F1 | Gp Australia. It begins, but without Nico Rosberg and Mr. Ecclestone

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After a very long winter for all the enthusiasts we are at the start of a new Formula One world championship. For the first time in years and due to Nico Rosberg’s sudden retirement  Formula 1 will be without its reigning world champion. Also missing will also be Bernie Ecclestone after forty straight years at the helm of the Circus (as a master puppeteer). The stake at play will be in the hands of its new promoter, Liberty Media. It will be interesting seeing what will be the new guidelines.

We are about to reach Australia for the first grand prix after only eight days of testing on the Barcelona track which certainly rewarded Mercedes and Ferrari in regards to reliability and failed some others (see Honda). Beyond the times registered up till now we will only know after qualifying what the gauge of this season will be as in Spain many played with their cards hidden.

Amongst many uncertainties one thing is certain; the 2017 power-unit consumes much more and this will have the engineers scratching their heads. The 105kg fuel limit imposed by FIA would not be enough to finish the race. This increased fuel consumption also comes from the new Pirelli tyres (much wider than those of 2016) which allow for greater grip and faster speed on the bends. From what we have understood the tyres wear out very slowly. Thus we will see only one pit stop. For this first race the teams will have at their disposition the soft, SuperSoft and Ultrasoft mixes.

There is much curiosity about the season. As a fan I would like to see Ferrari very close to the Mercedes (which for me remains the car to beat) with a good contest between the two. Neither would I underestimate Red Bull.

Let us hope we will see a good grand prix and we will be in touch on Sunday after the race.

 
 

F1 | Fuel consumption alert?

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The eight days of tests on the Barcelona track are giving their first results. If on the one side Ferrari and Mercedes saw their efforts rewarded from the point of view of reliability – unlike Renault and especially Honda – an important problem is rising and it must not be underestimated.

Precisely, the data came out of the simulation of the grands prix. From what we have heard from various sources overseas, due to the new performances of the vehicles the 5kg more of fuel (last season’s 100kg of fuel has gone to105kg in 2017) foreseen by FIA’s regulations are not enough to complete a grand prix.

The new regulations have given us decidedly better performing vehicles in both speed and performance in the bends with lap times up to 4” faster. In addition to the increase in fuel the width of the tyres increased as well. This combination makes the power-units even thirstier for fuel.

This information would explain in part why the drivers lifted their feet from the accelerator pedal during their lap sessions. The teams must put the fuel consumption under the magnifying glass.

Melbourne is getting ever closer.

Kart, WSK Super Master Series | Karl Basz just missed the podium at Castelletto di Branduzzo after an amazing weekend

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The second race of the WSK Super Masters Series took place at the 7 Laghi International Circuit at Castelletto di Branduzzo. Karol Basz was the protagonist with placings and impressive come backs which showed solid nerves, concentration and coolness even in the most delicate of situations.

In the three qualifying heats Kosmic Racing’s Polish driver won in order a victory, third place and second place thus placing himself well for the final phase. The cold shower came at the end of the third heat when the marshals disqualified the 202 kart because it was underweight, plunging him down to 17th place overall. Placed within Group A of the pre-final the Minardi Management flag bearer recovered four positions to fifth place and completed the job with a fourth place in the Final, the result of another five positions recovered.

In two weeks Karol Basz will be back on track at Muro Leccese for the third round of the WSK Super Masters Series.

“The weekend began really well with a win, third place and second place in qualifying. Sadly the disqualification cancelled the results. In the Final I lost time behind some drivers, but the championship is still long and our material is ok,” commented Karol Basz.

 “Even if he missed out on the podium, we must absolutely compliment Karol. On a very technical and tight circuit like Castelletto he kept his nerves without making the slightest error and made himself the protagonist with important come backs in both the pre-final and the Final. We still have things we must get right in performance, but we are on the right road to get back on the podium beginning at Muro Leccese,” said manager Alberto Tonti.

