Minardi Story – Brazil, where it all began

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On April 5, 1985 with the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Circus inaugurated its new season, and Gian Carlo Minardi with the Minardi F1 Team signed his debut in Formula 1. After building a good reputation as a constructor in the minor formulas, the stable from Faenza was ready to write a new chapter in its story and share the paddock with giants like Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, Brabham, Ligier, Renault, Alfa Romeo, and Tyrrel. For his debut, Gian Carlo Minardi decides to consign his only M185 to a young Pierluigi Martini.

“On Friday, April 5, in the occasion of the first free practices, we realized to have entered into F1. A dream come truth”, Gian Carlo Minardi remembers. A dream and an adventure long 21 seasons during which he was able to build a significant reputation, becoming a springboard for drivers, mechanics, and engineers. The first Grand Prix was raced on the Jacarepagua track in Rio and finished at twenty laps from the checkered flag, due to an engine problem.

Anyway, satisfactions aren’t missed. In 1990, in Sant Paul, “Piero” Martini places the Minardi M190 in the fourth row thanks to his eighth absolute time, and closes the race in the top-ten, in the nineth place. The best result is reached the following year by Gianni Morbidelli who at the wheel of the Minardi M191 achieves the eighth position, after springing from the twenty-first place, ahead of Mika Hakkinen’s Lotus and behind the Benetton of Moreno. The win went to Ayton Senna (McLaren), ahead of Pratese (Williams) and Berger (McLaren). Those were the years of the prequalifying, with a selection of cars composed of almost 40 elements, and of the points assigned to the first six placed.

Historic Minardi Day | Pierluigi Martini awaits you with his M189 at Imola

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Among the greater protagonists of the Historic Minardi Day, scheduled for next June 25 at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit of Imola, there will surely be Pierluigi Martini. He will speed along 4909 track meters driving his M189 with which he conquered the first raw in the US, the score zone at Silverstone, in Estoril, in Adelaide, and the head during the Portuguese GP.“The M189 was like a tailored suit. Those cars were smaller than today’s F1 cars, and it seemed to be in direct contact with the asphalt”.

Thanks to his past, he is the symbol of the Minardi F1 Team. He inaugurated the M185, the first F1 single-seater signed by the stable from Faenza. He conquered the first world point in 1988 at the US GP and raced 104 out of 120 Grand Prix by the side of Gian Carlo Minardi. In his prize list, it also excels the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999. He continued the duo Minardi-Martini of the 70s when his uncle, Giancarlo, raced in Formula 2 with the Passatore and Everest Stable belonging to a very young Minardi.

“It will be a great party day in which all the keens and fans of the Minardi Team, and more, will have the chance to live again an important chapter of the Italian research in Motorsport. Gian Carlo Minardi, along with his Minardi Team, had the chance develop talented drivers, technicians, and engineers who distinguished themselves in F1 and offered us numerous excitements. Along with Gian Carlo I celebrated important goals like the debut in Brazil, the first world point in Detroit, the first raw in the US, the leading place during the GP in Estoril, and many points zones” , “Piero” Martini says. “Having the chance to recall everything in Imola, one of the most beautiful circuits, will be fabulous. We’ll have the chance to watch the cars on track, but also to look at them closely”.

The engines will turn on at 9.00 in the morning with the first laps on track made by the cars from Touring and Supercars, forerunners of the shows with F2, F3, and F1 cars. Already at 8:00 in the morning, the gates of the Paddock and of the garages will be open to show the single-seaters of the Minardi Team, of Toro Rosso Stable, and some unique and historical pieces. We will have the opportunity to look at the F3 Chevron-Toyota B38 with wich Elio De Angelis won the Monaco race and the Italian Championship in 1977, the March-Bmw Schnitzer 732 drived by Ernesto “Tino” Brambilla, the Formula 3000 with which Marini won in Imola, and many others.

Playing with numbers

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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.

Gabriele Tredozi's PS04 to remember Justin Wilson

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The traditional appointment with the Lorenzo Bandini trophy has taken place in Brisighella celebrating the amazing 2014 season of Mercedes, F1 World Teams’ and Drivers’ Champion.

Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe personally came and do the honors collecting the prize. Prestigious rewards also went to Gabriele Tredozi, historical engineer for the stable from Faenza and “dad” of many Minardi F1. Tredozi personally arrived in Brisighella at the wheel of his PS04 with a special F1 suit dedicated to his friend, driver Justin Wilson, tragically perished after the Indicar race.

“It was a terrific day. The spectators clapping sportingly and warmly for Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe were numerous, not only from Romagna” Gian Carlo Minardi remembers. “I am very glad for the prize with the gold medal to Gabriele Tredozi, an engineer that I really esteem being aware of his great worth”.

Minardi-Alfa: that marriage, collapsed at the last

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During the launch of the SF15-T, Maranello’s new car entrusted to the right foot of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen for 2015 Formula 1 World Championship, the attention of media and fans has been also attracted by the appearance of “Alfa Romeo” logo on Prancing Horse’s body.

Immediately, the mind of Gian Carlo Minardi jumped back into the past, reaching 1983, when the manager from Faenza decided that his Minardi team was ready for the big jump in Formula 1World Championship. It was certainly a challenge for daredevils, considering the shocking levels that costs were reaching in those years. The streets of Minardi and Alfa crossed at the end of 1983, when Gian Carlo wrote a letter to President Massacesi, proposing to buy the F1 team for a total price of 1,800.000 Italian lire. Getting no response, he asked to be received personally. The constructor left the factories of the legendary Milan company with the promise of providing the eight-cylinder turbo.

On this basis, started the project of the M184, consisting of a body made of Avional, carbon fiber and kevlar layers, high side-pods to give space to the radiators and an original triplane spoiler with mono-support and side flaps. Beating heart had to be precisely the eight-cylinder of Alfa Romeo. It had to be, in fact. The adventure Minardi-Alfa was ready to start, but with a cold and unexpected shower, President Massacesi announced, out of the blue, that marriage could not to be done. Damage was done, but too late to stop and surrender. There was no choice but to modify the M184 using the naturally aspirated Ford-Cosworth engine.

Hoverwer, in 1985 began the great and amazing (allow us) adventure of Minardi Team in Formula 1 World Championship at the wheel with Pierluigi Martini, lasted then over twenty years, no less.

Minardi back on the track

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Last weekend, during the Zandwoort Festival, some Minardis came back on track, in front of a public of 40,000 fans and F1 enthusiasts. The collector Frits van Eed brought back on the track, along with former Minardi driver Verstappen and Jan Lammers, six open-wheel cars of the team based in Faenza, completely restored with the original liveries .

Among the guests, Gian Carlo Minardi couldn’t certainly miss the event: “It has been a long day absolutely thrilling, fascinating and exciting. Watching these cars – that stayed stopped for about 20 years – running on the track again is something beyond words. I have to congratulate Frits for his passion for the world of Formula 1 and for the colors of the Minardi Team. Consider that in his museum there are more than 60 cars, of which 11 (out of 22 built) Minardi”, Gian Carlo Minardi comments. “I am really pleased because it all happened on the occasion of Zandwoort Festival, this year dedicated to Italian products, and Frits has chosen to bring my cars on track, despite he also owns three Ferraris, plus lots of Williams, McLaren s and other cars that you cannot see around anymore. I also saw the Minardi M187-Motori Moderni running on the track, perhaps the most beautiful car”.

Do not miss the video on Minardi-TV with the Minardis in action on the track!

Minardi-Senna, a pair broken too son

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Twenty years have passed already since that tragic 1st May of 1999, when the “Grim Reaper” ripped out the life of that amazing Brazilian driver that was Ayrton Senna.

