MCLAREN’S DAY, FERRARI CONFIRMS IT IS THE FOURTH FORCE”

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The weekend in Singapore officially awarded the title of World Constructors’ Champion to McLaren for the second consecutive year and also saw Mercedes’ win with a fantastic Russell.

Despite the heat and the high humidity, Mercedes managed to make the difference right from qualifying. Kimi Antonelli completed a positive weekend for the team with his fifth place, consolidating second place in the constructors’ championship, and with Ferrari having to look over its shoulders for the arrival of Red Bull. However, the team from Maranello is currently the fourth force.

Something more was certainly expected from the drivers in the papaya-coloured car, but with his podium finish Norris gained six points over his direct rival to try to keep the internal battle with Piastri alive. It is clear that the drivers have carte balance. I do not think that Verstappen can still be considered in the race for the title, even if, as usual, he made the others pay a high price, especially now that he is once again supported by the car. With the right support from Tsunoda, they can still aim for third place at the expense of Ferrari.

I found Ferrari’s decision to opt for the “reds” to catch up with Antonelli to be correct. The brake problem ruined Hamilton’s work, but they would not have gone beyond fifth place anyway.

Williams’ performance is to be applauded, with Sainz starting last and crossing the finish line in the points zone with tenth place. On a track where it is practically impossible to overtake, the strategy was excellent, as was the Spaniard’s driving.

Alonso’s result was just as positive; always entertaining on the team-radio and also determined on the track. With Hamilton’s penalty he took home seventh place. I am sure that Adrian Newey had a hand in this too.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | SINGAPORE GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN COULD BE THE DECIDING FACTOR OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP”

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McLaren’s in-house battle is ready to reignite on Singapore’s street circuit, with Max Verstapppen potentially tipping the scale in the world championship battle.  After Red Bull’s win in Baku, Piastri’s unfortunate exit from the track and Norris’ lost opportunity, the championship lands at a treacherous circuit which, as is the tradition, is raced at night. The weather conditions remain restrictive; about 30°C with a 70% humidity, factors that will put the drivers to the test.

The safety-car, almost always a key factor at Marina Bay, could influence the strategies in a race that often comes close to the two-hour limit. On the tyre front, Pirelli has chosen the softest range (C3-C4-C5). Qualifying will be crucial; historically, those starting in pole have a great chance to win.

McLaren remains the favourite, while Red Bull will need to score another strong result if it wants to keep the pressure on. For Verstappen, the 69-point gap is a huge hurdle, especially with two McLarens ahead in the title race, but the Dutchman could take on the role of the “deciding factor” in the world championship.

Behind them, the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship continues, with the prancing horse coming from a difficult weekend in Baku. Also noteworthy is the growth of Williams which, with Sainz’s podium finish, has overtaken Racing Bulls in fifth place.

All the ingredients are there; Singapore is getting ready to offer a weekend of great entertainment.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AZERBAIGIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “MAX IS ALWAYS A CONFIRMATION. SERENITY IN THE TEAM IS ALWAYS DECISIVE FOR RESULTS”

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We experienced a very interesting Grand Prix, especially in lap times set by the first ten drivers. It was however a race that confirmed how important technology is, but that everything else is decisive.

In a Red Bull that has regained composure – coinciding with the arrival of Laurent Mekies in the team – came the second consecutive win by the usual “monster” of skill Max Verstappen. The calm atmosphere in the team also had a favourable impact on the management of the team, the morale of the drivers and the strategy. All of this is reflected in the results. Tsunoda’s sixth place after several uneasy weeks is further confirmation. Verstappen certainly did his part, managing in the best way possible a car that has less down force than the others in the driven section and setting the fastest laps in the last three laps despite a 14” lead over Russell.

It was also a positive weekend for Mercedes which leaves Baku with second and fourth places, securing second place on the Constructors’ World Championship, at the expense of Ferrari where confusion still reigns. Well done Kimi Antonelli in not taking unnecessary risks, consistently driving a tenth and a half of a second behind his teammate – who I consider one of the three or four best drivers of the World Championship. Antonelli demonstrated all his worth, even from a mental point of view. Of course, he must bring some changes to his inner organization, but he will continue to grow. He has a year and a half ahead of him to improve. Even today, he fought for the podium, and let us not forget, he was up against giants such as Verstappen, Russell and Sainz.

It was an absolutely positive weekend also for Williams and for Sainz who took third place after having taken the front row in qualifying. The team was very good in the management of the strategy, and the driver was equally impressive in the race, not making the slightest mistake.

