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Paul, for God's sake, please hire a proper F1 designer (at least as a consultant) with a track record of being able to put a decent chassis together on a budget. Think Gary Andrson or even the turncoat Brunner.
While you're at it, an aerodynamics consultant is clearly an investment that needs to be made. And of course some wind tunnel time with our technical friends Fondmetal.
It's time to suck it up Paul. The fans that Minardi have are getting disillusioned with the alarming lack of performance and the attitude that you seem to have that surviving is simply enough.
Stop relying on hoped-for new rules and finances in 2008 being our saviour. The Group of 9 has become the Group of 7. What are you to do when it's a Group of One?
Bugger the future, stop putting your pennies away, it's time to put your eggs into the one basket and see where the day takes you. It's time to spend. If you go down, go down in fighting style rather than a kneeling whimper. If you have to sell, sell.
We, the undersigned Minardi fans, who long for the days when we would fight. :(
[Edited on 26/4/2005 by MinardiP1]
Comments
nah guys give it a couple more races the problem is not the chassis (i think) but the gearbox working together with engine as well as the brakes. the cars shifted way to early and that cost them at least a second per lap. they'll test next week to sort that out if there is still no improvement by Montreal or Indy it's time to start asking questions.
Having said all that and I do hope I am wrong, it means that Minardi is trying to survive in the present bleak financial situation and to do it it can only rely on sponsorships. There's no other income. Afterall with its present car, it cannot hope to harbour any hopes to score points. Therefore, it have to cut costs at all areas to prolong its run in F1 for as long as possible and in the meantime, it would try to land its catch in China or MiddleEast and of course the Eastern bloc. But in reality, who would want to put his sponsorship money on a back marker that last maybe 10 laps?
IMHO Minardi would be better off with an alliance with some engineering outfit to sort out its shortcomings to at least be a consistent finisher at the chequered flag if it can't cope up with the yellows. There's no point in trying to hold on with whatever it have. There's a limit to what the wonderful guys at Faenza can do. Can do and Make do type of engineering does not apply here at this high level.
Finally, I am back here at the forum. ;)
Ferrari arrived in Barhain with a car that although was fast could not compete. This coming from a team that has a whopping budget.
I think that it should be viewed as the following, on free practice on friday the minardi was able to have enough straight line speed to pass through the speed trap 2nd fastest.
Think that we are a little to eager to critisize: think of the complexity of getting the car set up properly. They have no idea of the tyre compound and the new vehicle, no idea of the reliability of the gear box, electrics, or even getting our drivers to make it around the track in qualifing.
So lets hang in there for a race or two and then see.
FORZA MINARDI
They haven't even found out how to setup the PS05 up yet.
It's a business for Stoddart, not a Quixotic hobby, whatever it looks like sometimes.
My beef is with the way basics don't seem to get done - like keeping hold of sponsors, building your team image and fan base, merchandising, the website - cheap stuff, a lot of it.
How's the world of Catalytic Converters? (just love that term)
Can't a guy dream?
Cat cons are the hot stuffs. :D
Great to see and hello to all of you around. Hopefully no more brickbats thrown at me.
:hehe:
Newey want to spend "quality time" with his family.
No more F1 for him in 2006 !!!
Ryton ????
I was surprised to say the least.
Surely it would've been a better idea to have used the ps04b at Imola. The race was suppose to have been a wet race and as a team who rely on the reliability of our car, and mis fortune of others to get points. Then surely Stoddard should've waited until Barcelona to debut the cars. I'm sure he was eager to debut the car and I know some miles were put on the clocks. But how gutted would we have been if there had only have been 6 or 7 finish the race the time and both our cars retired. Waiting for Barcelona would've been the right thing to do.
I wonder if Dave Richards fancies doing some Charity work.
No longer a virgin. I don't feel dirty at all.
An interesting point about running the PS04 but your argument falls a bit flat because it didn't rain !!
Welcome Willie12masters
willie - you should feel dirty. If you're doing it properly.
The problem is cash. Without money the team is stifled. These guys work their butts off and the problem might be the lack of a strategic marketing plan.
Perhaps a re-evaluation of how Minardi goes to market is necessary:
In my humble viewpoint,
1. Find proper sponsers who are related to the machine tool industry who might be willing to supply capitol equipment in exchange for advertising.
2. Retain quality drivers for longer term contracts. Alonso, Weber, sheesh. More fans, more PR more airplay. I am a fan of Zsolt. Red Bull has been searching for an American driver for some time. I suspect that the FIA would love to have an American Driver to get some more open wheel coverage in the US and tap in to the sponsership opportunities from some big US companies.
3. the complete lack of continuing stock of marketing materials, shirts, etc is abhorent. I spoke to several several venders at the last USGP in the last couple of years and they all told me that Minardi shirts, etc. are THE MOST REQUESTED items they get but that they cannot find any suppliers. One vendor told me he was considering getting pirated stuff!
4. Short term: CBS is covering only 4 races. Perhaps targeted marketing of some specific companies who could provide some much needed short term cash and or could get some local news coverage would be beneficial. Market to the next three races for the north american market and get some coverage with SPEED TV and CBS. Emmet has done a great job as a fan in generating interest but that is really the job of a professional. full time.
5. It's damn hard to compete in the top end of motorsports using equipment that is no better than a hammer and anvil. You can't rapid prototype, test, and mod in an anitquated shop.
So here is the idea:
1. Quit operating in survival mode and work a long term plan.
2. Devlelop a short term financing plan for some quick sponserships with some large potential North American folks (as this is an untapped and targeted market for FIA and Red Bull. Get the cash for survival but rifle shot market to large potential investors who may be able to help on several different levels. Not jsut cash but equiptment and technical expertise.
3. Find, lock down long term contracts for promising drivers. It's hard to retain a long term fan base with the constant cahnge in drivers and just chasing short term sponsership (Jos) is not a viable longer term solution.
4. spend the money for the marketing materials and develop a plan to promote Minardi as THE F1
5. target sponsers who can upgrade equipment and testing. No matter how talented the aero engineer it's damn hard to build a hydrofoil on a desert island with bamboo shoots and and some machete's.
6. Hit up the exisiting very loyal fan base to see who they know based upon the target market. I suspect that the people on this site know people who know people. Take advantage of the existing network with a defined plan that we can help wth.
it's all well and good to talk about who we need to design but we've gotta be able to build, modify and change. It's about money. With the right amount of money we can buy who we want...Like Alonso got bought. Step 1 in long term sponsers.
I blame this on a sales and marketing department that sucks. Start there.
Did you have a mba in marketing???:hehe:
Seriously, I think someone got lost in the survival jungle.
that being said.
yea, I did the MBA thing...but the real basis of the outline was inspired by Clausewitz, Moltke, and Frederick the Great. Not in that order I might add.
Old guys like myself had let the study world long ago and is more of a direct upfront businessman. Money and performance talks.
You don't build a car without a blueprint
You don't build a sponser base without a plan