F1 | MIAMI GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “ITALIAN MOTORSPORT AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD”

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli had the Italian national anthem played once again in Florida a few after Gabriele Mini’s win in F2. This was a day of special significance for those who love this sport.

Italian motorsport is currently going through one of its finest periods in recent years. The results achieved by Antonelli and Mini, and Leonardo Fornaroli last year, confirm that the work done is producing talents capable of making their mark at the very highest international levels.

This represents a source of great pride and satisfaction for me too in my roles as the Managing Director of ACI, Chairman of the Speed Commission and Supervisor of the Federal School which, under the leadership of Raffaele Giammaria, is reaching important milestones

Once again Antonelli proved his worth with an exceptional weekend, starting with the commanding pole position. In the race he fought it out on the edge of thousandths of a second against the world champions McLaren and Lando Norris.

We are talking about a young man who is only 19 years, who still has wide room for improvement, and is making rapid progress, even though this does not come as a surprise for those who have followed him since the karts. Year after year he has deserved the place he is now occupying. I have every confidence in him because he has a maturity beyond his age. As is my habit, I followed the GP keeping an eye on the times lap by lap, and it was impressive.

As was to be expected, the enforced month-long break has shifted the balance on the track, starting with McLaren’s improvement following a difficult start to the season. All the teams have had time to analyse the data gathered in the first few races, although there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly in terms of reliability, as we saw at the end.

Ferrari has made progress, but at the moment it is still not quite enough to worry Mercedes and McLaren at race pace. Charles Leclerc in particular struck a problem in the end that cost him third place, while Lewis Hamilton seemed to me to be struggling slightly more.

It was a difficult weekend for George Russell too. Apart from not being at home with the track, I had the sense that he is feeling pressure from the growth of his teammate.

The circus now moves on to Canada, where everyone will bring further new developments. The season is still long but seeing Antonelli reach 100 points after only a few races is something that should make all Italian motorsport proud.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | JAPANESE GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ANTONELLI IS AN EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG DRIVERS”

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After his win in China, Kimi Antonelli confirmed that his excellent form by taking a clean sweep at Suzuka: pole position, the win, fastest lap, and the lead in the world championship.

Regardless of the result, what was most striking was the quality of his performance. To borrow a saying that was so dear to former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi – “eye, luck and skill” – this case had all the ingredients the eye of Mercedes in the choice and the development of the driver, the flawless administration of the variations of the race, and, above all, the skill of the driver.

From the technical point of view, Antonelli secured the win in the second half of the race, following the restart after the safety car. He maintained an extremely consistent race pace, consistently lapping under 1.33 – with only two exceptions -, and setting seven fastest laps, extending his lead over his closest rival Oscar Piastri, to 14”. A detail that highlights not only pure performance, but also the excellent management of the tyres and tyre wear on a demanding track such as Suzuka.

It was a wonderful start to the day that let us witness a hard-fought race, made even better by the win by an Italian driver who, despite his young age, is demonstrating that he learnt a great deal from his debut season. For Italian sport, Kimi is an exceptional role model and a great inspiration to many young people. He is a source of pride for the Federation, ACI Sport, and the Federal School with which I have had the pleasure of working over the years.

Mercedes still has room for improvement at the start but overall, it has shown that fit remains the technical hallmark, thanks to an extremely well-balanced package.

The battle between Leclerc and Russell also provided interesting comparison between Ferrari and Mercedes. The driver from Monte Carlo made the most of the situation, defending his place very well despite an inferior performance, particularly in terms of race pace. Ferrari took home an important podium finish, but there is still a gap to bridged especially in the consistency of performance.

There are signs of a comeback from McLaren after two difficult races: the return to the top indicates potential that must still be fully expressed. As they have the same Mercedes power unit, the focus is mainly on the chassis and the aerodynamic balancing.

