Minardi must feel so alone and so unwanted. The little Italian team are by far the worst runners in the 22 car pack of F1.
But why? they haven't always been so bad. Not long ago they were a mid-field team. So whats gone wrong. Only a decade ago they had cars in the points but now even if ... Read review
Advantages: Plucky, dtermined and the ability to groom some future champions Disadvantages: The lack of money, engines and design staff
Minardi must feel so alone and so unwanted. The little Italian team are by far the worst runners in the 22 car pack of F1.
But why? they haven't always been so bad. Not long ago they were a mid-field team. So whats gone wrong. Only a decade ago they had cars in the points but now even if they get just one point its like a grand prix win for them.
There are many reasons. I am mostly angry at the way they have been messed ... ...a team was fulfilled and Minardi was saved. They now even had drivers. Tarso Marques returned from America to race, while Spaniard Fernando Alonso took the other seat. After no testing or tweaking, it was a miracle that they got to Melbourne and even more of a revelation when Alonso finished in 9th place.
Over the year the team has gradually stayed rooted to the back of the grid. Their enthusiasm meant they have carried on regardless ... more
Minardi must feel so alone and so unwanted. The little Italian team are by far the worst runners in the 22 car pack of F1.
But why? they haven't always been so bad. Not long ago they were a mid-field team. So whats gone wrong. Only a decade ago they had cars in the points but now even if they get just one point its like a grand prix win for them.
There are many reasons. I am mostly angry at the way they have been messed around by their sponsors and engine suppliers. Last year they had a car but no drivers, no sponsors, no engines and no managers. They were doomed to the F1 grid in the sky along with Forti and Tyrrell. But luck came their way. Paul Stoddart, a wealthy Australian saved the team with his European aviation sponsoring. His dream of owning a team was fulfilled and Minardi was saved. They now even had drivers. Tarso Marques returned from America to race, while Spaniard Fernando Alonso took the other seat. After no testing or tweaking, it was a miracle that they got to Melbourne and even more of a revelation when Alonso finished in 9th place.
Over the year the team has gradually stayed rooted to the back of the grid. Their enthusiasm meant they have carried on regardless of their poor performance and now Alex Yoong is has replaced Marques and bring a lot of money to the team. Whether or not this is just for money remains to be seen next year although after some rather dire performanes this year the latter seems more likely.
In the past, Minardi have scored points, but it was in 1990 when they reached their peak. Pierluigi Martini stuffed the Minardi onto 2nd on the grid. An amazing achievement for such a small team. However, the points fizzled out and their one point in 1999 at the Nurburgring is their only point in 5 years. A great shame.
They have produced great drivers though. Its hard to believe that Giancarlo Fisichella was moping around the back of the field in his Minardi as a stand in driver in 1996. Now he has raced for Jordan and Benetton gaining reputable podium finishes. Jarno Trulli is also a MInardi refugee. He replaced Fisichella at MInardi in 1997. When Olivier Panis hit the barriers in Canada and broke his legs, Trulli was called up to the Prost team - they were good then - and he drove well scoring a 4th place at Hockenheim. However, he hit the headlines by leading most of the Austrian GP - until his engine failed. Luca Badoer raced for the Italian team in 1999 team - and nearly came 4th in Germany until cruel luck hit them. He is now a Ferrari test driver and backing up Schuey and Rubinho at any time.
Now Fernando Alonso is to move ono bigger things in 2002. Under Flavio Briatorie contract, the 20 year old Spaniard is to move to a Benetton test seat and put even more pressure on Mr Button to suceed. This leaves another seat empty, so a frantic search will be on to find a replacement - I predict Minardi F3000 talent David Saelens will step in or maybe Stephane Sarrazin who deputised for them in 1999 while former driver Luca Badoer is a possibility. Either way heaven knows what talents they'll bring in next.
