Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Gabriele Mini

  • Mini joins MP Motorsport for 2026

    MP Motorsport have confirmed the signing of Gabriele Mini for the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season.

    Mini is set to return for a second full campaign in the Championship after a 2025 season that saw him achieve three podiums, and finish 13th in the Standings with 72 points.

    Prior to that, the Italian achieved his maiden F2 podium in his debut weekend in the Baku Sprint Race back in 2024, finishing third. That same year, Mini finished second in the Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship.

    Mini has also previously won the 2020 Italian F4 Championship and placed second in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship.

    The 20 year old is now set to return for another season in F2, and spoke of his delight at the opportunity to do that with MP.

    I’m very excited to be able to join MP Motorsport for my second full season in FIA Formula 2. Their drivers have been strong rivals all throughout my career in single-seaters, and definitely in F2 as well, so it’s good to be switching to their side for next year! I know it’s a Dutch team, but teaming up with MP is some sort of homecoming as well, as their engineering team is led by three highly regarded Italians who have won several titles in Formula 2 and know all about winning. I can’t wait to get to work with them and the rest of the team, and head out to Melbourne fully prepared for our first race together.
    Mini on the news.

    It’s wonderful news that Gabriele will be part of our FIA Formula 2 line-up in 2026. He was a champion in his first season in F4 and a title contender in FRECA and F3, so his natural talent is up there with the best. With Gabriele on board, now with a full year’s experience of F2 behind his belt, we aim to consistently challenge for wins in 2026.
    Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Principal.

  • PREMA confirm Mini for 2025

    Gabriele Mini will step up to FIA Formula 2 in 2025 with PREMA Racing the Italian outfit have confirmed.

    The Alpine Academy driver finished as runner-up in this seasons’ FIA F3 campaign, taking one win and four podiums across the season.

    Mini has already driven in Formula 2 for PREMA, as he deputised for Oliver Bearman earlier in the year for Round 12 in Baku,
    He was able to secure a podium finish in the Sprint Race, ending up third on the rostrum.

    Earlier in his career, Mini race with PREMA in Italian Formula 4 back in 2021 before reuniting with the team in F3 in 2024 after two seasons away.

    The 19 year old is a member of the Alpine Academy and has been since the beginning of 2023.
    He also took part in the rookie test in Formula E with Nissan Formula E Team.

    Very happy to be joining PREMA in FIA F2 and to keep working together for another season. We showed excellent potential and speed throughout the whole year in Formula 3. After the great run at Baku, I hope we will keep working that way to try and fight at the front end of the championship again. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I want to thank All Road Management, Alpine, and everyone involved.
    Mini on the news.

    We are thrilled to continue working with Gabriele. We always kept him in very high regard, and after getting back with him for FIA F3, we are already looking forward to making the next step together. Having an early start was a great opportunity for both, especially because we have maximized it with some impressive results. Preparations for the year ahead have already started and the early signs are definitely promising.
    Rene Rosin, PREMA Team Principal.

  • Mini to replace Bearman in Baku

    PREMA Racing have confirmed that Gabriele Mini will replace Oliver Bearman for Round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 season. It will mark the Italian’s F2 debut.

    Mini finished the 2024 Formula 3 campaign second in the standings with PREMA after narrowly missing out on the Drivers’ Championship to compatriot Leonardo Fornaroli.

    He secured a race victory in the Monte Carlo Feature Race along with a further four podium finishes en route to P2 in the Standings.

    The Alpine Academy driver said that he was looking forward to learning as much as possible about the car and the Championship across the weekend in Azerbaijan.

    The 19 year old is expected to step up to an F2 seat next season, likely with Prema given both Mercedes-bound Antonelli and Bearman with Haas are both graduating to F1 for 2025.

    He knows Prema very well as he competed for the team in the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championship in 2020, before he went on to link up with Hitech and ART as he competed in Formula Regional competitions.

    He then continued on with Hitech for his maiden F3 season last year, but rejoined Prema for the Macau Grand Prix, a relationship which continued into the recently ended F3 season.

    Very happy to be joining PREMA Racing for the FIA Formula 2 event at Baku. We had a strong season in 2024, and we have been fighting for the title until the last corner. Formula 2 is the main option for 2024 so it’s also very important to join early at Baku. It’s a good opportunity for me to learn with the new car and series.
    Mini on the news.

