F1 |MEXICAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “THANK YOU KIMI, THANK YOU MERCEDES. ITALY IS BACK ON THE PINNACLE OF FORMULA 1”

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At twenty years of age, Kimi Antonelli has brought the world championship title back to Italy 73 years after Alberto Ascari. Minardi: “This is a historic moment for all of Italy’s motorsport. I never had any doubts about Kimi”.

This is a historic moment for Italian motorsport.  Kimi Antonelli, at just twenty years of age, has been crowned the World Champion, bringing the title back to Italy 73 years after Alberto Ascari. The best thing is that, when his adventure began, I told Andrea that I would have loved to see him become world champion. This all came true in a very short time. This is a huge source of satisfaction and a cause of great pride for our entire movement.

On Friday, during the first session of free practice, we had three drivers on the track: Leonardo Fornaroli, Gabriele Mini and, of course, Kimi Antonelli, who then finished an extraordinary race, in which he only made a handful of mistakes, on the podium. This is the result of a journey and hard work carried out over these years.  For this reason, I would like to thank everyone at ACI Sport who have collaborated in this adventure, not only Kimi, but also all the other drivers who are part of our family.

I have never doubted Kimi, not even in the toughest times. Those who have been in this world for many years know full well that there are happy moments and others that are more challenging, and these are precisely the moments that, with hard work and determination, you have to learn to overcome. I have never doubted his abilities, and today we can celebrate an extraordinary achievement that recognizes the work of so many people.

The image of Hamilton and Verstappen lifting Kimi onto their shoulders was also wonderful. For me this gesture on the podium had a strong symbolic worth, almost a passing the baton between world champions: an act of esteem, faith and recognition towards a young man who had just reached the pinnacle of Formula 1.

Kimi’s race was fantastic. He made two exceptional starts, he managed the race with intelligence, and he took home a third place that let him crown this season in the best way possible. Now that the title race is over, attention turns to the battle for second place between Verstappen and Hamilton

Speaking about Ferrari, on this occasion I believe Hamilton deserved more support from the team, and also from Leclerc. Lewis was showing all his worth on the track and is driving the team forward. Leclerc must understand that, at this time, the interests of Ferrari come first. The Scuderia is still in the running for second place in the Constructors’ World Championship and everyone must work in the same direction. In this perspective, I did not like Charles’ attack during the early stages of the Grand Prix.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | SINGAPORE GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “VERSTAPPEN WAS PERFECT, ANTONELLI A GREAT CHAMPION”

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The weekend in Singapore was all about Red Bull and Max Verstappen who won both the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix, after having even taken pole position in both. The Dutchman showed that he is in great form, managing every phase of the race with great composure. However, it was a more complicated weekend for Isack Hadjar who was hampered by technical problems that forced him to start the Grand Prix from pit lane. In any case, the Frenchman managed to climb back up to tenth place, taking a point. Also to be noted was Liam Lawson’s excellent performance, seventh in the GP after fifth place in the Sprint Race, with another solid performance by the Racing Bulls.

In the Sprint Race Verstappen managed the very treacherous conditions in the best way possible. After having overtaken the Dutchman at the start George Russell took the lead, he made a very bad mistake and crashed into the wall at the last corner of the first lap. This episode compromised his result and opened the road to victory for Red Bull’s driver, and “handing over” precious points to Antonelli.

Sunday confirmed the superiority of Verstappen who controlled the race right up to the chequered flag. Behind him, Charles Leclerc took an excellent second place for Ferrari, but questions remain about the behaviour of their two drivers. At one stage of the race, Hamilton seemed to have a better pace, yet Leclerc did not let him pass, making him lose precious seconds. Previously, during the tyre change, it had been Hamilton who had let his teammate pass. On this occasion, the seven times world champion showed he was more willing to work in the best interest of the team. It is hard to say whether a different choice would have changed the final result, but the management of the situation warrants some reflection.

The third step of the podium went to Antonelli, who delivered a performance worthy of a true champion. Once again, he had to contend with several track-limit violations. Despite this, he displayed great maturity—especially when compared to the errors made by other key contenders like Russell and Hamilton.

Antonelli managed the pressure well and secured crucial points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. His championship lead over Russell has thus extended to 102 points, aided by the struggles of his teammate, who after a power unit change managed to recover to ninth place.

It was a disastrous weekend for McLaren, between the crash in the last lap of the Sprint Race with the collision between Norris and Piastri when they were battling for the top places, and the performance and strategy issues in the Grand Prix. Added to this was another mistake by Norris in the closing stages, in the battle with Hamilton, which also allowed Antonelli to make up ground. One would expect a driver fighting for the title to handle such moments differently: these are mistakes that can have a huge impact on the outcome of the season. I don’t know how pleased they can be at McLaren.

