F1 | SAO PAOLO, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN’S TEAM-RADIO WAS BAD. LECLERC MUST IMPOSE HIMSELF”

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In Brazil we saw an extraordinary weekend with eventful qualifying, sprint race and grand prix and enriched by actions that were even on the limit of the regulations and excessively penalized, such as the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The penalty was probably dictated by the fact that the Dutchman had all four wheels off the track.

The same goes for the episode between Norris and Leclerc where there was a concurrence of fault on the part of the Ferrari driver. He tried to overtake at an unlikely point and above all in the first lap of an important grand prix for both him and the team in terms of the championship. The driver from Monte Carlo may have been unnerved by the episodes in qualifying but he must start to impose his technical decisions since he is the one who takes to the track. However, this too is part of the growth path and is a token to be paid to become a real champion.

He was then the protagonist of an incredible comeback that finished behind an excellent Carlos Sainz. Too bad for the start of the fire that slowed down the Spaniard who was the protagonist of an excellent comeback starting with the sprint race. Ferrari did well not to reverse the positions to avoid joint risks, even if this could have helped Leclerc who is currently tied with Perez.

I did not like Max Verstappen’s team radio in any way. With great determination he denied the position to his team mate who was fighting with Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ ladder. With two world championships and fourteen wins behind him he should have started to think about the team and not just himself. This was an episode that, in my opinion, highlighted the presence of a dispute between the drivers.

The weekend was decidedly favourable to Mercedes and George Russell who “took home” both the sprint race and the grand prix. If Red Bull and Ferrari froze development a while ago Mercedes continued to work and the results are showing. Having three teams fighting for the win would be a dream for Formula 1. We are also waiting to see the result in Abu Dhabi.

With the result in Interlagos Ferrari saw its lead over Mercedes shrink to only 19 points, with Leclerc and Perez tied on 290 points on the drivers’ front. The Yas Marina track will give us the final verdicts.

An exciting weekend that could have become a great spot for the sport has ended.

The final act will be in a week’s time.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP BRAZIL, MINARDI “A race within the race”

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We have come to the penultimate round of the 2022 F1 World Championship.

Drivers and teams have arrived at the Interlagos track where three days of unstable weather should be waiting for them.

In conditions of rain we have seen upheavals up to the last lap, as happened in 2008 with Felipe Massa World Champion for a handful of seconds until Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren got the better of Timo Glock in the Toyota, so becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

In the case of torrential rain with the ups and downs dangerous streams crossing the track can be created. On the race front it will be an interesting weekend because there are many duels. If first place in both the constructors’ and drivers’ fronts has been assigned, the duel between Ferrari and Mercedes is still open for second place. At the present time the team from Maranello has a lead of 40 points over its direct rivals.

No less important are the duels behind them: Alpine and McLaren are fighting for fourth place with a gap of only 7 points in favour of the French team. Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin are playing for sixth place. Up to now the pair Bottas-Zhou has brought the team 7 more points that Vettel-Stroll.

Only one point – 36 against 35 – separates Haas from Alpha Tauri for eighth place: positions that turn into money for the following season.
On the other hand, the direct duel between Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc for the title of Vice Champion is a question of prestige. In Brazil Red Bull’s driver will take to the track with a lead of five points over the driver from Monte Carlo.

Brazil will also be the setting for the third, and final, sprint race scheduled for Saturday at 8.30pm which will decide the starting grid (as well as assigning the first points of the weekend) of the Grand Prix that will start at 7.00pm.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP HUNGARY, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI, A DOUBLE IS NEEDED”

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Hungaroring: on paper the track favours the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari must try to restart with a double in order to try and reopen the world championship that at this moment is in Max Verstappen’s hands with a 63 point lead on the driver from Monte Carlo.

A tryptich is opening that will say a lot about the outcome of the season: Hungaroring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort with Monza immediately after. They are three very different tracks between them but very demanding for drivers and cars. I am convinced that not all is lost for Ferrari but it must exploit every opportunity without giving any more gifts to its rivals. They will be three decisive rounds to understand if there will be the possibility to recover or if they have to race to win the greatest number of grands prix. The team is fighting at high levels after some difficult seasons.

The Red Bull-Ferrari tussle is giving Formula 1 appeal and it is important keeping the world championship open. We are entering into the last ten grands prix of the season and reliability will be a sore point for many.

