F1 | Gp Brazil, THE POINT by Gian Carlo MINARDI “Wrong not to punish Vettel. A foul action”

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We witnessed a good grand prix that was characterized by different strategies between drivers of the same team in a weekend dominated by Verstappen, just as we announced.

This was also race characterized by two incredible mistakes by two world champions who have won ten world titles between them. They were two very different episodes. Once more Leclerc was able to make Vettel nervous who, with an action that was as incredible as it was insane that ruined both his own race as well as that of his team mate and gave Ferrari an incredible zero in the score sheet. In Maranello they will have a big problem to solve. Hamilton instead spoilt second place for an excellent Albon and denying Honda a historic treble. The 5” second penalty was also too little. For his part the British champion apologized but it was not a simple weekend for the team from Stuttgart, orphan in Brazil of Toto Wolff. They had problems of reliability and from the sporting point of view.

All this however arose from the entry of the safety car, which did not make sense since Bottas’ car was off the track and not in a dangerous position. The management seemed “too American” to me.

Congratulations to Gasly for both having brought Toro Rosso to second place in the race and the excellent weekend, He was reborn and answered the “failure” with deeds. Carlos Sainz was just as good as the protagonist of a good recovery. This was a historic result by Alfa Remo’s two drivers as well who took fourth and fifth place. I was especially happy for Giovinazzi who managed the race very well while protecting his team mate’s back as the times showed.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp Brazil, MINARDI “The Budget Cap should have been brought forward”

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Despite having reached the penultimate grand prix of the season there are a number of different things to consider starting with qualifying at 7.00pm with the race scheduled for 18.10.

Third place is at stake for the drivers, with the internal duel in Ferrari between Leclerc and Vettel and the sixth and seventh place between Racing Point and Toro Rosso,

The last few editions were characterized by bad weather and severe thunder storms and care will need to be taken in the first downhill bend to the left which is often the stage for side swipes. Leclerc will have to pay a ten place penalty for having replaced some components of his power unit but seeing the characteristics of the Sao Paolo track it may not be so penalizing since the track favours overtaking as we saw last year with Ricciardo who, having started from 10th place, in a few laps had already reached the top six. Keep an eye opt for Red Bull because without the Verstappen-Ocon clash last year the Dutchman could have brought home the win.

For Mercedes this will be the first grand prix without Toto Wolff and it will be interesting to see how the team will be manages, even if they are still the point of reference.

The last few weeks have been very intense for the future of Formula 1 that is oriented towards zero emission between 2025 and 2030, but staying closer to us, 2021 will be the stage for major technical and sporting changes one of which is the inclusion of the Budget Cup

On this matter, I believe that a serious mistake has been made by not bringing it forward to next season. With the current regulations 2020 will be the scene for crazy spending by the three top teams which will have the possibility to move far ahead of the remaining 7 teams. Those who will be able to spend money next season will be able to enjoy a considerable advantage that will have a positive impact on the following years. For this reason I do not expect a major inversion of the forces in play which as it happens was the main objective for containing the costs.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Historic Minardi Day 2020 in pursuit of Formula 1, the ACI Storico Festival and the Elegance Competition

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The organizational machine of the Historic Minardi Day is already working at full speed to prepare the 5th edition which, as per tradition, will have as its home Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit which will open the gates from Friday April 24, 2020.

There are many confirmations but there will be many new attractions, as Gian Carlo Minardi unveiled at the ACI Stand at the Padua Festival.

“The fact that we extended the event by one day is already a major development. Next year the engines of the Formula 1 and all the extraordinary cars that will come to Imola will be turned on starting from the Friday and they will only be turned off on Sunday April 26th,” said Gian Carlo Minardi.

“The other great development is represented by the participation of ACI Storico which will be our main partner through the ACI Storico Festival (ACI Historic Festival), a get together for all the ACI clubs in Imola. There will be no lack of occasions for meetings and conventions in a setting of fantastic cars and great enthusiasts. We must not forget that many historical races belong to ACI and that for some years it has started up many activities including Ruoti Nella Storia (History in wheels) in Italy’s most beautiful towns” in Italy’s,” continued the manager from Faenza.

“The fifth edition of the Historic Minardi Day will also be the stage for the first elegance competition dedicated to historical cars. Staying in the field of history, the “Savio Trophy” has been confirmed, as well as the non competitive outing in the hills of the Romagna.”