Now the attention turns to Austri where a decisive stage in the title race could unfold. Antonelli has a very comfortable lead and, should he continue on this path, he could already have the chance, as early as the next round, to mathematically secure the World Championship. Furthermore, Mercedes is also expected to introduce updates to the power unit, something to watch very closely.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BAHRAIN MALAYSIA GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “VERSTAPPEN PERFECT, ANTONELLI WITH A VERY HEAVY SECOND PLACE. FERRARI MAXIMISES ITS RESULT”

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As was easy to predict, the Sepang Grand Prix was strongly affected by bad weather that delayed the start by about 90 minutes. This delay could have also influenced the planning of the strategies, given that we are talking about a track with asphalt that tends to dry quickly. This is precisely why we saw very different choices among the drivers: some chose the Soft tyres, including the two Ferrari drivers, while Verstappen, Antonelli and Russell started with the Mediums. On the other hand, the two McLarens chose the dry weather Medium tyres.

The strategies then changed quickly. In Ferrari, we saw two different choices: Leclerc returned to the pits to switch to the Mediums, while Hamilton chose the stay on the track with the dry tyres, and he then managed to make up many places. It was a decision that paid off in the end and allowed the Englishman to take an excellent third place, with Leclerc fourth.

The race was dominated by an absolutely flawless Verstappen. Max consistently posted excellent lap times and managed an extremely complicated race, characterized by the wet track, by the progressive changes to the conditions, by the Safety Cars and the Virtual Safety Cars, to perfection. He was always composed, finding an excellent race pace even when the track was drying. After having slipped behind the two Mercedes in the early stages, he took back the lead and from that moment he built up a well-deserved victory, without making any mistakes.

Albon’s retirement then triggered the Virtual Safety Car, that was then turned into the Safety Car.  At that point all the frontrunners took advantage of the neutralization to make another pitstop. The closing stages first gave us Norris’ mistake when, during the Safety car, he risked crashing into his teammate by braking too late and losing several places, and then, the biggest turning point, Russell’s retirement due to technical difficulties. George was in the running for the podium and could have limited the damage in relation to Antonelli. The problem at the end cost him crucial points and paved the way for Hamilton’s third place, and fourth place by Leclerc, at the end, they had the better over an excellent Hadjar who crossed the finish line in fifth place.

Hadjar confirmed once again that he is an excellent teammate for Verstappen, and, at this time, he is one of the drivers who can put him to the test within the team. Even in Sepang, he disputed a very solid race, staying in the top places for much of the race.

On the other hand, for Antonelli second place carries enormous weight in terms of the championship. Kim disputed a very mature race, managing conditions that were anything but easy and taking home a hugely important result. Russell’s retirement, which came a few laps from the finish, further highlighted the significance of this result. Antonelli consolidated his lead in the ladder and took his lead over his teammate to 84 points. This result is worth more than the 18 points collected, it is another very important step forward in the battle for the World Championship.

For Ferrari, Hamilton’s strategy proved particularly effective. Starting from the front row, Lewis knew how to make the most of what his Ferrari could achieve today. After dropping down to the rear due to the choice of Soft tyres in the wet conditions, he managed to stage an extraordinary comeback to finish in third place. Leclerc too, after the early difficulties, recovered back up to fourth place. Considering the conditions and the choices of strategies, this was therefore a doubly positive result for Ferrari. Today’s result is probably the best they could have hoped for. Also, thanks to some favourable circumstances arising from outside the team.

A round of applause also goes to Alonso. After the renewal of his contract and some positive signs that came out over the weekend, Fernando showed once again that he is competitive and took home an excellent eighth place. In a race that was chaotic and conditioned by the strategies, this was a very positive result for Aston Martin.

This was also a decidedly positive weekend for Racing Bulls who said goodbye to Sepang with both cars in the points: Lawson seventh and Lindblad tenth. This was an important result in view of the head-to-head battle with Alpine which finished the weekend outside the points. Racing Bulls consolidated fifth place in the Constructors’ World Championship.

McLaren, on the other hand, faced major difficulties, both in terms of the performance and due to Norris’s mistake at the end which wiped out part of the result. Piastri did not go beyond sixth place, while Norris finished only ninth after ending up in the gravel during the Safety Car. This weekend was decidedly below expectations for a team that, for the values shown in the track during the season, could have been even more a frontrunner.

Now we look ahead. In a week’s time they go back onto the track in Singapore which will also host the Sprint Race. This is another very special round, on a street circuit that is completely different from Sepang, where the world championship could yet throw up some new twists in the challenge for the title.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AZERBAIJAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “196 THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND AFTER 51 LAPS: THIS F1 IS KEEPING US ENTERTAINED. ANTONELLI WILL HAVE LEARNT FROM HIS MISTAKE”

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196 thousandths of a second after 51 laps separated George Russell from Max Verstappen. Truly nothing, this is the demonstration that this Formula 1 is keeping us entertained, even if it might not please some people.

In Baku, Russell proved that he was very competitive for the whole weekend and he had an extra edge compared to his teammate Antonelli. It is worth pointing this out, On Friday Kimi made a totally unnecessary mistaken Q1 when there was no need to take such a risk. It would have been different if it had happened in Q3, when you go all out to take pole position. I am sure that, as always, he will have learnt from this experience and that it will not happen again.