Alpine too is benefitting from the excellent performance of the Mercedes engine that continues to be the hallmark. Gasly managed to hold off the attacks from a champion of the calibre of Max Verstappen. for all the grand prix

It has been an exciting start of the season. It is a shame about this forced month long break, though  all the teams will have the chance to work in their factories to analyse the data collected at first the three circuits which are all very different from one to another They will be able to do this without the stress of two demanding trips like Bahrein and Saudi Arabia. When the season resumes in Miami will be able to see a few changes.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | CHINESE GP THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “KIMI HAS ALREADY MADE HISTORY: POLE, FASTEST LAP AND VICTORY. AN EXCELLENT BATTLE IN FERRARI”

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This is a historic moment for Italian motor racing. Twenty years after Giancarlo Fisichella, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has brought the Italian flag back to the highest step of the Formula 1 World Championship. It was an extraordinary achievement crowned by pole position, the fastest lap and victory, a result that eluded an Italian driver for more than fifty years.

Congratulations also go to all those who believed in him right from the start: starting with my son Giovanni Minardi, who brought him to Mercedes, to ACI Sport, to Mercedes, and to Toto Wolff for the work they have done in these years. But the main credit belongs to him: “Kimi” has grown race after race and he proved it again today, by setting the fastest lap in the 53rd lap with tyres that already done 42 laps.

He managed the race like a champion, demonstrating that he had learned from the past. This is one of his best qualities: he never makes the same mistake twice. This is a very important sign for his career.

The consistency of his race pace is also impressive. We also saw this during the Sprint and in previous races: a pace that is always very high. As his fuel tank emptied, he continued to improve, lapping with minimal differences between each lap, often in the order of thousands of a second.

Ferrari continues to have a better start, but at the moment, it is still three-four tenths of a second slower than Mercedes at race pace. The fair and spectacular battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is really exciting, with the British driver finally taking his first podium finish in Ferrari’s colours.

As I have already pointed out, reliability makes all the difference in this phase of the season. Points are precious and those who managed to keep out of trouble were rewarded, Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz Jnr and Franco Colapinto were very good and capitalized on the many retirements, taking home important points for their respective teams. On the other hand, McLaren’s debacle, with neither car starting, was sensational.

Now, let us enjoy Antonelli’s splendid win. In two weeks, Suzuka awaits us, a real circuit that will tell us more about the values on the field.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AUSTRALIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MERCEDES CONFIRMED. FERRARI? THEY DID NOT GET THE STRATEGY WRONG”

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The new Formula season opened with a grand prix full of twists and turns, starting with Max Verstappen’s mistake in Q1, that contributed to making the race particularly interesting.  Among the mistakes to point out was also the one by Oscar Piastri who started the season with zero, and Kimi Antonelli in FP3.

And it was the Mercedes driver who showed a very important sign of growth and maturity. With little more than three minutes left in Q1 he took to the track with only one useful lap and a car not in the best condition, he managed to qualify for Q2 and then even took place on the front row, setting the second-best time behind his teammate.

The first Grand Prix of the season confirmed the current supremacy of Mercedes that took a one-two finish, albeit with a smaller margin than on Saturday. In the second half of the race the two cars managed their lead, even managing to cover 47 laps with the hard tyres, compared to the 32 of Charles Leclerc.

On the other hand, Scuderia Ferrari confirmed its strength is at the start, taking advantage of this in the best way possible. Despite a less than perfect start, George Russell was able to defend his position, while his teammate lost several places before quickly recovering the lost ground.

I do not believe that the people from Maranello on the wall made a mistake in the strategy they adopted. The team wagered on possible deterioration of the Mercedes’ tyres which, in fact, was the only option to try to put them in difficulty. However, this deterioration did not happen. The good work carried out by Pirelli with the new compounds must be pointed out.

Also to be pointed out is Verstappen’s excellent comeback, favoured by 4 VSCs and by a strategy of two pitstops that let him set the fastest lap of the race. The race management also handled the race well.

