Archive for category: F1

From October the 13th, after 23 years, a new era will start at Ferrari’s. The current CEO of Fiat-Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, will replace Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, in command of the “Red”.

The change at the top, that will take place, in fact, the same day in which the FCA quotation is expected to be listed on Wall Street, was already in the air, but it has accelerated sharply. “I’m personally very close to Mr. Montezemolo, as he was the first interlocutor that has led me to meet Enzo Ferrari. The summit change was in the air and it finds its motivation not so much in sports results as in economic and financial aspects, which are certainly related to the entrance of the FCA Group in Wall Street“, Gian Carlo Minardi comments on the web site (www.minardi.it). “The Turin brand needs to attract interest in the United States, showing great strength. It’s easy to imagine that the result will be achieved with a great image effect. At the moment, Ferrari is the best brand in the world! In any case, we must not forget that nowadays all the F1 teams – Williams excluded – are run by managers, who have to refer to a Board of Directors, whose goals are primarily economic and in the membership group’s interest. It is treated, in any case, of an abrupt action, against a person who, for over twenty years, has achieved significant results on all fronts, from sports to economic ones”, the manager from Faenza continues.

Montezemolo-Marchionne turnover has already created a first and unexpected movement within the company. “Roberto Fedeli, key-man of production, has moved to BMW“. Therefore, an important task is now up to the new President: to create a new winning cycle, bringing serenity within the environment. “Now, lets hope that the choices that have been made can restore serenity and enthusiasm to the Team. Ferrari lacks for nothing to return to the top. They have people and facilities, but need more investments in technology sector; Power-Unit is the main Achilles’ heel of F14-T“.

Here we are! The Circus comes to Monza, in the temple of speed, the most historical circuit, together with Spa and Silverstone.

It is not a secret that Monza circuit is full of unknown aspects and variables, both in terms of reliability, with highly stressed engines, brakes and also tyres (Pirelli will bring Medium and Hard compounds) and, on the hand of layout, with the first chicane and the first variation, which has been the scene of numerous contacts that have changed the final result.

We are entering the final part of the Championship and many teams will have to deal with the number of PU already used, in order to avoid penalty on the starting grid. For units, the Grand Prix of Italy is certainly a great test, because the throttle valve remains open to the full, for the 75% of the lap. Then, on the calendar the Italian GP comes after Belgium, another circuit where it was no joke.

Once again, the Mercedes start as big favourites, but we must not underestimate the Williams, that have always attracted attention in these conditions. They have a good package, considering chassis-power unit-pilots, with Bottas determined to trip Fernando Alonso up for the fourth place in World Championship. After the unpleasant episode of Spa, at Mercedes’ peace should be back. The team can’t afford to lose this World Championship and, with its drivers, it will certainly strike the right note, to avoid falling again in similar mistakes.

Behind them we find Red Bull, with a great chassis and Daniel Ricciardo, that’s galvanized by the third success of the season (the only one that interrupted Mercedes’ domain till now and awarded with the Baldini Trophy in Brisighella), and Ferrari, which remains the great unknown. The men of Maranello can certainly rely on the support of the public. It’s up to them trying to snatch the third place.

A little advice as fan: go to Monza, in order to live a weekend of racing as if it were a country outing, a day off to spend together.

Gian Carlo Minardi

The media “tam-tam” around the announcement of Max Verstappen continues to monopolize the conversation, diverting the attention both from the results on the track and from the great manoeuvres behind the scenes. The move of Red Bull, ‘teacher in marketing’, that has in fact attracted all the attention on itself creating a real media event, denied the undisputed leaders of this championship the front pages of newspapers and networks. “With this move, Red Bull has been able to convey the attention on itself, distracting those in the know from the results on the track or from the manoeuvers related to the drivers’ market. In these last days, it has spoken predominantly about the lightning passage of the young Max Verstappen in Toro Rosso, blurring the unbelievable result in qualifying, that highlighted two Mercedes fobbing off two world champions as Sebastian Vettel (3^rd) and Fernando Alonso (4^th) with even 2″ in qualifying. These performances have reaffirmed in Race, demonstrating an incredible superiority in overall level (chassis – Power Unit – electronics), although undermined by Pilots’ mistakes”, analyzes Gian Carlo Minardi on www.minardi.it.

