F1 | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FI RESTARTS FROM SPA BUT I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN IMOLA”

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I expect a weekend full of appointments and passion. Even if at Spa the duel for the world title between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen resumes after almost a month I expect many of you at the Imola Circuit for the fifth edition of the Historic Minardi Day. It will be a new beginning. We have put in place many protocols and we hope in the common sense and sportsmanship of all our fans and enthusiasts, as they have always shown in these years, for the weekend to unfold properly.

There is a lot of desire to go back onto the track, as the enthusiasts have shown which has allowed us to exceed 290 cars present, just like the data that is coming out of the early ticket sales. As always there will be two days of passion and entertainment with extraordinary cars that have made Motorsport history. There will be no lack of problems but we count on overcoming them with everybody’s help.

After the summer break the season restarts from a track that is as fabulous and demanding track as Spa-Francorchamps with a Mercedes that has partially recovered the gap with Red Bull. However, it is a Mercedes rattled internally by a number of rumours.

We are entering into the most complicate phase of the season where reliability will play a major, if not decisive, role in the final result. We expect three demanding circuits for the engine, in order: Belgium, Holland and Monza. Some teams have already mounted the third unit and must eventually decide when to take the penalty for a further change.

We are also entering into the hot part of the drivers’ market, even if the first confirmation has already come with the renewal of Fernando Alonso by Alpine. And it could not be otherwise… Two intense days await us and I hope to be able to meet you in the paddock and the pits of Imola.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GIAN CARLO MINARDI “A SILVERSTONE PER TRACCIARE LE LINEE GUIDA DELLA PROSSIMA F1”

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Silverstone is ready to write an important page of Formula 1 history. For the first time the starting grid of a grand prix will not be defined by the result of qualifying but instead from the Sprint Qualifying Race that will be run on 5.30pm Saturday over a distance of 100km assigning 3, 2 and 1 points to the first three qualifiers. Qualifying is scheduled of Friday 16th (from 7.00pm) and will establish the starting order of the Sprint Qualifying Race. It will be interesting to see the strategies the top teams will adopt. This will represent an important occasion for the second tier teams.

This will not be the only new development in the British weekend. After the approval of FIA’s World Motor Sport Council Pirelli will bring to Silverstone rear tyres with a new construction that will be used until the end of the season.

But an eye must also be turned to the driver’s market, especially in Red Bull which has set its sights on Charles Leclerc to be put alongside its favourite Max Verstappen. Despite the win in Azerbaijan and third place on the ladder Perez’s place in the team may still be in question.

On the track front the challenge between Verstappen and Hamilton is renewed with an eye on the second drivers who will be essential for the fight between the constructors. Mercedes is behind also in this situation and at Silverstone it must do everything to try and reduce the gap or at least not loose further ground from RB.

In short, there are many ingredients to start to draw the guidelines for the Formula 1 of the near future.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI MUST NOT LOSE SIGHT OF ITS OBJECTIVE”

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After two grands prix on street circuits we return to a permanent circuit in which Mercedes has always done very well. It is a track with paved escape routes and characterized by two long straights and 15 curves that should certainly favour the two Mercedes. Verstappen can try to defend himself but it will be difficult for Red Bull to oppose them. The heat, as well as the wind, will be two characteristics that should not to be underestimated but I do not expect an exciting grand prix.

Ferrari comes from two positive results in which it showed positive growth and at the Paul Ricard the team is called to an important test in the fast curves but it must not lose sight of the objective of the third place in the World Championship by trying to oppose a McLaren that in the last two rounds has not exactly been up to par.

It will also be interesting to follow the development of Vettel and Alonso who at Baku put on display all their experience, especially in the re-start. For Vettel the podium will be a nice breath of fresh air and I hope he really has recovered from the crisis. By going from Ferrari to Aston Martin this year he has put himself in discussion. Unlike Monte Carlo and Baku, Le Castellet is a track where the car and engine are fundamental. The driver’s skill can make less of a difference.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “IT’S THE TEAMS’S TASK TO OBSERVE AND HELP THE YOUNG”

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Azerbaijan is ready to host its fifth grand prix on the Baku street circuit. After last season’s “forced” break Formula 1 returns to the 6,003 metres of asphalt situation in the old part.