Amongst the new developments there will many confirmations. “The DNA of the event remains solid. The single ticket(which can be bought at the circuit-Ticketone) willgive access to the Circuit’s paddock, pits and terrace to be in direct touch with the racing cars and their protagonists. Last year we hosted 32 F1 racing cars for a trip through more than half a century of history to which were added many F2, F3, F Junior, Prototypes, Gran Turismo and Lancia Martini Racing which gave life to an extraordinary spectacle that recalled an exciting sound. In addition, many enthusiasts had the chance to experience the excitement of a lap of the Santerno Circuit aboard a Supercar of the calibre of the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio, Renault Alpine, Dallara Stradale, Lamborghini and Pagani.

“Our objective is to bring back to the Circuit the atmosphere of the paddock in the early years of Formula 1 be eliminating the barriers that risk keeping fans away. With the chance to give you an appointment for April I want to thank the more than 15,000 passionate fans that that literally invaded the paddock and the pits,” concluded Gian Carlo Minardi.

 

F1 |Gp USA, THE POINT by Gian Carlo MINARDI ” Mercedes’ undisputed supremacy. Ferrari indecipherable”

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The third last round of the Formula 1 world championship has been archived under the sign of Mercedes that was the protagonist of a supremacy that was never questioned with Bottas who won first set pole position and then achieved the win and with Hamilton who put his hands on his sixth world title.

This grand prix must make Ferrari think, especially in light of next season in which there will be only minor changes and these final rounds could represent the first design of the forces in the field next season. Ferrari said goodbye to Austin with Leclerc’s fourth place who however paid a gap of 52” from the leader and with Vettel’s retirement due to a failure. This was surely a step backwards from what we have seen in this second part of the season. It was a heavy null score for Vettel who now finds himself in fourth place on the ladder and behind his team mate. This year’s ladder could influence the hierarchy within the team.

The people at Maranello must understand, amongst other things, what did not work, especially in the first stint when both drivers paid the large gap compared to its direct rivals Mercedes and Red Bull. Once more they struggled to interpret these tyres that have a minimal difference from one mix to another.

It was another positive weekend for Albon who brought home important points after a race aimed at recovering, for Ricciardo’s Renault and the two McLaren drivers. In qualifying we saw a good compaction of the times, something that was not respected in the race with only seven drivers covering all the laps.

Two weeks and then Formula 1 will go to Brazil for the penultimate round.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp USA, MINARDI “The challenge is open between Mercedes-Ferrari-Red Bull. Waiting for Thursday’s press conference”

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21.10.2018- Race,

Formula 1 comes to Austin from Mexico City for the third round of the world championship. We are coming from an interesting grand prix that saw four drivers cross the finishing line within 6” with Lewis Hamilton ahead of Sebastian Vettel, team mate Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc who was the unfortunate protagonist of a particularly slow pit stop that cost him the podium.
Max Verstappen was missing from the fight, having paid dearly for his mistake in qualifying. I expect an equally tight duel along the 15.5 km between the three top teams with Mercedes leading the group together with the British champion who is preparing to celebrate his sixth personal world championship title.

It is not enough to have the best car to win but it needs the highest perfection under every aspect. The slightest imperfection is paid for dearly. We are facing an exciting end of season that can only be a good omen for 2020.

After a first part of the season that was not easy Ferrari defended itself, especially with the pole positions and it let us see that it is in the running, even if there was no lack of problems with reliability and some mistakes in strategy. Last year after Lewis Hamilton’s pole it was ex Ferrari driver Raikonnen who brought home the win. The Finn is passing through an uneasy period with Alfa Romeo, even if he was not helped by the team that was the protagonist of too many mistakes, especially concerning Giovinazzi. The eighth position that they currently occupy in the ladder reflects their potential but here in Austin they could come back into the points zone.

This is not an easy time even for Toro Rosso that was overtaken by their direct rivals Racing Point. Gasly saved the weekend in Mexico with an excellent performance bringing the team two points with Kvyat demoted to eleventh place after the penalty for the collision with Hulkenberg in the last lap.

Last weekend the tyres were the protagonists with Verstappen running practically the full race having changed tyres in the first lap after the collision with Bottas. Pirelli will also bring to Austin the hards (c2), mediums (c3) and softs (c4) with only Leclerc (of the top drivers) with 9 red sets, one more than Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel and Verstappen. Four sets of yellows for Bottas and Verstappen and two whites for Hamilton and Vettel.

As we await the the practice session we also await Thursday’s press conference where we will find out the guidelines for the 2021 season.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp Mexico, THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi “The best driver won. An incredible mistake by Verstappen in qualifying”

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It was the correct order of finishing that rewarded an excellent Lewis Hamilton and a perfect Mercedes that scored its 100th win and confirmed that it is the car to beat. They managed to perfectly exploit all the track conditions led by a great driver.