Photos by Alex Vernardis & Loredana LRN / The RaceBox

 

The curtain falls on the Barcelona tests. Minardi “Too early to judge. We don’t know how much fuel”

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The sun has set on the last day of tests at Barcelona. The first session ended with the best time by Kimi Raikonnen in his Ferrari SF70H. The day was marked with a deliberately wet track to evaluate the behaviour of Pirelli’s wet and intermediate tyres. The slicks were then tested in the afternoon

It was a difficult day to judge as the track dried quickly, effectively thwarting the development and grip of the track, as well as having lowered the temperature of the asphalt and affecting that results of the rivers who took to the track on ultra soft, super soft and soft mixes.

Too early to judge the forces at play

At the present time it is too early to judge the forces at play even though there are only four days available before the departure for Melbourne. The cars will be back on track beginning Tuesday. Thanks to Pirelli’s colours we know the types of mixes, but we are missing one vital detail; the amount of fuel aboard each car.

Reliability

For now the only detail we can use is reliability. The numerous laps run by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikonnen as a good calling card for the SF70H and also for Hamilton and Bottas’ W080. In the final minutes of yesterday’s session Seb had a problem with his Ferrari, whereas in the morning it was Hamilton’s turn to remain the in the box for an electrical problem for his Mercedes. Renault and particularly Honda fought with a few too many problems. The French, according to the Red Bull drivers, have yet to push their power-units to their limits.

Pirelli ready to change the mixes

Despite the thumbs up from the drivers Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport’s Director, announced that the mixes of the wets will be changed, especially the intermediates, as they had suffered significant deterioration. The decision came at the end of the final session on the artificially wet track at Barcelona. It is thought that two types of wets will be available according to the situation: one for the warmer tracks and one for those such as Silverstone and Spa which are always colder.

 

F1 | An important step for the fans by Liberty Media

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A change of direction by Liberty Media, the new owner of Formula 1, that during the first four days of testing underway at Barcelona allowed the teams and drivers to publish brief videos in their respective social media pages. An operation that was totally banned by the previous FOM.

A small but very important step in opening not only to new communications technologies, but also towards the fans that can live up close the brief moments of action in the boxes and pit-lane.

The teams were not caught unprepared…

F1 | Mercedes, Hamilton opposed to share telemetry. Minardi "Absurd Decision"

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 As we await Thursday’s presentation by Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton’s statements hold the lime light. The three times world champion has declared that he is not willing to share his telemetry with new team mate Valtteri Bottas who replaced Nico Rosberg.

I do not agree with this and I find the decision and his attitude absurd. As already happened last year, one of Formula One’s highest paid drivers has put down his employer’s work and decisions which would place him at the peak of the sport. We are talking about a team which put together 51 wins in 59 grands prix. For Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff the priority is the constructor’s title, just as I find it unlikely that the engineers of the two cars do not compare the data gathered on the track. We are faced with a complicated season that will be conditioned by important changes to the regulations. For this very reason the team’s programme must take be more important than any single driver’s.

After Nico Rosberg’s retirement Mercedes was forced to back Hamilton who has been flanked by the Finn with a one year contract (with an option for a secondseason). In other circumstances the case would have been very different.

I never had the chance to work with a star, but within the Minardi team we all worked together to make the best use of and to improve the material available to us. Everything was directed towards the result.

Gian Carlo Minardi

Kart Karol Basz just missed the podim on the 22nd Winter Cup

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It was a bitter sweet weekend for Karol Basz on the track at Lonato, the setting for the 22nd Winter Cup where he just missed out on a place on the podium with his fourth place.

The Kosmic Racing Team’s flag bearer had begun the event by easily a winning a place amongst the top starters thanks to the second and third places in the Qualifying Heats on Friday and closing with a sixth place on the following day.

In the second Super Heat the Polish driver assisted by Minardi Management obtained third spot at a few seconds from victory, and closed the weekend with fifth place in the Final Heats and fourth place in the Final.

