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PS WAS NOT IN SPAIN!

Minardi chief Paul Stoddart ran his Formula One team by remote control at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday after being grounded by illness in Australia.

The Australian aviation entrepreneur was halfway through a week-long course of antibiotics in Melbourne as his drivers prepared for the fifth round of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"It hasn't been the best of weekends," Stoddart told Reuters by telephone. "It's the first time I've missed a race in five years and one of only a handful I've missed in 10.

"I've been doing an awful lot of faxes, phone calls and e-mails. We're okay. I'm just frustrated more than anything else."

Team manager and sporting director Massimo Rivola and chief engineer Andy Tilley provided the leadership with guidance from team founder Gian Carlo Minardi.

"I've been speaking to the drivers each day but it's completely different on the telephone," said Stoddart.

The Australian was in Melbourne last week promoting his new budget airline. He said doctors had advised him not to fly to Spain but he would be back for the Monaco Grand Prix on May 22.

"I'll be in Monaco if I have to swim," he said.



I like the part with help from GCM - but the question begs, was GCM in Spain or not? If not why?
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Comments

  • I'm certain that I read/heard that GCM was indeed at the track last weeked...
  • GCM was in Spain, we saw him on pit wall during the race
  • We saw him on the world feed, talking to Massimo on the pit wall
  • Quig,
    from the Minardi vs Jordanski thread:
    Minardus

    Posting Freak



    Posts: 1566
    Registered: 22/11/2004
    Status: Online
    posted on 9/5/2005 at 11:54
    From Focusf1.com:

    quote:
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sick Stoddart skipped Spain

    An unwell Paul Stoddart, Minardi principal, missed the Spanish grand prix.

    In Australia for 'Ozjet' airline meetings, the team owner - with, he said, a 'flu from hell' - was ordered to stay put while on a course of antibiotics.

    He hasn't skipped a race since taking over the struggling Faenza team in 2001, and communicated to his crew via 'fax, phone and email.'

    Massimo Rivola took the reigns at the Circuit de Catalunya, with a little help from team founder Gian Carlo Minardi.

    However, asked about Monaco, Paul said he'd be back in black and in the Paddock even 'if I have to swim.'
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ;)
  • Ya they showed GCM on the pitwall after both Minardis did not start the race.


    Anyone else hear the rumour that Eddie Irvine is thinking about buying Minardi? I first read about the rumour on F1-Live, which I know anything from them doesn't mean much, but on f1racing.net it says Irvine was at the paddock for Imola and Barcelona. Must be some reason he has been at the paddock for 2 races, as long as he has the money I'm all for it.
  • Cool - thanks. I still have yet to see the race as I was away and taped all of the practice and qual but the race was being taped by one of my minnions....who seemingly failed me.

    Thanks for the correction and it is good to see that PS sent the MAN to Spain!
  • Maybe he came in a MAN truck!!!:P
  • Does it need pointing out that PS was a way and the 'Team' effed up?

  • Chinese saying:

    NO FACE to be in a race that lasted only inches of a 62 lap race. :hehe:
  • ....and yet a journey of 62 laps begins with the first step grasshopper.

    Confucious say: Man with hand in pocket, feel cocky all day!

    Just love those Chinese sayings.

  • Does it need pointing out that PS was a way and the 'Team' effed up?

    Do you really want to go there?
  • Of course not.

    It is only allowed to blame Stoddart for Minardi's ills.

    Everyone else is on the "To be Canonised' list.

    Mind you, way back in the late eighties when the Americas Cup was being contested in Fremantle, WA, there was a joke running around about the Italian team and why they were so easily beaten. It went like this:

    How can you tell the Italians are going to tack?

    They throw their cigarettes over the side.

    [Edited on 11/5/2005 by Lease]
  • You are way too sensitive. If the teams woes were going on under full GCM rule there would be issues as well. However, rumor has it that PS spends only 2 days a month in Faenza.

    2 days.

    Leadership.......well there are many styles I guess.

