Stoddart wants to put an end Minardi

Brooksey

F1 Racing says he's urging Hyundai to buy the team out - thereby ending the Minardi legacy in favour of the Korean automotive giant.

I like Hyundai's, but I would NEVER support them should they take over Minardi. If they were to make Minardi Hyundai, yes, but not if it meant Minardi going out the door.

willie12masters

It doesn't say that

Brooksey

Paul Stoddart has urged Hyundai to accelerate into F1 with Minardi. The Australian team owner has heard speculation linking the Korean car manufacturer with Samsung and former BAR boss David Richards' likely interest in mounting a F1 bid.
"I have had no approach from them at all," Australia's Stoddart insisted, "but I would like one. That is the kind of way I would like Minardi to go."

The Minardi chief made the plea as Eddie Irvine and vodka mogul Roustam Tariko were linked with his Faenza squad.

Paul said he briefly spoke to Irvine, the former Ferrari and Jaguar driver whose talks to buy Jordan broke down, at Monaco. "I am aware he is shopping," Stoddart said of the Ulsterman, "but he is one of five people who are."

I dont know how you read into that, but I see it as Paul wanting a stronger power to take over. He's said he will only leave if someone comes along who can take Minardi further. By Minardi I doubt he means the Minardi name, more the Minardi people. In this case, it may be under the Hyundai banner. Personally it would be nicer to see David Richards in charge of a 'Hyundai Minardi' squad, sponsored by Samsung. Even better would be watching a Minardi knock off a BAR fair and square! (sweet revenge for DR - beaten by the minnows)

willie12masters

Personally I think that they way he has said that is that he is looking for a partner rather than someone to buy him out.

A new small manufacturer is the perfect partner for Minardi.

I think that would suit both parties. I don't think Stoddard is looking to rid the Minardi name.

Petroltorque

Folks, wake up and smell the coffee! Minardi are not in a position technically or performance wise to tie up with any manufacturer.
The best bet is a buy out from another industrialist or someone from a technology company.

willie12masters

Yes, but if Hyundai aren't going to have there own team, then who would possibly become partners with them, given their lack of f1 experience?

I think Minardi would be favourites.

If Hyundai became Partners with Minardi then any terrible result could be past off as a typical Minardi result. Whereas Minardi having a strong race could be seen as Hyundai turning Minardi around.

It makes sense...to me

Maybe just wishful thinking though

Ger

I also think Hyundai getting involved with Minardi in partnership would be a great way for them to test the water in F1 only thing is the money needed to start a F1 programe makes me think this is not going to happen. Does Hyundai have an involvement in any open wheel class?

Manni

The fact is that there are only 10 licences out there.

If you buy outside of the licences you have to fork out 40 mill. Therefore Minardi can provide a good option to test the waters for a manufactuer.

But it will never happen.........

TasM

I hereby pledge to buy an all new Sonata should they partner Minardi.

I would also welcome Samsung to sponsor Minardi as they also sponsor my favorite team, Hawthorn.

Yes Oz, I'm a hawk fan...

I'm sure a lot of potential 'car buyers' like me that would normally overlook their cars, may give them a chance if they bring more sporting prestige to the brand by going the F1 route. They have a new fantasic car on paper in the all-new Sonata. In an unbiased view, you would be hard pressed to discount it as a serious contender in the medium car segment. There is one major problem, the branding. If Hyundai want to really compete on quality of product and engineering instead of 'cheap' pricing as they claim, they will need a concerted effort in the changing the image of the Hyundai name. willie12 makes perfect sense. F1 and specifically Minardi are the perfect vehicle (pardon the oun) for a brand rebirth. Back of the pack would be expected, any better and it would be to Hyundai's credit as well as the team.

Any success would change a few opinions out there in the consumer market.

Are you listening Korea?


[Edited on 26/7/2005 by TasM]

JuniorMin

haha.. that's the fnniest thing I've heard in days!

A Hawthorn supporter!

Minardi and Hyundai? Possibly they could look to rebadge the V8 Cosworth initially, freeing up dosh for us to provide a new car for next year. Now that would be my preferred option.

bernie

any later news on this topic?

salvo

hiunday interested in williams according to gazzetta delo sport

If hiunday buys minardi there won't be any minardi anymore, can't you see it???:o
wake up

Minardus

We can see that Salvo, but Stoddart wants a manufacturer so that the workforce can be assured they retain their jobs.
Like Peter Sauber when he sold to BMW!!!

Imagine he sells to a private company like Midland.
A LOT of people have left the team since !!!!

viges

There's only one team for me ...

http://carltonfc.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/graphic/571016au.gif


Strewth! You beauties ...

Obviously, the season has been a little disappointing.



[Edited on 31/7/2005 by viges]

MinardiP1

they won well today viges.

minardibrasil

Minardi Hyundai, or Hyundai Minardi? The sold for Hyundai would not represent the end of the Minardi team?

Rime

Latest news is that Stoddart is negotiating with 3 potential buyers:

Some Russians together with Eddie Irvine, an buyer out of the middle-east and according to the dutch press today a consortium of several dutch companies (W.P. Stewart & Co., Greenfield Capital Partners and ABN-Amro).

Noteworthy is that al these companies are connected with Albers.

About Albers: His management is in negotiatins with 4 teams: Minardi, Midland, BAR (3th driver) and BMW.

Petroltorque

All this talk about needing manufacturer input to safeguard the team is pure mendacious spin on Stoddarts part. All it requires is an owner willing to put more investment in than has been the case for the past 5 years.
In addition Stoddart will have his hands full trying to get his airline business off the ground in an economic downturn. Just look at the cost of aviation fuel.

Lease

oops, another wrong turn by the Sawbones.