“The weekend began well, but in the Final we lacked a little speed. We must work only on the small details because we have begun to show that we can always fight for the top positions and for victory.” Karol Basz

“We have completed a weekend of hard work in which we concentrated on development, even though we lacked that little something to return to domination. Karol showed once more all his professionalism that places him amongst the best drivers at the moment, even from the point of view of preparation of the vehicle. I am sure that together with Kosmic we will be able to return on the highest place of the podium beginning at the next appointments,” was the analysis of his manager Alberto Tonti.

Foto: Alex Vernardis & Loredana LRN / The RaceBox

F1 | Pub talk

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The covers have not yet come off the racing cars (which begins on February 20th) and we have not gone onto the track for the first preseason testing  (the first session is booked in for February 27th to March 2nd at Montmelo), but with the exception of Mercedes a certain level of nervousness is seeping from the factories.

While everyone at Brackley is sleeping comfortably because they are all ready for February 23rd and look forward to the first test session with confidence due to the results of the simulations and in respect to the construction of the cars to be entrusted to Lewis Hamilton and Vallteri Bottas, at all the other factories there are significant delays, as well as problems in analyzing and comparing data from previous years. The Team from Maranello will reveal Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikonnen’s new weapon on Friday February 24th at Fiorano and from comments by engineers they are already working on the B version to make its debut when the World Championship reaches Europe as they are not satisfied with the results of the wind tunnel testing and the simulations. This all creates tension.

I would be careful about playing the Last Post and dressing in mourning. There are rumours doing the rounds of the pubs and the mobile phones are ringing continuously. We await the results of the first round at Barcelona.

As Nikki Lauda believes, I am convinced that the teams are keepings their cards well covered until the first day of testing to discover the forces at play with the objective of gathering the most information possible to be able to develop and modify the cars in anticipation of the first Grands Prix.

Let’s not forget that we are waiting for FIA’s reply on the interpretation of the regulations and on the plans of the new owners.

F1 | McLaren sheds light on its reorganization. Minardi “I agree with the programme”

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A few days ago I told you about my conclusions on the situation within the McLaren Team after the departure of its C.E.O. Jost Capito and team manager David Redding (who will go to the Williams Team), together with the possible collaboration with BMW on the Formula 1 front with the supply of the next Power-Unit.

Following my considerations I was contacted from inside the Woking Factory who let me know through the words of Race Director Éric Boullier of how the Team’s reorganization is proceeding which left me favourably impressed.

These are Boullier’s words:
Dave Redding had been offered an opportunity with another team and we did not want to get in the way. Let’s not forget that Dave had been with McLaren for 17 years. His place will be taken by Paul James (who had already been the Team’s Chief mechanic).

The position that Paul James left free will be entrusted to Karu (Lammenranta) – the former number one mechanic of Alonso’s car who will be the new Chief mechanic.

Andrea Stella will carry on in his role as the supervisor of the track side engineers and his duties will be expanded to involve the sporting relations between the Team and FIA.

Éric Boullier when on by emphasizing “When we understood that Dave would leave we were able to enlist entirely from within the Team. Over a long period of time we had been encouraging people to study science, engineering, technology and mathematics at local schools and to support apprenticeships and university theses with the aim of introducing better prepared young talents into McLaren.

A programme with which I agree because it coincides with the Minardi mentality, in other words to mature people within the Team and, at the same time, collaborate with Universities to bring better prepared young people into the organization and at the same time encourage loyalty towards the Company. By so doing it is possible to create a hard core to the Team thus creating the conditions for another winning cycle.

With the exit of Ron Dennis, the new General Director Zak Brown, – an expert marketer –will have the task of reorganizing McLaren and in an interview released on the American site Roundandtrack had spoken about the possibility of success in 2017 “I do not believe we will win a Grand Prix this year”. Every reorganization takes time.

I thank the whole staff at the Factory to whom i wish the best of luck for the upcoming presentation of the car (February 24th) and the 2017 racing season.

 

F1, Jost Capito and David Redding leave Woking. Minardi “F1 cannot afford to lose McLaren as well”

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McLaren continues to lose important piece the day of the presentation relentlessly approaches as well as the first official tests on the track at Barcelona. After Ron Dennis’ estrangement at the end of last year C.E.O. Jost Capito and team manager David Redding also left the Woking factory.