    We cannot wait to see Gabriele make his FIA Formula 2 debut. It’s very rewarding to see him graduate to the top junior single-seater series after making his very first steps with our team back in 2020. It will be a useful opportunity for both him and the team. On the other hand, we want to wish Ollie the best in his second Formula 1 start and we look forward to having him back for the final part of the year.
    Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.

  • F3 – RND 4 Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Tsolov got the launch he needed to retain first, but Tramnitz was able to leapfrog the ART of van Hoepen to take second into Turn 1.

    Further back and coming through Casino Square, contact between the third ART of Christian Mansell and PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad put both into the wall.
    Their clash left the AIX Racing car of Joshua Dufek, MP Motorsport driver Alex Dunne and Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Cian SHields unable to avoid a collision behind.

    It brought out the Safety Car before the first lap was completed, but with five cars needing to be cleared a red flag followed.

    Racing got back underway entering lap 4 with a rolling start and Tsolov retained his lead comfortably over Tramnitz.

    The gaps fluctuated between those in the top 10 in the early phases of green flag racing, as Tsolov was able to repel Tramnitz thereby preventing the MP driver from gaining the DRS advantage.

    Lap 13, the race was run for Kacper Sztuka, who stopped on the inside of Turn 1 with a puncture after contact with Var’s Sophia Floersch, bringing out a Safety Car once again.
    It was a short interruption and racing action then resumed going onto Lap 16, and Tsolov re-launched into a decent lead.

    Over the line to start lap 20, the gap was up to 3.5s over Tramnitz, who had van Hoepen and Leon charging and within a second in the fight for the podium positions.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Tsolov, P2: Tramnitz, P3: Van Hoepen, P4: Leon, P5: Loake, P6: Boya, P7: Beganovic, P8: Browning, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Goethe.

    Day 4-

    Mini got a good launch to hold onto the lead over Mansell into Turn 1 as Browning followed the pair in third position.
    Further round the opening lap, Jenzer Motorsport driver Charlie Wurz was left in the barriers at Portier after contact with Rodin Motorsport’s Piotr Wisnicki to bring out a Safety Car.

    Racing got back underway entering lap 3, with Mini retaining the lead over the chasing pack but with Mansell was right in his wheel tracks.

    Joseph Loake proved overtaking was possible around the Principality, diving to the inside of Mari Boya’s Campos Racing car at La Rascasse on lap 6.

    With the opening third of the race run, Mini still had Mansell for company in second, unable to break out of DRS range to the Australian driver, while Browning had dropped several seconds back in third.

    ART’s Laurnes van Hoepen was on the move next, making a brave dive to the inside of Van Amersfoort’s Noel Leon at Mirabeau to move into 10th.

    Lap 20, and there was three-car collision at Turn 5 involving Leon, ART driver Nikola Tsolov and Sami Meguetounif.
    The Trident driver was left out of the running, the other pair rejoined but not before the safety car was deployed.

    Tsolov had attempted a pass on the inside but tagged the VAR driver into a spin, leaving Meguetounif nowhere to go in avoidance.
    The Safety Car was withdrawn entering lap 23, and Mini got a good enough restart to keep Mansell behind him.

    Loake attempted another pass on Boya, but with the door firmly shut on him at the Turn 6 hairpin, MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz profited to seize eighth position.

    Mini repelled the last gasp challenge from Mansell to secure his first victory of the season and his second Feature Race triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Tramnitz, P9: Loake and P10: Goethe.

  • F3 – RND 4 Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    PREMA’s Gabriele Mini led the opening session of the Monte Carlo weekend on a 1:27.400 in a session heavily disrupted by Red Flags.

    Overcast conditions gave way to rain, ensuring the Italian’s early laptime remained quickest ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli and teammate Dino Beganovic.

    There were rumbles of thunder as the session got underway though the drops of rain didn’t warrant a move away from dry tyres.
    Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake was the first driver of the weekend to use the run-off area at Sainte Devote before rejoining the track.

    But moment’s later, AIX Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphyvasak went off into the barriers at the same place to bring out an early Red Flag.
    With running resumed 32 minutes remaining of the session.