Mercedes has been the most skilled up to now, with Red Bull paying at the start of the season. The W13 had shown strong improvement that it is now called to confirm. Up to now they have been very good at reaching the podium not such much for their own merits but dues to the mistakes of others. Today they have a car for fifth or sixth place. At Spa-Francorchamps we will be able to see its true potential.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP AUSTRIA, MINARDI “MERCEDES, WILL A SWALLOW MAKE A SUMMER?”

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They were the real surprise at Silverstone with Lewis Hamilton reaching the podium behind Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and Sergio Perez’s Red Bull. “Before Silverstone they suffered a major gap but they took many new developments to Silverstone that rewarded the efforts. It will be interesting to monitor the W13 to see if it will once again be able to put itself in the tussle between Red Bull and Ferrari.”

After Imola the sprint race is back:

We are at the half way point of the season and the points are starting to weigh double. Between Saturday and Sunday there are many points at stake and Leclerc could recover what he lost in Imola. Despite the episodes in Monte Carlo and England I am still confident. You always learn something from mistakes. We will have Carlos Sainz galvanized by his first win in F1 and Leclerc will be eager to show once again his excellent form.

The Red Bull Ring is a very fast circuit:

A very fast circuit. A lap can be covered in just over a minute (the record was set by Kim Raikonnen with 1:06.957 set in 2018) but it is also very demanding with important braking and acceleration. The Red Bull could be intimidating but at Silverstone Ferrari took pole and the win.

Making predicitons has become hard:

In such a hard-fought championship it is practically impossible to make predictions. Every time the final result overtures the predictions of the eve.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP MIAMI, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MIAMI A MOVIE SET”

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Formula 1 is ready to start on the engines for the first time on the new Miami street circuit. Once again we find ourselves facing a very fast street circuit and this leaves me perplexed.

I am certainly in favour of having some street circuits in the calendar but now we are going too far. Furthermore, these are tracks with very high top speeds. On the safety front, this seems a contradiction to me despite the cars being very safe.

In order to make a good impression and to attract a bigger audience whose trend is for net growth, Liberty Media has done anything and everything. It seems to me we are watching a Hollywood movie set with the icing of the “fake port”.

On the track front, with the exclusion of Red Bull that should have lost a further 3-4 kilograms, the teams have announced no new developments which should be seen in Europe, starting with Spain for both logistic and time reasons. Furthermore, bringing major developments onto a track with no points of reference (if not virtual on the simulators) can be a big risk, above all in such a hard fought championship. Even Pirelli has been cautious by opting the “middle” C2*C3-C4 compounds. It is a track that puts a lot of strain on the right rear with very variable weather.

Considering the great competitiveness of all the teams this is certainly an important round in view of the world championship and the slightest mistake is paid doubly. The duel between Ferrari and Red Bull is very fiery and guarantees the audience continuity on the spectacle front in line with last season. This is being transformed into a growing audience.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP IMOLA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “120.000 TIMES THANK YOU. SATURDAY’S SPRINT RACE IS TO BE FOLLOWED CAREFULLY”

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After two editions behind closed doors the Imola Circuit is ready to host its fans and the response from the enthusiasts has been sensational. We have exceeded the incredible quota of 120,000 tickets sold and there is still some availability for Friday and Saturday that can be purchased on TicketOne.

Unlike the past editions this weekend will also see the return of the support races and the race programme is interesting. Together with Formula 1 there will be the Formula 3, Formula 2 and Porsche Supercup races.

On Friday Formula 1 qualifying will determine the grid for the start of the sprint race of one hundred kilometres scheduled for Saturday afternoon. In the first three rounds we had a very hard fought start with great competitiveness amongst the cars. This could change with a truly interesting race that could give us an innovative grid for Sunday. And the new points system which will assign world championship points for the first eight placings is not to be underestimated.

On the competition front the challenge between Ferrari and Red Bull will be rekindled. Charles Leclerc will take to the track as the world championship leader with two wins and a second place to his credit against the two retirements of the reigning champion. We are only at the fourth round and the championship is still too long to make predictions. Then we will have to pay attention to Mercedes that in Australia already showed important signs of growth.

It will be interesting to know if and how many new developments the teams will bring to the track considering the little time available and the subsequent trip to Miami before the return to Europe with Spain. I believe that there are the conditions to experience a wonderful weekend of Motorsport.

2022 will be a year to frame for the Circuit. In addition to Formula 1 we have hosted the opening race of the GT World Challenge with a record paying audience which will be followed by the Ski weekends, the Le Mans Series in mid May, the DTM the month after, the Historic Minardi Day (27-28 August) and the Ferrari World Championship Finals. I have a lot of good memories of this track but even that accursed May 1st remains indelible…

Gian Carlo Minardi

GIAN CARLO MINARDI ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE FIA SINGLE-SEATER COMMISSION

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Gian Carlo Minardi, the eponymous Formula One team founder, has been elected as President of the FIA Single-Seater Commission.

