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This weekend Formula 1 will wear its best clothes to take part in the most glamorous appointment of the reason. Despite its peculiarity Monaco is an important appointment in the light of the world championship above all due to the great equilibrium between Ferrari and Mercedes that has emerged in the first part of the season.

The barriers and the guardrails are lurking and it will need only the slightest error to ruin a whole weekend. Qualifying has always played a dominating role in the final result of the race proper and this year will be no different. Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will line up on the grid after two wins with the Ferrari driver leading the drivers’ ladder with 104 points, 6 more than the British driver, but with Mercedes ahead in the constructors’ ladder.

Ferrari could have a slight advantage thanks to its slightly slower pace compared to its direct rival Mercedes, even though indiscretions from overseas (from Germany) after the Spanish Grand Prix speak of a WO8 equipped with two overboosters, as well as the button that guarantees extra power for a lap. Hamilton or Bottas could also have an extra 15” to use in specific occasions, such as the start or during an overtaking manoeuvre (see the overtaking manoeuvre that Vettel suffered at Montmelò).

We must not forget Red Bull. In the first grands prix Verstappen and Ricciardo suffered important gaps (at Barcelona the Australian driver finished in third place more than 75” behind the winner) although in qualifying they manage to defend themselves. In addition, last year Ricciardo managed to place his RB in the front row ahead of Rosberg. Therefore keep an eye on them!

Strategy will play a key role and Pirelli will bring Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft mixes. In the Ferrari pits Vettel and Raikonnen opted for 10 “violet” sets (one more than Mercedes), 2 “red” (one less than Mercedes) and one “yellow”. In anticipation of Monte Carlo the sole supplier for the Circus decided to review the pressure of the tyres downwards. The front tyres will go from 19 PSI to 17 PSI while the rear tyres will go from 18 PSI to 16.5 PSI. This is another important aspect for Ferrari which up to now has shown that it knows how to manage the tyres very well with the SF70H.

Gian Carlo Minardi

The Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the F1 world championship, gave us another exciting race on the edge of hundredths of seconds between Ferrari and Mercedes. Strategies and team tactics played an important role in the final result, just as the overtaking manoeuvres and the close duels did, luckily unpunished by the marshals. The battle at the start was very good, as were Sebastian Vettel’s duels with Bottas first and then with Hamilton. The English champion then took the lead with a great display of force as he also took the fastest lap of the race two laps from the finish and thus claimed the pole, race and fastest lap triple.

Barcelona gave us a very reactive Ferrari that knew how to reply very well to the many changes introduced by Mercedes, managing to reduce the gap even more. The car from Maranello is a strong machine and put together very well that reacts to the developments.

The force of these two teams in regards to the other teams is devastating. Third placed Daniel Ricciardo finished 70 seconds behind and all the others were more than a lap from the winners.

It was a pity that the accident immediately knocked out Kimi Raikonnen, thus forcing his Ferrari team mate to fight alone against the two Mercedes that were able to take advantage of team tactics. Ferrari and Mercedes will go to Monte Carlo close on the two ladders where Fernando Alonso will be missing for his home race after having given a show of his enormous talent taking the McLaren-Honda to seventh spot (a near miracle) and improving his performance in the course of the race up to the final lap. I wish him the best of luck for his adventure in the Indianapolis 500, even though I do not agree with it as the race requires specific preparation.

This weekend we saw important signs of change on the part of Liberty Media. The interviews with the drivers in direct contact with the fans were excellent, as well as the quick reaction to the tears of the very young Kimi Raikonnen fan after the driver’s exit when he was brought to meet his idol in the pits. In forty years of activity I had never seen anything like it.

It was a grand prix that gave us important surprises in the back markers such as the precious points brought home by Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso.

We anxiously await the next chapter.

Gian Carlo Minardi

At the Imola circuit Antonio D’Amico was one of the major protagonists of the first weekend of the Italian GT Championship. At the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup number 116 of the Vincenzo Sospiri team, the driver from Fiano Romano, together with Riccardo Cazzaniga asserted himself with authority in Race-1 after having set the fourth best qualifying time, just missing out on the podium and the win in the second race.

Taking off from the second row of the grid D’Amico climbed the ladder with a clean race finally reaching the top place before handing over the wheel to his team-mate who held the place until the red flag which signalled the early end of the race due to the accident by Deodati.

In Race-2 Antonio D’Amico confirmed he was the fastest on the track by setting the fastest lap after having taken over the wheel from his team-mate and suffering a 15” pit stop penalty according to the regulations as a consequence of the victory and crossing the finishing line at the end of the 48 minutes + 1 lap of the race, finishing in fourth place with for him meant top place in the championship.

“Driving the Lamborghini was really enjoyable. The weekend was more than positive and gives us the right charge to confront the season in the best way. We are only at the first round and the championship is long but it was great beginning the season with a win and as leader,” commented an excited Antonio D’Amico.

