2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

Minardi passes into history

The Minardi name officially passed in to the history books on Thursday after team owner Paul Stoddart completed the final lap of its last test at Vallelunga on Thursday.

The emotional Australian, who sold the team to Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz in September, admitted he was choked as he became the last man ever to drive a contemporary Minardi.

Former Minardi drivers Gianni Morbidelli and Marc Gene, as well as many of the team's devoted fans turned up to witness its sad end.

"It turned out a more emotional experience than I expected to be the last person to drive a Minardi F1 car," said Stoddart.

"For so many years, Minardi has tried to give so much to so many, and it has been very touching this week to have received so many positive comments."

Gian Carlo Minardi first brought his small constructor into Formula 1 in 1985.

And while the Faenza-based team never grew to be anything more than a solid midfield runner in the early-'90s, it nurtured a cult following as it out-lasted several larger, better-financed efforts.

Minardi seemed to be forever on a financial knife-edge but by the turn of the century however it was clearly struggling for funds.

Six weeks before the start of the 2001 season Stoddart swept in to give the team a much-needed financial lease of life.

The Australian has put up a spirited and vocal fight in his struggle to survive against the might of the manufacturers for the last five years, but even he was eventually forced to give best and sell up.

The outfit will now become Red Bull's B-team in 2006.

"Now the team has moved on to become Scuderia Toro Rosso, I wish them every success, although I know I'm not alone in thinking it will always be Minardi in the minds of so many people," said Stoddart.

"On a final note, Minardi is only what it is because of the people within the team, and I have enjoyed the best five years of my life working with some truly professional individuals.

"Thank you to all of them."
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:( :( :( :( :(
 
Flibster said:
:( :( :( :( :(
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Too true, in these days of corporate identities and large conglomerates it's been great to see a bunch of folk going out and giving their all not for the guys in hospitality with their cucumber sandwiches but because they truly love what they do.

It was incredible what Minardi were able to do with the budgets they had but also a sad reflection on the state of F1 at the moment - in 2004 Minardi struggled at the back of the field while spending more than Williams did in 1993 when they designed, built and ran the most advanced F1 car the world has ever seen.
 
rpstewart said:
Too true, in these days of corporate identities and large conglomerates it's been great to see a bunch of folk going out and giving their all not for the guys in hospitality with their cucumber sandwiches but because they truly love what they do.

It was incredible what Minardi were able to do with the budgets they had but also a sad reflection on the state of F1 at the moment - in 2004 Minardi struggled at the back of the field while spending more than Williams did in 1993 when they designed, built and ran the most advanced F1 car the world has ever seen.
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Or to look at it another way - Minardi's 2005 budget would not have paid for Michael Schumackers wages for the year...

Very very sad day. :(

Simon/~Flibster
 
F1 rights deal still requires FIA approval

Bernie Ecclestone and BayernLB's sale of Formula1's commercial rights to CVC Capital Partners still needs to be approved by the sport's governing body, ITV-F1.com can reveal.

In the wake of a confirmation by CVC, Ecclestone and BayernLB that a deal has been struck, the FIA has in turn confirmed that their consent is required for the deal to be completed.

Under what is often alluded to as "the Don King clause", the FIA reserves a right of veto to any change of ownership of the sport's commercial rights.

In other words, the FIA has the power to cancel its agreement with Ecclestone, which gives him the rights to F1 for a hundred years, if it sees fit.

"We have been aware of the discussions for some time, the completion of such a deal is contingent on the consent of the FIA," an FIA spokesman told ITV-F1.com on Friday.

"We await full and final details which will be considered by the FIA Senate and the World Motor Sport Council in due course."

Although the FIA wouldn't comment further, it is understood that it looks favourably on the deal because of CVC's experience in the motoring world through their controlling shareholding in the Automobile Association and their motor sports rights experience with Dorna and MotoGP.

However, CVC will also have to get the green light from the European Commission, which will need to be satisfied that the deal is not a threat to competition.
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F1 Changes Hurt Small Teams

Recent years have seen the cost of running a Formula One team spiral out of control, while rule changes have been aimed at containing these costs. Ironically, while the larger, richer teams are able to adapt to these changes, it is the small teams like Minardi, Jordan and Sauber that have been hurt in the process.

"The rules are changing constantly and that has killed our team," lamented former Minardi owner, Paul Stoddart, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "Changes are costing money. "F1 will miss Minardi, but small teams won't be able to survive anymore."

His counterparts, Eddie Jordan and Peter Sauber, had reached the same conclusion in the past year and sold their teams as well. "Now everything in Formula One is controlled by the big manufacturers. Politics are racing nowadays," continued Stoddart. "No team will be able to do what Minardi has done for young drivers. Sometimes we had to do it for the money I must admit but the best drivers came through us in Formula 1."
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WilliamsF1 resume testing on Tuesday

The WilliamsF1 team will resume testing this coming Tuesday, running with an interim FW27C chassis using Cosworth power and Bridgestone tyres. It is also expected that the team will shortly make an announcement regarding their third driver.

