We'll beat Jordan !!

Minardus

That's the aim according to PS (from F1racing.net):

News

17 January 2005
Minardi aim to beat Jordan

Can Albers help beating Jordan?
Ask Minardi's Paul Stoddart for a 2005 F1 objective, and the Australian will fire back a one-word answer. Jordan. "That's the goal," the plain speaking 50-year-old said in Birmingham.

Stoddart said the Faenza based team will unveil an all new car in March. "We started the car late," he added, "because of the late-to-arrive regulations, but at the moment every indication is that (the PS05) will be radically better than the old one."

Neil_s

I LIKE IT


especially this:

"at the moment every indication is that (the PS05) will be radically better than the old one."

FORZA MINARDI AND THANKS RJ FOR THE MAGNIFICENT WORK YOU ARE DOING HERE!

Clown

Stoddart said the Faenza based team will unveil an all new car in March.

Say what! :o

in Birmingham

:hehe:

Biker

at the moment every indication is that (the PS05) will be radically better than the old one.

To be honest: every team speaks positive of their (sometimes later) chances for next season. If you don't, you loose motivation and, not too unimportant, (possible) sponsoring.

Clown

^ But when your comparing a 2005 car to a 2002 car it actually will be radically better as opposed to just PR spin.

Brooksey

I read in one article how PS is thanking Cosworth for their "enormous" contribution and technical support with the PS05...

Now think about that for a minute, Cosworth are a separate entity to any team now. Considering Red Bull have admitted to looking at other manufacturers for engines, and Minardi's close and prolonged relationship with Cosworth, perhaps Cosworth are supplying more than just engines...tech support with the chassis (from their knowledge of the Jaguar's) maybe? An integrated chassis/engine package? Maybe this explains PS being so upbeat all of a sudden?

lock

If so, most likely this will have something to do with gearbox and electronics (PI), possibly suspension. But not the chassis. It has been a long time ago since Cosworth did something on a F1 chassis.
But considering the short period of time and the words from Paul that changes caused the car to be introduced late, it looks more likely that the chassis development has been done long before the Cosworth deal was done. Hence, I would say suspension and aerodynamics were developped before too. And, as Minardi is proud of it's own gearbox, there's a good chance that it's just politics...or money.

lock

lock

vuurmuur

Miinardi might have a chance to beat Jordan, now it has been taken over by Midland. Maybe there will be no new chassis for them at Silverstone and Midland is going to save money for the 2006 season like BAR did with Tyrrell.

Biker

Miinardi might have a chance to beat Jordan, now it has been taken over by Midland.

There are strong rumours, but, as far as I know, no confirmation yet.

vuurmuur

Yes, but this time it looks like it is going to happen. It is on every website, even Reuters.

viges

Welcome back lock, where the Hell have you been for the last three years?! Or are you 'covering' for someone else?

yokosuna

Clown is damned right, if the new car can't beat a 2002 minardi then the team's in serious trouble :spank:

Brooksey I doubt Cosworth will supply extra help. I guess Stoddie meant they're working closer to Minardi than in the past. Maybe more men, or time, but that's it.
Cosworth never worked on chassis development, they only focused on engines. Kalkhoven and Forsythe won't overspend on F1, their focus is EARL/CART. Don't forget FoMoCo is paying for this year's Minarid engine. They signed a contract with Minardi and have to respect it or pay a large fine.

Lock I'd consider a serious mistake if Minardi were to drop Magneti Marelli for PI just because of Cossie's engine. They have been tech partner for many years and now Minardi very well. Both work OK together, why drop this when you can't be sure if Coswrth will keep making F1 engines from 2006 onwards?

Minardus

From F1live.com:

Paul Stoddart was one of many familiar Formula One faces to stop in at the Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham and as ever the Australian team owner was not afraid to mince his words as he promised a 'radically better' car for 2005 and vowed to try and beat the Toyota powered Jordan team.

"What's the target for 2005," Stoddart was asked. "To beat Jordan," Stoddart responded immediately. "We have a new car which I have seen the first results of now the first chassis is built. We are going to be late introducing it because of the regulations coming in late, it will be the fourth race, the first of the so-called European races at Imola. The early signs are that it is radically better than last years car."

With the rules dictating that each engine must last two Grand Prix, it is more likely that the new Minardi will race for the first time in the fifth race of the season in Spain.

"Nobody will mistake the two cars believe you me it is completely unlike any Minardi you've ever seen before." Stoddart continued. "With the tremendous support we are now getting from Cosworth, I think we could be dangerous - in our own little way - in the second half of the year.”

Stoddart's Minardi team compete with less then ten percent of the budget of many rivals and gets 95 - 98 percent of the performance, a fact Stoddart is very proud of.

Ger

Rumour has it Midland Jordan will run Lada engines in 2006

[Edited on 17/1/2005 by Ger]

Petroltorque

I think its a big ask to beat Jordan. That may be the target, but its worth remembering that as bad as Jordan were they were still 2 seconds faster than last years Minardi.
To beat them means that Jordan need to have got worse and Minardi need to find around 2s more speed. The new regs are likely to hurt Minardi more in terms of reducing lap times.
Minardi's Designer, Tilley is unproven. A lot of his work will have to be guestimated in view of the lack of testing. When faced with improving the 2002 car in 03, these guys made a hash of the job.
As for Jordan, Mark Smith is not a top drawer designer, the 2000 Jordan is testimony to that. But he will bring a lot of Renault chassis technology to the team. So the chances are that from mid season Jordan will make a leap forward.
On the drivers front, one hopes that Albers is not the lead driver, his record in single seat formula is not good. Yes I know he was German F3 champ, but F3 is only good a indicating talent if one looks at the results of the Blue Ribband races. Those are, ( for the ill informrd only), Macua. Spa and the Malboro Masters,

salvo

petrol is right. Slow down , boys.

Jello_Biafra

We'll gain close to a second from the engine alone. I remain optimistic.

Clown

but its worth remembering that as bad as Jordan were they were still 2 seconds faster than last years Minardi.

Big deal, A 2002 Minardi was 2 seconds slower than a 2004 Jordan with 80 more hp.

silverghost

And Heidfeld was in a different class to Gimmi and Zsolt. Chassis alone, the gap was nothing like as bad. That's not to say there isn't a lot of work to do to beat em.

viges

To the naked eye the 2004 Jordan looked a bigger handful than the Minardi.