In the race however, he was able to come back very well, climbing back from sixteenth place on the grid up to fifth place. It was a positive result, and probably what Mercedes and the driver could realistically have expected after such a difficult qualifying session. He lost a few points to Russell and now the gap in the championship has narrowed to 66 points. We still do not know how many races are left, and at this point of the season, every point counts double.

It was also a solid performance by Leclerc who maintained a good pace for the whole race, even though Ferrari is still far behind Mercedes. There is still a lot of work to do in Maranello. Hamilton, on the other hand, mainly complained about poor rear-end grip and a few problems connected to the engine.

It was an excellent performance by Red Bull that returned to the podium with both drivers. Verstappen certainly needs no praise, he drove an excellent race and, once again, he showed all his talent. But I also want to highlight Hadjar’s great performance after missing three races due to injury. He gave us a wonderful battle between the two teammates. This is the first time that Verstappen has a teammate who can really challenge him. Late in the race the order came from the team not to attack Verstappen and, considering the pace he showed, Hadjar would probably have been able to fight for second place. Red Bull is bouncing back from a slow start to the season.

It was a weekend to forget for McLaren and Alpine that both left Baku without any points. On a street circuit such as this one, danger is lurking behind every curve, and we saw this with Albon and especially with Colapinto. At the restart after the Safety Car, Colapinto locked his breaks at the first turn, and he hit his teammate Gasly who then crashed into Norris. All three were forced to retire. It was a costly mistake, especially because Gasly and Colapinto were well placed to score points for Alpine.

Inevitably, the Safety Cars affected the race strategy. We also saw a not very marked difference between the tyre compounds with the mediums demonstrating that they perform very well at various points. In the end, Russell was able to defend himself from Verstappen until the last metre, finishing with a lead of barely 196 thousandths of a second. Such a close finish is further proof of just how much this Formula 1 season still has to offer in terms of excitement.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | ITALIAN GP , THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FROM ASCARI TO ANTONELLI, KIMI MADE HISTORY IN MONZA”

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This was a special day that confirmed once again how much Italy is a key player on the international motorsport scene.

My first round of applause goes to ACI for the wonderful organization of the Italian Grand Prix. New record attendances were set, and we saw a very well-organized event on a par with the history and prestige of Monza.

Making this weekend even more special were our young people who made the Italian National Anthem resonate and gave us major results. Thank you goes to all these young men who, with their commitment and their results, are contributing to making Italian motorsport stronger and stronger.

Congratulations to Nicola Lacorte, the frontrunner in Formula 3 with a wonderful win in Monza, and to Emanuele Olivieri who, in Imola, won Race-1 of the Regional Formula and took second place in Race-2, confirming his place at the top of the ladder.

Of course, today we saw something that will remain forever in the history of our motorsport thanks to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s extraordinary win.

Sixty years after the last win by an Italian driver in the Italian Grand Prix, Kimi took Italy’s flag back to the top step of the podium in Monza with an extraordinary race that he built up starting from nineteenth place and finishing when he decisively overtook his teammate George Russell at the Ascari Variation three laps before the chequered flag.

This win takes in even greater significance when we consider the history of our motorsports. Antonelli came to Monza as the leader of the World Championship, something that had not happened with an Italian driver since Alberto Ascari. Winning his home race while starting from the back of the grid is a feat that speaks not only of speed, but also his maturity, determination and the ability to read the race.

What impressed me the most was Antonelli’s race pace. He was consistently fast throughout the race, progressively making up ground until he caught up to Russell. At that point we saw a thrilling confrontation between the two Mercedes drivers that Antonelli settled in the final laps. He did not just make up ground – he caught up to his teammate and beat him on the track.

He then completed an impeccable race by setting the fastest lap right on the very last lap. It was an extremely positive signal of the mastery and security that he has achieved at the wheel of the racing car, and a win that is worth a lot in terms of the World Championship.

On the eve we had highlighted how Monza could have been the circuit most suitable to serve the penalty connected to the power unit, thanks to the characteristics and the chances for overtaking. Kimi exceeded all expectations, transforming a weekend that, on paper, could have been raced on the defensive into one of the best and most significant wins of his young career.

We saw a truly thrilling race, characterized by intense battles, overtaking and lots of excitement. I believe that it was one of the best weekends experienced in Monza in recent years: Mercedes, as was predictable on a track with these characteristics, took a splendid one-two finish, ahead of Max Verstappen who never gives up and took an excellent third place.

Once again, unfortunately, I believe that on the Ferrari front, they should talk less and act more. The result was certainly below expectations, with Charles Leclerc retiring in the early laps and Lewis finishing Hamilton only sixth.

I find it hard to understand what happened in the first lap between the two Ferraris, including the subsequent mistake by Leclerc. Starting from third and fourth places, I believe that the priority should have been to keep the positions and think in terms of the team. Instead, they threw away points which could have been very important in the fight for second place on the World Constructors’ Championship.