The Italian has been elected after an e-voting process by members of the World Motor Sport Council.

Starting out as a competitor in Hill Climb and Rallying in the late 60s, Mr Minardi switched to management by running teams in Formula Italia. He eventually took his successful Formula Two operation into Formula 1 in 1985 where an engine supply partnership with Ferrari followed.

The Minardi name featured in Formula 1 until it was acquired by Paul Stoddart in 2001. The team eventually morphed into Scuderia Toro Rosso and has been known as Alpha Tauri since 2020. It still operates from the original Minardi team base in Faenza, Italy.

At the Minardi team, Gian Carlo Minardi shaped the careers of a number of Formula One drivers including Gian Carlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber and current BWT Alpine F1 Team pilot Fernando Alonso.

He is President of the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) Land Speed Records Commission since 2004.

In 2020, Mr Minardi was elected President of the Autdodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola, the site of Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to be staged on April 24.

Mr Minardi will oversee a Single-Seater Commission which has been instrumental in reshaping the FIA’s junior racing portfolio while introducing innovative technologies and improved safety measures in recent years.

FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “I warmly welcome the election of Gian Carlo Minardi as FIA Single-Seater Commission President. He is a major figure in motor sport. I look forward to working with him to further develop the Single-Seater pyramid around the world.”

F1 | GP AUSTRALIA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “AN INTERLOCUTORY RACE”

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After an absence of two years Formula 1 returns to Albert Park. In Melbourne the teams and drivers will find a renewed and very fast circuit. Bends 1, 3 and 6 have been changed with the removal of bend 8 that has been transformed into a straight. There are 4 DRS zones.

Despite all these changes I do not expect an upheaval of the forces on the field. I expect an interlocutory grand prix where reliability will dominate. Ferrari is building its strong point on this front with Mercedes forced to give chase. On the tyre front, Pirelli will bring the C2-C3-C5 compounds. This is a reason for attention and evaluation, especially during free practice.

Only with the arrival in Europe, particularly the Spanish GP considering the unknown quantity of Miami, the teams will bring the first major evolutions with an eye on the budget cap. At this moment the focus is on the “slimming cure”.

As we wait for the Made in Italy and the Emilia-Romagna GP, it was very nice to see Imola once again full of fans with a positive attendance record. Certainly the debut of Valentino Rossi contributed to this result but it was also due to the desire of Italians to go back to touch Motorsport to the full. There is not only Formula 1. This year the circuit has very rich racing calendar and the Motor Valley is the centre of the motoring world. Last Sunday we watched a very tight three hour race that ended on the edge of seconds with excellent drivers and teams, with beautiful cars.

Gian Carlo Minardi

MINARDI “HANDS OFF THE TARGA FLORIO”

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Built in 1906 by the will of Vincenzo Florio, the future of the historic landmark structure of the Targa Florio has been put at risk by the new infrastructure modernization project of the Italian railway network (Rfi).

In fact, the railway project of the Palermo-Catania-Messina stretch requires the creation of a viaduct and roundabout that would overwhelm the area of Floriopoli on which the pits, grandstand and the timekeepers’ tower stand.

Following the presentation of the plans the agencies have until April 21 for approval. Any favourable outcome would jeopardize a heritage of inestimable value, as well as the beauty and historic significance of the territory.

 “The risk of seeing more than 116 years of Motorsport history being swept away is very high, as well as unacceptable,” cried out Gian Carlo Minardi, “the Targa Florio circuit is a heritage that must be protected and preserved. No project should put it at risk. I hope that the people involved can sit around a table to find a solution that, on the one hand, can save the historic structure ad on the other the new infrastructures without damaging the territory”

THE (POSSIBLE) CONDITIONS FOR MERCEDES NOT TO PROCEED

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The controversies tied to the episodes of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which ended Max Verstappen winning his first world title at Lewis Hamilton’s expense continues to hold centre stage, especially in Mercedes.

After having seen its protests presented to the race stewards concerning the final laps on the Yas Marina track knocked back the team from Brackley has 96 hours to formally lodge an appeal with the International Automobile Federation.

Rumours from Germany speak of a possible abandonment of this action that would put Verstappen’s title sub-judice, as well as causing damage to the image of Formula 1 and Liberty Media.

