PRESS CONFERENCE!!???

Neil_s

Any news about Red Bull's press conference? was it scheduled for yesterady or am I mistaken?

MarkIII

Did you mean about what Dietrich Mahhygjgzwoubschitz said?

Because he said that Minardi would stay in Faenza for the long term future (hurray) but the name would change, and have the word 'rookie' in the title (gngh).

His ambition is for Minardi to be the home for upcoming drivers, like it has done recently. I'm paraphrasing here, but that was the general gist of it.

At this time, I'm slightly less disappointed than I was before. As long as the Faenza people are happily employed, the spirit of the team can remain for now at least.

vuurmuur

Apparently Mateschitz spoke and said the following things:
Minardi will stay in Italy. And they will continue to use Cosworth engines the coming two years, but he didn't say if it will be V8 in 2007.

From Reuters:

Minardi will stay in Italy, says Mateschitz
Thu Sep 29, 2005 11:32 AM BST

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Minardi will remain an Italian-based Formula One team after their takeover by Red Bull, according to the energy drink company's billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

"For me, they are an Italian team and they should remain in Faznza," the Austrian told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on Thursday.

"But the team must become competitive and avoid being always last on the starting grid. We will change their image. It will be a mixture of entertainment and performance."

Red Bull already own one team after buying Jaguar from Ford last November and there has been some speculation that Minardi could be relocated close to that team's English factory in future.

Mateschitz has said he wants to turn Minardi into a Red Bull rookie team to accommodate young drivers being brought up through the company's development programmes.

He said Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi, currently the Red Bull third driver who has shared the main race seat with Austrian Christian Klien this year, was 99 percent likely to drive for the new team.

"He's quick and intelligent. The sort of driver people expect for his charisma and likeability."

American Scott Speed is a front-runner to join him with the more experienced Klien set to stay at the main team with Briton David Coulthard.

Mateschitz said Minardi would follow Red Bull and become ther fourth team to agree an extension of the sport's existing commercial agreement to 2012 but would remain with Cosworth engines for the next two years.

He said however that Minardi could seek a switch from Bridgestone tyres to Michelin, the brand already used by Red Bull.

"We will evaluate the offers," he said. "We have a good relationship with Michelin, maybe we will opt to use the French tyres also on the Minardi."

Mateschitz added that no decision had yet been taken on the team's management.

"We will not take them from Red Bull," he said. "That would be a mistake because we are not the best team in Formula One. We need expert people, but it will not be (former BMW motorsport head) Gerhard Berger.

"We need someone who can dedicate himself full time to the team and he (Berger) already has other commitments."

Ger

Autosport- Does not look good for the name!

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has said the Minardi team will stay in Italy when they race under the Austrian company's name.

Although Red Bull's Helmut Marko said earlier this month that Minardi's Faenza factory would be shut down and the team would be moved to the UK by 2008, Mateschitz said he wants the outfit to remain Italian.

"For me they're an Italian team and they must stay in Faenza," Mateschitz told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But the squad must become competitive and avoid being always last on the grid. We'll change their image: it will be a mixture of fun and performance."

Mateschitz, however, said the Minardi name was likely to disappear, and that the new team would have the word 'rookie' in their name.

The Austrian reiterated the main goal behind the Minardi purchase was to allow young drivers to find their way into Formula One.

"It was the ideal solution for our philosophy," he added. "We want to launch young people. There are more talented drivers than available cockpits. Who knows how many good racers there are in Africa, China, India, and no one knows about them.

"We want to follow these guys from an extremely young age, and make them grow. We want to become responsible for them, just like the Minardi team used to do."

Mateschitz said Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi, who has raced for Red Bull this season, was almost certain to land one of the seats at the second team.

"He's fast and intelligent. He's the kind of driver people expect for his charisma and sympathy," Mateschitz said.

The billionaire said the managing team, however, would not come from Red Bull Racing, their first Formula One team.

"We won't take them from Red Bull," he said. "It would be a mistake, because we still aren't the best team in F1. We need expert people, but it won't be Gerhard Berger. We need someone who takes care of the team full time and he already has other commitments."

[Edited on 29/9/2005 by Ger]

bladerunner

Well, the name is not definitive...gave us a little more time to get going and react :)

Mateschitz, however, said the Minardi name was likely to disappear, and that the new team would have the word 'rookie' in their name.

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