The McLaren chapter: unquantifiable. There were major mistakes by the two drivers who are aiming to become world champions, especially Piastri, both at the start and then crashing into the wall on the first lap. The team, very close to regaining the Constructor’ title, was probably distracted and must reflect on this. However, neither Piastri nor Norris can expect to sleep soundly with Verstappen in such good form. The point gap is still substantial – 68 points separate the Australian from the Dutchman – but with seven races still to go they do not represent a comfortable margin. With Norris’ seventh place, Oscar still had a good day.

The situation is quite different for Racing Bulls which can celebrate fifth and tenth places with Lawson and Hadjar. In particular, Lawson did very well to keep Tsunoda behind him, who had replaced him in Red Bull at the start of the season, causing him quite a few problems, also in terms of state of mind. I am very pleased with this result: a lot of valuable points for the team, which clinches sixth place amongst the constructors.

In two weeks, they will be in Singapore.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AZERBAIGIAN GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “WATCH OUT FOR MAX”

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From Monza to Baku, passing through Imola where we celebrated the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day with a new crowd record, – more than 20,000 – and more than 700 historic cars at the Imola Circuit.  For this reason, I would like to thank all the collectors who took part by taking extraordinary cars onto the track and the paddock, together with the enthusiasts and fans who, with their warmth, made this weekend memorable.

In particular, I was extremely pleased to see the involvement of the younger generations: once again many young people, both Italians and foreigners, explored the pits and admired cars that wrote the history of Motorsport.  The Acque Minerali and Tosa grandstands were also full, further enhancing the atmosphere. It was a record-breaking edition even on the social media: in the last month we generated a total of almost 2 million views between Instagram and Facebook.

Now, however, we fly to Azerbaijan, to a circuit that is decidedly different from Monza: the 6,003m of Baku wind through the old part of the city and the more modern parts. The two main straights: the one after turn 2 and pit straight, along the lakefront, which measures 2,2km – twice the length of Monza’s 1,100m – preceded by a section with bends to be taken at full throttle, which allows them to reach very high speeds. The highest speed registered by FIA remains the one set by Valtteri Bottas who reached 388km/hr. in 2016 with the Williams,

For the fourth time, Pirelli takes the softest compound available, the C6, alongside C5 and C4(hard), with the aim of livening up the race. Although the safety car never entered the track in the last round, it remains a variable, especially in the “Castle” section.

The teams must find the right compromise between the fast low-downforce part, and the driven part. Given what we saw in Monza, Verstappen could make the difference once again, even if McLaren is still the car to beat. Keep an eye on Mercedes: with the temperatures not expected to be very high, around 24-25°, the W16 could find itself in excellent conditions to “breathe” better thanks to the cooler air.

A Good GP to everyone.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GREAT MOTORSPORT NAMES EXPECTED AS PROTAGONISTS OF THE NINTH EDITION OF THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY. TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT ON TICKETONE

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Imola -MINARDI DAY

Almost thirty champions and protagonists of Motorsport will come to the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit for the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day between Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September (tickets can be bought on the website www.ticketone.it, at the authorized TicketOne points of sale, or at the Circuit’s ticket booths).

It will be the occasion to meet people who wrote important pages of worldwide Motorsport and who have always been linked to the Historic Minardi Day: engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi and Nigel Cowperthwaite, Alessandro Nannini, Arturio Merzario, Pierluigi Martini, Riccardo Patrese, Alliot Philippe, Thierry Boutsen, Carlo Facetti, Bruno Giacomelli, Miguel Angel Guerra, Roberto Moreno, Luis Perez Sala, Luca Badoer accompanied by his son Brando, Leonardo Fornaroli recent winner at Monza and current leader of the F2 World Championship, Beppe Gabbiani, Siegfried Stohr, Giovanni Lavaggi, Sergio Campana, Niccolò Piancasatelli, Massimo Ciccozzi, Raffaele Giammaria, Roberto Farneti, Vinicio Salmi, Ruggero Melgrati, Giordano Regazzoni, Alister Yoong and Luciano Crespi.

 

Fun facts: a number of drivers returned to wear their overalls and helmets for the Historic Minardi Day. Including, Emanuele Pirro who got behind the wheel, for the first time, of the M189, Gastone Mazzacane behind the wheel of “his” Minardi M02, with Gian Carlo Minardi himself driving the M192-Lamborghini. In the 2018 edition, the then technical director of Mercedes AMG F1, Aldo Costa, took the Mercedes WO4 onto the track. In 2020 Riccardo Patrese warmed the hearts of many fans present by returning to the wheel of “his” 1991 Williams FW14.

