Minardi Bankrupt?

[crash]

According to F1Racing.Net, Minardi is near to being broke. With no Engine and no drivers and no sponser for 2001, the future looks woeful. Let's hope something can be done, perhaps bernie can step in and save Minardi. PSN were going to buy the team, but backed out.

F1 would not be the same without them. They are the only team left, the rest are businesess.

FORZA Minardi

[Peter Mallett]

Somebody once said. "If you want to make a small fortune. Start motor racing with a big one."

Hopefully someone will rescue them but if not then they'll be just like Osella and all those other "second" Italian teams before them.

[Jeanburrasca81]

Hi Crash, hi Peter,
I once met Mr Minardi at the Motorshow in Bologna, since then, I was a fan of this small team that still lives its dream in F1. Minardi is an extraordinary man, who is worth to be treaten with respect, even though too many people laugh on him and his little team. Loosing Minardi, we would loose the last "classic" team in F1, participating not for the money alone, but for honour.
Did you know, that Ayrton Senna's dad once told to a journalist, that his great son had a big symphaty for Minardi, and that "Magic" Senna had sweared to Minardi, that he would have driven his last F1-season for the Scuderia Minardi?
In deepest respect, your Jeanburrasca81. undefined

[Peter Mallett]

Then get some of the fans together and start a media campaign. If the public see the support then maybe the businesses will put some money in.

[Jeanburrasca81]

Unfortunately it's not so easy to find enough Minardi-fans to start a campaign. In fact there is some sort of sustain in confront of Minardi in Italy, there's also a Minardi-club in England, but we're never enough to rescue this team. That makes me really sad...

[SL]

Does anyone know what would happen should Minardi be unable to field a team.

Would Honda / Nissan / Bentley (Knock the roof & wheel arches off the LM car) / Skoda whatever get a free entry onto the grid OR does Minardi own the slot, in which case with luck the mega million asset value of the slot could keep them alive.

Simon

[R]

There will probably be a ten team grid.

When other teams have folded (for instance Lola), they have not been replaced by any other team either. Just a few years ago, there were fourteen teams in F1.

[SL]

R

Yes, noted.

However Minardi have a favoured place in the set up in that they have their travel paid for in 2001 and a team set up. Therefore this ticket must have a value.

I seem to recall Bernie stating a few years ago that he would not allow new teams to enter the GP without buying an existing teams entry. Therefore all Minardi have to do is turn up with a second hand Ford to claim their place in the paddock. Surely this place must have a value.

Simon

[Gt_R]

To think i am looking forward to a mid-field Minardi-Supertec/Minardi Mugen Honda next year!

With one team gone, doesnt that leave Alonso, Diniz, de la Rosa, Jos, Gaston fighting for 3 seats at Arrows and Prost?

[Valve Bounce]

How about Toyota? How were they going to get in after next year? They should buy out Minardi, and test their cars on the race track under race conditions next year!! They have nothing to lose. Maybe they could even get Honda to lend them engines until their own engines are sufficiently developed.

[R]

Toyota was supposed to be the twelfth team in 2002, so it is possible to get in without buying an existing team's entry. Remember there's room for 26 cars on the F1 grid.

[Victor Broccoli]

Well, if you remember, Daewoo competed w/ Toyota for the 12th slot on the grid. If it weren't for the fact that Daewoo is as broke as Minardi is, couldn't it be possible for Daewoo to get involved in F1 (remember, they also made an offer to McLaren) by buying up Minardi?

Also, if Minardi just dissapeared off of the grid, wouldn't that give Prost the luckiest break: Paid expenses? I don't think Bernie would pay the fare of a non-existant team and let an existing team pay for itself.

SOS! Save Minardi!

[Gt_R]

i think the "engine" deal part is the whole cause.

As i have suggested before, shouldnt those engine suppliers that only provide one team with engines be obliged to take on a 2nd team IF the need is called upon? It would certainly solve the engine shortage problem that F1 is currently facing.

Perhaps Bernie should force Mercedes to provide Minardi with a year-old engine and save Minardi from the brink?