Isack Hadjar was unlucky and also very convincing, proving that he was very close to his teammate throughout the whole weekend.  It had been a while since Red Bull Racing had shown two such competitive cars.

Among the positive notes of the start of this season there is also Arvid Lindblad who took home the Racing Bull’s first points on his debut thanks to a solid eight place. Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto with Audi and Pierre Gasly also scored points.

However, the Aston Martin F1 Team still has a lot of work to do. The possible cancellation of the GPs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could offer a little more time to make up the ground lost. In any case, it will still be a week of intense analysis by all the teams ahead of the next race in China.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | ABU DHABI GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “NORRIS, A WELL-DESERVED TITLE”

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The 2025 World Championship ended with Lando Norris’ triumph, a fitting conclusion to the 24 grands prix. The British driver had his ups and downs like every protagonist in the championship, but he managed to close the gap from his teammate and assert himself with maturity. The most complete team won, as did the driver who, over course of the whole season, showed he deserved the title.

Today Norris was again the protagonist of decisive overtaking after the first pit stop. I fully agree with the decision of the marshals to penalize Tsunoda for three changes of trajectory while defending, as well as the decision not to intervene in the alleged track limit violation during the overtaking manoeuvre against him, the manoeuvre occurred on the straight with no advantage gained. Norris simply kept wider to avoid a possible collision caused by the movement of the Red Bull driver. The team radio communications were also judged correctly.

This result confirms how much composure within a team affects performance. Today, McLaren carried out an impeccable weekend, as did Red Bull with Verstappen. Even though the Dutchman reaffirmed the value of his four world championship titles, the Dutchman was the “victim” of a mid-season phase of internal tension that compromised his path to the title. With the arrival of Mekies, the team found its balance once again and was able to reopen the battle up to the final race.

Piastri finished in third place on the ladder, the two races without points during the season proved decisive for the Australian.

It was an excellent performance by Charles Leclerc, fourth across the finish line with a Ferrari that continues to show a gap that is difficult to explain compared to Hamilton, especially in qualifying. We saw some very close sessions, decided by thousandth of a second, where one small detail could have sent you from the front row to the back of the grid. In the race, Leclerc climbed back solidly, finishing in the points. With the change of regulations in 2026 we will probably see a different scenario.

Contrary to expectations, Mercedes fell short in the final round. Russell limited the damage with fourth place in qualifying, while Antonelli’s performance in Q2 was inexplicable after an excellent Q1. It was a season of highs and lows for the young driver from Bologna, but he ended the season with an encouraging seventh place in the drivers’ world championship, the first among the rookies. In the final race he gained valuable experience in race management, which will be essential in 2026. He has a promising future ahead of him. For Mercedes an era is coming to an end, and it will be essential to know how to interpret the new regulations in the best way possible. There is little time to catch their breath, the first tests in the new year are already scheduled for the end of January.

The Abu Dhabi race was also the race that said to goodbye to Sauber that is ready to pass the baton to Audi. It had a season of growth, rewarded with important points, and Hulkenberg’s first podium finish at Silverstone. It was an important season also for Renault that closed its chapter in Formula 1 after a difficult journey with Alpine.

2026 is approaching and expectations are already high.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | QATAR GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “MCLAREN, WHAT A MISTAKE!!”

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Max Versappen relaunched his bid for the title with a clear win in Qatar. This win, together with the second place and fourth place by Piastri and Norris, allows the Dutchman to reduce the gap between him from the Briton to twelve points. It was a particularly intense weekend characterized by complex strategies focussed on the management of the tyres, a decisive factor on Losail’s asphalt.

Despite its evident superiority in qualifying, in the Sprint Race and in the race pace, McLaren compromised a potentially decisive result due to a mistake under the safety car. A mistake that weighed heavily on the result, especially when compared to the solid and impeccable performance offered by Verstappen and a Red Bull team that was once again impeccable in its management of the strategies.