In 2023 and 2024 Thierry Boutsen thrilled the crowd by taking to the track in Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari 312 #2 and Alain Prost’s MP04/03, engineer Gabriele Tredozi drove the Minardi PS04B, Aldo Costo took his place in the cockpit of the Dallara Stradale EXP, just like world rally champion Miki Biasion, while Gianni Morbidelli drove Pierluigi Martini’s Minardi M189, Miguel Angel Guerra at the wheel of March 761 formerly of Vittorio Brambilla, alternating with Roberto Farneti, as well as making his debut at the wheel of a Minardi racing car, the M189, Arturo Merzario returned to the wheel of the Lucchini Alfa Romeo (Scuderia del Portello) and Bruno Giacomelli returned to the wheel of the BMW powered March 772 F2. Not to be missed on the track is Pierluigi Marini, accompanied by his Minardi M189, the perfectly restored Tyrrell P3402 and P34/05, the Ralt RT30 Ford Cosworth and the 1986 Ferrari 126 C4 formerly driven by Michele Alboreto.

Imola (Bo) Minardi Day

F1 | ITALIAN GP THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN WAS STUNNING. WELL DONE MCLAREN FOR THE SPORTSMANSHIP. NOW EVERYONE AT THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY”

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A fantastic weekend just finished at Monza on both the technical and sporting points of view with the new record set in qualifying by Max Verstappen, which he then converted into a stunning win with a lead of almost 20” over the two McLaren drivers, It will be interesting to see whether this trend, dictated by Laurent Mekies, will continue throughout the rest of the season.

It was a sensational weekend also on the side of the participation of the public with Monza, breaking all the attendance records, which demonstrated how much passion there is in Italy for Motorsport, with a spectacular invasion of the track.

Going back to the Grand Prix, I was left positively impressed with the sportiness, calmness and organization by McLaren when they asked Piastri, the current leader of the world championship, to give back to Norris the position he had lost due to a mistake by the team during the pit stop (a problem with the front left). Without wasting time, Oscar immediately let his teammate pass, who thanked him the gesture. I do not know how many other teams, and drivers, would have done the same thing. Amongst other things, McLaren wanted to give a strong message by setting the fastest lap of the race in the penultimate lap.

On the other hand, I did not like Toto Wolff’s comments after the race when he declared he was not satisfied with fifth and ninth places by Russell and Antonelli, highlighting that only one driver did well today, Max Verstappen. Such comments are not good for a team that is already experiencing a few problems. A TP should protect his team. I was surprised by the penalty for Antonelli which came on the last lap when the fact happened on the 46th lap.

Fourth place overall for Ferrari that tried everything to exceed its potential by focussing on a low down-force setup. However, this result represents the maximum achievable with this car.

It was an excellent result for Albon, seventh with Williams, and then for Bortoleto just behind him with Sauber. Albon was able to overturn a qualifying session that ended only with fourteenth place, by fighting for the top positions by setting some very interesting times.

We await eight interesting rounds. In two weeks, at Baku, McLaren could confirm tits championship title. While the internal battle between its two drivers remains open.  While we wait for the Azerbaijan GP, I look forwards to seeing many of you at Imola for the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, where I expect to find the same enthusiasm experienced over the last few days at Monza. It would be a nice gesture towards all the collectors who, with great dedication and passion, often working in the evenings to prepare their cars to come to have fun on the track and to entertain the fans. I am looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14.

Gian Carlo Minardi

THE 9TH HISTORIC MINARDI DAY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS SINCE THE MINARDI TEAM’S DEBUT IN F1 WITH A UNIQUE EXHIBITION AT THE CHECCO COSTA MUSEUM

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GP Brasile F1 1985 Archivio Minardi Team

A week before the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day scheduled for Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit, the event’s programme has been enhanced with a new not to be missed and exclusive event for all Motorsport fans.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Minardi Team’s debut in F1 – which took place at 9.30am on Friday April 5, 1985, during the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Jacarepagua circuit – the Checco Costa Museum will host the special exhibition “40 anni della Formula 1 di Faenza” (40 years of Formula 1 in Faenza).

This is a unique exhibition that runs through the extraordinary history of the team from Faenza through seven Formula 1 racing cars, symbols of 4 decades of competition, technical evolution and independent spirit. On display will be 4 Minardi racing cars and three cars from the history of Racing Bulls offering a fascinating exhibition that shows how the spirit of the team, founded in 1979 by Gian Carlo Minardi, has left a deep mark on the history of Formula 1.