It was a weekend that fell below expectations also for McLaren. They knew they had to come to Monza in a more defensive position compared to the recent races, but they probably hoped to harvest something more than Norris’ fourth place and fifth place for Piastri. The unique characteristics of the Monza circuit may have played a role, but after the great progress seen in recent races, it will be interesting to see, as early as the next race, whether what happened in Monza was only an isolated episode connected to the track, or whether Mercedes managed  to set up an important gap once again.

Instead, it was a positive weekend for Alpine that started with a pole position that was certainly hard to predict on the eve. The race then largely restored the values on the field, but it remains an important result in the battle for fifth place in the battle with Racing Bulls in the Constructors Championship. For its part, Racing Bulls managed to get both cars into the top 10, earning precious points.

And once again, the Italian public showed that it is a sporting audience and not fanatical. Seeing all the fans on their feet for the last lap, ready to cheer Kimi Antonelli for a win that seemed almost impossible the day before was one of the most wonderful sights of the day.

Monza applauded an Italian driver who won the Italian Grand Prix. This was an image that had been missing for sixty years, and one I believe that all of us will remember for a long time.

Before closing, I would also like to also share some news that is particularly important for us.  From today, the new Minardi App, which was designed to bring our world together in one place, is available for Apple and Android. All my articles, including “IL PUNTO/THE POINT” dedicated to the Formula Grands Prix, the history of the Minardi Team with the racing cars and the drivers which were part of that history and an ample section dedicated to the Historic Minardi Day.

Ahead of the 10th edition of the Historic Minardi Day, scheduled for Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, with the App it will be possible to look up the event’s programme, find out ab out the cars taking part, see photos and videos and, during the weekend, follow the webcams installed at the circuit and the “Shorts” with trivia, news and last-minute updates. It is a new way to always stay in touch with the world of Minardi and to experience our passion for motorsport together.

Download the new Minardi App:
Apple App Store | Google Play Store

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | HUNGARIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “NORRIS WON, BUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS MORE OPEN THAN EVER”

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The Hungarian Grand Prix gave us a wonderful and closely fought race, confirming once again how close this World Championship really is. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were the front runners of the weekend, and I am convinced that from now to the end of the season they will continue to give us a show.

Norris raced a simply perfect weekend. After pole position, he managed the race with great authority, setting an exceptional race pace and demonstrating he always had the situation under control. I believe that, even without unexpected twists and turns that characterized the race, it would have been very hard to challenge him for the win.

Behind him, Max Verstappen confirmed all his worth once again. In my opinion, he is making the difference with a Red Bull that today does not seem to have the potential to fight regularly for second place. His overtaking of Lewis Hamilton was spectacular, a move that demonstrated once again the Dutchman’s talent.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli raced his usual high-level race, confirming a truly impressive continuity of performance, although he must be careful with the track limits during the race.  Without the penalty, he would probably have been able to fight for second place with Verstappen. On the other hand, I believe that, from what we saw throughout the weekend, Norris had something extra compared to everyone else.

With the results from the Hungaroring, the World Championship remains wide open. It only takes a small episode to go from hero to zero, as Ferrari’s race showed.  Charles Leclerc’s imperfect start and Lewis Hamilton’s penalty for speeding in pit lane compromised a result that could have been even better. I do not believe that Ferrari had the potential to win today, but it could certainly have aimed for a place on the podium.

However, the weekend’s real surprise was McLaren. The team had already shown major signs of improvement in the previous races, and at Budapest it had realized all its potential by taking pole position and the win. It was a shame for Oscar Piastri’s retirement, which denied the team a possible double and confirmed the that the issues of reliability continue to be a major concern even for the cars with Mercedes engines.

Speaking about Mercedes, even Geroge Russell staged a remarkable comeback. A problem at the start dropped him to the back of the pack, but he was able to climb back up to seventh place, limiting the damage and confirming once again the excellent race pace of the German car.

It was a very strong performance also by the Racing Bulls which, with fifth place, reached what I consider to be the season’s objective. It was a very satisfying result for the team from Faenza which continues to improve race by race and the confirms the quality of the work carried out both on the track and in the development of the car.

Another very positive weekend for Italy’s motorsport has come to a close. In addition to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s podium finish in Formula 1, Leonardo Fornaroli did well in the first session of free practice with the McLaren and he will soon have another chance to climb into a Formula 1 car with Team Haas. In Formula 3, Brando Badoer took two third places, in the Sprint Race and the Feature Race, consolidating his fourth place in the overall standings. In Formula 2, Gabriele Mini took a spectacular win in the Sprint Race and thanks in part to his ninth place in the Feature Race, he consolidated his second place in the championship.

The World Championship is now taking its summer break. We are heading into this break with an even more open ladder and with at least three teams able to battle it out for the win. All the ingredients are in place for an extremely spectacular second half of the season.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BELGIAN, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ANTONELLI WON LIKE A CHAMPION. FERRARI IS IMPROVING. THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS ENTERING ITS DECISIVE PHASE”

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli won in Spa-Francorchamps, his sixth win of the season at the end of a race he handled with great maturity and intelligence. Once again, he demonstrated he has a quality that is making the difference in this world championship: the ability to read a race and manage every situation in the best way possible.

