F1 | BRAZILIAN GP GIAN CARLO MINARDI “SEVERAL TEAMS COULD PAY PENALTIES HERE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FINAL RACES”

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We have come to the fourth last round of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix. Lando Norris leads the ladder by just one point from Oscar Piastri. We expect a thrilling end to the season in which even the penalties for the replacement of components will come into play. Some more, some less, everyone is at risk of penalties.

Keep your eyes on McLaren. With the Sprint Race scheduled for this weekend, there are a lot of points up for grabs, and the team may be called upon to make important strategic decisions. Verstappen is far away but they cannot afford any missteps.

Brazil is a track that has given us a few surprises in recent years. It is not a very long track, little more than four kilometres, but there are two or three points where overtaking is possible. For this reason, some teams. – such as Ferrari – may decide to incur an eventual penalties ahead of the final races. Compared to its direct rivals, if they replace the engine, they will incur a lighter penalty, having already had previous penalties. There has been some progress in terms of results, but not yet in terms of the gaps.

The weather could be an important variable, and on the tyre front Pirelli will bring the C2-C3-C4 compounds. At Interlagos, with its fast bends and the continual changes of direction, tyre wear could be an important factor. Last year, the new surface caused a few problems with bumps: we will see if they have been resolved.

There is no lack of points for watching a good weekend, starting with the Sprint Race.

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 | 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, 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, 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

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, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “PUSHING FOR TWO PIT STOPS! MCLAREN FAVOURITE BUT KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER”

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As we await the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day scheduled to take place on 13 and 14 September at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit, we look ahead at the fifteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship which will be held in Holland, at the Zandvoort Circuit, home of world champion Verstappen.

There are several factors that could make this Grand Prix interesting, starting with Pirelli’s choice to bring softer compounds than 12 months ago, aiming at C2, C3 and C4. The impression is that everything is being done to push the teams towards two pit stops, as demonstrated by FIA’s decision to increase the speed limit in pit lane to 80km/hour (compared to the previous 60 km/hour). I find this last choice quite questionable.

As far as the weather is concerned, temperatures are not expected to be particularly high, ranging between 15° and 19°C, with the chance of intermittent rain and rather strong winds over the weekend. It is needless to say that McLaren will be the car to beat but with all these unknown factors it is hard to make predictions.

The battle in the second half of the ladder is always interesting, with four teams very close together. This is very exciting for a fan like me.

In recent days the anticipation of the GP has been heightened by Cadillac’s press release that announced Bottas and Perez as its official drivers. Since this is a new reality, I would have expected a more forward-looking choice, perhaps with a young driver paired with an expert one.

There have also been rumours about the future of Colapinto. The young man must be left to work in peace, and I hope that these weeks off have helped him to regain his composure and to put the mistakes he made during the first part of the season behind him, the last one during a test. Let us not forget that Alpine also has several internal problems to resolve since it is currently the team at the bottom of the table.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP HUNGARY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “40 FORTY YEARS FROM THE FIRST EDITION AND THE MINARDI TEAM’S DEBUT IN F1”

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For the fourteenth round of the World Championship, Formula 1 arrives at the Hungaroring in Budapest to cross the line of the 40th edition – just like the years since the Minardi Team’s debut in the F1 World Championship – with eleven rounds still to go.

The Hungaroring will be the last round before the (well-deserved) summer break and will most likely be the watershed moment for many realities, in particular, the smaller teams which will then have to make the important decision of whether to continue focussing on the season or to channel all their efforts towards 2026.

In particular, I refer to those teams occupying the second half of the ladder, led by Sauber with 43 points, followed by Racing Bulls (41), Aston Martin (36), Haas (35, and finally Alpine bringing up the rear with 20 points.  The gaps are very small and all it takes is a positive result (see Sauber’s podium in Silverstone with Hulkenberg) to turn the situation around. At the moment, Aston Martin is focussed on internal reorganization and 2026, with repercussions on the results on the track.

They take to a track that is practically a wide kart circuit where qualifying plays a crucial role. The weather could also be an unknown factor that should not be underestimated with highly variable temperatures throughout the weekend (expected to drop from about 30 degrees on the Friday to the 25° forecast for Sunday) with the possibility of rain as well. These changes could also have repercussions on the tyres, with Pirelli bringing the C3, C4 and C5. Usually, the evolution of performances during the weekend is very marked on this track, especially during the first two days. Graining could appear during Friday’s free practice and then gradually decrease as the cars rubberize the asphalt. High thermal wear is a factor that the drivers will have to deal with even in the qualifying lap, with the Soft tyre that – if not managed adequately – could put them in difficulty in the last two bends of the track, just as the supplier points out.

The Hungaroring will not be the stage of the last days of Formula 1 activity before the summer break. In fact, a session of tests for the developments of the tyres for 2026 will also be held at the circuit, scheduled for Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 August with the collaboration of Ferrari (one day), Racing Bulls (one day), McLaren (one day) and Alpine (two days). The tests will be used to decide on the designs for next year.