    However, another Red Flag quickly followed as Rodin’s Callum Voisin repeated the same incident as the first red flag at Turn 1 to half the session.

    The field went back out onto track with 24 minutes remaining as Mini still led the way with a 1:27.400 for PREMA.
    Rain began to fall though just as the first flying laps began and it was Sami Meguetounif that this time found the barriers.

    With 13 minutes left of practice, the green light was back on and drivers ventured back out fitted with wet Pirelli tyres as the rain intensified, preventing any further improvements.

    Day 2-

    Group A-

    The even numbered cars hit the track first with Oliver Goethe of Campos Racing leading the first 15 runners out onto the circuit.

    P2 in the championship, Luke Browning set the first benchmark to beat laying down a 1:26.170. That was bettered by championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli right away, as he put in a 1:25.963 in the Trident.

    Browning went quicker as the track continued to improve, recording a 1:24.532 on his next effort to return to P1. Whilst Fornaroli couldn’t get back on terms as he filtered through half a second down on the Brit’s lap.

    With three minutes to go Browning found more pace to bring the time to beat down to a 1:24.230, Having gone purple in sector one, Gabriele Mini moved up into P2.

    Under a minute left of qualifying and Boya was pushing to the absolute limit and tagged the inside wall at Turn 15, undoing his effort having gone fastest in sector one.

    Browning had been up on his time and a fastest middle sector put him on course for an improvement. But exiting Turn 16 he tapped the wall, damaging his suspension and forcing him to abandon his lap.

    Mini obliged and set the provision pole time moments later on a 1:23.942, 0.288s quicker than Brownings earlier time.

    Group B-

    Just at the flying laps were about to get underway, the Jenzer Motorsport car of James Hedley went into the barriers at Turn 1, losing his front win and bringing out the red flags.

    Once the session resumed, it was Dino Beganovic that laid down the initial time to beat a 1:25.569, 0.249s quicker than next-best Mansell in the ART car.

    Further improvements from the PREMA duo of Beganovic and Arvid Lindblad took the pace down to a 1:24.9 in the Briton’s favour, that was until Mansell leapfrogged the pair with a 1:24.921.

    Joseph Loake popped his Rodin Motorsport car up to P2 as the drivers began to push the limits further approaching the closing stages.

    Into the final two minutes of qualifying and Lindblad went quickest of all in the first sector, while teammate Beganovic was purple in the middle sector.
    Just before the Swede could finish his lap, the Red Flags were out as Sebastian Montoya and Charlie Wurz were off at Turn 1.

    The full top 10 overall is – P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Loake, P9: Leon and P10: Tramnitz.

  • Collet & Mini to drive for Nissan in Rookie Test

    Nissan will field Caio Collet and Gabriele Mini in the Berlin Rookie Test, set for Monday 13th May, straight after the Berlin E-Prix double header.

    Collet got his first taste of the Nissan e-4ORCE O4 during rookie free practice at the Misano E-Prix earlier this month.
    The Brazilian racer has been working with the team since the beginning of Season 10, helping to prepare for upcoming events in the simulator.

    Collet has a strong junior CV, having taken a dominant French F4 title in 2018 and finishing second in the highly competitive Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020.

    That earned him a seat in FIA Formula 3 for 2021. In the three years that followed, he was a regular feature at the front of the pack, taking three victories and several podiums, alongside his membership of the Alpine Academy.
    This season, in combination with his reserve and simulator role with Nissan Formula E Team, Collet is tackling the full Indy NXT campaign.

    Meanwhile, fellow F3 race winner Mini is part of the current Alpine Academy and will be at the wheel of Formula E machinery for the first time.

    Victory in the 2020 Italian F4 championship led him to the Formula Regional European Championship, clinching second in 2022.
    This then attracted the attention of the Alpine Academy, which signed him up ahead of his debut F3 campaign in 2023, where he picked up two wins, including the Monaco Feature Race.

    The Italian driver currently sits third in the F3 standings after two round, having scored points at every race, including a podium finish in Melbourne.

    It was my first time in the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 in Misano, so in Berlin I’m looking to use that experience to help me develop my driving. It’s a very different car to what I’m used to, so it takes a while to understand what to do and how to get the best out of it. My target is to learn as much as I can and help the team continue to improve. To have more track time will also be useful for my simulator work, to make the sim more accurate. I’m looking forward to being with the team again and will do my best!
    Collet on the news.

