Wilux wants Bruni to be replaced

[minirda]

Seems that Wilux's Ruud Wildschut wants Gianmaria Bruni to be replaced within three weeks by a Dutch driver. Wilux is not satisfied by the performance of the Italian youngster. Furthermore the team must also receive money from Bruni. Wildschut wants Verstappen, Albers, Ho Pin Tung or Van de Garde to get the Minardi seat if Bruni doesn't pay before the 10th of June.
I don't like this at all. Bruni is doing a fine job at the moment, IMO. Paul Stoddart should decide about the line-up in stead of a sponsor.

[flor]

well i guess albers won't jump ship in the middle of the season

[Spudgun]

Do you have a source for this?

If it is true it really is a shame, but this is how F1 works these days. It's becoming more of a business than a sport. The really sad thing is that this situation doesn't really surprise me in the current climate that is F1.

Originally posted by minirda
I don't like this at all. Bruni is doing a fine job at the moment, IMO. Paul Stoddart should decide about the line-up in stead of a sponsor.

I'm sure that's what PS would like to do in an ideal world, but he has to keep Minardi afloat by any means possible. It's so hard to get/keep sponsors in the current financial climate, especially if you are a minnow. So he has to do what he has to do.

[Attila]

What is the source of this? I find this highly unlikely to happen, after all Bruni outqualified Baumgartner on all but one occasion. He is constantly faster on all races including Monaco. Bruni and Baumgartner pays exactly the same amount of money so why not replace Zsolt instead of Bruni?

The drivers you mentioned are not better than Bruni, maybe with the expection of Albers. If I were him I would not join Minardi at the moment, he is getting more headline from winning at DTM, beating Alesi and Schneider. Of course it is only my opinion.

[minirda]

Several Dutch sources (Wilux is a Dutch/Belgian company) national written media (AD, the second biggest national newspaper), TV text (SBS6) and several dutch f1 sites (www.raceplanet.net amongst others). Reliable sources to me.

[Mekola]

And then why Wilux don't promote Leinders to a titular ride???

[DriverT]

Who is Wilux??

[santori]

A LOT of rumours come from Holland. How many turn out to be true?

[Don K]

Originally posted by DriverT
Who is Wilux??

Wilux is the title sponsor of the Wilux Minardi team.

[Don K]

According to Dutch sites, Verstappen and Albers said no.
Wilson and Briscoe seem to be main candidates.

And of course, if Bruni's sponsors do pay the rest of the money within two weeks, he'll probably keep his place.
Even if Minardi isn't happy with Bruni's results yet, Bruni is clearly faster than Baumgartner (most of the time).

[Dutch chap]

I can't see Verstappen or Albers wanting this seat. Ho Pin Ting is a nice Chinese driver on club level and Van Der Garde may have what it takes, but not yet please. Enough talented Dutch drivers have ruined their carreers by stepping in to soon. If it has to be a Dutch driver (on Willux demands), and it can wait another 4 weeks or so they could give Tom Coronel a chance. And to make this a real chance let him do a lot of testing and getting to know this car.

[DriverT]

Originally posted by Don K
Wilux is the title sponsor of the Wilux Minardi team.

Thanks!

[NiceGuyEddie]

When does somebody tell those Dutch sponsors that sponsoring doesn't mean they get a say in how the team is being run? They all seem to have this annoying habbit, as long as they're from the Netherlands.

[Spudgun]

NGE, that's probably why they sponsor the lower order teams, to try and get leverage of who drives. That's just my own personal opinion since it strikes me with the Dutch sponsor wranglings we have seen recently with Jordan and now Minardi.

[Dutch chap]

Yeah, right. Typical Dutch behaviour. Like Shell demanding Ferrari to give MS a seat.

[Spudgun]

Originally posted by Dutch chap
Yeah, right. Typical Dutch behaviour. Like Shell demanding Ferrari to give MS a seat.

It wasn't a pop at Dutch sponsors. Just an observation. I could (and probably be) wrong. Just like 'Catchphrase' on UK TV. Say what you see.

[Dutch chap]

I understand Spud. I was actually responding to Eddie who seems to have never heard the phrase 'money talks'.

[marcus]

I think Bruni is doing a good job so far , he has raced the pants of "No result Zolt" with the exception of Monaco where Zolt seemed to be ahead.

I think he has been the shinning light at minardi this year and hope he gets a decent car next year to show us what he can really do.

But then again Money talks just a shame if it happens.

[mountainstar]

Jeez this past year dutch sponsors sure have been a pain.

Unfortunately for Minardi, money talks, so no pay no play.

I'd nominate Tom Coronel if Bruni goes. Why:

1. He has nothing to lose in terms of a reputation like a young driver would. Tom can always go back to what he is doing in touring and sports cars.
2. He's Dutch.

[jet]

Bruni is a much better driver than Zolt Baumgather.
I'll hope that Bruni gets to drive the Minardi whole season and don't be replaced by anyone .just because you'll don't want to step in a Minardi after 7 or 8 races.Look at Kiesa last year

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Dutch chap
but not yet please. Enough talented Dutch drivers have ruined their carreers by stepping in to soon. If it has to be a Dutch driver (on Willux demands), and it can wait another 4 weeks or so they could give Tom Coronel a chance. And to make this a real chance let him do a lot of testing and getting to know this car.

There have been have'nt there - case in point being Michael Bleekemolen - do you know anything about why he dissapeared from F1 after 78? He was rumoured to be in the Lotus 'b' team for 1979 alongside Keegan but this never came to fruition. Whatever happened to his sponsors F&S properties? Michaels rise to prominence in 77/78 effectively spelt the end for Hayje's F1 career.

I agree with Coronel - he'd jump at the chance, and was good in JAP3000 and F3 in his time.

Oh and whats happened to Kiesa then? vanished...

[Attila]

Knowing both Zsolt's and Bruni's driving style from first hand, it is clear that Zsolt is faster in slow corners and slow tracks whist Bruni is much much quicker on faster tracks. I have worked with Zsolti in his first and 2nd F3000 years and it was obvious that he was among the best drivers in slow corners but is afraid of fast ones. I remember, in his first F3000 test ever in France, he was only 0,2s off the pace on the slow part of the track and then lost 1,6s on the only fast corner. We tried to get him a driver coach, but it did not work out the way we planned, so we sold his management contract back to his father. Othen than that Zsolt has a very very good technical understanding and feedback, which would make him a good testdriver, but he is too slow for F1 racing. Would make a hell of a good LM driver though.

[Don K]

Originally posted by NiceGuyEddie
When does somebody tell those Dutch sponsors that sponsoring doesn't mean they get a say in how the team is being run? They all seem to have this annoying habbit, as long as they're from the Netherlands.

It sounds to me as if the Minardi team has told Wilux that they would be allowed to propose a driver, in case Bruni is dropped.

And the web sites seem to suggest that Wilux is allowed to decide on who the new driver will be.

-----

I guess it is just a simple scheme to put more pressure on Bruni's sponsors ...

[BootsOntheSide]

Although Bruni hasn't been spectaculr and doesn't look like a superstar in the making, he's certainly been mroe than competant, and can do a better job than any of the other drivers being linked - Jos is a has-been, Albers flopped badly alongside Webber in F3000, Ho Pin is nowhere near ready, and Coronel has reached his level.

[ASCII Man]

If Bruni, however unlikely, is dropped than the most obvious choice would be the third driver, Bas Leinders.