It annoys me the most that sponsers have chucked the team around over the years. Only last year, current sponsor Telefonica was set to re-sign for 2001. But when they pulled out it left the team in a rut. Then when PSN said they would save the team, their prayers seemed to be answered. Then at the last minute they pulled out and threw Minardi into turmoil with the first race looming. I can only applaud Paul Stoddart who saved the team.
Even their chief designer has left them in the lurch after dramatically quitting. Gustav Brunner just upped and left after a resignation, reportadly thorugh a fax - thats just not on - and trotted off to new boys Toyota. Minardi had threatened to contest the descision but if they lost they would have been bankrupt - a risk not worth taking against the largest car company in the world.
Minardi have never been that bad but as other teams have fizzled out ( does anyone remember the Forti, Pacific,Andrea Moda and Simtek teams - watch out because I may write an op about them soon) they have shone through to be the joke of the field.
A trait I'm sure they dont want to keep that label. With new Asia Tech engines (to be badged Proton) next year and some potential talented drivers I'm sure Minardi can soon lift themselves form the rear of the grid - we can only hope.
Come on Minardi - we all love ya really!!
P.S PLEASE, PLEASE leave a comment as I love reading them and knowing if you like my writing as I need to know for my encouragement as well as helping decide what I want to do later in life. Thanks to everyone reading this message!!
Advantages: Good team spirit, two good-drivers Disadvantages: Under-powered, under-financed and a long way behind
...year and another opportunity for Minardi to defy their critics who said they would be gone by mid-season. They've done it again, but once again have attracted an unusually large amount of attention for a team resigned to the back of the Formula One grid.
Founded by Giancarlo Minardi back in 1980 and bought for the start of the 2001 season by Australian Paul Stoddart, Minardi are well renowned for getting themselves out of financial difficulty in ... ...Ferrari for a year to Minardi having a reported $33,000,000 to pay for everything - travel, wages, car design, manufacturing, buying engines...Lifes tough at the back, but they rarely if ever actually pay drivers for their services - they will usually find drivers who are willing to pay for a seat or bring in lucrative sponsership deals. In recent years they have tended to have one up-and-coming star and one pay-as-you-go driver in the line-up. 2000 ...
tom1clare 20.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Minardi
Advantages: Reliable and talented. Disadvantages: Not that much money, not enough speed.
Minardi are the minnows of Formula 1. There's no doubt about it. Week in, week out, they are the last 2 cars on the grid, and week in week out, they either retire from the race, or finish at the back of the field.
In fact, Minardi looked like they weren't going to make it this year. They were out of money, out of ideas, but boss Giancarlo Minardi was determined to be on the grid in Australia.
But just as it looked like Minardi were finished, along ... ...used his money to get Minardi into the Formula 1 2001 Season.
This year the car will be called the European Minardi PS01, and will be driven by 2 F1 rookies, Tarso Marques and Fernando Alonso. Both of these drivers are very talented, especially Alonso, but they are lacking in F1 experience.
But this little Italian team will never give up on getting the rare point, as they did around 3 seasons back. Minardi's tactic is to just finish the race, and ...
Gonda 18.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Minardi
Advantages: They have the experience of fighting for their existence Disadvantages: It is unlikely to get better overnight
A point for Minardi is greeted with almost the same euphoria that a championship victory is greeted by Ferrari or McLaren. In a sport where money is everything, Minardi is a veritable pauper amongst princes. Each year there is a battle to get the car onto the grid at the start of the season, and then the battle is twofold, namely keeping the car on the track in a race and keeping the team functioning. Formula 1 has no sympathy, and many teams have ... ...and although to some respects Minardi have it easier, with only the 107% rule to contend with on track, their resources are stretched even at the best of times.
The team has never achieved a podium finish, although Christian Fittipaldi did take a fourth place for the team back in 1993 in South Africa, although in terms of how far ago that was, Alain Prost was at Williams with Damon Hill (his maiden season at Williams!) and Formula One had yet to ...