Since the recession of the early 1990s, the Australian economy has not suffered a recession in over 13 years. As of October 2004, unemployment had fallen to a level of 5.2 per cent, the lowest level since the late 1970s. The price of shares listed on the Australian Stock Exchange has also grown significantly since the early 1990s.

Sorry, but we decided to give the economic downturns that you lot, the USA, and Asia keep having, a big miss for the time being.

Brooksey

Forgive these foreigners Lease. To them, if the US economy so much as sneezes, everyone catches a cold. :angel:

Skruff

Economic downturn? From what I can see OZ is going through a high point at the moment. Across the ditch we've got the lowest unemployment rate in the developed world, our dollar is at record highs against all currencies and the government is running such large surpluses that they are can't find enough things to spend the money on.

Economic downturn? Where?


[Edited on 25/8/2005 by Skruff]

SuperRoo

Northern Hemisphere! The old world....

viges

No, no, shh, I heard something ...

Lease

Silly old bear!

Look, sombre, mature, prudent, and most importantly, far sighted fiscal policy has insulated this country (and the hangers on across the ditch) against the very problems encountered by those already mentioned.

In other words, we're rich and your not! nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah!

MCSF

We could snap our fingers and have you people back peddling Croc Dundee. Don't push it.

Petroltorque

I'm afraid Lease has misconstrued my post. I am referring to the expenditure/ risk involved with a new airline business. No matter what you might think that area of business is in free fall. I'm unsure as to just how much equity in the business Muerman's has. But one can be sure he will insist that Stoddart takes a very hands on role. That might explain the rumours in the specialist magazines that Stoddart is negotiating the sale of the team, ( this weeks Autosport).
To illustrate the point of the airline business, on of your countrymen, Paul Eddington, is at this very moment trying to extract British Airways's balls from a very hot fire!

MarkIII

Stoddart wants to sell to a team that'll provide £50m budget a season (a reasonable budget, I guess), but the Irvine consortium can only offer 70% of that at present. In other words, we'd be no better off.

Also in autosport, Stoddart says he wants to keep both Albers and Doornbos, and therefore keeping both Minardi drivers for the following season would be the first time Minardi have done that in their 20 1/2 year existence. Although of course there are rumours Albers wants to move to Midland. Well, I suppose somebody has to drive for them.

Also, Stoddart suggests that Minardi have got a 'secret weapon' in the form of the Cosworth V10, and enough budget for 20 days testing.

Well, that'd be nice.

I'm quite optimistic for 2006 for Minardi, as long as it's the last season we have with a V10 and a PS05 chassis. Better to have a potential advantage with this V10 than no advantage at all by going to a V8 and having to spend money on a new chassis.

bernie

First, I'ld like to say HERE HERE to our OZ friends, I've always thought that convicts and hookers could do a better job than others in running a country.

WOW! keeping that same drivers! That's a novel idea! Perhaps it might even provide a growing fan base and start to look like a longer term plan. WOW! If only one of us had thought of that!

Personally, I've been following this "minardi for sale" situation like the rest of us. I am wary of even commenting because you never know what's going on and the rationale of the decisons behind closed doors in board meetings. What may look stupid to us could appear completely logical to those making the decisions...even though they truly might be stupid decisions. Decisions made in a vacuum with lots of yes men canbe like that.

The bottom line it that we need cash, continuety in driver and car development (which go hand in hand) and increasing the exiting brand awareness.

In other words, it would make sense to maintain the Minardi name, etc, for as long as possible. the fan base is very loyal and forms the foundation of a longer term effort for any new owner. Well, that, I think, should be the logic, but then again you get a couple guys flying in on their own private jets and having someone carry an umbrella over their head to protect them from the rain when they exit, and all the sudden their own self worth and ego gets int he way of rationale decision making....kinda like Pat Robertson, a religious leader, suggesting assisination which actually pushes him over the the find line between far right and far left... too much isolation from the common guy leads to bad decisions...

let's see how good Stoddie really is and how he manages this effort...

Minardus

From Crash.net:

Minardi's increased links to Holland could see the team offered a financial lifeline from a consortium of Dutch businesses, according to the Formula One grapevine.

National newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reports that representatives of banking giant Amro led the group in talks with both Minardi boss Paul Stoddart and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone over the Turkish Grand Prix weekend, which could see an offer made for a share of the team. Ecclestone also apparently met with the group in Amsterdam last week.

"We asked Mr Ecclestone about the future prospects for Formula One, amongst other things," Standard Dutch Amro's Jean Luc Zeguers revealed, "Nobody knows precisely what will happen in motorsport, and we thought it would be interesting to see what the man in charge makes of the current state of affairs."

The consortium is also understood to include investment groups Greenfield Capital and WP Stewart and Assistant Ltd, as well as private investor Michel Mol, who is already involved with Minardi via his Lost Boys and Media Republic companies. Mol, who is a personal backer of current Minardi driver Christijan Albers, was also present in the meetings with Ecclestone.

Amro is understood to also have assisted Albers in joining the Faenza team this season, although the driver's presence is not necessarily linked to the latest enquiries.

"Christijan's future and any possible buy-out of Minardi do not go hand-in-hand," the driver's manager Lodewijk Varossieau, "Christijan obviously wants to race for a team further up the grid, and thus Minardi is not necessarily his first option.''

Similarly, the Amro-led consortium is not necessarily the only option for Minardi, as Eddie Irvine and Roustam Tariko were again spotted in the Formula One paddock at Istanbul Park over the weekend. Team boss Paul Stoddart has admitted that he is always interested in talking to possible investors or buyers for Minardi, but would only do a deal if he felt it was in the best interests of his employees. The Australian has dismissed Irvine's interest once but was spotted playing host to the Irishman in Turkey.