The result was not so obvious in the long run on Friday. After Saturday’s front row with both red cars Lewis Hamilton won today, even if the party for his sixth world title has been postponed. It was a good performance by Ferrari that was helped by the foolishness and the incredible mistake by Max Verstappen during qualifying.

Despite a pit stop in the first lap and having run the whole race with the hard tyres he also set excellent times up to the finish, finishing in sixth place behind his team mate. The mistake at the start is the result of what happened in qualifying. Today he would surely have been in the struggle for the win together with Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas and Leclerc. The driver from Monaco unfortunately paid the mistake in the pit stop. Those 3.7” seconds were fatal for him in the struggle for the podium. When you do a pit stop more the risks and/or the mistakes grow, just as happened during his second stop.

A great grand prix that was fought with many tactical consequences has been filed away. Four machines within barely 6” after 71 laps represents a nice visiting card for this Formula 1 even if the tyres truly last too long and especially as there is not much difference between one mix and another.

Now we go to Austin where we will be able to see another god fight with Mercedes still the car of reference.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp Mexico, Lewis Hamilton fears Ferrari. MINARDI “All pre-race tactics”

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We have entered the week that brings us to the Mexico Grand Prix, the fourth last round of the world championship. Despite the declarations by Lewis Hamilton who sees Ferrari as the clear favourite, especially in the two long straights, I believe that both he and Mercedes remain the favourites and that the British driver will peacefully celebrate his sixth world championship.

The struggle for the title of vice champion is to be watched carefully with Bottas (274 points) in front of the two Ferrari drivers with Leclerc on 221 points in front of Vettel (212) who is tied with Verstappen. As has already happened in Japan, Mercedes could favour also favour the Finn driver to help him consolidate his position.

Even if they come from some subdued grands prix, they will have to watch their backs from Red Bull, the winner of the last two editions. The two straights are no help at time for the Honda engine but the chassis will know how to reduce the gap in the driven part.

On the tyre front, the three top teams have opted for different choices with 7 sets of Softs for Mercedes and Ferrari, against the 9 of Verstappen-Albon. Bottas will have at his disposal 4 Medium C3s, while Hamilton, Vettel and Leclerc five sets each with 3 for Red Bull. Two sets of the C2 Hard for the Finn driver against only 1 for his direct rivals.

It will be an interesting grand prix, both for the struggle at the top and also the various tirades that have exploded in recent weeks. The power of the Ferrari engine continues to cause discussion. I sincerely do not understand why these controversies have blown up so strongly in this part of the season. Until now nothing had come out and every clarification is important for the future but also from what we have learnt the project’s idea would not be forbidden. Racing Point’s protest against Renault has also dominated conversation and if confirmed could put into serious doubt the team’s permanence in the world championship.

As we wait to see what the GP in Mexico City will give us, I will be waiting for you on Friday morning at the Auto e moto d’epoca Fiera (Vintage Car and Motorcycle Fair) in Padua at the ACI stand where we will present the programme and the news of the 5th edition of the Historic Minardi Day scheduled from Friday April 24th to Sunday April 26th in Imola that this tear will host the ACI Storico (Historic) Festival.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MINARDI “Hamilton? The best today”

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At Suzuka Mercedes put its hands on its sixth consecutive constructors’’ title, equalling Ferrari’s record, but in Mexico City Lewis Hamilton could once again wear the champion’s crown and so take another step towards Michael Schumacher’s record.

“The numbers talk for Lewis Hamilton. In Mexico he will be able to celebrate his sixth world title. This year too he left nothing to chance, even if he did make some mistakes, as did the team,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi on Pit Talk’s microphones.

“He certainly has the best car. In Suzuka he also proved his technical worth, as he showed with his times.”

“In the 46th lap he broke all the records with 1.30.9, while in the 49th lap, despite the new tyres, Leclerc did not go under 1.31.611. We’re talking of a difference of 6-7 tenths of a second.

“Today, Hamilton for me is the best of the lot. In the moments that count he always made the difference, just as Mercedes is the car to beat. They have been flying towards 2020 for some time and they know this well in Maranello. This year they equalled Ferrari’s record and the people in Brackley want to break it”

Gian Carlo Minardi highlighted how tight the duel between Mercedes and Ferrari is in this final part of the season. “They have to be absolutely perfect in order to beat them as happened in Spa, Monza and Singapore. In Japan we had a Ferrari with two faces. In qualifying it was perfect, putting together an unexpected 1-2 with perfect laps by Vettel and Leclerc. In the race on the other hand, it was all wiped out with a wrong start by Vettel and a mistake at the first bend of a 53 lap GP by Charles.

