F1- Mid-season scorecard: Drivers

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After the teams, let’s analyze the Drivers.

Lewis Hamilton – 9 Especially for his five victories. At the moment he is the fittest driver. Fortunately for us, he too made some little mistakes. He will remember Hungary for a long time.

Sebastian Vettel – 8,5 He is fighting and making the most of his Ferrari taking it to the second place of the World Constructors’ Championship. He made two exemplary victories. In the time of need he was ready to make the most of “Mercedes’s favors”.

Nico Rosberg – 8 Decisively under level, especially in qualifying. Last year he won his personal challenge with Hamilton. But now, in my opinion, he looks discharged. He isn’t the Nico I expected to see.

Felipe Massa – 7,5 surely he done better than his team-mate wanted by rumors instead of  Raikonnen at Ferrari. He is still beyond Bottas in general standings but the Brasilian are making the most of his Williams.

Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniil Kvyat – 7 the Finnish at Williams’ is fighting, while Red Bull drivers represent the “advancing newness”.
The young guys are building their future in F1. Despite the jump into main team and the disapprovals received early in the season, the Russian is coping with Ricciardo.
Meanwhile TR is pursuing his “green” challenge. At the Hungaroring, Vestappen scored his best result and  almost touched the podium with a fourth place.

Daniel Ricciardo – 6,5 Half a point below his team-mate because he can rely on a greater experience. He isn’t the Ricciardo we saw last season. Undoubtedly he suffer more than the others for Red Bull lack of competitiveness.

Kimi Raikkonen- 6 It’s a vote of confidence. He dosn’t do what he should for Ferrari. In Hungary he was unlucky for a breakdown but one swallow doesn’t make a summer. In general standings he payed 3 tenth to his team-mate and a sec to Hamilton.

F1- Mid-season scorecard: Teams

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The engines are off and the factories closed for the summer break so we take the opportunity to draw up the first semester scorecard. Certainly,  this pahse was affected by Mercedes which has been able to dominate far and wide, high and low, especially through Lewis Hamilton. It was also a period characterized by the pleasant Ferrari’s revival as second world power, ahead of Massa and Botta’s Williams and Red Bull which was heavily affected by trans-alpine Power-unit.

Mercedes – 8 Technically speaking, if we judged just the six consecutive race run with the same PU it would certainly be a 10 with honors. The mark decreases of two points due to the strategic mistakes in Malaysia, Monaco and Hungary.

Ferrari – 8 Two victories and seven placements took them to the second place in Manufacturer World Championship. But the gap with the “Silver Arrows” is great. They did well to take advantage of the two “Mercedes favors”.

Williams – 7,5 Half a point less than Maranello. They have a high-performing car on fast circuits but they loose ground on slower ones ( like in Hungary). As happened last year, they will be able to turn the situation around in the second part of the season.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso – 7 Technically the two cars by bibitari are well manufactured even if they pay an enormous penalty for Renault Power-Unit complications. In particular TR is short in heavy points due to the lack of reliability in the last rounds. In Hungary, a circuit not suitable for motors, they took three cars in the first fourth places.

Sauber – 6,5 Eighth place and 22 points just ahead to McLaren and Marussia. It’s better than 2014 but they don’t live up to their tradition. They started positively this season, loosing later their way.

Lotus and Force India – 6 Despite Mercedes engine they are getting less than last year due also to their financial difficulties, especially at Lotus.

McLaren – 5 This mark is especially directed to Honda which is in a big trouble. They realized that the Japanese technology is already obsolete and are trying to remedy “by shopping” in Europe. Their path is really uphill and it won’t be easy to recover. So far Alonso and Button gained just 17 points. In Hungary Fernando’s fifth place is a great shot on the arm , but that was also an odd GP.

Kart – Negro and Vigorito at Le Mans with Ok1

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Drivers Riccardo Negro and Gianni Vigorito spent two testing days at the Lonato Internation circuit with the aim of getting ready for Le Mans.

