Last Saturday, I attended the “Tigulliorace”, an elegance concourse dedicated to classic cars. The beating heart of the event took place in my hometown, the beautiful Santa Margherita Ligure, the finishing destination for crews aboard iconic supercars by Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati, and Mercedes.
A lineup enriched by participants coming from the United States, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Evaluating these four-wheeled masterpieces was an exceptional jury made up of prominent motorsport figures: Ivan Capelli, former driver and well-known Formula 1 television personality, alongside Umberto Zapelloni, a historic signature of sports journalism, author, and Grand Prix commentator.
The highlight of the event took place with the car exhibition at the Banchina Sant’Erasmo. At 5:00 PM, the motorsport culture meeting kicked off with a debate I participated in, where we revealed several anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories of Formula 1, without forgetting our opinions on the current championship. Below is an excerpt regarding the current situation of the top teams:
A few words on the 2026 Formula 1
Zapelloni: “This year, we are missing Ferrari a bit. While from an aerodynamic standpoint they have done an extraordinary job in Maranello, on the power unit front they have clearly fallen behind Mercedes. Do you think this is a recoverable gap?”
Giorgio Piola: “I sincerely hope so, and I think yes. Also because the FIA will allow targeted developments: a bit like what happens in the WEC, where the rules allow chasing teams to close the performance gap to favor the show on track.
However, let’s not forget a crucial aspect about Mercedes. Everyone (rightly) sings the praises of their fantastic engine and excellent power management (the deployment), but the truth is that the entire car is beautiful. Having the opportunity to observe it up close and meticulously analyze its details, it clearly emerges how every single element is crafted to a very high standard.
Honestly, I expected something more from McLaren as well. They dared with a decidedly unconventional project, creating a car a full 15 centimeters shorter than all the competition: a dimensional gap never seen before. Yet they struggled right from the debut, reaching the point where, in the second race, neither of the two cars started due to engine management issues. Now they are making a strong recovery.
In any case, I believe the teams will be able to make up ground. Red Bull, for example, made an impressive leap in quality in the last race held in Miami. And then, let’s always remember: Max Verstappen, in my opinion, is a driver who simply has something more than the rest of the grid and can make the difference.”
