Gian Carlo Minardi analyzes Ferrari performance in Canada: "Pity for qualifying mistakes"

Through his official website, Gian Carlo Minardi analyzed what was seen in the Canadian Grand Prix, the latest round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship.

Among the many topics discussed, the entrepreneur from Faenza also emphasized Ferrari, highlighting the steps forward taken by the Maranello team, which finished in fourth and fifth positions, despite starting from P10 and P11.

GP Canada, Gian Carlo Minardi’s comment:

“In an unusual circuit like Montreal, a semi-street circuit characterized by long straights and significant braking zones, we experienced an intense Grand Prix with fourteen drivers on the lead lap and only four who paid a lap’s distance. The positions were decided in a sprint from the first to the tenth week,” Gian Carlo Minardi begins in his customary post-race comment.

“For the first time this season, the top five drivers are enclosed within just over 21 seconds. Sergio Perez could have been among them, but he decided to make a pit stop to secure the fastest lap (and the point). While the first-place finish is certainly not a surprise, with Max Verstappen equaling Ayrton Senna’s number of victories, the positive note of the ninth round of the World Championship is the awakening of Ferrari, which achieved its best race with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing in 4th and 5th positions,” says Minardi. Then, still referring to the good weekend for the Prancing Horse, he adds:

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“Beyond the final positions, they played a significant stint, especially with the ‘medium’ tires, and then switched to the hard tires, completing the seventy laps with only one stop. What brings a smile is also the excellent lap times recorded, as well as the 18-second gap that Charles paid to Verstappen.” And who knows how it would have gone if Saturday had been different. “It’s a pity for the mistakes in qualifying that forced the two drivers to start from mid-grid. Recovering in these conditions of high competitiveness is not easy,” Gian Carlo Minardi emphasizes.

Finally, he concludes by taking stock of the situation in view of the continuation of the 2023 Formula 1 championship: “Montreal was not the best race for Red Bull, but despite that, they won. That says a lot about the quality of the Dutchman, who definitely has an extra gear compared to Sergio Perez. Without Max Verstappen, they probably wouldn’t have won the last 3-4 races. He is certainly making the difference and forms an unbeatable combination with the team. It will be interesting to see the competitiveness and the consolidation of the performances seen today in permanent circuits such as the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Hungaroring, and Spa-Francorchamps, which will conclude this first part of the season.” – the founder and managing director of the now-defunct Minardi Formula One team concluded.