Riccardo and Gianni are going to defend IP Kating group’s colors in France, respectively in the International KZ2 Super Cup and in the World KZ Champs, with OK1 material managed by Lorenzo Foschiani. Therefore, after a forced break, Riccardo will reappear in an official group also thanks to the participation of Iame which is going to provide authorized motors. Whereas the “beating heart”of the vehicle used by the driver from Sturno will be TM motor managed by FR Racing from Udine. These two testing days allowed the two drivers to acquaint themselves with the kart and the new material in time for the momentous race of Le Mans.

“Looking ahead to Le Mans World Championship, test sessions in Lonato were excellent. I experienced many advantageous innovations and I am very satisfied. Bridgeston tires require a more meticulous drive compared with LeCont tyre compound” Gianni Vigorito comments.

“I was very satisfied with the material and the exclusive presence of Iame. After a long break I could put together few consecutive laps, but I gained interesting chronometric lap times. In these weeks before Le Mans I am going to work hard on the track to get ready” Riccardo Nigro comments.

“These were two really hard-working and profitable days because we had immediately important results. It was the first time Riccardo drove our material and he was particularly impressed by the brake system. Instead Bridgestone tires were the major unknown faced by Vigorito. Few laps were enough for him to cancel the lack of experience adapting quickly to the set-up. We ‘ll have the first official results during collective tests at Le Mans, but I am sure that bot Gianni and Riccardo will be able to drive very fast” OK1 Team Manager, Lorenzo Foschiani, comments.

“I am very happy about this new challenge with OK1. At last Riccardo returns to an official and such an important entity like IP Karting, thanks also to the support of Iame which are going to provide him the motor to attack KZ2. Instead Gianni will have a TM motor for the KZ1 race. After a forced break, Riccardo will have to return quickly to his rhythm while Gianni will have to get used to Bridgestone tires which requires a very clean drive” Alberto Tonti precisely analyzes.

“I am satisfied for both our bearers who will be able to be protagonist at the Le Mans World Championship with the support of such an official group. I am sure that they will both be able to attract attention” the manager from Faenza Giovanni Minardi comments.

Kart – Matteo Nannini at Adria looking ahead to the Italian Final and World Championship

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For the twelve years old Matteo Nannini the last was an apprenticeship week-end. At Adria, scene of the last appointment of the Rok Nord Championship, he signed his debut with the RB Racing colors. The demanding weather conditions which affected the area of the Rodigino circuit, let the driver from Forlì take the appropriate measures of the new Exprite material looking ahead to the Italian final, scheduled for early September exactly at the Adria International Raceway, and to the World Championship in Lonato.

Matteo had the opportunity to experience a wet track, a road condition for which he had a poor experience especially after his in-season transition to KFJ category . In that circumstance he had the support of such a specialist like Karol Basz returning from the Swedish appointment of the European Championship. Basz helped Matteo to become familiar with the OTK material.

“It was a useful week-end. I had the opportunity to drive for many kilometres with the new material looking ahead to appointments in September. I feel good both with the team and the kart. It was the first time I have drove a 125 under the rain so i had the opportunity to gain this experience, supported by Karol. My goal is the Italian Final” Matteo Nannini comments.

“The team we met was very helpful to Matteo. Despite a week-end with adverse results Matteo had the opportunity to start working in a real team. I liked seeing him following carefully the advises of a wet expert like Karol Basz” Alberto Tonti analyzes. “Joining KFJ in late season we hadn’t any goal in this Championship. The Adria race has been very hepful to us. We could test the new material both on dry and wet track. A really important test looking ahead to the Italian Final which will be run exactly at Adria” Manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

DZ Engineering safety for the KL City Grand Prix

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In the spectacular and evocative skyline of Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia with 1,6 millions inhabitants, the V8 Supercars champions, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Formula Masters China Series e KL City GT Cup, are living up the first KL City Gran Prix this week-end.