With the teams race drivers been announced, with Nico Rosberg joining Mark Webber, it is also expected that the team will shortly announce their Friday driver. Several drivers would appear to be on the short list for this position, but with the team losing the support of BMW it may be the case that the team has to take into consideration what funds the driver can bring to the team.

It is for this reason that the names of ex Jordan driver Narain Karthikeyan and ex Minardi driver Nicolas Kiesa are at the top of the list as it is expected that they will be able to bring considerable amounts of funding to the team. Other drivers who may able be on the list include Anthony Davidson, Alex Wurz, and Robert Doornbos.

WilliamsF1's Technical Director Sam Michael would not comment of the identity of the teams third driver but he did add that the teams decision would go beyond financial considerations. The driver would have to be able to perform in their testing role and be able to provide the team with good feedback.

In an interview for the British Autosport magazine Michael said: "The key requirement for a third driver is that they are consistent and give good technical feedback. Even the ability to learn a track is almost secondary because of the simulations we have.
"I have been surprised by the abilities of some of the guys we have been speaking to."
As for Karthikeyan his manager Piers Hunnisett said: "We're still talking to Williams, 'but we've had discussions with BMW as well."
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Midland up-size their wind tunnel to 50%

When Midland first bought Jordan a year ago, they came in making grand claims of re-investment and development. Today, as if to answer the doubters out there, has come news that the Brackley wind tunnel is to be enlarged to accept a 50% scale model.

In a development likely to cost many millions of pounds Midland are planning a major upgrade to the existing facility in Brackley. Media outlets everywhere are seeing this as the first sign that the team are serious about making a success of Formula One Motorsport.
In this week's Autosport magazine has appeared an article proclaiming that the team are planning to increase the wind tunnel size so that it can accomodate a 50% sized scale model. Currently, the facility can only handle a 40% model.

In addition the facility will be restructured so that it can run 24 hours a days rather than the current 18 hours, increasing the productivity of the investment.
The plans are due to kick off April/May time in 2006 and it is speculated that work will take approximately 1 month. Whilst the work is in progress, development will not stop as there is a further plan to rent another facility.

Midland's sporting director Adrian Burgess has been quoted as saying, "This is a big boost for the team," by Autosport.

A 10% gain in size doesn't sound much, but a knowledgeable source has revealed that moving to 50% is a huge gain in component scaling and manufacturing as well as the resultant data reprocessing, i.e. just times the figures by 2 to get 100%. This in turn produces yet further advances as the simpler the tunnel data is to work with mathematically the more time can be spent actually testing the components.

The biggest gain, reportedly, comes from tyre deflection. Bridgestone has spent three years developing a good 50% scale tyre that deflects air correctly. Midland can now use this development themselves on their 50% model car giving more accurate and meanful results, which should ultimately result in the car going faster!
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McLaren and WilliamsF1 post a profit

Recent published accounts indicate that two of Britain's leading F1 teams - McLaren and Williams - both made a profit.

The Evening Standard recently revealed that McLaren - World Championship runners-up in 2005 - turned a loss of almost £15m into a profit of £2.7m in its most recent published accounts.

In the 14 months ending December 2004, the Woking outfit witnessed a £27.1m increase in turnover, compared to the previous year, bringing it up to £106.6m. Some of this increase is due to the fact that the company increased its accounting period from 12 to 14 months.

During this period the team - which also builds the Mercedes-Benz SLR - moved into its new £200m state-of-the-art facility, which meant it could dispose of machinery and leasehold assets totalling almost £15m.

Mercedes owns 40 percent of McLaren, while the remaining 60 percent is equally split between Ron Dennis, and Mansour Ojjeh's TAG group.

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard also revealed that WilliamsF1, which finished fifth in the 2005 Constructors' Championship, turned a £1m loss into a £743k profit, according to its most recent accounts, which run to the end of November 2004.

The Grove outfit - the last true independent team, owned by Frank Williams and Patrick Head - increased it turnover by £5m to £89m, thanks to a number of (relatively small) sponsorship deals, including Budweiser.

One of the biggest expenses of these most recent accounts was the £11m wage bill for (then) drivers, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, and a further £21m for other team wages..

Since BMW provided the engines, this figure - thought to be worth as much as £50m a year - is not included in turnover.

In 2006, WilliamsF1 will have to pay (Cosworth) for its engine supply, though to be in the region of £9m, while the team also has to deal with the loss of (sponsor) Hewlett-Packard, which is thought to have been paying £20m into the Grove outfit's coffers.

That said, ahead of a rumoured switch to Toyota power-plants in 2007, WilliamsF1 is rumoured to have increased the size of its deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland, and can also expect around £18m compensation from Jenson Button, who opted to renege on his contract for 2006 and remain with BAR (Honda).