What happened at the start of the race was particularly telling. Having been overtaken by Max Verstappen, Antonelli did to look for an immediate response that would have compromised the management of his power unit. He let the Dutchman go without dropping the engine’s revs, he stayed in his wake and overtook him a few seconds later. It was a manoeuvre that was as simple as it was clever, which demonstrated the maturity achieved by a driver of just nineteen years of age.

From that moment on he set an exceptional race pace, also managing the Safety Car perfectly, and forcefully holding off the pressure from Charles Leclerc who also had an excellent race. This win was fully deserved and also serves as a fitting comeback after the misfortune that plagued him in Silverstone.

Mercedes continues to prove that it is the benchmark car of the championship, but Ferrari leaves Belgium with extremely encouraging signs. While the gap seemed significant before Friday, between qualifying and the race the Team took a strong leap forward, confirming in the long runs a potential that had only been glimpsed during free practice. On circuits with different characteristics, it could prove that it is even more competitive and continue to challenge for the win.

This is precisely why Charkes Leclerc’s second place is so important. Ferrari confirmed the improvement it had shown in recent races and is building on the results, boosting confidence ahead of the upcoming rounds.

The incident involving Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the first lap left me rather perplexed. Personally, I would have considered it a normal racing incident, one of those collisions that happen at the start when the group is still bunched up. The five second penalty for Lewis Hamilton seemed rather harsh to me, even if it must be acknowledged that the race marshals used the same standard in similar situations. This probably prevented him from challenging for the podium.

McLaren also continued to improve behind the leaders. The fastest lap set by Lando Norris confirms the car’s improvement, although the team needs to improve, especially in qualifying, to turn its strong race pace into even better results.

The fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ World Championship is also proving interesting. Racing Bulls continues to achieve strong results, while Alpine stays in contention thanks to Franco Colapinto’s tenth place. This is a battle that could go down to the wire.

Antonelli’s win assumes even more importance in the World Championship ladder. With 204 points the young Mercedes driver extends his lead from his main rivals, Lewis Hamilton, who remains on 159, and George Russell on 154. This is a significant lead because it will allow him to face the next crucial phase of the season with greater confidence.

In fact, with the Hungarian Grand Prix, the last round before the summer break, we are entering the decisive stage of the championship. It will be an important weekend also in terms of strategies, because many teams will start to evaluate how they manage the components of their power units and the potential penalties on the grid could prove to be decisive ahead in the run up to final part of the season.

It was yet another positive weekend for Italian motorsport. Brando Badoer’s second place in Formula 3 and Gabriele Mini’s fifth place in Formula 2 confirmed the excellent period for our young racing drivers who are increasingly making their mark on the international stage.

For Italian fans, it is a source of great satisfaction to see a young man of just nineteen leading the Formula 1 World Championship and, at the same time, Ferrari back in the running for victory. If these signs are confirmed in the coming races, there are all the ingredients for experiencing an exciting end of the season, with Monza already shaping up to be one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year.

Next week the World Championship will head to Hungary for the last round before the summer break. We expect another very important race before entering the final stages of a championship which, race after race, is proving to be increasingly open and hard-fought.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | BRITISH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “LECLERC-ANTONELLI ARE THE GREAT PROTAGONISTS.THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE DECIDED BY RELIABILITY”

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The Silverstone Grand Prix confirmed once again how extremely close the Championship is and how the details will make the difference from now to the end of the season. Ferrari won once more with Charles Lecelrc, the protagonist of the weekend with Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The young Mercedes driver ran a very high-level race. He was the only one to cover thirty laps with the Medium compound, managing the tyres impeccably and demonstrated his surprising maturity once more. Until the technical problem hit his car, he was quickly reducing the gap from Leclerc and probably would have been able to jostle for the win to the final laps-

Once again, Antonelli was able to interpret the race perfectly, supported by an extremely competitive Mercedes. His management of the tyres was exemplary and confirms his extraordinary skills from this point of view. Despite the technical problem, he chose to stay obstinately on the track, playing all or nothing to take the car to the finish line and to take precious points championship rather than retire.

Unfortunately, the entry of the Safety Car after Max Verstappen’s accident nullified his obstinacy, especially due to the five second penalty for track limits, a decision that, in my opinion, should give us food for thought.,

I have already highlighted this in previous weeks and Silverstone confirmed it: the championship will be decided not just by speed, but above all by reliability. In my opinion, Mercedes continues to set the benchmark, but again some technical problems prevented the team from collecting the best possible result.

Ferrari can be fully satisfied. Charles Leclerc ran a very high-level weekend, taking a deserved win thanks to an intelligent race and excellent strategy and impeccable management of the race. This win rewards the work carried out by the team and will give a great boost to both the driver from Monte Carlo and the whole Ferrari organization ahead of the second half of the season.

Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton, currently under investigation for a presumed infraction of the yellow flag, showed that he is passing through an extremely positive period, demonstrating once again how much his experience adds value to the team from Maranello. Ferrari leaves Silverstone with the knowledge that it can compete at the highest levels.