The center of Kuala Lumpur will become a temporary narrow and gritty 3,2 km circuit where the drivers will have to get organized along 16 curves – 10 on the left, 6 on the right- and considerable slopes in Jalan Sultan Ismail, with many overtaking opportunities at the bottom of Jalan Ampang, reaching a speed of 200 km/h.
The KL City Gran Prix will be supervised by the extraordinary know-how of DZ Engineering, company of Dino Zoli group from Forlì, also responsible for lighting, for PA system and radio communication of the city circuit of Singapore during Formula 1 and for the installation and test of the HD security camera system and its operations center at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.They were also involved in managing Formula E Grand Prix at Putrajaya.”We are the only ones with a such experience in city circuits and this event in Kuala Lumpur is probably just the first of a series which will be planned in the heart of several Asian cities with the purpose of enhancing their culture around motor racing” Grilli declares. Technologies displayed by Dino Zoli’s staff will be the eyes and the guardian angels for drivers and for all authorized personnel, in this spectacular theater the range of their activity consists of installation and test of TVCC system and its operations center, radio communications and track PA system.

“In the last years technology has made great strikes. HD system implementation has increased safety. An important step toward driver and authorized personnel’s protection“, Scaioli analyzed last March. “We are proud to have first provived Sepang circuit with a so innovative system and to have extended our know-how also to the KL City Gran Prix“. A positive signal for the ”Made in Italy” abroad.

F1- Red Bull-Mercedes. It's reality.

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After Minardi.it announced a tam-tam concernig Renault’s interest in purchasing the 100% of Lotus team few days ago, now rumors consider an agreement between Red Bull and Mercedes as a done deal. According to them, Mercedes will provide his Power-Unit to Milton Keynes-based team already from the next season.

It is a really interesting step because a group who tenaciously wants to win again joins the current “fleet”composed by Williams, Force India, and Lotus. Almost certainly there will be four German’s customer-teams with Gérard Lopez’s group transition under transalpine colors.

“As previously mentioned Renault is not interested anymore in just a part of the Lotus team but in its entire stake, to start relevant manoeuvres which could concern also Red Bull which is heavily atoned for the transalpine PU. According to last rumors the first domino has fel apart starting a great change for 2016” Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes at the microphones of Minardi.it. “A direct rival for the title appears among Mercedes’ customer. Dietrich Mateschitz deeply wanted this transformation and his men want to win again. This could generate a wonderful championship. We hope that Ferrari could recover its gap to play the game” the manager from Faenza continues.

However there could be other news as told us by the ex Team Principal and Manufacturer.“Within Red Bull’s team there is also a discussion about an important change on the Driver front aiming to take a top driver to Milton Keynes, with respect to Ricciardo and Kyvat. There are really many opportunities to take advantage of ,with many drivers close to contract expiration or who could be released for lack of results”.

F.1 – Road to… Hungaroring

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The Hungaroring circuit, where the 10th Formula 1 GP is going to be hosted, is usually compared to a kart circuit due to his very slow layout requiring a strong downforce unlike the two next appointments on the Spa-Francorchamps and Monza tracks.

It’s going to be an insidious week-end due to the high temperatures embarrassing resistance of Pirelli’s Soft and Medium tyres, the little grid of the asphalt and the dust, which is settling in this moment, even because we are talking about a little used track. Another variable will be determined by the tyre settling outside the ideal trajectory and that could create some complications for drivers engaged in overtakings.

Due to the cancellation of the German GP we come in Hungary after three weeks of forced break. We’ll see who has worked in a better way and what newness will have been bring forward. Beyond Mercedes’ supremacy I hope Ferrari could counter attack the recovery of William, which showed strong signals of growth in the last appointments. Maranello is called to show a strong signal to be again the second World championship power even on track.

Behind these two teams the gap is short. It doesn’t take much to change the forces in the field.

Red Bull remains the great riddle of this year. They remain a fearsome entity thanks to their potential even if they are heavily paying the delay of Renault PU. Moreover, they have some complications with the chassis.

Toro Rosso “cousins” signed for the firth place in the Constructor standings. Certainly, thanks to their technical and economical potential, this goal is within their reach. So far they didn’t collect what they deserved.

The fifth position won’t be an easy goal to gain and Force India goes with an advantage of 20 points.

Gian Carlo Minardi

The downside

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The summer of Formula 1 is going to be very hot, because of the overwhelming and devastating power of Mercedes that is creating many problems to all teams, especially to constructors competitors forced into a “mission impossible” run-up. In particular, Honda’s and Renault’s problems are affecting negatively on the results of McLaren and Red Bull.