These signals are synonymous with the internal collapse of a glorious team, a symbol of Formula 1, which is passing through an important phase of changes of management and ownership. Considering his past Jost Capito could have been an important figure. His departure, together with that of the team manager tells us of moments of tension within the team. Over the last few days we had hinted at the possibility of an agreement between McLaren and BMW on the Circus front as well, but it was denied by the team from Bavaria. A hint of hope had appeared which disappeared just when chaos ruled within the team.

At this moment Formula 1 cannot allow itself to lose a team such as McLaren. It was once an expert puppet master that controlled the strings very well. Now Liberty Media is called to undertake a sensitive task.

2017 is a delicate year for McLaren, but above all for Honda. The winter tests will give us the first answers, even though I do not have much faith in the Japanese constructor.

Kart | Karol Basz amongst the points in Adria in the first round of the WSK Super Master Series

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In the first weekend of the WSK Super Master Series on the track in Andria in a race strongly affected by the weather Karol Basz looked for the best results and finished on the podium, only to be penalized 10” by the stewards for a contact with Novalak ftom Great Britain and finished in sixth place overall.

For Kosmic Racing’s driver from Krakow it was the occasion to gain confidence in the new wets supplied by Bridgestone in anticipation of the next rounds.

As we await the next round of the WSK Super Master Series scheduled for Castelletto di Branduzzo on March 2nd, Karol will return to the track at Lonato for the 22nd edition of the Winter Cup on February 17th and 18th.

 “It was not an easy end of the week beginning under heavy rain and trying to find the best set up for the cart, but it ended on the podium. Unfortunately the stewards then decided to penalize me for a contact during the race. I am happy with the speeds obtained and now I will concentrate on the Winter Cup,” said Karol Basz, the Minardi Management driver.

 “The final penalty concluded a difficult weekend in which Karol was not as fast as usual. He had to fight to find the right set up and the best tyre pressure for the new mixes supplied by Bridgestone,” was the analysis by his Manager Alberto Toni.

McLaren and BWM together again, waiting for Apple

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It is back in vogue the marriage that made millions of fans dream in the 90s. McLaren and the BMW group will be again together, even if not in the world motorsport for the moment.

The goal of the new partnership between McLaren Automotive and the Bavarian group, whose cooperation also comprises a number of other partners, is linked to the development of new technologies for the inner combustion that will make us reach new power levels and reduce CO2 emissions.

Contextually, Zak Brown is working to bring new sponsors to Woking to give some oxygen to the stable. The wind would carry to Cupertino, Apple destination. Last year, the name of the company created by Steve Jobs had already been associated with McLaren, but then denied. According to rumors, any Apple landing in F1 would open the doors for the return of BMW in the world championship as a propellers supplier.

As in many other operations, and despite the estrangement from Liberty Media, I am sure that behind this there is, once again, Bernie Ecclestone’s hand. No one else knows this environment as him, and he is still the reference point for companies.

Kart | Andrea Antonelli Kimi at the start of the Super WSK Master Series under the Tony Kart colors

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Andrea Antonelli’s 2017 season goes live this weekend. The young driver from Bologna, at his first year with the Tony Kart official colors is ready to face the inaugural event of the WSK Super Master Series scheduled at the Adria International Raceway on 2 to 5 February.

After a 2016 apprenticeship, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will go on track in 60 Mini category whose enrolled are 89. For the driver from Emilia, who put himself already in the spotlight at the same circuit last weekend bringing home a useful sixth placement in the WSK Champions Cup, after achieving two seconds and three thirds placements, it starts a new challenge.

There are four events in the championship, it successively will arrive in Castelletto di Branduzzo (2/5 March), Muro Leccese (16/19 March) and Sarno (6/9 April).

Engines turned on next weekend, starting from Thursday with the first free practice. On Friday, the timed sessions will take place along with the qualifying-heats that will end on Sunday when are also scheduled two pre-finals and the final, with the green light at 15.35 and the “live streaming” in the official website wsk.it.