Gabriele Minì claimed a strong third place in a chaotic F2 Qualifying at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP. The Italian showed speed from the start and quickly placed himself among the frontrunners. Red flags and heavy crashes around Baku disrupted the rhythm, but Minì stayed calm and consistent. While others struggled with damage and mistakes, he delivered clean laps and kept himself in contention. His effort was rewarded with P3 on the grid, putting him in a strong position for the rest of the weekend especially for the Feature Race on Sunday.
Minì returns to his F2 debut track
For Minì, Baku felt both familiar and rewarding. While speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, during the post-Qualifying press conference, he admitted it was advantageous to return to a track where he had already raced in F2 and underlined his fondness for street circuits, calling the layout “really cool” with its tight sections and heavy braking zones.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s the first time that I come back to a track where I have already raced in Formula 2. So, it’s an advantage for sure. I mean, in general, I like street circuits and this one is also really cool. You know, the tight section and the big break-ins that you have, it’s really challenging.”
Looking ahead, Minì welcomed the chance to start inside the top three on Sunday, noting that the disrupted Qualifying session proved Baku’s chaotic nature. However, he noted that Prema would hope to use the chaos to their advantage, especially in the Sprint where he starts from the fourth row.
“Well, yeah. I mean, now we’re starting in the top three, which is where we always want to aim. But, I mean, we’re still going to try to do well also in the sprint, you know, starting P8. We know that, as we saw from qualifying, it can be a bit chaotic. There can be some, you know, chaos happening at the front. So, we’ll try and use that to our advantage.”
Minì balances rhythm, slipstream and consistency to secure third on the grid
Minì described his decisive lap as a straightforward one, with nothing out of the ordinary. However, he acknowledged that his first attempt had been hindered by traffic. He concentrated on establishing a rhythm and gathering references before pushing for a stronger second run.
“Yeah, it was just a normal lap. Nothing crazy. I got a bit compromised on my first lap because I had a car really close that rejoined. It wasn’t easy, you know, to take references. So, it was the first three laps that I had. It was just about taking the references for the second set.”
“And, I mean, as Leo [Fornaroli] already said, the key is always to finish the laps and try to be at the front in every single one of them, which we did. And in the end, it was key for the session. It also looked like you had quite a good slipstream.”
Staying consistent was key, and a well-timed slipstream played a significant role. Minì recognised its importance, though he noted that getting too close to the car ahead risked dirty air. Ultimately, he managed to find the right balance, which worked in his favour and earned him third on the grid.
“Well, it was quite important. I think at the end, maybe it was a tiny bit too much because I started the lap, I think, three seconds from the car in front. I mean, it’s less than one. So, it starts to be a bit disturbing, you know, the compromise between the slipstream and the dirtier needs to be there. But, I mean, for sure, it helps.”
Debut in Baku held its challenges for Minì
Minì reflected on his debut in Baku last year, admitting it had been incredibly challenging due to minimal preparation and a dirty track. Thrown straight into the car with little running, he described it as one of the toughest conditions a rookie could face. However, rather than viewing it as a setback, Minì embraced the challenge. With “nothing to lose,” he focused entirely on gaining experience. This mindset allowed him to showcase his pace from the outset and build confidence for the future. Looking back, he saw it as a difficult but valuable introduction, one that enabled him to learn quickly without the pressure of high expectations.
“Well, it was really, really tricky. I mean, the first time I switched on the car, I was literally on the seat waiting for the first FP. And it was also a really dirty track. So, it was, I think, one of the hardest conditions we could have put. You know, we were three rookies. I think it was probably the hardest condition to be on.”
“But in the end, it’s a new challenge. In a way, you don’t have anything to lose. You don’t have anything to lose. You can only gain experience, you know, and show the pace that you have, which is what we managed to do. So, it’s really challenging, but it’s also nice in a way that you can learn without worrying too much.”
Focus the key element during a session with multiple red flags
Minì admitted that the stop-start nature of Qualifying made it difficult to stay focused. He emphasised the importance of staying “in the zone” and avoiding the mindset that the session was already over. Rather than constantly asking questions over the radio, he chose to remain quiet and focus on his preparation. During the interruptions, he checked his brake bias, reviewed data, and kept his mind sharp. For him, patience was crucial, particularly on a street circuit where, as he pointed out, even a minor mistake can make the difference between a strong lap and a costly error.
“It’s always not easy. When you have a session with so many breaks, you know, you have to try and stay in the zone and, you know, not think that the session is over before because you can just change the attitude. And we know with these cars just need a very tiny bit to lose a lot of time every lap. So personally, what I did, it was just stay silent, really, not even ask my engineer if we’re going to restart or not because, yeah, I was just waiting, for it to restart, to be honest.”
“I would have preferred, I mean, it did restart in the end, but I was really happy because in the end, it’s a true circuit, and you can do a lot of differences in the… I mean, a bit more differences than a normal circuit. But yeah, my way was to just stay silent, you know, really check the brake bias, check a bit of everything, watch data, and not think about the session being over.”
Format changes are not needed in Baku according to MinÌ
When asked by Pit Debrief if the frequent red flags in Baku called for a change in the format, Minì felt there was no need for adjustments. He explained that unpredictability is simply part of racing on a street circuit, and it’s “the same for everyone.” He argued that splitting the field into groups would not resolve the issue, as a crash or red flag could occur in either group. For Minì, the key was to embrace the challenge and make the most of the laps available.
“I think it’s something that we have to take into consideration, and we know it’s like this. It’s the same for everyone, but I think doing two groups, I mean, the crash can happen, or the red flag, or whatever can happen in the first, it can happen in the second. So, in the end, as I said, it’s the same for everyone.”
“We are not here because we got a lap and the others didn’t. Today, of course, there is also this possibility, but once again, it’s something that you have to take into consideration.”
Baku allows drivers to “take a bit more risk”
For Minì, Baku offers a mix of enjoyment and stress in equal measure. He explained that the layout is fun to drive because it rewards aggression, allowing drivers to “take a bit more risk.” However, that risk comes with uncertainty, as the narrow street circuit makes it nearly impossible to know with precision where the car is positioned at all times.
“Yeah, I think it’s a mix of both, to be honest because I enjoy driving in those circuits when you can take a bit more risk, but also in a way when you take more risk, you don’t exactly know at the centimetre where you are with the car.”
Minì admitted that, during his final push lap in Qualifying, he came very close to all four walls of the first corner. For him, Baku’s unique blend of danger and opportunity defines the challenge. To be fast on such a narrow street circuit, you have to commit fully, knowing it’s always a risk. However, those who can manage that risk effectively can gain a crucial advantage.
“So just send it in and hope for the best in a way. So especially in qualifying today, on the last push that we started, I think I was quite close to all four walls of the first corner. In the end, that’s the deal. To be fast, especially in the circuit, you can make a bit more difference, but it’s always a risk.”