MCLAREN-HONDA

The situation of the team from Woking is certainly not the happiest. The latest interviews with Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier leaked out new situation for such a famous team, but not new for the small teams that, due to force majeure, had to face it in order to remain in Formula 1.

Dennis said that a team like his certainly can not be satisfied with a client-engine, because he does not guarantee the ability to fight for victory. This is also why the challenge with Honda is born. On the other side, his Racing Director – Eric Boullier – complains that it’s hard to find major sponsors without the results.

After criticizing small teams, now they understand what’s the meaning of having to look for sponsors, occupying constantly the last position. Fortunately, they don’t have to pay for the engine. The small teams, like Minardi, arrive in November still without an engine (for a fee), with tyres to pay and having fond out new companies, then suffer the attacks of top teams’ marketing (McLaren first place). There has always been too much presumption and some Team Principals have never wanted to keep costs down. It’s time to offer mea-culpa. At the same time, an important Mercedes past player has been sighted in the area of Monaco … Whether they’re trying to involve someone else if Honda could not retrieve the desired competitiveness?

RED BULL – RENAULT

On the other side, we have Red Bull, which shows tranquillity against Renault, although the results are below expectations. Luckily for them, they don’t have economic problems because they are a reality that is self-subsidizes. The same goes for Toro Rosso. Anyway, the two companies, with accounts in order, are still suffering heavily on the technical front. In recent days, Christian Horner said that Red Bull is ready to honour the contract in 2016, but that they’re not good at being patient. In 2017 the situation may be different

FERRARI

He starts to leak some nervousness. The victory won in Malaysia came too soon, increasing illusions. Between the Team Principals Maurizio Arrivabene and Jamers Allison betrays little serenity. The novelties are not giving the desired results and Mercedes are moving away. In contrast, we are getting closer to February, when the Power-Units are to be frozen. They must quickly take important decisions concerning the development of PU and, simultaneously, take under consideration the second driver.

From this view – anything but calm-, one senses that something is wrong. But Formula 1 continues to live in his gilded world, as evidenced by the proposals approved in view of 2016 in Mexico City by the World Council. There has been talk of new score for Superlicense, 21 races in the calendar and penalties’ simplifications. Meanwhile, this year we lost the Grand Prix of Germany (thankfully, next year it will return in the calendar). We speak of a nation that is the mirror of maximum expression in Motor-sport (F1 world champions like Mercedes, Audi and Porsche at the top in the World Endurance Championship, Volkswagen in Rally and BMW in DTM) and in the productive sector, as well as being the reference in world economy. Despite all this, no German GP of F1.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F.1 – News for 2016 calendar

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Mexico City World Council established the first moves of the new Formula 1, approving the proposals of F1 Strategy Group.

In short:

– Penalties about the change of power unit have been simplified. The driver who will have to use a larger number of PU, will receive only penalties on the grid and no longer on the track, through stop and go or drive through

– New constructors that enter the Circus can rely on one Power Unit more for each driver. Therefore, drivers will have 5 units per car. Honda will benefit of this change already from 2015. Button and Alonso can, then, rely on one Power Unit more without having to fall back on penalties

– The scoring criteria for drivers to accessing the Superlicense have been modify. The new F.2 and GP2, FIA F3, FIA WEC or Indycar have equal importance. Moreover, there’s also the Formula E

– The new 2016 calendar has been evaluated. The curtain will rise on April 3rd in Australia and will fall down on November 27th in Abu Dhabi, counting 21 Grand Prix in total. Among the most important news, there are the return of Germany (location to be established) and a new entry: the GP of Azerbaijan as the European Grand Prix (Baku). For the weekend of September 4th, instead, the Italian Grand Prix has been confirmed in Monza.

F.1 – Formula 1 of the future will be written in Mexico

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This weekend, in Mexico, the World Council will meet with the intention of designing the Formula 1 of tomorrow.