On the track front, it will be interesting to follow the internal battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with the Australian winning in Belgium, extending his lead over his teammate. Positive signs came from Ferrari with Leclerc’s third place and Hamilton’s partial comeback, thus reinforcing their second place in the constructors’ championship.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP BELGIUM, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI IS BETTING ON SPA, RED BULL CHANGES FACES”

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After a three-week break and a few shake ups – see Red Bull –, Formula 1 is getting ready to switch on the engines for the halfway point of the season. Spa-Francorchamps promises to be a very important race in many ways. As already stated, it will be the first without Horner on the pit wall for Red Bull, while Mercedes should have reached a definitive solution on the drivers’ front.

All eyes are on Ferrari which will bring its new suspension to Belgium, already tested at Mugello during the 200km filming day. On a weekend which sees the return of the Sprint race and with only one session of free practice, on the Friday. This could be a strong signal from the team.

As usual, the weather will be an important variable: the forecasts predict mixed conditions, with a wet track for the Sprint Race, while qualifying and the GP should be run in dry conditions. On a track that is demanding track for both the cars and for the drivers – characterized by 19 bends, traction problems and engines under stress on the long straights – with the 1,900 metres of the Kemmel section, run under full throttle for 24 seconds, standing out.

For this round Pirelli has chosen three non-consecutive dry compounds: while Medium (C3) and soft (C4) are contiguous, the Hard will be the hardest of the 2025 range, namely C1. The use of two types of wet tyres, the Intermediate and the Extreme Wets, is not to be ruled out

We are entering into the second half of the season with two consecutive rounds (Belgium and Hungary) before the summer break. While there is little to say about the battle for the constructors’ title – solidly in the hands of McLaren – for the drivers’ title., with the internal battle between Piastri and Norris, there will certainly be plenty of interest, even when it happens behind the scenes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “QUALIFYING DECIDED BY THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND”

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Formula 1 arrives in Austria’s Red Bull Ring where the teams will find unusually hot weather with temperatures that could reach 30° waiting for them. This is surely an unusual setting for this GP which, together with the very abrasive asphalt, could put the C3-C4-C5 chosen to Pirelli to the test.

Additionally, gravel traps have been added to bends 9 and 10 in order to limit the track limits between the kerbs and the concrete escape ramp which could cause difficulties for the drivers.

So, it promises to be a hot weekend both in terms of the weather, and in terms of sport, with the management of the tyres playing a very important role. Let us not forget that last year the 4,318m of the track were covered in barely 1:04.314 (Max Verstappen’s best time). This translates into a fiery qualifying session, probably decided by thousandths of a second where the slightest slip is enough to risk not making it through to the next round.

Despite the result in Canada, McLaren remains the car of reference, but we must keep an eye on Mercedes, on the rise after Russell’s first win of the season and the first podium of his career by Antonelli. Ferrari will take to the track with a new skid pad which should resolve the ground clearance problems pending further developments in England. Never underestimate the usual Verstappen who is racing at home, together with the team.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | WAITING FOR IMOLA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ALMOST 180,000 TICKETS SOLD. COME AND SUPPORT FERRARI AND KIMI ANTONELLI”

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We are now a week away from the Formula Grand Prix in Imola, the seventh round of the World Championship and the first stop in Europe, scheduled from May 16 to May 18 at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit.

We caught up with Gian Carlo Minardi, President of Formula Imola, who is engaged, together with his team, in organizing this extraordinary event. “We are working hard to give all the fans who come to Imola a great show and to make it harder for those who will have to make the final decision on the future of this Grand Prix. Today we are close to crossing the 180,000-ticket mark and we are optimistic about breaking all the attendance records over the three days. It would be an incredible and important result not only for the Circuit, but for all our territory. We want to show everyone that Italy is number one,” Commented Minardi.

In addition to the activities on the track, Imola will offer a schedule of events planned to involve the fans, families, citizens and visitors. “We are completing the FUN ZONE – open from Thursday – where, amongst other things, it will be possible to meet and talk with the protagonists, from the drivers to the Team Principals, without forgetting Imola’s city centre, the beating heart of the weekend together with the Circuit very equipped with amusements, entertainment and tastings”

There will be concerts, DJ sets, shows, talks, museums, artistic installations, driving simulators, activities for children, exhibitions dedicated to the history of Formula 1 and the great champions of the past, photographic exhibitions, historical models on display, together with the possibility of thematic guided tours between engines and culture, with extraordinary openings of the city’s venues, educational workshops, markets, book presentations, with Made in Italy in the centre in all its forms.

“We have designed a show within a show. The enthusiast and fan can go to the Circuit to follow the activities on the track with the Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup races. Those accompanying him can enjoy an equally entertaining weekend regardless of Formula 1. Many special trains are available for this event, thus avoiding the stress of traffic. Imola’s railway station and the main entrance to the Circuit, located in Viale Dante, are just over 1,500m from each other, and along the way you pass through the historic city centre with all its attractions.

The engines will be switched on at 9.55 on Friday morning with the first hour of free practice of F3, F2 (11:05) and F1 (13:30) to be switched off only with the conclusion of the Made in Italy and the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. “Friday promises to be very interesting. All the teams will bring many new developments onto the track which will be tested in free practice, and it will be very interesting to follow. Furthermore, it is the day that costs the least. We are very satisfied with the presales, and I would like to hear, together with the Ferrari red tide, the support for our driver Kimi Antonelli even if he is racing in the colours of the rival team Mercedes,” concluded a smiling Minardi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gian Carlo Minardi

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gian Carlo Minardi