With three wins shared between Rosberg, Hamilton and Bottas Mercedes arrives as the big favourite, even if Red Bull (which boasts a win with Daniel Ricciardo in the 2018 edition) is galvanized by top place in both the ladders thanks to Verstappen’s win in Monte Carlo.

Keep an eye also on Valtteri Bottas who has already shown that he can go fast on this track. The Finn will want to try to redeem himself after the very unlucky pit stop in the Principality. It will be very hard to see Ferrari in the lead once again. Seeing the layout of the track it will not be able to benefit from the traction and in the two straights the Mercedes could really make a difference. For Ferrari a new direct challenge with McLaren is more plausible.

There has been a lot of talk in recent days also on the high costs of Motorsport and the desire to do something to help the young talent emerge and to prevent them from getting lost. It is always positive and important to keep the spotlight on these aspects but it is just as important (if not necessary) that the Team Principals themselves are the ones to go the race tracks to observe the young drivers and to help them in their growth and career.

In these years the Federation has worked a lot to lower the costs but unfortunately our sport is very expensive since it requires a large workforce between the mechanics, engineers, drivers and material. For this reason I believe it is the task of the Formula 1 teams to observe and identify the more deserving young drivers, as someone is already doing with the Academy by supporting the career step by step. Since there is a lot of talk about the budget cap, raising a young person is less burdensome than contracting a champion.

At least that is what I think…

Gian Carlo Minard

F1 | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MAZEPIN’S ARRIVAL IN F1 WAS TOO EARLY BUT GIVE HIM TIME”

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After a year’s absence Formula has come back to Monte Carlo. It will certainly be a very interesting weekend considering the close battle between various teams and I expect a very hard fought qualifying. For pole position and the front row, excepting upsets, it will be a duel between Mercedes and Red Bull with Hamilton and Verstappen ready to give us new emotions. However, keep an eye on the outsiders who are ready to place themselves amongst the number two drivers. At the moment Perez is taking the measure of the new car and could be more vulnerable.

Even if I would like to see Ferrari on the podium I believe it will not be an easy result to achieve, especially the heavy gaps paid in the previous GPs.

We come to Monte Carlo with two new developments in McLaren: a completely new livery to honour a major sponsor (a major signal for the future of the World Championship) and the renewal Lando Norris’ contract for further two seasons.

In these weeks I have heard and read a lot of criticism of Nikita Mazepin. Maybe he bit off more than he can chew and his arrival in the top flight was premature but making certain sentences after barely three rounds is excessive. In the recent past the press criticized Lance Stroll very heavily but he now holds his own with a four times world champion and has all five of Aston Martin’s points to his credit. His team mate could also suffer at this moment. It is right to give him time and the chance to grow,

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | GIAN CARLO MINARDI “NORRIS-MCLAREN THE SURPRISE OF THE START OF THIS SEASON”

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Having said goodbye to Portugal Formula 1 has moved quickly to Spain. Unlike in the past this year the Barcelona circuit did not host the winter tests and being a tough track could put the cars, drivers and tyres to the test.

We come to Montmelò after three very interesting grands prix that were certainly dictated by Mercedes’ domination but with Red Bull trying to makes its life harder. I hope that this duel will last until the end of the season and that they can continue to entertain us. Both teams want to optimize every single point, as happened during the last three laps in Portimao with the duel between Bottas and Verstappen to adjudicate the point connected to the fastest lap. They took a good risk both as drivers and the teams with the work of the mechanics. A wheel change is always a moment of high tension.

