Existing Users: Because of an update to the forum software you will need to reset your password. Please use the "Forgot?" link on the sign in form to do so. If that doesn't work, send me an email at feedback@forzaminardi.com and I'll sort you out!
Congratulations to Faenza. Only saw one clip of the car. Does not look like the RB1 or the underfunded, underperforming PS05. Looks like a completely new concept though with clean lines. I've always maintained that what Minardi needed was proper funding for them to demonstrate their core engineering skills.
Comments
Why are you all holding on like the STR is some kind of quasi-Minardi? Get a fucking grip! Red Bull might have kept some shop floor grunts on board, but the heart and soul has LEFT the building and just like the King it aint coming back.
Move on! :rolleyes:
It's bought and sold like copy paper these days.....
The Austrian magnate however.....
To think that stoddart was purely 'in it for the money' is delusional. Bet he lost a heap all up. But he took the opportunity of an affordable chance to compete in F1 ... what real fan wouldn't like to.
Did he really expect the FIA and the teams to pay for his racing.
The final Straw was the Melbourne debacle. If you really believe that the rules were wrong, mount your defence in the off season. God knows there was more than enough time for this. Instead we had the episode in self promotion that went through the Melbourne courts that would have killed off F1 in Australia!
It will be interesting to see Berger's approach, few drivers have made eceptional team owners.
P1, we agree on most things but surely the heart and soul truly is the staff on the factory floor? I am not anti-Stoddie by any means but there is an interesting dilemma here: was Minardi 2001-2005 a true reflection of the talents at Faenza? None of us think so; at least none who were supporting the team when it was yellow and black, rather than black.
I admit to being torn on STR; it is not Minardi and yet it is.
This is not an Aussies -v- The Rest of the World thing. We all accept Stoddie suffered hugely after Sept. 11th.
On the new car there has been some superb detailing on the rear end. A real testament to the ability of the "grunts". One assumes that the FIA have cleared that the car is not the RB1.
Stoddart left the operation in Faenza, which is more than will be said about Red Bull in 12 months time. Oh please, F1 fandom is alive and well in Australia and outside of Minardi fans it wont be remembered by anyone except Ron Walker.
2001 was Stoddie's first season. It was cobbled together on a month's notice - it was a credit to him and the staff that they made the grid. Then Sept 11th happened, and Stoddie's plans went to shit. It was absolutely amazing he got so much signage on the car for 2002.
Also - I understand how the airline industry suffered as part of the Post 9/11 world and PS being part of that world he had to have suffered negative effects. Please don't put words in my mouth. I just don't think he was the right guy for Minardi.
All teams agreed Minardi could use V10's because of their financial situation, and, weren't going to really upset the pecking order in doing so.
I wonder if a protest is pending...
havent posted for w hile so I might just start with an I told you so. last year i suggested that a restricted v10 would perform pretty well againt the enw v8s, at least for the first half of the season, and was lauged out of the message board, so what has changed your guys opinions? anyway who cares, I wanna sa max torq made the best point., 'paul stoddart was the only man for minardi' at the end of the day,
he kept the team in faenza, he kept the core of the staff, he kept the name alive, and he payed respect to the team emeners at faenza after basically every race. Admittadley he didnt advance the team, and the funding was a üproblem, but who else was gonna take that gig. It was also nice to have a t least one person who would tell may where to go.
@petrol 'Did he really expect the FIA and the teams to pay for his racing. ' obviously he never stated anything of the kind, what a ridiculkous statement, If I recall correctly he dameanded a more equal distribution of TV money between the teams, but also between the teams combined get a bigger share.
and btw
'I've always maintained that what Minardi needed was proper funding for them to demonstrate their core engineering skills'
also not true, youve mostly mainained that all/most of the enginnering talent left faenza a long time ago and it was all stoddarts fault.
Hondas got one of the biggest nudget now i reckon, last year they sent like 300 mil (at elast, just doing the engines and the half ownership), they should be strong, but then again there times are always dodgy,
mercedes is bringing out a new engine before seasons atrt with better reilability and 60 more PS, the chassis is a cracker so they shoudl be striong. (problems so far alot to do with the valves) cossies got the best donk at the mo, as everyone expected. renault look strong, will be really interesting on the new ferrari, MASSIVE diffuser at the back, hay out mirrors, trying to get the best cleanest air over the rear wing to save drag.