Minardi Team – a springboard for many champions – should have hosted the last great season of Ayrton. Yes, Senna and Gian Carlo Minardi have always been tied by a sincere friendship and mutual esteem, whose origins are rooted before the arrival in F1. The first to reveal Ayrton’s will to end his career in the World Championship driving a Minardi has been his father, Milton Da Silva: “After the fifth World Championship Title, Ayrton would have joined the team of Faenza. Unfortunately, the destiny has prevented him to do so”. Ayrton and his father often “sought refuge” in the Faenza motor-home to dine with a good typical meal from Emilia-Romagna (the region where Faenza is based). Gian Carlo Minardi comments: “If the father had not revealed this story, it certainly would not have come out from me. It would have been just as cheating on a friend”.

The first contact with Senna came in 1982, with the Brazilian involved in Formula Ford and Minardi in F2 with his team. “Paolo Barilla noted him, driving in Kart races, and during the Hockenheim weekend invited the young Senna for a dinner at the hotel. I offered him up to 50 million of Lire to join us in F2, but Ayrton politely refused”. Already in those years, Ayrton had clear ideas on his route, which included winning the first title in Formula 1 World Championship in 1988. “He thanked me very kindly as I was the first to offer him some money to drive, rather than asking him for. Since that day, in conjunction of F2 and Formula Ford races, Senna came back again in our motor-home to dine with us, keeping a good relationship with us”.

Once arrived in Formula 1, Senna and Minardi and continue a positive exchange of ideas both inside and outside the paddock. “I often received his calls from Brazil and we talked on the phone for several hours. During the GP he often came to dine with us ‘secretly’. At the beginning of 1993, due to an almost worn relationship with McLaren, he had decided to join us and drive for Minardi, but I convinced him to avoid such a risky choice, giving the existence of an open contract with his team. After this episode, he signed the famous ‘1 million dollars per race’ contract: perhaps that year he played his most beautiful and fierce season”, the manager of Faenza goes on.

“The last exchange of ideas took place in Aida, fifteen days before Imola’s tragic event, when he asked my opinion on some facts and episodes that were occurring in his life, inside and outside the paddock”.

Only the cruel fate prevented Senna to keep his promise made to Gian Carlo a few years before, that could have changed the history of a small but glorious team: with its 21 years of Formula 1 and 340 GPs, Minardi Team has contributed to write a good slice of the history of this sport, playing as a springboard for drivers like Alonso, Fisichella, Trulli, Webber, Martini, Genè, Morbidelli, Nannini and many others. “History is not made by ifs and buts, ‘what could have happened’ actually counts nothing. Certainly, with Ayrton Senna in our team, relationships with various technical suppliers would have changed… With His experience and charisma, the Team could certainly have had a non-predictable evolution. Every time we met he reaffirmed his will to join us: this mere thought filled my heart with pride”, Minardi underlines.

From 1st to 4th May, Imola will celebrate the memory of Ayrton Senna e Roland Ratzenberger; the Minardi ’94 of Martini e Alboreto will be part of the tribute exhibition. Also, the colours of Team Minardi by Pastina&Friends will animate the “Memorial Senna Kart 2014”, an endurance race of 7 hours.

Gian Carlo Minardi “Zanardi, a model for us all”

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After winning two golden medals and a silver medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012, where he competed as a handbike rider, and after winning three world titles in on-the-road competitions, Alessandro Zanardi is now ready to make his return behind the wheel of a GT car.

Four seasons after his last race, the former F1 driver and Cart Champion will make his return behind the wheel of a GT3 BMW Z4 to contest the Blancpain GT Sprint Championship “I’d like to wish Zanardi good luck. He has demonstrated all his value by winning two Golden medals at the last Paralympic games- which is not his sport- he’s now ready to take a challenge again at the age of 47”, says Gian Carlo Minardi.

“It won’t be an easy challenge for him for many reasons, for sure. He didn’t race for a long time, so now he has to get used to drive a race car again. He’s a very determined person and a model for us all. We have to learn a lot from him. He’s the living proof of a strong will; he demonstrates that with a strong will and stubbornness, important goals can be achieved.”

