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Aldo Costa, C Fittipaldi and Fisico are my most recent interviewees. The project is pretty much there and we are just sorting out photos and rights issues, which has taken forever. Anyway, contracts are being laughed at as we speak.
I do have a nice Stoddie anecdote from Murray but am advised that forewards are a waste of time and money.
Attention Minardi fans! In 100 words or less, tell me how you found Minardi and why the team has a place in your heart ...
I believe I found Minardi in 1999 or 2000, loved the livery, and it was also when I started to realize what TOIT was about through their actions in subsequent years. As I have seen personally and heard of from stories on ForzaMinardi.com and the Minardi Club San Francisco I learned how Minardi actually cared about fans and the racing, not sales of road cars. The teams never give up attitude and ability to wring out the most of their equipment and employees with the smallest budget is admirable along with Gian Carlo Minardi's continued development of young talent.
Michael Kilpatrick Sugar Land, Texas
(BTW feel free to edit if it doesn't read well, your the writer, thats just my general message and thoughts on Minardi.) Also good luck on the book!!!
Attention Minardi fans! In 100 words or less, without using the letter "e", tell me how you found Minardi and why the team has a place in your heart...
When they entered F1, Minardi were awful. But they kept going. They got better. And better. They became a team who clearly had both passion and technical creativity, and for whom racing was about the racing. They were indescribably cool. They did tend to break your heart once a fortnight, but that simply made the triumphs sweeter.
I was a Ferrari and Schumacher fan in the late 90’s until my eyes noticed a Jet Black car with a young man named Alonso. Murray Walker used to say they were the smallest team but every other team envied their closeness and of course the best coffee on the grid!
I was hooked! A crazy Australian had taken over and the super effort to get to the first race on the grid sealed the deal. Minardi was the team for me. Looking back now, how did I ever follow the unemotional, almost sterile statistical machine that is team RED.
Schumacher is still the most skilful driver I have ever seen, but it's heart that counts, and Minardi (and its fans) have a big one.
Anastasios Mangos Canberra, Australia
BTW: Good luck with the book. I will put my name down for a copy!
Thanks guys; silverghost, could I possibly have your real name and location?
Photo research is now going very well; I have a lovely one of Minardi F2 and the Monza 'flip' in 1993. I have to deliver the manuscript in the coming weeks so thanks for all your help and support.
I have also just commissioned a full results appendix, season by season, put together by the excellent stats guys at the Grand Prix Data Book.
I was what I suppose would be best described as a casual F1 fan, I'd watch but it was mainly because of the amazement at the speed and handling of these cars. I would hear reference to the Minardi team, but that was about it. Then Stoddie turned up, and from there I found the Forzaminardi website and a group of fans that were more passionate than any Ferrari tifosi could possibly hope to be. I'm still here and have no intention of leaving. Even before Stoddie came along, the "Minardi" way was more "Australian" than it probably have knew.
For me, I saw Formula 1 for many years through "Rosso Corso" eyes. Willing those scarlet (then day-glow red) cars to the top spot on the podium. Only to be left disappointed at season end. Then the Schumacher juggarnaut rolled into Maranello. I saw a driver racing as hard as he could against the might of Britain, and I was hooked. Then a race in Valencia change that. Win at all costs is not what sport should be. "Punching above your weight" is something many Australians sports people are used to. It is something that I found at Minardi. I suddenly got my passion back. I could see this team competing against the corporate might of the pitlane, and was never intimidated. Money can sometimes buy success, but it cannot buy passion. Minardi exudes passion. Sadly the Minardi name is missing in F1, but the careers that were sporned by the team are still there. We just wait for the next world champ whose career was started by Minardi. Forza Minardi!!!
Joe Capacchione Melbourne, Australia
Sorry viges, I didn't count my words. You can cut it down if you like.
I first got into F1 by following a guy called Ukyo Katayama. I have no idea why, maybe as i was young i just liked his name. The last team Ukyo drove for was Minardi, so after Ukyo left F1, i decided just to follow this little team and their drivers.
Minardi will always have a place in my heart as they werent the quickest, nor the richest, but they continued racing for the love of the sport. The little success they did have felt like winning the championship
I remember I first really noticed Minardi in 2002 when Mark Webber finished as fifth, when the Toyota had spun. Next time was the story with Justin Wilson in 2003 before he went to Jaguar before the German Grand Prix.
However, I really support them since 2005 after reading there will be a new car which was random because I wanted to know what the rivals of Nick Heidfeld(I support him,too.) where doing after the 2004 season after reading there will be a brand new car for the sympathic underdogs. It is still a shame that the 2005 season also was there final season, I really was looking forward to the Minardi PS06.
I first started supporting Minardi at the tender age of just 13yrs.I remember it like it was yesterday,it was 1995 and my dad was watching the grand prix. I knew little about the sport at that time but as the positions came along the screen this name just hit me, the name was Lamy.I just had to keep watching to see which team he was driving for. then for a second it was there this nice looking Green&White machine. after that I was hooked.But as Pedro Lamy drifted away from F1 there was only thing I wanted to do, support the team that captured my heart and that team was MINARDI.
Quick update; we are aiming for March publication. (June 19th 2008 is 20th anniversary of the first point in Detroit). I have to deliver the manuscript and photos by the end of July.