MCLAREN’S SURPRISING START. Norris and McLaren are undoubtedly the surprise of the start of this season. Lando is putting himself on show in both qualifying and the race and McLaren is adapting very well and quickly to the new Mercedes engine, a passage that is not always taken for granted having kept 75% of the 2020 chassis. At the moment I see them immediately behind Mercedes and Red Bull. Many other drivers are alternating good performances with lusterless races, such as Ocon.

COMPACTION OF THE MIDDLE OF THE GROUP. We are only at the fourth round of a very long season with a number of problems to solve dictated by the worldwide health emergency. Behind Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren there is a good compaction amongst the second tier teams, one of which is also Ferrari.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GIAN CARLO MINARDI “QUALIFYING RACE, A SYMBOL TO BE WELCOMED POSITIVELY”

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Having said goodbye to Imola Formula 1 continues its journey in the old continent stopping this weekend in Portugal on the Portimao track for the third round. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are separated by only one point with a win each and I hope that this head to head could be a constant factor for all the season.

Last year Portimao entertained us like Imola did two weeks ago which shows that the “historic circuits” represent a guarantee for F1 where the unexpected is just around the corner. We are faced with a season that is particular and of transition as we await the new regulations in 2022 but also full of novelties such as the Qualifying Race (a 100km race) which will makes its debut soon at Silverstone. This is certainly an important signal that could change the panorama of F1 on both the technical and sporting sides. Important scenarios can be opened and must be welcomed in a positive way. We can draw the conclusions only after having tried it.

At Portimao it will be interesting to see the forces on the field we saw in Imola will be confirmed, beyond the supremacy between Mercedes and Red Bull with a good struggle between McLaren and Ferrari for third place. From the first grands prix a big gap between the two top teams and the rest of the group has not emerged.

Amongst this year’s novelties the teams and FIA are gaining confidence with the budget cap and the checks carried out but the rest of the idea which, even if it is an important and interesting tool, it must be changed. To really see the results it will be necessary that all the items must be included, without exception.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 COMES TO IMOLA. GIAN CARLO MINARDI “REASON OF GREAT PRIDE TO BE TFor Gian Carl Minardi “HE FIRST IN EUROPE”

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Three weeks after the opening round in Bahrain won by Lewis Hamilton after a good battle with Max Verstappen (second across the finish line) this weekend the Formula 1 Circus will land in Imola with the stopping in Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit to give life to the “Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna GP”

For Gian Carlo Minardi this will be the first Gran Prix as the President of the Imola Circuit “Having Imola as the World Championship’s second round, the first in Europe, is a source of great pride and Emilia Romagna, together, together with the Motor Valley, its monuments and its food, is ready to relaunch the World Championship. The Grand Prix represents a great opportunity in terms of worldwide visibility and, together with the Circuit’s Director General Riccardo Benvenuti, we are also working to make this extraordinary territory known. We are grateful to all the institutions for the great effort put in place and our aim is also to consolidate Imola’s presence within the upcoming calendars”

Supporting the GP will also the second round of the F2 Championship and the first round of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine “Starting Monday the motor homes will also start to arrive and the anti-Covid safety procedures will also begin with swabs every day to be able to gain access to the Circuit,” continued Minardi.

“In these months we have worked hard with the aim of repeating, and also trying to improve, the result achieved last year. We have decided to intensify the service on the track to reduce to a minimum the neutralizations resulting from the re-entry of the safety-cay. Imola is a circuit of historical characteristics with gravel off the track where every mistake can carry a heavy price. Furthermore, given the possibility of rain the weather could be an interesting variable for the spectacle.”

On the race front the challenge for the win will be a matter between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen “Behind them however will be a good group made up of McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine and Alpha Tauri. I am convinced that Tost’s team will able to achieve a good result as happened already in Sakhir”

FORMULA 1 STARTS FROM BAHRAIN. MINARDI “CRAZY STARTING AFTER ONLY THREE DAYS OF TESTS”

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And here we are. Formula 1 is finally ready to start again with a season, despite it being of transition, full of new developments not only on the driver’s market but also from the technical point of view. Despite the restrictions imposed by the Federation to reduce the aerodynamic load the engineers have already shown they have made up the gap allowing the drivers to race with times that are already very close to those of 2020 despite only three days of tests.

