Minardi's worth in F1?

[ralf fan]

almost 7 secs off the pace... and each year the gap widens... will F1 really be affected by Minardi not being in F1... they no more seem to employ young talented drivers and opt for pay drivers.
The young ones would rather have a testing role in a team like Toyota than a race seat... so what does the future hold for Minardi and what is their role...

[mjolnir]

alonso, webber, trulli... just to name a few...

[Knowlesy]

The immediate future holds not a lot really. We'll have to see........I think they will be running ultra heavy so 7 seconds is perhaps a little unrepresentative but then with Baumgartner at the helm it is quite possible I suppose.

As for the young ones taking up testing roles over race seat at Minardi, I don't think that's necessarily true. It's more down to the fact they don't have the money and CAN'T have the drive, as much as they may deserve it.

Still, there'll be a spare seat soon. Zsolt "the bolt" won't last long, I should imagine.

[ralf fan]

i wanted see Bruni today... see if he really is good.. he probably would have trashed "the bolts" time... but we will see tomorrow... unless he stalls again... then we will see in Malayasia... though he may stall again.. and the again... Oops sorry for being negative...

[kdr]

minardis worth in f1?

to stop the jordans being last?

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by kdr
minardis worth in f1?

to stop the jordans being last?

I just hope this season doesn't prove to be the demise of these important teams.

[Kicking-back]

Paul Stoddard said in an interview on ITV his team (and Jordan) will be in F1 "this year, next year and the year after that...."

[Svend]

I understand they're still running 2002 tubs?

They should at least have given the car a proper paintjob.

[GP Racer]

What is Minardi's worth? What a great question, and so hard to answer!

There so damned far off the pace now, that it makes you wonder if we do need them, for anything but variety, and a different colored car on the grid. That car was so twitchy, and so slow for quals, that it does make one wonder if there only reason for being, is to keep the corner workers busy waving blue flags!

I guess we have to see what Bruni can do with this bomb of a car. I say, bring back Wilson, and his electrifying starts!

[Aysedasi]

We do need them. Very much so. I take my hat's off to the people who have kept Minardi alive (it its various guises) over the years. Any top race series needs minnows. Seeing one of the lesser teams bring a car home, even pick up a point brings me far more entertainment these days than watching another soporific TGF victory......

[marcus]

Minardi are a fantastic team and we need them heaps.

yes the cars are fairly slow but Stoddart has said that he has sacrificed some speed for reliability this year so that may account for one possibly 2 seconds.

the drivers are very inexperienced and need time to adjust to F1, so maybe in a month or two when they gain more experience they can get the car sorted a bit better.
bas Lienders is apparently coming on board as well to try and give the team more data , so there are positives thats for sure.

Drivers opting for test roles instead of race seats.
well to quote Ryan Briscoe , "If the opportunity came along to do a year in a Minardi then i would jump at it in an instant"

obviously the opportunity hasnt arisen yet , so this comment isnt exactly true.

I love Minardi and despite their lack of speed I think they are a great part of F1 and all they need is alittle help from an engine manufacturer so they can concentrate more money on the chassis.

And I reckon the car looks great

[Liz]

Minardi's world wide fan club is second only to Ferrari. And they treat their fans like gold and diamonds! Minardi still remember what racing is all about. They are happy to be there, they are doing the best they can, and they are making people happy just by showing up.

Bless them for reminding us that it's not all about money.

[RWC]

I really hope they survive.
Mad max very quietly dropping the 107% rule will see their survival over the next couple of (extremely critical) years.
There's also the question of FOM being conracturally obliged to front up with 20 cars at each race,so bernie will be keen to see that minardi survives to avoid the unpleasentness of trying to decide how to allocate 3rd cars for teams to run.
It's difficult to know the details of the concord agreement between teams and FOM but it's obvious that bernie (FOM) are the ones required to provide the cars while the teams can deal and screw bernie if he askes them to run 3rd cars.....
So minardi seems to be worth alot to bern at least....

[Gt_R]

Actually, one of the greatest blessings is that Minardi has barely enough money.

It's unfortunate that Minardi is struggling for cash to compete, but it is that lack of money which pushed them to hire young engineers/drivers etc which would later be the future of F1.

If Minardi had the $$$ of say Mclaren, whats the odd that it will remain it's humble self and not spend millions on a new facility, sign 2 big name drivers and wasting away good engines?

[Matthew Ronke]

Paul Stoddart said he is trying hard to get Toyota Engines with Briscoe as possible drive next season. With some technical develope of Toyota as well. This could have great benefit for Minardi especially Briscoe who will have 3 odd years of F1 testing behind him to help develope the car.

[marcus]

well with the efforts of Toyota today would he even bother ????

[golem]

Where's that quote from about chasing Toyota engines?

[GP Racer]

Did anyone even catch a glimpse of a Minardi in the Aussie GP?

I know I didn't! What a terrible performance. I just wonder how long it can go on?

[Adam43]

They missed a lap of being featured in Q too because of reliability. As for the race, one car retired on lap 13 and the other on 43.

[GP Racer]

Bring back Wilson!

At least his awesome starts, got Minardi some TV time...

[GTRMagic]

I saw the Minardi cars, they were 'quieter' than the other Ford/Cosworth runners suggesting a lower rev limit. Similarly, the cars looked ordinary going into some corners, suggesting the aero isnt optimised either.

And Zsolt is not fast. He couldnt keep up with Panis and Klien in front of him, and even they were being pulled away from by the cars immediately ahead.

Minardi should be in F1, the motorsport world should recognise the contribution the team makes, and sling a Ferrari or Toyota factory powerplant their way for nix, so those dollars normally spent on the engines can find there way to the chassis!

Uncle Bernie needs to do more for Stoddart

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
Minardi should be in F1, the motorsport world should recognise the contribution the team makes, and sling a Ferrari or Toyota factory powerplant their way for nix, so those dollars normally spent on the engines can find there way to the chassis!

I'm not saying your wrong but,

Sauber basically has a 2003 Ferrari and one of the most advanced wind tunnels in the business, and it certainly didn't do much for them, so there are no guarantees...

[manwell]

I read an interview with Paul Stoddart.
He said F1 needs privateer teams like Minardi and Jordan. And he made a good point in saying that someone has to come last. If there are only big teams with maunfacturer backing (eg. BMW, Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, Honda, Ford/Jaguar, Mercedes) and they are forking out hundeds of millions of dollars each year, how will they feel coming last? Where is the value for money for the team who comes last? They will be out of F1 quick smart.

[Gt_R]

Quote:"Sauber basically has a 2003 Ferrari and one of the most advanced wind tunnels in the business, and it certainly didn't do much for them, so there are no guarantees..."

While i agree that Sauber's lack of performance despite running a car heavily inspired by F2003-GA matched with the F2004's engine is curiously disappointing, the new windtunnel didn't contribute much to the new Sauber as it is only just operational.

[GTRMagic]

Sauber looked underdeveloped also, so if they have a F2003 with blue paint, the drivers or engineering team, or both are to blame....