    I’m very pleased to test the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 for the first time in the Berlin Rookie Test next month. It will be a great chance to discover the car and to challenge myself in a different type of single-seater. I’m looking forward to giving my best and learning more about this category of racing. I would like to thank both Alpine and Nissan for their trust and for this exciting opportunity.
    Mini on the news.

    We’re looking forward to the Berlin Rookie Test with two very talented drivers in Caio and Gabriele. After participating in FP0 in Misano, it will be important for Caio to continue developing in the car, becoming more and more comfortable. As our reserve and sim driver, it’s vital for him to have as much experience as possible to support the team at his best. This will be a good opportunity to gain confidence and make a step forward with plenty of track time available. The test also presents us with a great chance to introduce Gabriele to the team. He’s a very promising driver, part of the Alpine Academy and it’s great to count on cross Alliance synergies to bring young drivers these opportunities. It’s very positive for us to work with young, up-and-coming drivers like Gabriele and Caio, so we can not only play a role in their professional development, but also build a rapport and set important basis for potential future collaborations.
    Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director and Team Principal of Nissan Formula E Team.

  • Gabriele Mini switches to PREMA

    Gabriele Mini will return for a second Formula 3 season in 2024, switching to reigning Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing.

    A two-time race winner after scoring victories in the Monte Carlo Feature Race and Budapest Sprint, Mini rounded out his rookie campaign seventh in the Drivers’ Standings for Hitech Pulse-Eight.

    Participating in the three two-day post-season tests with PREMA, the Alpine junior put together an impressive showing. The 18 year old topped the timing sheets across both days in Imola and earned a further three top two worthy times in Barcelona and Jerez.

    Next season, Mini reunite with the team that helped take him to glory in Italian F4 in 2020. From there, the Italian racer finished seventh in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
    Returning for a second campaign, he earned the runner-up honours, just behind eventual Champion and 2024 teammate Dino Beganovic.

    I’m very happy to join PREMA Racing for the 2024 season. The team had a very strong season last year, and we had some very promising tests together at Jerez and Barcelona. Our only goal will be to fight for the title, and I cannot wait to hit the track and start the new season! I would like to thank the Alpine Academy and All Road Management for their strong support to make it happen.

    Mini on the news.

    We are really proud to have Gabriele back with us. We thoroughly enjoyed working with him back in 2020 and we are happy to do it again now. We are extremely delighted by how our 2024 line-up is coming together as we have proven winners with high potential and great experience on our side. We cannot wait for the new season to start, and we look forward to the preparation work ahead.

    Rene Rosin, Team Principal.

  • F3 – RND 8 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    In his first front row start of Formula 3, Nikita Bedrin didn’t let inexperience fail him, as he nailed his getaway and gave him the run he need to swoop around the outside and take the lead out of Turn 1.

    Bortoleto tried to execute the same move on Mansell for third, but the Trident driver couldn’t keep it within the white lines, going across the run-off.

    Further back on the grid, Tommy Smith and Sebastian Montoya made contact on the opening lap, with Van Amersfoort Racing driver pitched into the air and across the gravel.

    Having been waiting for a time to make the right move, Bortoleto pounced for third on lap 7. Utilising the DRS, the Trident driver sailed from a long way back down the inside of the Campos at Turn 1.
    Aron tried to do the same two laps later, with a great run out of the final corner but couldn’t make the late move stick and ended up running wide.

    Attempting to find his way through on Tsolov, O’Sullivan tried moves left, right and centre as the Bulgarian driver got his elbows out to defend eighth. Looking up at the apex, the PREMA car tagged the rear of the ART forcing O’Sullivan to box.

    Montoya came to a halt between Turns 12 and 13, which triggered a Virtual Safety Car which was quickly converted into a full Safety Car.

    Once racing resumed on lap 17 the field faced a three-lap sprint to the line. Aron instantly forced Mansell onto the defensive for fourth position, having been unable to get past at Turn 1, the Estonian got the job done around the outside of Turn 3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Bedrin, P4: Aron, P5: Goethe, P6: Mansell, P7: Colapinto, P8: Edgar, P9: Saucy and P10: Beganovic.