Red Bull opened the games, but in these days great manoeuvres are expected. “After the significant investments within McLaren, Honda is looking for a Top Driver. The recent statements of loyalty by Fernando Alonso at Ferrari have effectively removed one of the ‘unhappy’. Therefore, Vettel and Hamilton remain into play. From Japan, a very strong manoeuvre is suggested to me; it has been played in the last days by Honda, in order to win the pair Newey/Vettel. Exactly at Spa-Francorchamps, Bernie Ecclestone approached Sebastian Vettel. As happened on other occasions, driven by the various actors, Mr. E might have tried to put his own, in order to convince the German champion to accept this new challenge without involving Newey. Even to Ecclestone would be convenient to see a top-driver in the recovered McLaren-Honda pair”.

The involvement of the Japanese manufacturer against Sebastian Vettel would get back into the game the landing of Carlos Sainz Jr. in Formula 1. Gian Carlo Minardi hopes for Toro Rosso in very “Young” version, with Verstappen-Sainz Jr. and the Russian Kvyat, promoted in Red Bull Racing alongside Daniel Ricciardo. As already mentioned a few days ago: “On the basis of these news, the mosaic begins to take shape. By signing the young Max, Red Bull (a brand strongly aimed at young people) accomplished an important marketing action, as well as acquiring a new potential talent. Moreover, it might also realize the task that practically everyone took for granted: Carlos Sainz Jr. in F1, Toro Rosso side. At this point, it comes easy to think about a promotion for the young Russian Kvyat alongside Ricciardo, in case the transition of Sebastian Vettel to Honda will materialize“.

“Hamilton’s enigma still remains. Unhappy more than ever after the ‘close contact’ with Rosberg, he has been defended for the first time firmly and peremptorily by Team Principal Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda. Is a new scenario emerging, changing the future strategies of Mercedes? Does a new pretender loom on the horizon … Valtteri Bottas? A young man who showed his value on track and we should not forget that he has a remarkable manager: Toto Wolff!“, concludes Gian Carlo Minardi.

The games are getting to the heart and in Monza we will know what developments will materialize for many of these movements behind the scenes.

Set aside the three-week of summer break, this weekend Formula 1 is ready to get back on track, on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, after some controversies, cut and thrust among the various teams.

Therefore, we are back on track with two tough appointments like Spa and Monza, two authentic circuits, in which the Mercedes (despite some problems of reliability) and their PU start certainly as favourite. Williams, however, could be the outsider, ready to create confusion in the first row. It will be interesting to see what innovations will be brought on track, because, in spite of summer break, the brilliant minds of the technicians have continued to think and work out, in terms of the end of the Championship and of the upcoming season.

In fact, we enter in the final part of the Championship, that promises to be very “hot”, as we have already mentioned in the previous appointments, with great movements behind the scenes. Belgium and Italy have traditionally been two intense weekends and we will see which negotiations will come to an end and which will remain locked in teams’ drawns. I have my own personal memories of 2005-Spa circuit, which marked the passage of my team in the hands of Dietrich Mateschitz.

For example, after the large investments with McLaren, we have Honda on the hunt for a super-top driver to place alongside the young Kevin Magnussen. They want to make a return in great style, to start as best they can. Consequently, Button should no longer fall within the McLaren plans. In Mercedes, at the moment, only Nico Rosberg has signed the contract extension and it is not taken for granted the permanence of Sebastian Vettel in Red Bull. Considering Ferrari, there should not be big movements, with Fernando Alonso mainly interested in receiving more guarantees on the technical front. But in life, and especially in F1, you can never say never. In these days, the vent of Marmorini is synonymous with great nervousness and, therefore, Marco Mattiacci must first of all bring serenity within the team.