Alessandro Zanardi joined the Formula 1 Championship in 1991 alongside Jordan, taking part in the last three races. Gian Carlo Minardi called him the following year to replace an injured Christian Fittipaldi in the British, German and Hungarian GP “I met him when he was very young. I feel regretful thinking back to those years. If he had had the same physical condition as today, his F1 career would have been different. Unlike in 1992, his physical condition is excellent today. We had a good relationship, but also some problems. It was only my 8th season in F1 and he was not physically ready at that moment”, remembers the manager from Faenza “I wish him good luck again for his new challenge.”

Mark Webber, a gentleman, an excellent driver and sportsman

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The Brazilian GP, to be held on Sunday, is an event rich in symbols and history for the Minardi Team. As the Brazilian GP was the F.1 event where the Italian team made his debut in 1985, so it will be the last event Mark Webber will take part in at the wheel of a F.1 car. The Australian driver made his debut in F.1 in 2002 alongside the Minardi Team. The Australian finished 5th in his debut race in Australia; his 5th place excited the Faenza-based squad’s fans.

“I’ve lived so many Brazilian GP throughout my career in F.1, but the Brazilian racing week ends were so different if compared with today, both because the circuit they took place in, was based in Rio and because they were held at the beginning of the F.1 season, so temperatures were higher than they are now. At that moment, free practice took place one week before the racing week end, so the staff had the opportunity to go to the seaside and relax. Whilst Sao Paulo is mainly an industrial city, Rio is an entertainment city”, says Gian Carlo Minardi.

“The Brazilian GP will mark the end of the 8-cylindres-aspired engine to be replaced with the turbo engine and it will also be the last race Mark Webber will contest as a F.1 driver. The Australian driver will leave a good memory of himself, both as a person and as a driver and sportsman. Among the 37 drivers who began their career into F.1 alongside the Minardi Team, Mark was the one who left his mark the most, not only because he scored two points in his debut race in Australia, but also because he established a very good relationship with the whole team. Still now, whenever I get into paddocks during a F.1 event, he runs to say hello to me”, remembers with pleasure the manager from Faenza.

“He leaves F.1 at the age of 37, still aware to be at the top of his career. He will fight to win even on Sunday, even if he will have to race side by side with Vettel, who is determined not to give anything to anybody. Besides the team “stole” him a season, he had also several technical issues and had to abandon the race many times. During a GP , he lost the tires after a pit-stop; a driver cannot do anything when these things happen”. Webber will join the LMP1 Porsche project “ I’m sure he will be talked about in the future. The Championship he will take part in is very interesting and it’s becoming attractive for many important constructors.”

Brazil ’85 – The beginning of a dream

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The final round of the F.1 World Championship will take place at Interlagos this week end. Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel are the Championship’s leaders, followed by a very performing Lotus which is the Championship’s second force, even if it’s fourth in the constructors’ championship.

The Brazilian GP has always had a special tone for Gian Carlo Minardi, as it represents the beginning of an adventure which last 340 GP: “April 5 1985, 9.30 a.m., Jacarepagua Circuit, the first free practice session starts. We entered into F.1. Besides all the work done to assemble the car and arrange the first trip overseas, we truly realized what we had been able to do only when we powered up the car’s engine to run the first lap”, says Gian Carlo Minardi.

Before telling this story, we have to make an effort and get back to the ‘80s, to 1980, to be more precise. That is the year Minardi established his Team and took part in the Formula 2 Championship as a constructor, but he already had F.1 in his mind. The team got good results with Michele Alboreto, Alessandro Nannini, Paolo Barilla and Pier Luigi Martini, but the main goal was to compete in the top series. The great opportunity came in 1984, when the Faenza-born entrepreneur met the Alfa Romeo’s President Mr. Massacesi. At the end of a long negotiation, the President of Alfa Romeo agreed to provide Minardi with an 8-cylinder turbo engine. According to this agreement, the Faenza-born manager began to build the first Minardi F.1 car which was launched in July 1984. Everything was ready when Alfa did an about face on its promise. But by then it was too late to turn back the clock. The Minardi F.1 had already joined the World Championship, so it was decided to equip the car with a Ford-Cosworth/Mader aspired engine for the first rounds, whilst awaiting a new-born company “Motori Moderni” owned by Piero Mancini and Carlo Chiti to provide the team with a 6-cylinder 1500 turbo engine.