I find it absolutely absurd that the teams have been able to enjoy only these three days of training to prepare for such a long season. They better not come and tell me that they do so for a matter of limiting the costs.

Amongst other things the budget cap will also make its debut this year which I will continue to oppose for how it has been put together. It is not at all functional. In order to make sense it must include all the expenses, without any exclusion. A team must be free to manage its assets without exclusions that still create differences. As it has been structured it does nothing for the spectacle and much less to create equality between the teams.

A season with many unknown factors starts from Bahrain and, to date, it is very hard to establish a ladder of the forces in the field, even if, as far as I am concerned, Mercedes remains the point of reference for everybody despite an uneasy start (as far as could be seen). I had an excellent impression from Red Bull and Honda, as well as Alpha Tauri. McLaren knew how to adapt the chassis very well to the new Mercedes engine. There are many young drivers at the start, with some “old men” such as the return of Fernando Alonso with Alpine’s colours and the 42 year old Raikonnen ready for a new season.

The Sakhir track hosted the third and second last rounds of the 20202 season. Therefore, we will quickly have an interesting comparison.

Let us hope that the pandemic will slow down and give the opportunity to experience a full calendar, even if it will not be easy. After Bahrain F1 will come to Europe, in Imola for the second round. However, Liberty Media has also been called to deal with another major problem, tied to the sporting and technical programmes tied to the 2025. Formula 1 must open itself to the new realities by intervening heavily on the registration fee which is absolutely too high.

Gian Carlo Minardi

GIAN CARLO MINARDI “AN ALL INCLUSIVE BUDGET CAP IS NEEDED”

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“The time has come for Formula 1 to sit around the table and write a completely new book without repudiating the past,” These are the first words by Gian Carlo Minardi interviewed by Minardi.it on the new course being taken by Formula 1.
Just in recent weeks the new rule freezing the Power-unit was approved, starting from 2022 until 2025. But this is not the only new development. The budget cap makes its debut this season, a major new development for the Circus.

“Unlike the past, Formula 1 today costs much more compared to the return of the image that it can guarantee to a manufacturer. This certainly does not favour the entry of a new team or new manufacturers.

“A major item in the teams’ budget is undoubtedly the cost of the engine. That money could be spent on the development of the car and having an even more competitive championship. If the freeze is needed to go back to square one and to find a less expensive direction that can, at the same time, open the door for new arrivals, then I am in favour of this choice,” continued Minardi.

“I continue to argue that the budget cap as it has been designed is not the right road since there are much more important items (like the salary of the drivers) that have been excluded. Many limits have been inserted that necessarily create differences between the teams. If they want to put a ceiling on the costs, this must include all the items, without any exceptions. It would then be up to the team to evaluate how to best spend it, whether to get a better driver or technician, to take to the track for tests or more. In this way all the teams are put on the same level which also favours the search for sponsors. At this point the organizational and creative skills of the team itself come into play.

“Formula 1 needs a breath of fresh air,” concluded Gian Carlo Minardi.

F1 | PEREZ JOINS VERSTAPPEN. MINARDI “CONGRATULATIONS RED BULL”

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Precisely in light of next season Horner’s team had scored the final hit of the market by securing the services of Louis Perez who only the week before had won the Sakhir Grand prix for his first career win.

“Red Bull has put together two very clever operations, securing a talented driver such as Sergio Perez and by maintaining within the staff of Albon as Red Bull’s and Alpha Tauri’s test driver.

2021 will be a year of transition towards the drastic change of regulations and it will be important to see who will manage to best exploit the few tokens available for developing the car.