    Day 3-

    O’Sullivan wasted no time breaking clear out front, as he bolted off the line to cover off his teammate Beganovic on the run down into Turn 1.

    Oliver Goethe tried to swoop around the outside of Colapinto, but the MP Motorsport driver fought back to cling on to fourth. Having lost P6 off the line, Paul Aron muscled his way past Jonny Edgar through Turn 3.

    After a disappointing Qualifying, Josep Maria Marti was on a redemption charge from 13th on the grid. The Spanish driver moved up into the points, where he quickly dispatched his teammate Mansell along with Edgar on Lap 8 to move into 8th position.

    Championship rivals Bortoleto and Marti squared off against each other for seventh. The Campos car tried to pass the Brazilian at Turn 1, but a huge lock-up sent him sailing wide across the run-off area.

    Edgar began hounding Mansell at the tail end of the points. Mansell suffered a lock up into Turn 1 on Lap 18, allowing the Briton to breeze through, with his MP teammate Mari Boya taking advantage to demote him out of the top 10.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullvian, P2: Beagnovic, P3: Colapinto, P4: Goethe, P5: Aron, P6: Marti, P7: Bortoleto, P8: Edgar, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Boya.

    Not long to wait until round 9 as it’s this week! We only have two rounds remaining of the Formula 3 2023 Championship, who will be our new champion?…

  • F3 – RND 4 – Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Gabriele Mini made the most of a drying Monte Carlo circuit to head the field in Formula 3’s first session around the Principality. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver put his previous experience to good use, clocking in a 1:26.686 in the final jam packed seconds of Free Practice.

    Fellow returnees, Franco Colapinto and Gregoire Saucy benefited from a late switch to the slicks to round out the top three.

    Before the session started, a heavy downpour threw a curveball the drivers’ way, making the challenge of learning the Monaco streets even more difficult. Campos Racing’s Christian Mansell was the first to get a representative time on the board, but they continued to tumble with every lap of the 3.337km circuit.

    Although a dry line had begun to form, there were still plenty of areas to catch the field out. Browning brought the time to beat down to a 1:39.879 before the Red Flag appeared, a spin for Jonny Edgar left the British racer facing the wrong way and in need of recovery.

    Day 2-

    For the Championship’s first appearance in the Principality, the 30 car grid was divided into two groups with 16 minutes each. Group A consists of even-numbered cars and Group B the odd.

    Gabriele Mini put together a masterclass to claim his second pole position of his rookie Formula 3 season. Waiting until the last second of Group B, the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver wrestled pole away from Group A’s Dino Beganovic by over six tenths.

    The full top 10 for Sunday’s Feature race are: P1: Mini, P2: Beganovic, P3: Aron, P4: Browning, P5: Collet, P6: Montoya, P7: Bortoleto, P8: Colapinto, P9: Barnard and P10: Fornaroli.

  • Gabriele Mini to drive for HiTech

    HiTech Grand Prix have confirmed that Italian driver, Gabriele Mini will be competing with the team in next season’s FIA Formula 3 Championship.

    Mini, took part in the post-season test at Jerez with the team, setting the fastest time on the opening day at the Spanish circuit.

    His debut season racing in single-seaters was capped off with the Italian F4 title, which included foure wins and 12 podiums by the end of the campaign. The 17 year old has previously driven for Hitech, competing in the Formula Regional Asia series earlier this year, finishing fourth in the standings.

    This season, Mini finished second in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, taking three wins and six podiums along the way.

    After two seasons in FRECA, FIA F3 is the logical step for me and I’m delighted to be joining Hitech for the 2023 season. We already worked together last winter in Formula Regional Asia and enjoyed strong results. The team did a solid job last season fighting for the driver’s title until the last round so I’m confident they will perform at the highest level. Testing in Jerez last month went well and I cannot wait to be back in the car next year.

    Mini on his new new seat.

    I have been following Gabriele’s career for some time through Karting, then into F4. We had the pleasure to work with him earlier this year in Asian F3 with good results, seeing first-hand his commitment and talent. He has had an impressive season in FRECA and he was instantly up to speed during the FIA F3 post-season testing in Jerez, so we look forward to seeing him with Hitech in 2023.

    Team Principal, Oliver Oakes.