In a championship decided on the edge of hundredths of a second, every mistake risks having a significant impact. McLaren, buoyed by having won the Constructors’ title, seems keen to give its drivers plenty of freedom in the fight for the World Championship. It is a commendable sporting philosophy but one that could prove costly. Norris will go to Abu Dhani with a favourable margin, but the feeling is that the composure and the lucidity shown by the team led by Laurent Mekies do not guarantee a peaceful night’s sleep

Kimi Antonelli, the author of another convincing performance also deserves a mention. The young driver from Bologna was penalized during the first spit-stop, when almost all the group except McLaren and Ocon stopped at the same time, forcing him to slow down to let several cars pass, including Sainz, who finished third. However, Antonelli managed to recover, despite losing fourth place to Norris in the end due to a small mistake. Two points that could prove costly in the overall standings, but they will not affect the Italian driver’s excellent end of the season.

It was a weekend of celebration for Italian Motorsport also thanks to the Formula 2 title won by Fornaroli. For the second consecutive year a rookie took out the championship, following last year’s win in F3, a result that confirms the talent of young Italian drivers and the work carried out by the Federation.

The weekend in Losail also mathematically confirmed Ferrari’s fourth place in the Constructors’ World Championship, a position that accurately reflects the car’s performance throughout the season.

Now all eyes turn to Abu Dahbi where the new world champion will be crowned in a week’s time, The battle between Norris (408 points), Verstappen (396) and Piastri (392) is more open than ever. And it is not impossible that the third driver could come between the two rivals.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | LAS VEGAS GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI — “A WIN THAT IS WORTH DOUBLE FOR VERSTAPPEN”

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix gave us a twist worthy of the best thrillers, if not horror films, for Norris and Piastri, with the double disqualification of McLaren that came after the end of the race due to a skid block plank wear breach. This occurrence reopened the World Championship, not just between the two McLaren drivers, but also thanks to the inclusion of Max Verstappen, the protagonist once again of an extraordinary start and a perfect race, in which he not only managed the lead, but also sent a strong and decisive sign to his direct rivals in the last three laps, consistently setting the best performance.

In the end, Lando “pulled the hand brake”, probably to avoid a penalty due to excessive wear of the skid block, crossing the finishing line twenty seconds behind the Dutchman after an imperfect start that cost him the lead.

It was another excellent performance by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. A slight mistake during the final lap of qualifying in the wet conditions cost him a place in Q2, followed by a five second penalty for jumping the start. Despite this, the young Italian climbed back from seventeenth place up to fifth (then third after the disqualifications), impressing with his consistent pace during the 47 laps on hard tyres. In direct comparison with Russell, he was ruthless in his consistency, and in his duels with Piastri and Leclerc, he showed great maturity.

At Ferrari, Leclerc gave everything the car allowed him to give. Both he and Hamilton managed to rectify the complicated qualifying session in the wet – even more so the British driver who was forced to start from the rear – with both finishing in the points. For the Constructors’ Championship, however, little has changed: second place remains far away. The current ladder faithfully reflects the values on the field, with McLaren and Red Bull a step ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.

Positive results also for Sainz and Hadjer who said goodbye to Las Vegas with fifth place and sixth place respectively, ahead of Niko Hülkenberg. These important results consolidated the positions of their respective teams. Ocon and Bearman took advantage of the double disqualification to gain two positions and complete the Top 10.

Two races, and a Sprint Race, from the end, the three contenders to the title are separated by just 24 points. We can expect a thrilling end of the season, both technically and mentally. See you in a week’s time in Qatar.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BRAZILIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ANTONELLI WAS EXTRAORDINARY, LIKE VERSTAPPEN AND NORRIS. IT WAS A SHAME NOT SEEING LECLERC AMONGST THEM”

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It was a weekend that could have tipped the world championship in Lando Norris’ favour, given the number of mistakes made by his teammate and main rival for the title. There are still three GPs and one Sprint Race left, and it will take little for him to find himself on zero points – as happened to Piastri in the Sprint Race – but at the moment Norris is leading with great composure, managing his tyres and car perfectly. It was a great show of strength by McLaren, but above all by Lando.

