Playing with numbers
In these days of illusory calm, anxiously waiting the presentation of the new single-seaters, just over ten years after the last Grand Prix of the Minardi F1 team, I wanted to play with numbers and statistics.
Of course, it has been a game, but keeping in mind the scoring system of those years, the restricted economic resources, and all the difficulties in finding engines and tires, the numbers that emerged are fun and gratifying. If, on one hand the Minardi team is at the first place for the grand prix races without podium (in effect we finished three times in fourth) on the other hand we still are in the seventh place, behind giants as Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Tyrrel and Brabham, for the total grand prix races: 340 for Minardi, 326 for Liguer, 311 for Sauber and 300 for Renault which this year will return as a manufacturer. In the standings we are in the top 40, in 36th place ahead of Prost Gp, Toleman, Footwork. It took 73 races before playing a lap in the lead (1989- Portugal GP with Martini) compared to 178 races needed by Sauber and 82 by BAR.
On drivers’ front, Pierluigi Martini is in the fourteenth place for the number of grand prix raced with the same manufacturer (103) on 118 starts accomplished during his F1 career that placed him in the 48th place (in the first one there is Barrichello with 323 GP) and in the sixth place among italian drivers. Among the top six youngest debutants, the Minardi team is embodied by Fernando Alonso (19 years and 218 days) and Esteban Tuero (19 years and 320 days). Not bad.
As we said these are just numbers, but if we want to keep playing making suppositions, we notice that with the current scoring system, the Minardi team would have gone to points starting from its debut season thanks to “Piero” Martini’s eight place in Australia. In twentyone seasons, we would have not reached the top 10 only in 1987. The other great regret regards the supply of engines. Today, manufacturers are required to provide the same Power-Unit, unless exceptions made ad hoc, as in the case of Red Bull for 2016. As Minardi team, we had tryed to draw attention on this rule (unfortunately in vain), since sometimes we were forced to run with an engine of three generation before. Despite everything, however, in some circumstances, we managed to stay ahead of far more noble manufacturers. Little satisfactions.
With an extra smile, we are preparing to live and closely follow another intense season of Formula 1 … and may the best win.