[EERO]

The whole issue does hang on the engine supply.
Given that Ferrari have ante'd up and taken responsibility for Prost's and Sauber's engine supplies, it seems obvious that Mercedes should be strongly "persuaded to do the same for Minardi.

Given that there are a limited number of spaces available on the grid, the disappearence of any team reduces the relative value of all the other teams. I cannot believe that Bernie will just allow Minardi to go away.
Recall that when Honda declined to enter their own team as they had planned, that Toyota was able to create their own team rather than buying an existing team. Saber and Minardi saw their values plummet.

We are getting closer to the day when there are four teams in F1, and that will be a very dull day.

[bella]

time for a whip-round, guys. i've got £1 and 3 hairbands....and a keyring.

and i know where there's a couple of last year's benetton f1 cars.....

seriously, though, the whole thing about minardi is that they're there no matter how much money they don't have. i did notice an article on bernie bailing them out, and if this happened, i hope mr ecclestone doesn't want his money back.

also, i see from autosport that the rumi guy is back in charge. and this alonso laddie looks to have some money. i think we can expect him to be in one car, with whoever has the most money in the second.

hey, fisi, you've got yourself a nice tidy wage from benetton, what about donating a few lira to help an old friend out?

ah, well, worth a try....

[Gt_R]

Rumi's back on board...the Cosworth V10s would be provided for their December testings...would it help?

If Bernie is going to pull strings and make someone provide an old engine, can he please choose a better engine, like Mercedes, or Supertec...NOT THOSE 4 year old Ford Cosworths~~ please~~

[Ralf's Girl]

If Minardi leave, F1 will certainly be a lesser sport.

Perhaps TGF should offer them a share of his salary? Surely he can afford it...?

[Victor Broccoli]

Perhaps TGF should offer them a share of his salary? Surely he can afford it...?

If you're going to do that, screw Minardi. Considering the amount of money TGF makes, you might as well finance the budget of a third-world country. You'd have enough for an excess at that point

Seriously, though....somebody save Minardi. They are what F1 is lacking: a TEAM dedicated to the art of racing.

I do think, however, they still have a trump card left: Fernando Alonso. Particularly becuase Ferrari wants him. Minardi could, in theory, sell Alonso for mucho dinero, and run a field of a combination of Mazzacane/De La Rosa/Diniz (all three are worth a LOT of money). However, there's no denying how much trouble Minardi is in financially. It seems that every year, there is the same situation.

I think many a corporate sponsor (*cough*Coca-Cola*cough*Virgin*cough*) would score a major coup by investing heavily in Minardi. Think about it: they have one of the best three chassis in F1 (Brunner's design is right up there w/ Newey's and Byrne's). What they don't have is, in fact, directly related to money. They can't afford an engine program/good engine or a good driver. Considering that Minardi's budget is about 50 million....an extra 60 mil would even Minardi up w/ the field.

[LYM]

Well the latest news is that Rumi is going back to manage Minardi and Ford may just extend its engine contract for another year. Slice of hope at least.

Also earlier on I think Bernie is trying to persuade Jaguar to supply Cosworth engines to Minardi. Now who say the boss is cold and heartless?

[Peter Mallett]

If Bernie really wants to help he should get Mercedes to supply one year old units. I for one, would like to see a "Brunner" chassis with some decent power.

[Wiki]

Not sure if Mercedes will be so keen to supply Minardi - the little minnows have some strongish links to Ferrari (apparently the scarlet mechanics used to slip them the odd turbo unit to play with on the sly in the heady days of super-fuel racing)

And even a year-old Merc engine is bound to hold a couple of secrets for the Ferrari crew if they could get the chance to take it apart and see what makes it tick,

Hope Minardi do find themselves a saviour tho, it wouldn't be the same without them

[Peter Mallett]

I guess you're right. Just look at what Renault are saying about Williams and BMW.

Shame though.

[Bononi]

And a one-year-old Mercedes could be a treat for most of teams on the midfield...