“It was an all-round debut in Rio. We were new as chassis manufacturers and we had a last-hour engine assembly. After the deal with Alfa was off, we decided to equip the car with an aspired engine to run the first two rounds, at a later stage the car would have been equipped with a turbo engine. We had to compete against some of the legends of motorsport such as Ferrari, BMW, Ford, Renault, as a private team. We had a proven experience as constructors in the F.2 Championship, but the adventure we were about to undertake was completely new to all of us. It was a small team and our car had run only few miles – the car’s body was made of honecomb steel and carbon and Kevlar inserted fiber – we had to learn everything, from track procedures to the car’s behavior. I remember with pleasure that at that time pits were casually assigned, their assignment was not based on the Championship’s standing. So it could happened that your pit was between Ferrari and McLaren or Williams, Lotus and Renault and you had the opportunity to see how they worked and gain experience”, says the manager from Faenza.  

“The transition from F.2 to F.1 was the consequence of a corporate strategy which envisaged building a car conceived only for competition purposes, not for commercial purposes. We had quite a large staff to build and manage a F.2 car, but we weren’t well organized to compete in a F.1 Championship. However it was necessary to take a step forward and join the top series. We had already given proof of our skills as chassis manufacturers; however our Achille’s heel was the change in engine supply late in the season. We and Tyrrel were the only two teams whose cars were equipped with an aspired engine and despite Tyrrel’s great experience, we undertook an on par fight against them. I would like to point out that if the point’s assignment system had worked like it works today, we would have scored our first points during the first season, thanks to Martini’s eight place in Australia. “

Gian Carlo Minardi chose a very young Pierluigi Martini as his driver. The Italian driver, who is Giancarlo Martini’s nephew, ran about 103 GP alongside the Faenza-based squad “Many years have passed since that first experience; it was a very exciting day for everyone. There was a great atmosphere. We all had a strong will to do our best. We had some troubles throughout the Brazilian race week end, but it was the beginning of a new adventure”, says Pierluigi Martini.

The PS04B at the Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena

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At the Casa Enzo Ferrari museum in Modena, on the occasion of the exhibition called “Grand Prix: the F.1 Championship’s single-seaters”, even the Minardi PS04B was put on display. That is the car with which the Minardi Team took part in the 2005 F.1 World Championship’s first races, before the PS05 made its debut. The PS05 was the Faenza based team’s 21st car which was driven by Patrick Friersacher, Robert Doornbos and Christijan Albers during the last GP the Italian team took part in at the Bahrein International Circuit.

Designed by Gabriele Tredozi, a brilliant engineer, the PS04B can be seen inside the exhibition hall. The exhibition’s goal is to celebrate 40 years of passion and speed, through an innovative path which is meaningful from a cultural and sporting perspective. The exhibition hosts real masterpieces of the motorsport engineering and makes visitors experience an unordinary GP, where some of the F.1 history’s best cars and drivers seem to challenge each other again.

The Minardi PS04B, which is now owned by Mr. Tredozi, is surrounded by legendary cars which excited thousands of race enthusiasts, such as the Ferrari 312 T driven by Niki Lauda in the 1975 F.1 world Championship, the Williams driven by the unforgettable Ayrton Senna and the McLaren MP 4/4 with which Senna and Prost won 15 GP out of 16 in the 1988 F.1 championship. The exhibition, which takes place inside the futuristic yellow “hood” which surrounds Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace, will be open until January 28th 2014.

Italian GP – Preview

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As it often happens, even this year Monza represents a clear dividing line for those teams like Ferrari, who strive for important goals. It’s time for the Maranello-based team to bridge the gap with Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull. This is only one of many reasons why the Italian GP is really worth attending.

F.1 arrives at Monza, which is the fastest circuit of the Championship and also one of the most historical ones, along with Silverstone. Both circuits have contributed to write the history of motorsport. Monza is a very fascinating circuit not only for Italian people, but also for foreigners. I hope that it will bring Alonso and Massa good fortune and I also hope that the audience will be friendly and support the Italian team the best way.