On the other hand, Lady Luck smiled on George Russell who, after the extra break due to the puncture,, finished in second place reducing the gap from the leader of the World Championship, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, to just 25 points, reigniting the fight for the title even more.

Once again Racing Bulls confirmed that it is one of the most positive realties of the championship. The team knew how to exploit the opportunities offered in the race in the best way possible, by taking both cars to sixth and seventh places. This was an important result that rewards the work carried out in Faenza and confirms the continual growth of the team. Behind them Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi and the two Alpines completed the top ten.

One final regret concerns the end of the race. It was a shame to see the Grand Prix finish under the Safety Car because it prevented us from seeing the final laps under race conditions and from seeing further duels between the frontrunners. Considering how closely matched the field was for all the weekend, it would have been wonderful to see the battle go down to the chequered flag.

Anyway, it was another extremely positive weekend for Italy’s motorsport. Ferrari’s win brought one of the symbols of our motorsport back onto the highest step of the podium, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed once more that he is now an absolute frontrunner of Formula 1.

On the other hand, the sense of regret over what happened in Formula 3 remains. Matteo De Paolo had a splendid win on the track, only to be disqualified after the race due to a technical irregularity connected to the car’s ground clearance, which was found to be just 3mm lower than the regulation on the right-hand side and one millimetre on the left-hand. It was a disappointing outcome because the young Italian had driven an impeccable race, but the technical regulations must be respected.

Overall, the results of the weekend remain extremely positive and confirm how much Italy’s motorsport is enjoying one of its brightest periods in recent years, with competitive drivers making their mark in all the main international categories.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AUSTRIAN GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “RUSSELL DESERVED THE WIN. I WAS SURPRISED BY THE CONTROVERSY”

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Once again Formula 1 gave us a spectacular Grand Prix, full of tussles and fought to the very last lap. The first three crossed the finished line within less than two seconds, a result I did not expect after an extremely close qualifying with the first eight drivers separated by just 519 thousandths of a second and the first ten by less than a second.

This is a very encouraging sign for this Formula 1 which, while still having room for improvement, continues to offer spectacular races. We expect a very hard-fought season up to the last Grand Prix, in which reliability, technical developments and skill in interpreting the races will be the decisive elements. At the moment Mercedes remains the benchmark.

George Russell was excellent in turning pole position into a win. I was sincerely surprised by all he controversy after qualifying. In my opinion, there was nothing to discuss: the regulations were respected by Russell who simply exploited a permissible situation with great experience. This is part of motorsport and who can best interpret the regulations deserves only congratulations.

On the other hand, and it was absolutely understandable, a touch of experience was missing from Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the weekend. During the early laps he made a few slips, but from the middle of the race he was simply extraordinary. From the 32nd lap he set an exceptional race pace, culminating with the fastest lap in the 59th lap. In any case, third place represents a very important result, even in light of the championship.

Instead, Ferrari must stop and think. After the win in Barcelona and the developments introduced to the power units we expected another step forward, but the final result was inferior to the expectations.  Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, paying a gap of more than 26 seconds from the winner, while Charles Leclerc finished eighth with an even wider gap. Now tidying up and continuing to work calmly are needed, without letting themselves be dragged down by enthusiasm after a win or by useless arguments when the results do not come.

Even McLaren experienced a weekend harder than expected, that confirms how close the championship is and how a few details are enough to change the powers on the field.

It was a positive performance for Racing Bulls too, taking both cars into the points, confirming the excellent word done by the men in both Milton Keyes and Faenza. After having tried all or nothing in qualifying, Max Verstappen fought a very high-level race coming back to second place, confirming the progress in Red Bull.

Furthermore, another very positive weekend has concluded for Italy’s motorsport. With second place in Formula 2, Gabriele Mini consolidated his leadership of the championship, while Leonardo Fornaroli also continues to grow and who is always under the eye of Formula 1 teams, and is already in the orbit of McLaren. These results confirm the excellent work done in recent years and put our young drivers at the centre of international attention.

In a week’s time the World Championship will land in Silverstone, a circuit with completely different characteristics, where we will see if the values that came out of Austria represent an episode or a confirmation.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | AUSTRIAN GP GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “MERCEDES IS STILL THE BENCHMARK, BUT KEEP AN EYE ON RELIABILITY”

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Jos Verstappen (NED) Minardi Cosworth PS03.
Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Austrian Grand Prix, A1-Ring, Austria, 16 May 2003.
DIGITAL IMAGE

After having filed away Ferrari’s first win of the season with Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona, the Formula 1 World Championship moves to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, one of the most unique circuits of the calendar. It is a short and very fast crack characterized by constant ups and downs, hard braking and sudden acceleration, where every thousandth of a second can make the difference, and the slightest mistake risks costing places on the grid.

Another element to bear in mind is the altitude. The 660m above sea level, together with the high temperatures forecast for the weekend, will put the power units, cooling systems and reliability under pressure. In a season in which several Grands Prix were affected by technical problems, this aspect could prove decisive once again.