    [Edited on 11/5/2005 by MCSF]
  • He's a modern day manager.
    He delegates the daily shit to other people under him !!!!;)

    [Edited on 11/5/2005 by Minardus]
  • at least we beat a toit on the grid. And we can have new engines for next race. Now we just hope the higher teams, eg Mclaren and Renault, blow up then we can beat them into the first corner, if we get away.
  • isn't he the owner?

    who owns TOIT?
  • And we can have new engines for next race.
    That wouldn't be wise!!!!

    If we take a new engine in Monaco and finish the race, it will have many mileage and needs to be run at the next race.

    If we keep the Barcelona engines for Monaco, they will be "fresher" because of our cars only doing ca. 10 laps in Spain.
    They don't have some much mileage and have more possibilities to stay in one piece during the Monaco GP!!!!
  • Can't balme it on PS it was probably down to one of the Techies putting a wrong line in the software code. I hate all these computers!!!

    Maybe we could get Irvine to do a few laps in the new car?
    Would be worried if Irvine was to buy the team, as he well maybe loaded but not enough to take us to the next level and would probably require more sponsorship than we have now which is not going to be easy to achieve.

    On the engine front Minardus you make a very good point, but surely it is risky as if others fail and we are on for points then our engines blow we will rue it!

    Shame Sato and BAR ain't there that would have been about four cars out already!! Remember last year!
  • On the engine front Minardus you make a very good point, but surely it is risky as if others fail and we are on for points then our engines blow we will rue it!
    Every 2nd GP (during the whole season) an engine will be used, the chance of a blowup will be there !!!!
    So, the less mileage on it, the better to use it the next GP as well !!!!!
  • You are way too sensitive. If the teams woes were going on under full GCM rule there would be issues as well. However, rumor has it that PS spends only 2 days a month in Faenza.

    2 days.

    Leadership.......well there are many styles I guess.
    I believe I heard the comment "Maybe 2 days two many" during our factory tour!
  • There aren't that many people who rave about their boss.

    He has several flaws but without Stoddie there would be/will be no Minardi. That is the bottom line.
  • It seems that feeling has long since worn off though.

    I doubt anyone would say such a thing about Mr. Minardi.
  • Someone saves me from going on the dole for five years, I reckon it would take a very long time for the gratitude to wear off.
  • Yeah, that I-ty Minardi scum should be more grateful. ;)
  • I know this comment is going to incite some people but maybe our damn goals are too f'ckn low. "let's beat jordon" screw that. aim high. target the constructor's championship and you'll beat jordon.

    Identify the objective
    list the steps to achieve the goal
    accomplish the task
  • Someone saves me from going on the dole for five years, I reckon it would take a very long time for the gratitude to wear off.
    It's not a debate dude, it's how things are!
  • Look young-un, I happen to think that GCM should be accorded the respect due to his reputation and role in Minardi from inception, right up until today.

    What I won't cop, is this constant sniping that Stoddart is in some way his inferior, or that he is holding the team back. Nothing that I have read, or heard, paints Mr. Minardi as anything other than an Italian version of Stoddart. Or if you prefer, the other way around.

    So the shop-floor boys made a pun to Ger? Maybe they should carry better short-term memories. A recent quote from Luca Zama (original, and continuing team member) "I think that he (GCM) can be too passionate. His language is not so technical. I think in some discussions he trusted some engineers too much!" Bit similar?

    Lionise GCM by all means for his passion, committment, and some great past results. He deserves it. Compliment the team for their dedication to the tasks at hand. Even recall the brilliance of some past team members for their innovation and cutting-edge technical capability.

    But if you lot are going to slag Stoddart as you continue to do, then understand that you are wasting your time. At the end of the day, he's just the head clown in a circus of buffoons in comparison to the rest of F1.

    So get real guys. Minardi has neither the money - NOR THE TALENT to compete very far up the grid. They're fun to support, but they would do no better without Stoddart in the current climate and team configuration.
  • Stoddart is Shit!
  • Bravo, Lease. Right between the eyes. It's the real world out there. PS is just trying to juggle along between $$$, experience, talent and hopefully getting more exposure to lanch some catch to chug further.

    Lets have creative criticisms and not just slagging.
  • So you believe you know better than the team how good of a boss Stoddart is, Lease?

    Let me just get that part straight.
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