“Antonio was one of Imola’s major protagonists with a clear win in Race-1 and an exceptional performance in Race-2 making his mark with the fastest lap. Without the drive through during Cazzaniga’s stint we could have had a fantastic double. We say goodbye to Imola and prepare for Misano at the top of the table,” was the comment by manager Giovanni Minardi.

After the en-plein garnered in the last appointment of the WSK Super Master Series (6 wins in one weekend) Karol Basz returned to the Sarno track for the first round of the European CIK-FIA.

Kosmic Racing’s Polish driver established himself as a great protagonist for the whole weekend solidly winning top positions in the “OK” from the first rounds, closing qualifying with third place overall and reinforced by the four podium finishes in the five rounds raced. As part of group A Karol put together a win, two second places and a third place.

He only missed out on the podium in the final, finishing in fourth place after fines come back and two external overtaking manoeuvres,

“It was a really difficult weekend. Our rhythm was very good but in the Final I Iost time in the first two laps sliding down to sixth place. We’re only in the first round and the championship is still long. We must concentrate on the next appointment,” commented Karol Basz

“In the Final he did very well to make up the lost positions with two excellent external overtaking manoeuvres. The podium was within reach but overall the weekend was very positive. Karol fought all the way for the podium and we will fight for the championship until the end. Now we will concentrate on Imola,” commented managers Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

Next weekend Karol Basz will make his debut in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of the Team Antonelli Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit. The two races will consist of 48’ + 1 lap scheduled for 12.40pm on Saturday April 29th and 3.55pm on Sunday April 30th and will be streamed live on the website of ACI Sport (https://www.acisport.it/it/acisport-service/live-streaming)

Photos by Alex Vernardis & Loredana LRN / The RaceBox

In the Sarno international circuit, the setting for the last appointment of the WSK Super Master Series, Karol Basz made for himself the perfect weekend. There is no other adjective to describe the achievement the Kosmic Racing Team’s Polish driver in the “OK”. Six wins in as many stages, starting with 4 coups in the respective qualifying Heats (with as many fastest laps in the races) that gave him pole in the pre final.

Inserted into Group A the Minardi Management standard bearer carried on his roll, showing cool headedness and determination and a special feeling for the track booking the overall victory by making his also mark in the pre final.

Starting from second place Karol slipped to fourth place but like a power hammer he quickly won back the leadership, leaving to his rivals only the satisfaction of the fastest lap. Thanks to this latest win Karol climbed the final championship ladder finishing the season in second place overall.

This was an excellent calling card in view of the first round of the European CKIK-FIA scheduled for two weeks time on the very same Neapolitan track.

”I dominated the whole weekend with four wins in the Heats and wins in the pre final and the final. We did a good job and we are ready for the first European race,” said a satisfied Karol.

“I am excited by what Karol did today. He is a true kart-hammer. I always said that he was the most complete driver in the karting world and today we had the latest proof. Clear headed and precise in every occasion. He was the protagonist of an exceptional weekend. Everything went perfectly. Well done Karol and well done to everyone in the Kosmic Racing Team. It’s no secret that our objective is both European and world wide,” commented Alberto Tonti.

“Once more he showed he is the driver to beat. I am happy for the weekend, above all in light of the first European race which will be run here at Sarno. It’s no secret that we’re aiming for the European-World double,” commented Giovanni Minardi.

 

In his interview by the Minardi.it editorial staff and webTV Gian Carlo Minardi once more underscored the victory by Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari on the Melbourne track in the first race of the 2017 World Championship. He was not sparing in his praise. “It was a clear win for Ferrari. For the first time Mercedes was beaten on the track by another team. Ferrari did everything very well putting under pressure both Lewis Hamilton who constantly asked to change tyres and Mercedes who brought forward the changes by a few laps.”

While one swallow does not a summer make,” continued the manager from Faenza, “And Mercedes remains the car to beat as it showed in the pole position, the gap from last season has narrowed. I see Ferrari favoured by the potential of its drivers. If Kimi Raikonnen becomes once more the driver of the last part of last season then it will have an advantage over the pair of Hamilton-Bottas.”

Words of praise for the debutant Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel of the Sauber, “You could not ask more of the young man. On the first occasion of a grand prix he was ready to show his true worth. He demonstrated that he has his papers in order to become a great driver. Last week in Melbourne was an excellent calling card, “continued Gian Carlo Minardi, “Now he also need a bit of luck.”

If Ferrari and Mercedes showed vital reliability and that they are the top of the class the situation is exactly the opposite for McLaren-Honda “Alonso’s facial expressions and his choice of words say a lot more than his mere words. He is going through the most difficult phase of his career and there are implications we cannot decipher. The Japanese giant cannot continue on this road. There is no two without the third and in the past it has already retired twice from F1. On the other hand, McLaren cannot do without Honda, its technical and financial sponsor. Without Honda it would have great difficulty surviving.”