Red Bull has started itself to shake up the market, putting under contract Max Verstappen, who has followed in his father’s footsteps – Jos Verstappen – and who ran with me in 2003; he’s doing very well in Formula 3, as well as our Antonio Fuoco and Antonio Giovinazzi. In the next season, the Dutch will be the new driver for Toro Rosso team, alongside Kvyat. The games have started.

We come from very interesting races, that have been able to give us back that show so claimed from the beginning of the season, proving that this F1 is not to reject, being in front of such an epochal change. The engineers and technicians have been able to make giant steps, such as at Renault, allowing Daniel Ricciardo to conquer the only two victories so far not marked Rosberg and Hamilton. And  exactly Ricciardo will be awarded in Brisighella with the Bandini Trophy on August 31st, an award that has always been a good auspice to its winners (from Schumacher to Vettel, passing through Rosberg, Alonso and many others), who brought home extremely interesting results.

Note: Article updated upon confirmation of Verstappen in Toro Rosso.

The fourth round of the Italian Championship F.4 powered by Abarth – held at the Magione Circuit, in Umbria – is over: for Joao Vieira it has not been a very positive weekend. The 10 points scored, thanks to the fifth place in Race-1, are a less rewarding result comparing to the expectations for this race, for the 16-year-old Brazilian driver.

Race-2 has in fact been compromised by a mistake and by the contact at the first corner, which put an end to the race.

In Race-3 the driver of Antonelli Motorsport had to settle for a thirteenth place, for a mistake at the first corner too. Therefore, the loss of more than ten positions at the first corner has inevitably affected the final result.

“It has been a weekend in which I have not achieved much in terms of results and points and I regret that, but it has been very important in terms of the experience I have gained”, Joao Vieira comments.

“It was an intense weekend, concentrated in just two days of competition and characterized by some inexperience mistakes which affected all three races. I am sure that Joao will build on this experience and the summer break will be useful to recharge our batteries, giving us the strength to finish the season improving our performance, in a finale that promises to be intense”, the Manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

After the summer break, the second part of the season will start on the demanding track “Piero Taruffi” in Vallelunga, on the weekend of September 13^th and 14^th, 2014.

We saw another dazzling GP with many variables and masterfully conducted by extremely deserving pilots; therefore, grading these protagonists is going to be pretty easy.

Ricciardo – 10 For the aggressive race’s behavior and the overtakings on Alonso and Hamilton, made three laps from the end.

Alonso – 10 Perfect race, always on the attack, as if every lap will be Qualifying. He was very smart, taking advantage of the Soft tyres for 31 laps; without a sensational Ricciardo, he would have certainly won this GP

Hamilton – 9 He recovered from the bottom of the starting row and, with an offensive race, he conquered an important podium for the Championship

Rosberg – 8 After an extraordinary Qualifying during the race, he didn’t emerged as in other occasions, but strategy didn’t certainly helped him. Perhaps, if he had changed the Soft tyres two laps before, he could get another result.

Vergne – 8 He struggled in second position, especially in the early laps, and he finally took points to Toro Rosso

Raikkonen – 7 Perhaps, he did the best race of 2014, hoping for gaining some serious points for the Constructors’ Championship

Mass and Bottas – 7 They could not do better, even if they had cars with high-performances, thanks to the stategies’ choices of William – in my opinion, a bit weird

Button – 6 He brought home a point with a car which was in a difficult situation, with a very questionable strategy too

Bianchi – 6 A mark of encouragement, according to the Qualifying in Q1, when he eliminated Raikkonen with a perfect lap

Vettel – 5 Bad start, nervousness and a mistake that could cost him a lot. After a good Qualifying like an ex World Champion, he suffered Ricciardo during the race