I doubt they believed that Stoddart would put a 4 year old anvil in the back though. Hell, they could have done that themselves and saved a lot of trouble.
Stoddart did not move the team from Faenza because; the staff would not relocate, he had no facilities to run an F1 team. Please don't mention the emplty buildings at Ledbury.
He kept the name because he did not want to forfiet TV money and travel expenses. If you make a name change thats the penalty you accept for the first year.
As for the loss of engineering staff that was obvious after 02. Just name a new tech man appointed since then. Hell the 03 and 04 car's had no aero time and the 05 car had only 260 hours. I agree Stoddart did not need to spend all the time at the factory but look he was more that happy to call the strategies from the pit wall rather than employ someone to do it prpoerly. What on earth was he thinking of at Spa last year?
At least RB have appointed ex Minardi staff in Fantuzzi and gave the team enough funding to show what talent exists in Faenza. The detailing on the rear of the STR is as good as anything I've seen on the Williams.
Superoo has a point though. Out the box the STR is already ahead of Midland, so they can't be happy.
On the V10 point, most tech minded people stated that a detuned V10 in the back of the PS 05 would be a disaster. I still stand by that.
The reason STR are competitive is down to a shit load of money and refined of an existing competitive chassis.
However if you compare the MacLaren 06 car against the detuned 05 car. Its the 06 car thats faster.
(looks like a thinly disguised RB1 to me):spank:
Its not a minardi and never will be !! - but I still hope it beats RB!
..........................................
As for the loss of engineering staff that was obvious after 02. Just name a new tech man appointed since then.
.........................................................
I only have one point: people are complaining about detuned v10's I guess since even before this regulations were published. So why the hell they didn't run V10's themselves, if it is so good? They could have tried it back in the middle of 05. For now on, every bit of sucess STR has will be atributted to the V10's, no matter if they reinvent solo effect.
And I still think that the PS05, with proper testing and development, could perform well. But that's history.
Also - I understand how the airline industry suffered as part of the Post 9/11 world and PS being part of that world he had to have suffered negative effects. Please don't put words in my mouth. I just don't think he was the right guy for Minardi. [/quote]
I've been away for a few days, i'm sorry for the late reply.
I was referring to your comments after the Faenza trip that detailed a degree of bitchiness from the staff about Paul Stoddart.
For a team of tail end charlies, that reeked of churlishness on their part.
I'd feel more than justified at the very least disciplining an employee who would bitch behind the boss' back, whilst he's bending over backwards to keep the team going one way or another, and thus somewhere down the line thus keeping that person employed. The same people who probably couldn't find sponsorship if there was a sign saying 'Sponsorship This Way!' ?
There's plenty of Generals willing and able, until the blood is being spilt. I hope so too, thanks. At least I can support them with a better reason than 'I know someone who used to work there'.
He also stated that all had jobs if they wanted them for a t least three years. Well its been three months and some have been shown the door - people that still wanted to be there.
So much for promises eh?
Look, you may have to have a Team to follow or support but for me - like I said before I'll just go back to pre Minardi days and just sit back and watch the competition.
If the staff at Minardi didnt like Stoddart they should have left.
I can only say, you don't know these guys, and clearly did not appreciate their commitment.
Results in motor-racing takes combined effort by all. You never heard Schumi refer to the Ferrari crew as grunts.
One or two racers have lacked respect for their team members (Jacques, for one) and they in turn are regarded as rather "up themselves" by those who appreciate that it takes the driver, the car, the factory, the pit crew and the strategy to win or even put on a good show.
The word and context in which you used the term conveyed an undeserved negative connotation. This then detracted from other points you were making. You're the loser as a result.
Spin
There are grunts at Ferrari, grunts at Williams, grunts at McLaren and yes, grunts at the team formerly known as Minardi.
I was referring to the guys on the shop floor, the guys that actually get their hands dirty. I'm not a military man, but it's the terminology I understand is used for the footsoldiers of an army, and the guys on the shop floor are definitely the footsoldiers of F1. Thus, the referrence.
I'm sure that most of the forum gleaned my meaning, but I hope that's cleared it up for anyone who took that particular comment out of it's intended context. :)