As usual after each Grand Prix, Gian Carlo Minardi analyzed the main events of the weekend in Spain through the columns of his official website. From Max Verstappen’s dominance to Mercedes’ resurgence, from Scuderia Ferrari’s disappointing result to the controversial decision by the FIA regarding Yuki Tsunoda, here is an excerpt of his thoughts.
Gian Carlo Minardi’s analysis
Max Verstappen and Red Bull also dominated the Spanish Grand Prix. “The reigning world champion has left his mark on pole position, victory, and fastest lap. The calmness and competitiveness of the driver-car pairing are astounding. When he decided it was the right time, he set the fastest time. I struggle to understand the limits of this car and what the opponents have to do to try and catch them. Sergio Perez’s fourth-place finish (starting from the fifth row) confirms that. The onboard camera view in qualifying is something marvelous. Max Verstappen doesn’t have to make the slightest correction. The car seems to run on rails,” Gian Carlo Minardi begins.
In Spain, Mercedes had positive results from the updates they brought, which they couldn’t evaluate in Monaco due to the track’s characteristics. “The test was passed,” explains Gian Carlo Minardi Minardi, referring to the Brackley team.
He then adds, “After introducing the improvements in Monte Carlo, Toto Wolff’s team has shown that they are heading in the right direction, allowing Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (starting from twelfth position) to finish in second and third place respectively, with a gap of just 24 seconds. Last year, George Russell had a gap of 32 seconds to Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton, 54 seconds. This is definitely a positive sign, along with surpassing Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings to take second place.” – the founder and managing director of the now-defunct Minardi Formula One team pointed out.
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On the other hand, Scuderia Ferrari in Barcelona achieved the disappointing result of a fifth and eleventh place. “Despite the numerous updates accompanied by the many proclamations, Carlos Sainz had a gap of 45.698 seconds (692 tenths per lap on average) from the leader, finishing the Grand Prix in fifth position after starting from the front row with the second-best time. Last year, the gap for the Spanish driver was 45.208 seconds… In qualifying, with a perfect lap, Carlos Sainz managed to keep the gap to the Dutchman just over 4 tenths, but in the long runs, the gap emerged again, which for the moment does not decrease despite the significant updates introduced by the Maranello team. Charles Leclerc’s post-race statements also raise concerns, as he highlighted a different behavior of the car when using the same compound (hard). At the moment, Ferrari has not been able to make the leap in quality seen at Mercedes,” analyzes Gian Carlo Minardi.
He then focuses on Aston Martin, Alpine, and McLaren: “In the most challenging weekend for Aston Martin, Lance Stroll made a comeback after the disaster in Monaco, leaving Fernando Alonso behind (for the first time this season). The team radio conversation with Nando, where he informed the team that he wouldn’t attack his teammate, was quite amusing. As for Alpine, the result in Monaco was not just a one-off. They confirm their growth as a team, with both cars finishing in the top 10 and setting important lap times. Race after race, the standings are taking shape, and after Aston Martin, there they are. Let’s not forget that they were deprived of numerous points in Australia. The positive signs from the rookies continue, especially from Piastri. The McLaren driver stayed in the top 10 for a long time, in addition to a positive qualifying session, as did his teammate Norris, who was penalized due to the contact at the first corner with Lewis Hamilton.” – he added.
Lastly, there is a mention of the five-second penalty imposed by the FIA on the very generous Yuki Tsunoda for pushing another driver off the track, according to the race stewards’ decision: “Once again, I’m not satisfied with the management of the race by the stewards. In particular, the 5-second penalty given to Yuki Tsunoda, who had a fantastic race and deserved to finish in the points. There is still no uniformity in the decisions, both in Formula 1 and in the junior formulas.” – Gian Carlo Minardi concluded.
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