I remember Minardi in their early years as the team struggling at the back of the grid. I paid them very little attention but then seemingly out of the blue (I would guess that it was 1989) they battled hard and started getting in the points. At the time I thought 'wouldn't it be funny if the little team could beat the Mclarens and williams' I thought a little more and decided that it wouldn't just be 'funny' it would be 'great' and that became my dream.
I'll assume that there's still time left and post mine:
As a relative newcomer to F1, I only started watching in 2003, I can't claim to love the team for the early years. With no American drivers, there was no logical team or driver for me to like, so I looked to the back of the grid, much the same as I had done in NASCAR. Justin Wilson seemed to make more of a bad car than anyone else, and Verstappen was clearly a wasted talent (and has been my favorite driver since then.) I looked around the internet for information about the team, stumbled upon their official website forum. I found the fans to be as friendly and likable as the team, and have remained a Minardi fan ever since.
Matt Rekart Kirkwood, Missouri, USA
I'm a bit long-winded on these types of things, so that's actually 121 words. Edit if you need to.
In 2000 Gaston Mazzacane's galant defence of his position against Mika Hakkinen inspired me to follow the team in 2001. Fernando Alonso’s impressed from the very first race and I was hooked. Minardi moments were rare, but always sweet. Mark Webber’s points on debut, Zsolt Baumgartner’s well deserved 8th place in Indianapolis just days after the birth of my son have cemented the team’s place in my heart.
Comments
I do have a nice Stoddie anecdote from Murray but am advised that forewards are a waste of time and money.
Attention Minardi fans! In 100 words or less, tell me how you found Minardi and why the team has a place in your heart ...
Michael Kilpatrick
Sugar Land, Texas
(BTW feel free to edit if it doesn't read well, your the writer, thats just my general message and thoughts on Minardi.) Also good luck on the book!!!
Come on boys and girls ...
I was hooked! A crazy Australian had taken over and the super effort to get to the first race on the grid sealed the deal. Minardi was the team for me. Looking back now, how did I ever follow the unemotional, almost sterile statistical machine that is team RED.
Schumacher is still the most skilful driver I have ever seen, but it's heart that counts, and Minardi (and its fans) have a big one.
Anastasios Mangos
Canberra, Australia
BTW: Good luck with the book. I will put my name down for a copy!
Photo research is now going very well; I have a lovely one of Minardi F2 and the Monza 'flip' in 1993. I have to deliver the manuscript in the coming weeks so thanks for all your help and support.
I have also just commissioned a full results appendix, season by season, put together by the excellent stats guys at the Grand Prix Data Book.
Peter Lawson
Melbourne, Australia.
Forza Minardi
Joe Capacchione
Melbourne, Australia
Sorry viges, I didn't count my words. You can cut it down if you like.
Minardi will always have a place in my heart as they werent the quickest, nor the richest, but they continued racing for the love of the sport. The little success they did have felt like winning the championship
Kevin McGuire
Aberdeen, Scotland
Next time was the story with Justin Wilson in 2003 before he went to Jaguar before the German Grand Prix.
However, I really support them since 2005 after reading there will be a new car which was random because I wanted to know what the rivals of Nick Heidfeld(I support him,too.) where doing after the 2004 season after reading there will be a brand new car for the sympathic underdogs.
It is still a shame that the 2005 season also was there final season, I really was looking forward to the Minardi PS06.
Michael Koch
Mücheln(Geiseltal), Germany
[Edited on 25-6-07 by DONTSTOP]
ps 4Eva, Aberdeen is MY city. I spent a great time there. Viva la Scozia!
Ive only lived here for 3 years, but its where i class home as being!
I love the Granite City too, a very happy year there. When were you there Salvo? Not 91-92, by chance?
I spent a year in Nottingham for a Shipping Law Masters 4 years later, it was good fun, but never as crazy as Abdn.
....and I'll be in Scotland afoooooore ya.....'cos me and my true love will never meet again.....in the bonnie bonnie banks....of Loch Loooomond!
[Edited on 19-6-07 by manlio27]
Mark Shakespeare
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
Keep an eye on:
http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/products/productList.php?prod_group=Motorsport&;
for any pre-order news. Cover designs are preliminary at the moment.
If you have so far failed to post your Minardi memories, time is running out. Speak now or forever hold your peace ...
I paid them very little attention but then seemingly out of the blue (I would guess that it was 1989) they battled hard and started getting in the points.
At the time I thought 'wouldn't it be funny if the little team could beat the Mclarens and williams' I thought a little more and decided that it wouldn't just be 'funny' it would be 'great' and that became my dream.
Eddie D....
W. Yorkshire
[Edited on 29-6-07 by JumpeySpyder]
[Edited on 8-4-08 by JumpeySpyder]
As a relative newcomer to F1, I only started watching in 2003, I can't claim to love the team for the early years. With no American drivers, there was no logical team or driver for me to like, so I looked to the back of the grid, much the same as I had done in NASCAR. Justin Wilson seemed to make more of a bad car than anyone else, and Verstappen was clearly a wasted talent (and has been my favorite driver since then.) I looked around the internet for information about the team, stumbled upon their official website forum. I found the fans to be as friendly and likable as the team, and have remained a Minardi fan ever since.
Matt Rekart
Kirkwood, Missouri, USA
I'm a bit long-winded on these types of things, so that's actually 121 words. Edit if you need to.
Minardi moments were rare, but always sweet. Mark Webber’s points on debut, Zsolt Baumgartner’s well deserved 8th place in Indianapolis just days after the birth of my son have cemented the team’s place in my heart.
Marc Sparks
Durban
South Africa