The Italian team has to regain points in order to leave the Championship open, but we don’t have to forget that 7 GP are yet to be contested. If the two Ferraris are competitive in the Sunday GP, the Italian team can be candidate for the title, as the Monza circuit usually doesn’t suit Red Bull very much, if they’re not, it will be difficult for them to be candidates for the title. Starting from next season regulations will be upgraded, so it will get more and more complicated and demanding to work on both sides.

In the Pirelli era we’ve seen how easy it is to see a car improving its performance level or getting it worse, so some new outsiders can come out: Force India, McLaren, and Toro Rosso. The latter sealed its first win with Vettel in the 2008 F.1 Championship. There are many factors that influence the Italian GP: the track’s first chicane and car’s reliability, as the track will be taken at full speed for most of the time. So, outsiders will be just round the corner, but if we better analyze the season, I expect Red Bull and Ferrari to fight against each other.

As far as Toro Rosso is concerned, Red Bull has announced that it will sign Daniel Ricciardo to replace Webber. No doubt it’s a great reward for the 24-year-old driver who, along with Vettel, makes the youngest pair in the F.1 World Championship. The pair represents the continuity of the “Red Bull School”.

I don’t have any particular memories linked to the Minardi Team at Monza, as our propellers’ power was lower than the average. We got some good results in terms of placing. The most resounding episode is dated back to 1993 (7th and 8th), when Fittipaldi, swallowed up by the contrail of Martini’s car, hit the team mate’s car and crossed the line in the air. Luckily the driver was harmless. People kept on talking about that spectacular accident for a long time.

British GP- Preview

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3 weeks have passed since the last GP in Canada, which marked the end of the second third of the F.1 Championship. Teams have had three weeks to develop upgrades, which can be fundamental to get the pole and seal a win.

Silverstone is a true circuit, besides being historical. What is more it’s located in a country where weather conditions have always played a key role. Traditionally Red Bull and Mercedes are the most favourite teams, even though Ferrari cannot treat itself to lose further ground. It was just on the British track that the Italian team sealed the win with Alonso. These three teams are certainly the most favourite to take a win at Silverstone, with Hamilton and Rosberg ready to bother Vettel and try to take the pole.

Talking about Lotus, the team has sold 35% of its shares to go ahead with the development work. The team will have to strategically defer the income throughout the racing season. No doubt they will be dreadful outsiders along with Force India and, under particular weather conditions, also Toro Rosso and McLaren will join the list of dreadful outsiders.

As far as the Williams is concerned, the British GP will be so important for the English team, which is going to celebrate its 600th F.1 GP. It is an amazing goal achieved by the Frank Williams’ owned team, which is going through a difficult period because of a technical and managerial change inside it. I really trust in Frank’s job, as he has always been so skilled in reverse difficult situation to his own benefit and renew the team.

In the past few days the “Test-gate” verdict was returned. I do agree with that. They made one more test, so they’re not allowed to take part in the test day dedicated to rookie drivers. It’s a very important test session as, despite it is dedicated to young drivers, teams take advantage of those days to make some tests. I hope that this useless soap opera about the closure of F.1 test will soon come to an end.

Silverstone 1989 is maybe the best race ever run by the Minardi Team. We finished in the top 10 thanks to Martini and Sala 5th and 6th positions. In those years, points scoring and TV rights acquisition as a consequence of the first condition, were divided into 2 semesters. Silverstone were the last GP of the first semester, so we had to score at least 2 points. Thanks to Martini and Sala we were even able to score 3 points. We successfully reached a very important goal for our team.  I was talking about that with Pier Luigi just few days ago, I think it’s the best race ever run by the duo Minardi-Martini. Back to Bologna, despite the Ferrari had sealed the win with Mansell, there were many people from Faenza at the airport to celebrate our success. It was just on that occasion that started our collaboration with Mr.Fusaro, the President of Ferrari, who supplied our cars with the Ferrari engine in the 1991 F.1 season.