Paul Stoddart

[Tiptop]

I know that Minardi are always struggling and at the back of the grid BUT.....is it just me or does Paul Stoddart always moan about everything when he dosen't get his own way ? I'm also not impressed with the way he handles situations and he makes himself look silly! I'm not sure if he's the best person for the job as Minardi have hardly improved

[Mr V]

To be fair to Paul, imo, it would take alot more than Paul has been able to provide to make the team progress. Anyone else who came in and made the same commitment wouldn't have got the team any further. And i do admire the mans commitment to motorsport in general as well as F1.

But, yes, he does seem to moan alot.

[golem]

State someone else not in F1 who would have the passion for F1 that they'd sell off some of their other business interests just to stay in F1, some of his own PERSONAL collection, gets into the sport knowing full well he'd likely stay on the bottom. He loves the sport a great deal more than anyone on this board I'd say.
Yes, he does moan. But, by the same token, the way the sport is he has a right to. I moan about it. Just about every single F1 fan here on this board has moaned about the state of F1, the stupid amounts of money being spent and many other things.
The only difference is, Stoddy's out their fighting his dream and so when he makes a comment, it's out in the wide. No, he's not an intellectual giant. Yet he's the one that's made his fortune and got onto the grid while we're here complaining about his moaning and wishing we were him.

[Red]

Paul Stoddard does not complain that his team is last. His problem is that he doesn't make money.

I don't have a problem with him moaning, I don't like him for his "aggressive" moaning.

[mark_l]

I wish Paul would actually go through with some of his threats. He has now withdrawn his threat about traction control, the big teams will not take his threats seriously if he does not back up his words.

How do you make a small fortune in Formula 1? start with a large fortune!

[Armco Bender]

I seem to recall in days of yore Mr Ferrari also regularly threatened to withdraw from F1 whenever things didn't go their way,Maybe Minardi will be the next Ferrari?.
I see Mr Stoddart is setting up a discount airline in Oz,so he can't be down to his last dollar yet.

[mjolnir]

Originally posted by mark_l
I wish Paul would actually go through with some of his threats. He has now withdrawn his threat about traction control, the big teams will not take his threats seriously if he does not back up his words.

hey, mayB if the others (ie engine manufacturers and their respective teams) kept their word on, say, cheaper engines, then he wouldnt have to threaten withdrawing in the 1st place...

[Red]

Well, actually Enzo Ferrari didn't "threat"... He built a CART Ferrari...


Everyone got the message.

[BootsOntheSide]

Paul deserves praise for his efforts in trying to keep Formula 1 affordable and in touch with the fans. He has indeed sacrificed a lot just to pursue his dream (no individual comes into F1 to make money, the quote about starting with a big fortune is extremely apt), has brought some brilliant young drivers through, is passionate about defending the sport, and could be the kind of guy the series needs as a team owner if some of the big guns pull out.

[Mattracer]

Stoddart is in the news a bit and has created a form of reverse charisma, championing the rights of his team, the smallest fish in the smallest pond with the biggests piranhas.

[Barny]

He is passionate about racing and formula one put more back than most, particularly for some one in his position.

His complaints and comments do sound like moaning but I feel he is just sayning what he believes, if only more team bosses were like him.

[jj2728]

kudos to paul stoddard....f1 needs more people like him

[Smokey 6 litre]

Rock the boat stoddard, F1 is too set into its own little ways, little allinces/freindships and the like. Stoddard is trying to do what he can for his team and i respect that.

[mjolnir]

aye, that's what endears him to fans ;-)

[Sodemo]

One thing which always surprises me is the lack of ability by Minardi to obtain a bigger budget.
Year in year out they always seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I think in recent times the biggest coup was Walkinshaw's "Orange" sponsorship deal which must have been worth quite a bit.
Thats the only 'minnow' which has obtained a big deal in my estimation.
Why is it hard for Minardi to find cash?

[ASCII Man]

The Orange deal wasn't worth that much, especially in the last years or so.
At best they contributed less than half of what Marlboro contributes to Ferrari.

[Sodemo]

Well how much do Malboro give to Ferrari?

£60 Million?
£100 Million?

[Teretonga]

The Marlboro contribution to Ferrari is probably in excess of US$100,000,000. Remember thay sponsored both mcLaren and ferrari until the end of 1996 when they decided to tip it all into Ferrari's account.

[Adam43]

Here are a couple of threads on this matter, more aout every team and not just Minardi:

What is an achievable budget?
2003 Manufacturer Budgets - some facts and figures... For 2003 the Malboro sponsorship provided to Ferrari was $86m (F1 business magazine).

[oziengineer]

I feel really bad for minardi, because they could be alot more. I would just like to see them be a little bit better. But, Stoddart does whinge, but some of it is rightly so.

[Dutton]

I have no complaints about Stoddart at all.

F1 is a place where if you don't fight, constantly, for your own patch you will be left to die with that cancerous cat you saw down by the harbour last week.

Simple as that, in my opinion.