In terms of the tyres, Pirelli chose the softest range: C3 as Hard, C 4 as Medium and C5 as Soft. This is a selection designed to widen the strategic options and favour a bigger number of pit stops, even though the new generation tyres have shown good consistency in performance. So, it will be interesting to see which approach the teams will adopt, and which solution will prove to be the most effective.

Furthermore, Spielberg is a track they all know very well and on which many teams will bring further developments, some of which will also involve the power units. Following the updates introduced in Barcelona, we may see the performance gap narrow even further, making the weekend more evenly matched.

Ferrari comes to Austria with enthusiasm and confidence after Lewis Hamilton’s win, a result that confirms the team’s progress and the importance of the experience of the seven times world champion in the development of the car. The men from Maranello are now tasked with building on the form shown in Spain.

Despite this, I still consider Mercedes the benchmark car in the championship. The real question remains reliability which in recent races has prevented the team achieving results that fully reflect the potential shown on the track.

There is also a lot of attention on Max Verstappen.  Red Bull is expected to introduce further upgrades, but the talent of the Dutchman is always an asset.  In Barcelona, he showed once again he knows how to get the most from the car, especially in qualifying, but on such a short track a perfect lap could be enough to find himself immediately in the running for pole position and the win.

The weather could also be another variable. The Red Bull Ring, nestled within the mountains of Styria, is often subject to sudden changes in weather conditions that can quickly alter the strategies and the course of the race.

So, I expect a very closely fought Grand Prix, with minimal gaps, decisive qualifying and a wide-open battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. In such a tight championship, the details will make all the difference once again.

Gian Carlo Minardi

 

F1 | SPANISH GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “ITALY’S NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS PLAYED ONCE AGAIN. THE RIVALRY BETWEEN MERCEDES AND FERRARI IS HEATING UP”

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Italy’s national anthem was heard once again in Formula 1. This time it was played for Ferrari thanks to Lewis Hamilton who took his first win in the colours of the team from Maranello in Barcelona. For the British driver and for the Team it was a day of great satisfaction at the end of an almost perfect weekend.

Hamilton fought a race worthy of a seven times world champion, confirming his extraordinary value over all the weekend. I have the feeling that Ferrari has begun to take greater account of the indications and the experience of its driver and this approach is starting to produce solid results. The win in Barcelona could be an important passage in the development of the plan. It will be interesting to follow the next fifteen rounds closely.

It was a particularly interesting weekend and, in some ways, even surprising. In qualifying we saw seven cars within barely 411 thousandths of a second on a circuit that they all know perfectly and on which the teams brought major updates. This demonstrates how close the performance levels are and how every detail can make a difference.

For this very reason, it is hard to explain the superiority shown by Mercedes in qualifying compared to the difficulties encountered in the race. Barcelona was considered a key circuit for evaluating the true performance of the racing cars and, from this point of view, the weekend provided some very interesting indications.

The season is proving to be full of twists and turns and that reliability is assuming an increasingly decisive role. Currently Mercedes, as well as the client teams that use the same power unit, are not passing through a particularly easy period from this point of view.

It was a particular shame for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He was driving a very intelligent race, managing the medium tyres better than his teammate and showing once again an extremely competitive race pace. His overtaking manoeuvre on Russell four laps from the end was one of the highlights of the race, but the technical problem that forced him to retire robbed him of a result he fully deserved.

George Russelle continues to confirm that he is very effective on a single lap, but in the race Antonelli showed once again that he can be extremely competitive over the full distance. It will be interesting to see how the evolution of the internal rivalry at Mercedes develops over the course of the season.

We are at a stage of the championship in which it really takes very little to change the result of a race or even to affect the championship ladder. For this reason, I believe that the rivalry between Ferrari and Mercedes is set to heat up even further in the coming weeks.

However, it was a more complicated weekend for McLaren. Even though it showed signs of improvement in qualifying, the team could not show the same level of competitiveness on other occasions, and it is still looking for the consistency needed to regularly establish itself in the battle at the top.

Barcelona remains one of the most technically demanding circuits of the calendar and the data collected over the weekend will be especially valuable for all the teams. The World Championship will now move to Austria, where we will have further answers on the true balance of power at play in what is proving to be an increasingly exciting season..

Another very positive weekend for Italian motorsport has come to an end.  Following the success of Formula 1, there were also very important results in the junior categories. Brando Badoer took an excellent fourth place in Formula 3, while Gabriele Mini took home a second and third place in Formula 2 and he leads the ladder, confirming his worth once again. These are very important signs that confirm the great work carried out in recent years and that should make us proud of the current state of Italian motorsport.

Gian Carlo Minardi

F1 | MONTE CARLO GP, GIAN CARLO MINARDI: “ANTONELLI MADE HISTORY BUT THE RACE SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED”

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I experienced one of the most exciting days of my 55 years of motorsport.