Circus need clear and stable rules that guarantee the future of Formula 1, getting closer new constructors and fans. “The subject will be the possibility of having two races per weekend and enter a third car for the young drivers. There are many opportunities to take advantage of; let’s hope everything will be considered”, Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes. “I am concerned about some choices that are often made beyond any logic. I hope serious proposals will come out. Fortunately, the idea of refuelling seems to have been shelved permanently”, the manager from Faenza continues, hoping more clarity in the regulations. “The F.1 at the moment is shrouded in considerable uncertainty that does not help. No manufacturer, right now, is so crazy to enter“.

F.1 – Marciello, Fuoco, Ghiotto, Giovinazzi … or Hulk for the future of the Red team

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Getting closer to summer, rumors related to the market-drivers usually start to get more frequent, especially at Ferrari, where Kimi Raikkonen seems to be more and more far away from Maranello. The names alongside Vettel after the “Iceman” are many and all already in the Circus: from the compatriot Bottas, to Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo.

The performance of the British Grand Prix could be a thermometer in this sense, as Gian Carlo Minardi explains us, on www.minardi.it. “Right now, the Finnish of Williams, Bottas, is one of the likely candidates to take Kimi’s place at Ferrari. I honestly do not think it’s the right choice, even after Silverstone. He was always behind Massa and also in the early stages of the race, he was too compliant towards Hamilton”. The choice of the manager from Faenza would fall out of the current grid. “If there’s need to make a choice, it is better to opt for a younger driver, better if he is Italian. We have Marciello, Fuoco, Ghiotto that are doing a good job in GP3, as well as Giovinazzi in the F3 Euroseries. If this is not possible, then I would opt for Nico Hulkenberg, winner, among other things, of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I would change to create the conditions for the future. Ferrari right now can rely on a young Vettel and it will take time to return to the glories of the past. Mercedes supremacy is going to last. The whole team would then be under the leadership of a four-time World Champion, alongside to a young driver to make growing as the man of tomorrow”, Minardi says. “You have to do some bet”. 

F.1 – When rain changes the results

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The checkered flag at the British Grand Prix marks two Mercedes, one Ferrari, two Williams in the top five positions, followed by Red Bull, two Force Indias (with the seventh place for Hulkenberg and the ninth for Perez), one Ferrari in the eighth place with Raikkonen and one McLaren, which closes the score zone.

To date, however, our view is very different, because the forces on track are dictated by the grid and by the positions before the arrival of the rain. We have one Mercedes that can rely on 8-9 dec of advantage on Williams, which rises to 1-1.2 sec against Ferrari. That’s to say: “ages”.

Talking about the race, without rain factor, the result would have been very different. Behind the two Mercedes there would be two Williams showing an intense battle between Vettel and Hulkenberg for the fifth place. Until then, the German driver of Force India was driving very well and he could trouble the compatriot of Maranello. The arrival of the rain and the ability of some drivers have changed the fate of the race. It must be expected that also drivers’ market can be influenced just by what we have seen on the track this weekend.

F.1 – Minardi: “Titles are not won by chance. Well done Hamilton and Vettel!”

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Leitmotif of the British Grand Prix that took place in the temple of Motorsport at Silverstone, is once again Mercedes, which wanted to play “cat and mouse” with opponents. With regard to starts, I am convinced that, in view of the problems accused by Hamilton in Austria and Rosberg during the test sessions, the men of Toto Wolff have used a more conservative mapping of the Power-unit (low speed) than the two Williams and Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India, authors of a flying start.

They left the two Williams “quiet” at the start, until the first stop. By then, Hamilton was perfect, as well as when he decided to open the dances. The icing on the cake came in the final stages, with the entrance to the pits to switch the intermediate compounds in the most propitious moment. In these circumstances, the drivers have the best view of the race and these are decisions that make the difference between a champion and a good driver. The same goes for Sebastian Vettel. The two most titled World Champions have guessed the exact moment to change their tyres; one won and the other gave a podium so far unexpected. This is the proof that the titles are not won by chance.

Two things left me puzzled: the lack of incisiveness of Nico Rosberg – an explanation could be found in Williams’ aerodynamics. Having a low downforce, perhaps it disturbs mainly those who follow it.