Kimi Antonelli’s performance for the entire weekend is to be applauded: second in qualifying, second in the Sprint Race and in the GP. He masterfully resisted Verstappen’s comeback in the final laps, managing his tyres and race pace in the best way possible. We have a young man who is growing, making the experience gained in his first season in F1 bear fruit, including the mistakes that are part of a rookie’s growth path.

Max Verstappen was also very good. Starting from pit lane, he secured the podium with an impressive third place. Although he was helped by the safety car and the virtual safety car, he showed his talent once again, completing the 71 laps at qualifying pace regardless of the compound used, and a  set up that penalized him in the most demanding part of the track.

It was a shame for Ferrari, forced to retire with both its drivers. It would have been interesting to see Leclerc battle it out with Norris, Antonelli and Verstappen. With the two Ferraris failing to cross the finish line, Haas and Racing Bulls took advantage with important placings in the Constructors’.

Haas is doing an excellent job, especially with Bearman: it is a team that works calmly and consistently, and the results prove it. Racing Bulls also did well, with seventh and eight places that consolidates sixth place in the world championship ahead of Aston Martin – out of the points today – with a lead of ten points.

The next round will be in two weeks with the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MEXICAN GP, THE POINT BYGIAN CARLO MINARDI “THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BETWEEN NORRIS AND PIASTRI IS WIDE OPEN. VERSTAPPEN WAS SAVED BY THE MARSHALS”

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Lando Norris 357 points against Oscar Piatri’s 356.

The Mexican Grand Prix completely reopened the battle for the drivers’ world championship between McLaren’s drivers. With four races to go – and two sprint races still on the calendar – the two teammates are separated by just one point.

We witnessed one of the most exciting Grands Prix in recent times, enlivened by different strategies and a decisive change of compounds by Pirelli. For the first time, the choice of tyres really had an impact on the result, keeping the verdict in suspense until the last bend.

A perfect Norris

Lando Norris raced one of his best weekends ever, impeccable in qualifying and dominant in the race. His win, with a 30 second lead over Leclerc, was clear-cut and well-deserved.

For Ferrari, second place was an important result: their second consecutive podium and the highest possible outcome at this point in time. A podium earned on the track and defended until the very last lap, with the usual fighting Verstappen right behind them.

Verstappen saved at the first bend

As always, Red Bull’s Dutchman fought tooth and nail. However, at the first bend, he was saved by the marshals; penalties have not been imposed for similar incidents for some time for such incidents, but, in this case, he was already a few metres of the line, with two tyres on the grass.

He was excellent in controlling the car, avoiding contact with the barriers, but if there had been gravel instead of grass, his race would have ended there.

Hamilton and the right penalty

It was a very different situation for Hamilton. I agree with the marshals’ decision: not only did he fail to follow the instructions for returning onto the track, but he also gained ground with that manoeuvre. It is true that following the correct trajectory at that point was not easy and, in any case, anybody would probably have done the same, but seen in this light, the penalty was correct.

Bearman surprised with Haas

It was an excellent performance by Oliver Bearman, fourth across the finish line and fighting for the podium for a long time. It was a valuable result for both the young driver and the American team, which found a high-level weekend once again.

Mercedes confused but Correct

The situation in Mercedes was more chaotic. Russell then gave back the position to Kimi Antonelli, demonstrating great fairness, but these incidents should be managed more quickly: these are decisions that must be taken immediately, without waiting too many laps.

Piastri saved what could be saved

It was a more complicated weekend for Oscar Piastri, who struggled with a very slippery McLaren. Despite the difficulties, he managed to finish in fifth place, limiting the damage.

The world championship is now wide open. The battle between Norris and Piastri is heating up, while Verstappen’s race for the title seems definitively over.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | USA GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN UNSTOPPABLE. AND ALSO A SUPER LECLERC”

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The change of performances that we saw this weekend in Ferrari was completely unexplainable, especially between before and after the sprint race.

