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Last PR From Minardi


THE LAST WORD . . . FOR NOW

FAENZA, ITALY, October 28, 2005 – With the sale of the Minardi F1 Team to Red Bull GmbH due to be concluded on Monday, October 31, the Team Principal for the past five years, Paul Stoddart, today issues the following statement:
“As the time for the handover of the team to its new owners approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Minardi staff, both on the race team and at the factory, in Italy and the UK, for their support over the last five years, and for the incredible job they have done, given the available resources.

“I would also like to thank all those who have driven for us in 2005 – Patrick Friesacher, Christijan Albers, Robert Doornbos, Chanoch Nissany and Enrico Toccacelo – for their valuable contribution to the team. I would particularly like to single out Robert for the fine job he has done in what might best be described as difficult circumstances. He only joined the team at the 12th round, in Hockenheim, and despite not having driven the Minardi Cosworth PS05 previously or taken part in a Grand Prix, he settled in quickly, got to grips with the car and the team, and was soon on the pace.

“In the eight rounds in which he competed for us, he displayed a high level of driving skill, a consistently positive attitude and excellent technical ability. In fact, despite his relatively short time with us, there is no doubt Robert’s feedback made a significant contribution to the development of the new car.
“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our engine partner, Cosworth, to our commercial and technical partners, and to the thousands of Minardi fans around the world, for their unconditional support of the hard-trying little team from Faenza over the years.

“Finally, I want to thank Gian Carlo Minardi. Unless he had possessed the vision and the bravery to strike out into Formula One in the first place, and the resilience to deal with the innumerable problems and difficulties that arose along the way, the team would undoubtedly have suffered the same fate as many well-known, and frequently better funded organisations, and simply fallen by the wayside. Regrettably, the Minardi name will now disappear from the sport, but I firmly believe the competitive spirit that has burned brightly within this team for the past 21 years will live on under its new owners.”

- Ends -



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[Edited on 28/10/2005 by MCSF]

Comments

  • FOR NOW???????????????
  • Thanks Quig.

    PS I think you should take off those phone numbers just to be safe.
  • Thanks old chap - typically I do cut those - I'm slipping.
  • I suspected it was unintentional.

    BTW is Stoddie angling to become Bobbie's agent? That testimonial is more like a love letter.

    Anyway, despite everything, I'll miss the old bugger. Coincidentally, I was looking at an album of my holiday down under in 2002 today and came across the pictures from Albert Park. I was sitting to next a bemused Italian that day - he was supporting you-know-who but by the end of the race was backing Webbo too. He taught me how to say 'forza' properly. We embraced. I cried.

    Forza Minardi.

    Forever.
  • I feel like setting fire to my Minardi t-shirt and giving it a Viking funeral along my local park, hopefully to the bemusement of the groundskeeper and old ladies feeding ducks.
  • I suspected it was unintentional.
    BTW is Stoddie angling to become Bobbie's agent? That testimonial is more like a love letter.
    It is more to give Robert some credit after Albers bashed him in the media for not helping developing the car.
  • Mark, don't you dare get out the matches. We must keep Minardi alive at every GP we go to.
  • Nothing about CA in the statement. The article in F1 magazine labels him a prat too.

    He's good, but you dont need that crap to be noticed.
  • i 'm giving fire to all my minardi minichamps, forzaminardi t-shirt (:spank:), postcards, memorabilia etc!

    i feel like giving fire to the minichamps esteban tuero small model i have.

    i have nothing else to do now but to shout
    FORZA FERRARI, The ONLY Italian Team
    F**K TORO ROSSO, The Stupid Team
  • neil before you set fire on the esteban model you might cosider giving it to me (if you don't want it anymore) that's the one i'm missing
  • Neil, we share your frustration but don't you think you're being a bit Maoist?! Why wouldn't you want to remember the good times?


    PS I'll have any Telefonica stuff you've got.




    [Edited on 29/10/2005 by viges]
  • The E-shop on TOMS has up to 50% discount on the 2005-gear !!!!!
  • minardi.it is down :(
  • I'm DEPRESSED!

    Sorry Rj, decided to keep him for now, I will take esteban with me for the december exams! he will bring me luck.

    As for Telefonica , I have Mazzacane's car, I'm keeping it too for a while.

    When I look at the cars and all the mInardi items I have collected over the years I feel much more depressed.:(

    (My wife is thinking I am crazy crying over a Formula One team but us it meant too much!

    F*** Squadra Toro Rosso! I really hope you get zero points next year, the year later and after and after!

  • Anngh...pssskkk...I'm torn over how wel I want Squadra etc to do next season. They are essentailly like Jordan this past year- not the team principal there, and the name was irrelevant, but the people working for the team are still the ones who put 100000% into producing a team with a good spirit, a fighter's heart, and a never-say-die attitude.

    On the other hand, the name is so poor I'm going to struggle to keep a straight face when James Allen attempts to pronounce it.

    If VK had taken over Minardi I would be happier, but I hate the drink of Red Bull, so...
  • - Ends -
    :(
  • On the other hand, the name is so poor I'm going to struggle to keep a straight face when James Allen attempts to pronounce it.
    Hopefully something awful (contract termination) happens to James before next season.
  • Cheer up Neil !!

    And don't be so stupid. Do you burn the pictures of your love ones when they die?? Show them with pride, be happy of the beautiful times you had. Don't throw them away.

    A bit to much praise fot Robert in my opinion. He didn't look the new Webber or Alonso to me.

    And what about the special word for Mr. Minardi from PS. That must have done you some good, Quig.
  • i 'm giving fire to all my minardi minichamps, forzaminardi t-shirt (:spank:), postcards, memorabilia etc!

    i feel like giving fire to the minichamps esteban tuero small model i have.

    i have nothing else to do now but to shout
    FORZA FERRARI, The ONLY Italian Team
    F**K TORO ROSSO, The Stupid Team
    We get the picture, why post that in here?

    Im interested in the "for now" part. Glimmer of hope?
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