Morgenhund 24.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Minardi
...enthusiasm won grand prixs alone, Minardi would be world Champs. Unfortunately it doesnt. Confined to the back of the grid for all eternity. or that is the way it seems to me. They arrived on the scene in Formula one about 16 years ago. Giancarlo Minardi, an Italian businessman, decided to move his racing operation up to the big league from Formula 3000. A similar move performed by Eddie Jordan but with slightly less success. It took Minardi 4 years ... ...big names and powerful manufacturers, Minardi plug on. So tight is the money that recent seasons have seen the team running engines some 2 or 3 years behind the spec of the major teams and at least 50 horsepower lighter. Their star drivers are normally "pay" drivers. This means that they pay to drive by bringing in sponsorship to compete. That is how the little team survives. The drivers both live in the team hotel owned by the Minardi. It is cheaper ...
andycharger 02.08.2000 (11.03.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Minardi
Advantages: They rae for fun and are reliable Disadvantages: The don't have much money and very good drivers
I have supported Minardi for 3 seasons now and they are the most enthusiastic team in the pits, so what if they are always the last two cars on the grid and that people don't give them a chance in hell. This season they are giving a chance for two young drivers to drive against the big boys like Schumacher and Hakkinen. This is what makes the Minardi team so great they don't care if they come last, well they must care don't they, but they go out ... ...most of the time the Minardi cars finish the race and if they do go out it's mostly the falt of the driver. I think that if you put Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher in the two Minardi cars then they would come first and second in the Championship becasue they are so reliable. So forget McLaren and Williams and support MINARDI ...
Graeme_12 24.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Minardi
Advantages: Has previous FI and Camcart experience Disadvantages: Not in a really competitive car
European Minardi came periously close to not making it to the starting grid for this year's FormulaI championship,being "saved" at the last hour by Australian entrpreneur Paul Stoddart,who purchased a major stake in the popular Italian team. No one,not evn Paul himself,expects the little Minardi outfit to win races but their main aim is to try to finish as many races as credibly as possible. Among Minardi's drivers is Tarso Marques and he could prove to a good signing.
Tarso is a 25 year-old from Sao Paulo and he actually brings quite useful Formula I experience with him. He previously drove for the Minardi team in a dozen races during 1996-97 and so is not exactly a greenhorn. He had also had two seasons in the FIA International Formula 3000 Champinship. Even more recently Tarso had North American experience having come from ...
ashford 17.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tarso Marques
Advantages: Has potential. Good record in Formula 3000 Disadvantages: Lacks FI race experience;uncompetitive car
Fernando Monso is driving the European Minardi PS01 for the 2001 season so it would be unrealistic to expect him to finish the season among the leading points scorers. Indeed, Fernando will do well for the Minardi team if he can finish races and,as a big bonus,score an occasional high enough placing for a championship point or two.That I believe are Paul Stoddart's,the new Australian owner of Minardi, primary objectives for the popular Italian team.
Fernando from Spain was last season's Minardi test driver so he is familiar with the PS01 and with some of the Grand Prix circuits. He did finish fourth previously in the FIA International Formula 3000 Championship with Team Astromega and a number of pundits have been impressed with the driving ability and race craft shown by the young Spaniard. Indeed for a driver who showed he was ...
ashford 18.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Fernando Alonso
Poor old Giancarlo. He has been with poorly running teams since he came to the sport. First it was Minardi who took his skills. They nurtured him as he consistantly came last in the races. Then his talent was realised and Eddie Jordan rescued him and put him in the Jordan alongside Ralf Schumacher. This was not a marriage made in heaven as Ralf was guilty of Pushing poor Giancarlo off on a couple of occasions. Not the best thing to do to your team mate. Then, as Jordan was improving, he moved to Benetton to replace Jean Alesi just as Benetton were going down the pan. Can he revive the fortunes of the team? Not with Alex Wurz in the Number 2 seat!!! ...