The sole certainty has only one name: Max Verstappen. His consistency and the fact that he never gives up is incredible. Red Bull has found the right composure once again, and the Dutchman does the rest.

Despite this however, I remain of the opinion that the question of the world championship is a matter between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Only a Sprint style disaster (with both the McLarens out of the running) within the GP could really reopen the world championship.

Leclerc’s performance was no less impressive, in both qualifying and the race, with third place in the end. He was excellent. Taking risks by starting with the softs. Among other things, he finished “only” twelve seconds behind the winner, one of Ferrari’s best results of the season. With third and fourth places the Team reopens the challenge with Mercedes for second spot on the constructors.

Mercedes is in difficulty: it could not repeat the result and the performance shown in Singapore. At Austin, it was not up to the task. A pity however for Antonelli: apart from the fastest lap of the race his lap times were on par with Russell. Without the contact from Sainz he would have kept up with his teammate in sixth or seventh place. Williams’ Spanish driver, who is always very clean and correct, made a mistake this time

I also record what happened Saturday between Piastri and Norris as a mistake. The fact that no data was collected also had repercussions in the race: precious information on the pressure and the wear of the tires was missing. Norris, however, still crossed the finish line in second place.

There are still five grands prix remaining, and in a weeks’ time we will be in Mexico.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | SINGAPORE GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ON MCLAREN’S DAY, FERRARI CONFIRMS IT IS THE FOURTH FORCE”

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The weekend in Singapore officially awarded the title of World Constructors’ Champion to McLaren for the second consecutive year and also saw Mercedes’ win with a fantastic Russell.

Despite the heat and the high humidity, Mercedes managed to make the difference right from qualifying. Kimi Antonelli completed a positive weekend for the team with his fifth place, consolidating second place in the constructors’ championship, and with Ferrari having to look over its shoulders for the arrival of Red Bull. However, the team from Maranello is currently the fourth force.

Something more was certainly expected from the drivers in the papaya-coloured car, but with his podium finish Norris gained six points over his direct rival to try to keep the internal battle with Piastri alive. It is clear that the drivers have carte balance. I do not think that Verstappen can still be considered in the race for the title, even if, as usual, he made the others pay a high price, especially now that he is once again supported by the car. With the right support from Tsunoda, they can still aim for third place at the expense of Ferrari.

I found Ferrari’s decision to opt for the “reds” to catch up with Antonelli to be correct. The brake problem ruined Hamilton’s work, but they would not have gone beyond fifth place anyway.

Williams’ performance is to be applauded, with Sainz starting last and crossing the finish line in the points zone with tenth place. On a track where it is practically impossible to overtake, the strategy was excellent, as was the Spaniard’s driving.

Alonso’s result was just as positive; always entertaining on the team-radio and also determined on the track. With Hamilton’s penalty he took home seventh place. I am sure that Adrian Newey had a hand in this too.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AZERBAIGIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “MAX IS ALWAYS A CONFIRMATION. SERENITY IN THE TEAM IS ALWAYS DECISIVE FOR RESULTS”

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We experienced a very interesting Grand Prix, especially in lap times set by the first ten drivers. It was however a race that confirmed how important technology is, but that everything else is decisive.

In a Red Bull that has regained composure – coinciding with the arrival of Laurent Mekies in the team – came the second consecutive win by the usual “monster” of skill Max Verstappen. The calm atmosphere in the team also had a favourable impact on the management of the team, the morale of the drivers and the strategy. All of this is reflected in the results. Tsunoda’s sixth place after several uneasy weeks is further confirmation. Verstappen certainly did his part, managing in the best way possible a car that has less down force than the others in the driven section and setting the fastest laps in the last three laps despite a 14” lead over Russell.