“Mercedes has until Thursday to lodge an appeal to FIA after having presented an intention to proceed. After a very eventful meeting it may also be evaluating the possibility of not proceeding, provided there is a review of the regulations, as well as a change in the top management of Formula 1 and the Federation,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi.

“There is a lot of unrest and from the news that comes from beyond the borders there is strong desire to have clarifications on the regulations. It is clear there must be uniformity of views by the judges is needed, an aspect that has been lacking on a number of occasions this year. I am certainly in favour of giving greater freedom to the drivers, as long there is uniformity for all the season,” concluded the manager from Faenza.

F1 | HEADING TO JEDDAH, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “HONDA READY TO REPLACE THE PU. WILLIAMS, AN EXQUISITE PERSON WITH WHOM I SHARED MANY BATTLES”

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Formula 1 has arrived in Saudi Arabia to give life to its first Formula 1 grand prix in history.

27 bends enclosed in 6.174km with an average close to 250 km/h. These are crazy numbers that include many different pitfalls in which it will be easy to make mistakes. Trying not to hit a wall will be the challenge within the challenge. The safety-car will be called upon to work overtime.

Another great unknown factor is represented by the very new asphalt with Pirelli having brought the C2 – C3 – C4 compounds, as well as reliability. The throttle will stay open to the full for 79% of the time.

On paper the Jeddah track could smile at Mercedes which will mount the PU already used in Brazil to try to gamble for everything by taking the deciding of the title to Abu Dhabi. In these hours Red-Bull Honda is deciding whether or not to opt for the change of power unit with the Japanese inclined for this option, by virtue of the high speeds and the possibility of recovering positions.

I do not expect the title to be awarded as this Sunday.

It will be the first weekend without Sir Frank Williams who passed away on Sunday afternoon. He was an exceptional person who knew how to get up again after every adversity. Despite the success he achieved in titles (both drivers and constructors) won during his extraordinary career he remained an exquisite person who was ready to help and support the small teams. I had the luck of having had him as a companion in many “battles”. There was mutual esteem between us.

Gian Carlo Minard

 

F1 | GP TURKEY, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “RELIABILITY THE REAL NEEDLE OF THE SCALE”

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We have entered the final part of the season and the last seven grands prix, as planned, will be in the search for reliability. All the teams that have taken advantage to the fullest all three of the units are evaluating which will be the lesser evil: not incurring a penalty and running the risk of not finishing the race or attempting a comeback from last place on the grid by mounting the fourth power-unit.

 In Red Bull and Mercedes this choice was made in Russia with an excellent result for Max Verstappen who managed to recover up to second place also thanks to the arrival of the rain. Due to its characteristics, the Istanbul track could also favour this solution. Certainly Lewis Hamilton is on early warning after the problems suffered by Bottas and Latifi.

Even Ferrari opted for this solution by choosing the change for Sainz’s car. They are working a lot on the new engine in light of the next ban.

On the compounds front, Pirelli brought the C2-C3-C4 compounds but the organizers have cleaned the asphalt with hot water together with a strong jet making the asphalt more abrasive. This could lead to a race with two pit-stops rather than just one.

The challenge between McLaren and Ferrari for third place restarts with the team from Maranello in front of its rivals by a point. Red Bull will honour the partnership with Honda with a fully revamped livery. We expect an interesting grand prix on both the spectacle and technical sides. Friday morning’s practice could already give us the first confirmation.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GP OLANDA, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “TOUGH TRACK WITH WEATHER THE UNKNOWN FACTOR

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After the mess in Spa-Francorchamps Formula 1 is ready to restart from Zandvoort. In 1985 Holland hosted the final grand prix (won by Nikki Lauda) and I had the fortune to be present with Piero Martini at the wheel of the M185. Unfortunately for us the race lasted only a few kilometres with Piero forced to park the car on the side of the track.

However, I will tell you a brief anecdote since we have just “come out” of the Imola weekend with the Historic Minardi Day. Piero parked the Minardi right in front of the grandstand where Frits van Eerd was and for more than 60 laps he had our livery under his eyes. The colours of his brand Jumbo and of his current Racing Team Nederland with which he grabbed a fantastic second place at Le Mans are the result of that episode.

Zandvoort is a tough track, renovated with a raised section. The weather will be a major variable with wind and rain dominating. For the most of the drivers the track will be a novelty. The younger ones with the Formula 4 and/or Formula 3 behind them have already been able to get to know it. A full house is expected thanks to Max Verstappen and the fans have already declared the utmost sportsmanship, especially in regards to Lewis Hamilton.

We hope to witness a fine weekend and that Formula 1 will regain credibility.

Gian Carlo Minardi