They finished in growth and only they can try to annoy Toto Wolff’s German battleship, even if it will be hard to beat them with so little time available,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi at the microphone of Minardi.it

This was a major change turnaround for Red Bull that interrupted the tradition that until today had seen them choose drivers from their nursery and satellite teams. In an interview on Servus TV Marko defended Red Bull Junior Academy’s work, highlighting how the arrival of the Mexican driver in Milton Keyes was not a rejection of the Austrian team’s junior drivers’ programme, having several drivers on which to focus on in view of 2022.

One of next season’s new developments will be the debut of Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda who will join Pierre Gasly (the winner at Monza) in the Alpha Tauri pits. “He comes from a positive season in F2 and he went very well in the tests. He is a promising young driver,” emphasized the manager from Faenza.

The 2021 season will therefore start with a number of new developments. After having said goodbye to Ferrari Sebastian Vettel is about to wear the colours of the newly formed Aston Martin (formerly Racing Point) joining Lance Stroll who took Perez’s place. Carlos Sainz has already arrived at Maranello alongside Leclerc and his place at McLaren has been taken by Daniel Ricciardo who will team up with Lando Norris.

In the seat left free by the Australian driver in the renamed Alpine (formerly Renault) will be no less than the two times World Champion Fernando Alonso. There will be a completely new line-up in the Haas team. Having said goodbye to Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen the American team will field two debutants, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

In the meantime Lewis Hamilton still has to sign the renewal with Mercedes.

F1 | LECLERC-SAINZ, MINARDI “FERRARI HAS THE BEST PAIR”

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Carlos Sainz wasted no time. After the adventure with McLaren he has already arrived at Maranello to prepare the seat and to get to know the men with whom he will share this adventure in Ferrari.

Maranello closed one of the worst seasons in its history not finishing above sixth place in the constructors’ ladder and the time to find a remedy is truly little, as are the tokens available to the teams to develop and improve the racing car in what will be a year of transition awaiting the change of regulations scheduled for the 2022 season.

“Ferrari is certainly experiencing a very difficult period and in these few months that separate them from the first race in Australia they will have to try and sharpen their weapons to try and leave a disastrous season behind them. Unfortunately, this is the only sport that does not require training and next year there will be only three days of tests,” commented Gian Carlo Minardi at the microphones of Minardi.it

“Binotto however will be able to count on the best pair of drivers in the circus, also in terms of yield of points. Leclerc and Sainz have all the right cards to put together good results,” continued the manager from Faenza.

2021 will also be the year of the introduction of the budget cap. “The way it has been conceived is nothing short of ridiculous. It serves no purpose except to bring about a small reduction in the team’s staff. With the possibility of three extra-budget items the top teams can allow themselves the best driver, the best engineer and the best research. If you really want to make it work you must include all the items, without exception. At that point you leave the team free to take to the track to try and spend the money as it sees fit,” concluded Minardi.

F1 | RUSSELL-MERCEDES, MINARDI “INTERESTING WITH AN EYE TO THE FUTURE”

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We have come to the penultimate round of the world championship but there is still room for a completely new circuit for F1 with an extremely fast and short layout with lap times under a minute. It will be a complicated race with a lot of overtaking but less stressful for the tyres compared to the previous commitment.

A race that may have had little to tell us had been much more lively by the forced absence of Lewis Hamilton, stopped by the damned Covid-19, and by the “promotion” of the promising young English driver George Russell.

It will be interesting following him in this adventure, also because at the moment Hamilton has not yet signed the renewal with Mercedes since a tug of war is under way, not so much with Toto Wolff than with Mercedes’ president who is determined to strongly review all the contracts downwards in light of the budget cap.

Should Russell live up to expectations and the seven times Wold Champion not accept the conditions offered major scenarios could open up.

This round will be important also for Valtteri Bottas who is playing a big slice of credibility since in the last two races he has been dominated not only by Hamilton but also by Verstappen who is not only one point away on the ladder.

The times: 6.00pm (Italian time) Saturday for qualifying, with the start of the race at 6.10pm on Sunday 6.

Gian Carlo Minardi