It was also a positive weekend for Mercedes which leaves Baku with second and fourth places, securing second place on the Constructors’ World Championship, at the expense of Ferrari where confusion still reigns. Well done Kimi Antonelli in not taking unnecessary risks, consistently driving a tenth and a half of a second behind his teammate – who I consider one of the three or four best drivers of the World Championship. Antonelli demonstrated all his worth, even from a mental point of view. Of course, he must bring some changes to his inner organization, but he will continue to grow. He has a year and a half ahead of him to improve. Even today, he fought for the podium, and let us not forget, he was up against giants such as Verstappen, Russell and Sainz.

It was an absolutely positive weekend also for Williams and for Sainz who took third place after having taken the front row in qualifying. The team was very good in the management of the strategy, and the driver was equally impressive in the race, not making the slightest mistake.

The McLaren chapter: unquantifiable. There were major mistakes by the two drivers who are aiming to become world champions, especially Piastri, both at the start and then crashing into the wall on the first lap. The team, very close to regaining the Constructor’ title, was probably distracted and must reflect on this. However, neither Piastri nor Norris can expect to sleep soundly with Verstappen in such good form. The point gap is still substantial – 68 points separate the Australian from the Dutchman – but with seven races still to go they do not represent a comfortable margin. With Norris’ seventh place, Oscar still had a good day.

The situation is quite different for Racing Bulls which can celebrate fifth and tenth places with Lawson and Hadjar. In particular, Lawson did very well to keep Tsunoda behind him, who had replaced him in Red Bull at the start of the season, causing him quite a few problems, also in terms of state of mind. I am very pleased with this result: a lot of valuable points for the team, which clinches sixth place amongst the constructors.

In two weeks, they will be in Singapore.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | ITALIAN GP THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN WAS STUNNING. WELL DONE MCLAREN FOR THE SPORTSMANSHIP. NOW EVERYONE AT THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY”

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A fantastic weekend just finished at Monza on both the technical and sporting points of view with the new record set in qualifying by Max Verstappen, which he then converted into a stunning win with a lead of almost 20” over the two McLaren drivers, It will be interesting to see whether this trend, dictated by Laurent Mekies, will continue throughout the rest of the season.

It was a sensational weekend also on the side of the participation of the public with Monza, breaking all the attendance records, which demonstrated how much passion there is in Italy for Motorsport, with a spectacular invasion of the track.

Going back to the Grand Prix, I was left positively impressed with the sportiness, calmness and organization by McLaren when they asked Piastri, the current leader of the world championship, to give back to Norris the position he had lost due to a mistake by the team during the pit stop (a problem with the front left). Without wasting time, Oscar immediately let his teammate pass, who thanked him the gesture. I do not know how many other teams, and drivers, would have done the same thing. Amongst other things, McLaren wanted to give a strong message by setting the fastest lap of the race in the penultimate lap.

On the other hand, I did not like Toto Wolff’s comments after the race when he declared he was not satisfied with fifth and ninth places by Russell and Antonelli, highlighting that only one driver did well today, Max Verstappen. Such comments are not good for a team that is already experiencing a few problems. A TP should protect his team. I was surprised by the penalty for Antonelli which came on the last lap when the fact happened on the 46th lap.

Fourth place overall for Ferrari that tried everything to exceed its potential by focussing on a low down-force setup. However, this result represents the maximum achievable with this car.

It was an excellent result for Albon, seventh with Williams, and then for Bortoleto just behind him with Sauber. Albon was able to overturn a qualifying session that ended only with fourteenth place, by fighting for the top positions by setting some very interesting times.

We await eight interesting rounds. In two weeks, at Baku, McLaren could confirm tits championship title. While the internal battle between its two drivers remains open.  While we wait for the Azerbaijan GP, I look forwards to seeing many of you at Imola for the 9th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, where I expect to find the same enthusiasm experienced over the last few days at Monza. It would be a nice gesture towards all the collectors who, with great dedication and passion, often working in the evenings to prepare their cars to come to have fun on the track and to entertain the fans. I am looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14.

Gian Carlo Minardi