In 2005, the driver wage bill was reduced considerably, while it is thought that Hewlett-Packard and BMW may be liable to pay the Grove team some form of compensation following the early conclusion of both partnerships
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GPMA looks forward to dialogue with F1's new owners

The Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association has issued a brief statement in response to the news that Bernie Ecclestone and BayernLB have sold their shareholdings in F1 to CVC Capital Partners, in the guise of a new company, Alpha Prema.

"Today's statement by CVC Capital Partners, BayernLB and Bambino Holdings, confirming that Alpha Prema has reached agreement to acquire BayernLB's and Bambino's interests in Formula One Group, has been received with interest.

"We look forward to entering into a constructive dialogue with Alpha Prema as we pursue our objective to further develop the sport for the benefit of all stakeholders and in particular the fans. Meanwhile, the GPMA and its operating partner iSe will continue the preparations for the New Series."

Ecclestone, who along with Bambino - the Ecclestone family trust - has a shareholding in Alpha Prema, will remain chief executive of the business.
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Doornbos set for Red Bull
Former Minardi driver Robert Doornbos is on the verge of signing a deal to become Red Bull Racing's third driver next season, and is set to test for the team at Barcelona this week.

Sources have told autosport.com that the Dutchman, who has close links with Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner after driving for his Arden team in Formula 3000 in 2004, is set to land the position to work alongside David Coulthard and Christian Klien.

Although a final contract has not been signed, it is understood that the team are now in the final stages of sorting out the details and it should be agreed by this afternoon - when an announcement could be made.

That means Doornbos will be able to fly to Barcelona in Spain to join Red Bull Racing's first day of winter testing tomorrow – driving alongside Klien.

The appointment of Doornbos at Red Bull Racing means that GP2 front-runner Neel Jani, who had been expected to take the third driver role, may now be moved across to fulfil that position for the new Scuderia Toro Rosso outfit.
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Interesting choice I think, looks like RBR are going for F1 experience rather than the huge pool of drivers they already have. Or possibly they think that the Toro Rosso car needs more attention?
 
:eek: 2006 Toyota unveiled today!! Didn't expect this, an extremely early launch!

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http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=34604
 
That Williams scheme is actually not bad, however it looks like it's a temporary testing scheme a la the orange McLaren MP4/12 in 1997. What is interesting is the size of the numbers, Williams have been at the forefront of the fashion to hide car numbers of late, usually the front number has been on the wing between the supports rather than on the nose cone.

We'll see what the final look in at the end of January, I would expect there to be additions to the rear wing and sidepods then.
 
Yeah, hopefully there are some major changes, that's just too blue! Suppose that's just the way it's going to be with RBS the main sponsor... Something to break it up a little would be nice.
 
Kinda like the new interim Williams colourscheme. Looks very nice - especially that shade of blue.

The new Toyota - can't see that much from the little pictures available - but is it me or is the rear end of that car very tightly packed..

Looks very small indeed.

Good move by Toyota getting it launched this early - 3 months of near continous testing coming. Hopefully Toyota will move forward next year.

Simon/~Flibster
 
I could see Toyota having a fair amount of clout with Bridgestone, not only from the Japanese solidarity standpoint but it's more than likely that Toyota will do big business with Bridgestone for road tyres. Granted they have the kudos of the Ferrari relationship but financially I think Toyota will be more important to them so it might be in Bridgestone's interests to keep Toyota as a corporation happy.
 
Flibster said:
The new Toyota - can't see that much from the little pictures available - but is it me or is the rear end of that car very tightly packed..

Looks very small indeed.
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I think the new V8 regs will lead to a trend for tighter packaging at the rear of cars. Next year's engines are physically shorter so if the wheelbase is kept the same the cars will be narrower at the rear. Dunno if the gearboxes can be made any more compact than at present or if they can be repackaged to be longer and narrower.
 
Jenson Button has offered to sacrifice his claim on the lead entry number in the BAR-Honda team in deference to new teammate Rubens Barrichello.

The allocated driver numbers for the team, 11 and 12, reflect the team's position in this year's Constructors' Championship. Button was at liberty to continue with the lead number for 2006, but the Briton has decided to offer it to Barrichello.

Barrichello scored his first race win as the number 11 driver, he won all his karting titles as number 11 and also took his first victory in the Formula Ford championship sporting that number.

"I have no particular affinity with any number - other than 1 of course, which I hope to race with enormous pride when I achieve my goal of winning the World Championship," said Button.

"In the meantime, I know how special the number 11 has been to Rubens in his past career and I thought it would be nice to make the gesture.

"We'll have plenty to be competing for on-track next season. We're good friends already and we're both looking forward to being teammates. I just hope number 11 isn't too lucky for Rubens next year!"
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Nice gesture but I still wonder who will be wearing the trousers in that team next year. I have more than a sneaking suspicion that Mr Button is going to get his backside well and truly whipped by Rubens.
 
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