“In the race the German held off an unrestrained Hamilton. Could he have done more with a better start? We can’t know, even if it would have been difficult. Ferrari has made significant progress but there are still dark holes,” concluded the manager from Faenza.

13.10.2019- Podium, 2nd place Sebastian Vettel (GER) Scuderia Ferrari SF90

F1 | Gp Japan, MINARDI “Vettel/Leclerc? The stopwatch must be the referee”

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GP Giappone F1 1992

The Formula 1 World Championship Circus arrives in Japan for the seventeenth round on the Suzuki circuit, one of the world’s most beautiful tracks. This is an Old School track with many pitfalls and with no paved escape route where every mistake is punished.

This is a demanding track for both the cars and the drivers. We are coming from five years of domination by Mercedes and it will not be easy for the rivals to interrupt this positive streak, even if in the latest rounds Ferrari managed to overturn the predictions, in the hope that the team has resolved the reliability problems that conditioned the result in Russia with Sebastian Vettel’s withdrawal when he was in command.

The unknown factor is the cyclone approaching for Friday and Saturday, while the race should be dry. On the tyre front Pirelli has brought the hardest mixes, with Mercedes more conservative compared to its direct rivals. If the majority of drivers has opted for 1 set of C1s (White Hard), Hamilton and Bottas have chosen 4 mixes of C2 (Yellow Medium) against the 3 of Ferrari and Red Bull with 8 C4s (Red Soft) against the 8 of Vettel-Leclerc and Verstappen-Albon.

In recent days the internal struggle between Vettel and Leclerc has held sway. Binotto will surely know how to manage it for the best, even if it is positive for a team that aims to win. We have come into the final phase of the season with only 5 GPs to be fought that could decide the future team structure. Leclerc is young, 22 and in his first season with a top team and he has a future as a champion in front of him, while Vettel must find once more the serenity to come back and exploit his abilities to the full. I am convinced that the true referee should be the stopwatch and to leave the drivers free to fight, always in the best interest of the team.

Staying on the young drivers’ front, Mercedes and Toto Wolff have made a good move, bringing back into the negotiations Lando Norris who brought the supply of the German power-unit to McLaren. This is a nice move for both, a little less for Renault that at the moment is without client teams should it continue in 2021, even if I have my reservations.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | Gp Russia, MINARDI “Mercedes is the car to beat”

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We are on the eve of the Russian Grand Prix, the sixteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. We come from consecutive three wins by Ferrari that were enhanced by its first double of the season, achieved on the hostile Singapore track that brought some valuable tranquillity in the Racing Department of Maranello.

We come to a circuit that is not easy and characterized by a fast section that favours the SF90 with a very slow final section that should make Mercedes and Red Bull smile. I prefer using the conditional in light of the result on the Marina Bay Circuit.

Despite the fourth and fifth placings by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas last week, I am still convinced that the car to beat is still the Mercedes. Last year they dominated far and wide, “playing” with the rivals, but this year nothing is written yet.

The climatic conditions can make the difference since the teams will find temperatures lower than Singapore. On the tyre front, Mercedes and Ferrari have opted for different strategies with 8 sets of the Softs the world champions against the 9 for Ferrari and Verstappen. Two sets of Hards for Bottas against one for Hamilton, Vettel, Leclerc and Verstappen, with 4 Mediums for Hamilton against the three of his main rivals.

We are the end of September and there are thirty days to go to the day to end the work of defining the 2021 regulations, there is no uniformity of view from the teams. This is not minor obstacle considering that a unanimous vote is needed. I am still convinced that the definition of Constructor is to be defended to prevent the creation of clones which would lead to the creation of a huge gap between teams. It would be a major financial damage for the image of Formula 1. I have always fought for this, with Frank Williams as an ally.

One final consideration before saying goodbye. In recent days there has been much talk about the drivers’ market and Haas’ move amazed us. They talk about continuity, but sincerely this is incomprehensible in consideration of the current performance of the two drivers. I am convinced they gave everything they could. It would have been opportune to confirm one and to bring fresh air into the team. With the current situation Hulkenberg risks being left out. His name has been linked with Alfa Romeo but I am convinced that Antonio Giovinazzi deserves to be confirmed. He certainly has made some mistakes but the team too has not been exempt from Kamikaze decisions with highly questionable strategies.

Gian Carlo Minardi

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