I had a “younger brother” called Ayrton Senna who showed me see some incredible things, especially in Monte Carlo. Today, I saw an Italian driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, do something just as extraordinary.  First of all, the credit goes first and foremost to him, but also to all those who believed in him in the toughest times, when it was easy to criticize without really knowing his journey, and without understanding what he was building lap after lap.

Looking back at his weekend, from pole position to the fastest laps he set, even when they were not strictly necessary, the profile of a champion emerges once again. Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s constant pursuit for the fastest lap was probably intended, above all, to keep his concentration high and to prove his worth to himself. These are the details which make the difference between an excellent driver and a champion.

This is a wonderful moment for Italian motorsport. Adding to Brandon Badoer’s win in Formula 3, another young man that I always had great faith in, even though luck has not always on his side. We are witnessing something incredible, five consecutive Formula 1 wins by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a record for an Italian racing driver who is not yet twenty. We should be proud of him.

Mercedes has made a big leap forward compared to last season. It can count on two top class drivers and an extremely close-knit team. George Russell is going through a difficult time at the moment, but I still consider him an excellent driver. During the race he was held up by Hajdar and the penalty further compromised his final result.

We are now entering into a crucial phase of the championship. The lead built up by Antonelli is starting to make a real difference, but there are still a lot of Grands Prix to go. This is precisely why it will be vital to continue working with the same determination and maintain the focus at the highest levels.

Toto Wolff is quite right to urge the Italian Press not to get carried away with Kimi’s  current form, since he built up a lead of 42 seconds from his direct rivals before the red flag, and I agree with him. We must let him get on with his work and continue to enjoy himself. Similarly, we must not go overboard with our criticism of Ferrari but let the team work in peace. They certainly have the quality and the resources to bounce back. Today, Ferrari is once again the second force of the championship.

I noticed that Charles Leclerc was particularly nervous. He probably did not expect to find such a motivated and competitive team alongside him. I believe that the mistake that cost him a third place – which was very important for him and for Ferrari – was the result of several factors, also including some tension. There is still a lot of work to do, Leclerc must not become discouraged, but he must stay clear headed and calm to make up for those tenths of a second that he was missing.

It was a Grand Prix full of twists and turns that gave us an unusual and very interesting ladder. Isack Hajdar’s third place did not surprise me. He is one of the rookies who got closest to the championship leaders throughout the season. It has been some time since Red Bull could count on two drivers performing so closely. Max Verstappen was unlucky today but Hajdar had already shown his potential right through free practice and on Saturday he put on an extraordinary qualifying session. Only Antonelli managed to deny him pole position.

Racing Bulls’ fifth and sixth places were also excellent. It was also a historic day for the Cadillac which took its first world championship point with Sergio Perez. They made the most of the opportunity that presented itself, helped by a bit of luck and by good reliability. I hope that they continue to improve

Before saying goodbye until Barcelona next week, I would like to make a final point regarding the decision to display the red flag and to restart the race with a standing start. With ten laps to go, given the obvious issues that they were trying to manage, I believe that in all likelihood the race should very likely have been suspended.

Safety must always be the highest priority. I have dedicated my entire career to this cause and continue to do so through ACI Sport. For me, the movies are a different matter altogether

See you in a weeks’ time.

Gian Carlo Minardi​

F1 | CANADIAN GP, THE POINT BY GIAN CARLO MINARDI “Antonelli is leading Italian motorsport forward

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The fourth straight win by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who also took the Canadian Grand Prix, confirming that Italian motorsport is at the top of the world championship ladders. This is also an extremely positive sign for all the work being carried out by ACI Sport and the Federal School.

It was an exciting Grand Prix, just like the whole weekend. Looking back at what we saw on Saturday, with a few more laps Kimi could probably have taken the Sprint Race as well. Both he and George Russell gave us thirty fantastic laps, giving life to a very fair and spectacular duel.

Toto Wolff certainly deserves credit. As the perfect head of the family, he knew how to mend the tear that arose after Saturday’s scuffle. We will surely see other clashes between these young men as the season progresses.

Like the great champion that he is, Antonelli gave his best performance on the very last lap, showing that he still has room for improvement and an extraordinary ability to keep his cool when managing the race.

It was also a positive result for Ferrari that took second place with Lewis Hamilton. On this occasion the British driver managed to clearly outpace his teammate, giving the impression that he has rediscovered his enthusiasm and consistency following the difficulties of last season.

Congratulations also go to Franco Colapinto, who finished in an excellent sixth place with the Alpine F1 Team ahead of his teammate Pierre Gasly, eighth across the finish line. Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Oliver Bearman also performed well, making the most of the opportunities created by the high-profile retirements of Russell and Lando Norris.

It was an excellent race also for Isack Hadjar who was able to match Max Verstappen’s lap times something that Red Bull Racing had not seen for some time.

On the other hand, it was a race to forget for McLaren that paid a heavy price for a major strategic mistake at the start, compounded by various problems during the race. The team was probably aware that it did not have the pace to fight it out at the front and decided to play the card of the intermediate tyres, but without achieving the desired results.

Now the championship comes back to Europe with start times that are decidedly convenient for us fans.

Gian Carlo Minardi