Entry to the museum is included in the event tickets which can be purchased on TicketOne – the VIP tickets are already sold out –  (https://www.ticketone.it/artist/historic-minardi-day/), offering fans the chance to admire the cars on display up close during the weekend of the Historic Minardi Day weekend-

GP Brasile F1 1985 Archivio Minardi Team

In addition to the intense activity on the track with the extraordinary historic cars of Formula 1, F2, F3, GP3, F3000, F. Italia, F. Junior, prototypes, GT and GTS, Supercar, Hypercar and the Aci Storico Festival, included in the track days, which will alternate on the track during the various sessions, not to be missed will be the events in the Conference Room and the Briefing Room, with award ceremonies and numerous presentations of books by the most authoritative names in Motorsport, and in the Media Centre with the exhibition by Alessandro Rasponi and Gianni Cancellieri.

Sunday 14, from Noon to 12.45pm, Gian Carlo Minardi will meet the press for an open discussion. It will be an opportunity to take stock of the event, share reflections on the current state of Motorsport and to talk about future prospects and projects.

There will be plenty of entertainment in the Paddock area with professional simulators, model cars, a car village, bookshops, a LEGO® exhibition, sportswear, and the new children’s area (Paddock 2) where the youngsters can have fun, play and enjoy themselves with two incredible inflatables.

GP Brasile F1 1985 Archivio Minardi Team

F1 | ITALIAN GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “AS WE WAIT FOR THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY (13-14 SEPTEMBER), WE GO TO MONZA. I HOPE THAT HAMILTON HAS FORGOTTEN ZANDVOORT”

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A week away from the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, to be held at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit, we move to Monza for the sixteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship.

The drivers and teams arrive at the Temple of Speed, a track that is decidedly different from the Dutch one, with about 80% of the lap at full throttle. This puts the reliability of the racing car to the test and, as we saw a week ago, can play a crucial role in the outcome of the race, including possible penalties for the replacement of components.

We await an electrifying weekend, especially in McLaren, with Norris determined to make up for the points lost at Zandvoort. Piastri currently heads the ladder with a lead of 34 points. They may seem a lot, but with the supremacy of the MCL39, they are still not enough to let him sleep soundly

Barring surprises, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull will fight it out for a place on the podium. So far, we have seen mixed performance by these three teams, making the fight for second place in the constructors’ championship particularly absorbing.

Just as interesting is the battle in the second half of the ladder: Aston Martin and Racing Bulls are separated by just two points, while Sauber and Haas are not far behind.

At Ferrari, we hope to see a revitalized Hamilton, capable of putting the difficulties in Zandvoort behind him. Despite the penalty of 5 places on the grid, Monza offers various opportunities to make up ground. But watch out for the first corner, it could hold some surprises.

At Monza Pirelli will conclude the celebrations for the reaching the milestone of 500 Grands prix, achieved at Zandvoort last weekend. The compounds chosen are C3 as the Hard, C4 as the Medium and C5 as the Soft., just like last year, when the circuit had just been resurfaced.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | DUTCH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FROM A POSSIBLE ANOMALOUS GP TO A LIVELY RACE”

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Despite the premises for a possible anomalous grand prix, we saw a lively race marked by three safety-cars, and with many surprises, starting with Piastri’s excellent start and Verstappen’s masterpiece in managing the car that was about to get out of control.

The first four drivers lapped with impressive times, including Hadjar who took third place on the field, starting with his position on the grid, despite the problems that affected the two Ferrari drivers, Norris and Russell.

With Norris’ retirement due to reliability issues, the Australian stashed away twenty-five points in their direct battle. Even without the retirement, Piastri would still have gained, as Norris himself admitted that he would not have gone beyond second place. It is an important result in the battle for the title between the two McLaren drivers, which remains open anyway as we have nine intense races ahead, also considering the possible penalties for the replacement of components, or reliability issues, as we saw today.

Important points for the constructors’ ladder were won by Albon and Bearman, finishing fifth and sixth respectively with Williams and Haas. Hadjar’s third place takes Racing Bulls to only two points behind Aston Martin. The battle is intensifying, as is the one between Ferrari and Mercedes for second place. With the double retirement by the team from Maranello and Russell’s fourth place, the lead of the” red” cars has been reduced to just twelve points.

It was a rookie mistake by Hamilton. After showing signs of recovery during free practice, he was behind Leclerc in qualifying to then drop out from the race.

In seven days, they will go back on track, and we head to Monza amid many unknown factors.

Gian Carlo Minardi