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Should Stoddie sell Minardi?
I've received an email from one of the senior members of this board wanting me to put the question in the headline of this thread on the front page as a poll.
While I think that the prime fan base of the team shouldn't ask such questions in such troubled times I think it would make a good topic for discussion so... discuss
Comments
Be very careful what you wish for, I think Stoddart is a definite anomaly in that he actually gave a crap about the 'legacy' of the team he bought and I believe has tried (too hard, in fact!) to preserve that.
What would happen if someone who views that legacy in terms less, shall we say subjectively, buys the team? Does anyone seriously expect Midland to bear any resemblence at all to Jordan next year?! Eddie will putter around until he realizes that in effect he's Milton from 'Office Space' and fade away. For the most part folks buy teams to do what Red Bull has done with Jag, a complete re-brand, it just depends on how long. It's far too expensive a sport to do it any other way.
Minardi's lack of tangible results would make that outcome almost a certainty. Having Stoddart own the team is like winning the lottery in that sense.
yes, he should sell, for the good of his health. he's a chain smoker, stressed and have too much burden for little rewards. he should sell and recover his investment at least...he might not be able to make much money but for b.e. to get another signature with his side, he'll try his utmost to get a price from a buyer which p.s. would accept.
he's the best thing that happened to minardi since 2000 as without him minardi would be like jordan changing into midlands or larrousse into prost or tyrell into bar...whatever anyone might say...he kept his word to gcm in maintaining the team name...
so, i hope he sells...for his own sake...but if he sells, there's no guarantee that the minardi f1 team will be here for long...
also it looks pretty 100% certain that the whole bunch at faenza will be chopped before anyone can say "jack robinson" when the team is sold...sad...
Timeline?
plenty of billionaires waiting to grab miinardi for a song and they are no charities who would want to keep faenza in the fold...
goto: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=23750
and you'll see how pretty quickly this can happen...
Hey, after this debacle, the changing of the logo, the disappearance of GCM from public view I do not have a warm and fuzzy about any of this.
Look - we all put our faith in Massimo and the gang to get the cars on the track in '05 trim.
Did it happen - you betcha !
Like I quoted - they are italaina - there will be a way.
GCM will save the Team!
If the new car will be fine, and minardi will finally show something good after 2 crappy years, maybe someone will come...
My head tells me this will not happen BUT if he sells, Minardi dies.
Stoddie, don't sell but in the name of Michele, get a money man in there to raise some cash.
GCM will save the Team! - Wouldn't that be great! We live in Hope!!
I doubt this very much. We are but a pawn in the game he is playing. He knows that if he goes out, minardi dies, therefore F1 will only have 9 teams. Not the best advert for F1 or GPWC.
Also PS knows a good investment when he sees it and a windfall is close, by either signing up with Bernie or the GPWC. Stocks in F1 are a good investment at the moment. He's not going anywahere, or at least I hope.
1. Stoddart is an emotional bloke and could do anything depending on where his head is at. If it were otherwise, there would be no Minardi.
2. The last 12 months have seen him solidify his capital base for the team, with the outcome being new car, more testing, etc.
3. There is an enormous pot of gold over the rainbow and only a lunatic wouldn't stay the course, IF THEY HAD A CHOICE (PS: See point 1)
4. He loves the sport and sees himself as the one person that cares enough to bring it closer to the people, and to save its long term future (HIS view).
Hard to see reasons why he would sell, or quit.
No, he shouldn't sell the team, but he should be tackiling his grievances in a more sublime way at the moment.
Hey, are you guys tryin ta muscle in on my territory?! Huh?!
Thank God for Quigley.
[Edited on 8/3/2005 by Lease]
5 years and we've gone nowhere, now we FINALLY have the optimism of having a half decent engine to coincide with a new car rather than using a 3 year old lump as we've done in the past. The future looks bright, but if the optimism after Imola goes, and we still find ourselves in the same position, surely its time for him to call it a day.
My opinion on him has slowly gone on a downward spiral. I looked upon him as the saviour of Minardi and the pride of the private teams, but slowly but surely, with the amount of bullshit that comes out of his mouth, he really has gone down in my estimate, and last weekend diabolical attempt of getting sympathy, followed by wasting everyone time from the FIA, and the courts to the fan on the street and his dog, really did make me lose my patience.
I just feel trapped in a timewarp of hope, and i think this is his final chance. If he fails, its time for him to jump ship.
I just want a sugar daddy to pump money into helping us, ala Roman Abromovich, and to keep the good Minardi name. But we can just dream....
As for plenty of money in Bologna, just how much does 'Sandro Nannini make form his coffee shops? and he did contribute to save the team once before.