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Should Stoddie sell Minardi?

I've received an email from one of the senior members of this board wanting me to put the question in the headline of this thread on the front page as a poll.

While I think that the prime fan base of the team shouldn't ask such questions in such troubled times I think it would make a good topic for discussion so... discuss

Comments

  • It's been for sale for a long while, no?

    Be very careful what you wish for, I think Stoddart is a definite anomaly in that he actually gave a crap about the 'legacy' of the team he bought and I believe has tried (too hard, in fact!) to preserve that.

    What would happen if someone who views that legacy in terms less, shall we say subjectively, buys the team? Does anyone seriously expect Midland to bear any resemblence at all to Jordan next year?! Eddie will putter around until he realizes that in effect he's Milton from 'Office Space' and fade away. For the most part folks buy teams to do what Red Bull has done with Jag, a complete re-brand, it just depends on how long. It's far too expensive a sport to do it any other way.

    Minardi's lack of tangible results would make that outcome almost a certainty. Having Stoddart own the team is like winning the lottery in that sense.
  • i make this post purely out of concern for him.

    yes, he should sell, for the good of his health. he's a chain smoker, stressed and have too much burden for little rewards. he should sell and recover his investment at least...he might not be able to make much money but for b.e. to get another signature with his side, he'll try his utmost to get a price from a buyer which p.s. would accept.

    he's the best thing that happened to minardi since 2000 as without him minardi would be like jordan changing into midlands or larrousse into prost or tyrell into bar...whatever anyone might say...he kept his word to gcm in maintaining the team name...

    so, i hope he sells...for his own sake...but if he sells, there's no guarantee that the minardi f1 team will be here for long...
  • The french version of f1racing.net is reporting that Stoddart is ready to sell.
    "Je me prépare à partir!" a déclaré Paul Stoddart. "La F1 ne m'amuse plus et me fatigue moralement et j'espère pouvoir vendre rapidement l'équipe..."
    "I prepare to leave!" Stoddart said. "Formula 1 is not amusing me anymore and it makes me tired moraly. I hope to sell the team quick....
  • The question begs - how are we going to raise the money?
  • the answer lies with mattr and anybodyelse who bleats for him to go,,,plus gcm of course...

    also it looks pretty 100% certain that the whole bunch at faenza will be chopped before anyone can say "jack robinson" when the team is sold...sad...
  • How much are we talking here Facty? Whatever happened to the Ity consortium - is it salvagable?

    Timeline?
  • pretty quickly, i would say...and no, there have never had been any eyeties investors for minardi...p.s giving up will spell the deathknell for minardi...

    plenty of billionaires waiting to grab miinardi for a song and they are no charities who would want to keep faenza in the fold...

    goto: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=23750

    and you'll see how pretty quickly this can happen...
  • Good thing we are going to Faenza THIS year!

    Hey, after this debacle, the changing of the logo, the disappearance of GCM from public view I do not have a warm and fuzzy about any of this.
  • Good thing we are going to Faenza THIS year!

    Hey, after this debacle, the changing of the logo, the disappearance of GCM from public view I do not have a warm and fuzzy about any of this.
    Looks like the end is nigh!
  • I don't like this kind of pessimism. Of course, it's all very strange, but I think it's too early to say "Looks like the end is nigh!".
  • Yeah - especially because I have no f'n idea what nigh means.

    Look - we all put our faith in Massimo and the gang to get the cars on the track in '05 trim.

    Did it happen - you betcha !

    Like I quoted - they are italaina - there will be a way.

    GCM will save the Team!
  • who the hell should buy THIS team?


    If the new car will be fine, and minardi will finally show something good after 2 crappy years, maybe someone will come...
  • My heart tells me Stoddie is a good man who, undoubtedly, saved the team. I want him to succeed.

    My head tells me this will not happen BUT if he sells, Minardi dies.

    Stoddie, don't sell but in the name of Michele, get a money man in there to raise some cash.
  • Yeah - especially because I have no f'n idea what nigh means.

    GCM will save the Team!
    English I guess was not your major eh Emmo! I shall rephrase - The end of the road looks like coming sooner rather than later for Stoddard. I dont think Minardi will dissapear. Hopefully GCM can get some of the Italian Elite to move in? We'll have to get him moving when we visit Faenza. OK Mr President start writing your speach!

    GCM will save the Team! - Wouldn't that be great! We live in Hope!!
  • Hang on here. It's taken Paul 5 years to build a new car from scratch and get a competitive engine....and you think he'll just leave us?

    I doubt this very much. We are but a pawn in the game he is playing. He knows that if he goes out, minardi dies, therefore F1 will only have 9 teams. Not the best advert for F1 or GPWC.

    Also PS knows a good investment when he sees it and a windfall is close, by either signing up with Bernie or the GPWC. Stocks in F1 are a good investment at the moment. He's not going anywahere, or at least I hope.
  • Thank goodness you didn't poll it RJ. Until you can figure out a way to restrict one user to one vote, they are useless.

    1. Stoddart is an emotional bloke and could do anything depending on where his head is at. If it were otherwise, there would be no Minardi.

    2. The last 12 months have seen him solidify his capital base for the team, with the outcome being new car, more testing, etc.

    3. There is an enormous pot of gold over the rainbow and only a lunatic wouldn't stay the course, IF THEY HAD A CHOICE (PS: See point 1)

    4. He loves the sport and sees himself as the one person that cares enough to bring it closer to the people, and to save its long term future (HIS view).

    Hard to see reasons why he would sell, or quit.
  • If, as it increasingly seems, the Melbourne dispute was a carefully planned strategic action, rather than the desperate act of a financially moribund team owner, then the war has just begun, with victory in the first battle. I think Paul Stoddart will only sell if he is moving to a position of more influence in F1, a la' BE, and I imagine he would attempt to secure the minardi heritage.
  • Health.
  • I've received an email from one of the senior members of this board wanting me to put the question in the headline of this thread on the front page as a poll.

    While I think that the prime fan base of the team shouldn't ask such questions in such troubled times I think it would make a good topic for discussion so... discuss
    Tell that senior member to grow a set of balls and give themselves an uppercut.

    No, he shouldn't sell the team, but he should be tackiling his grievances in a more sublime way at the moment.
  • Anomaly? Nigh? Moribund? Sublime?!!!!

    Hey, are you guys tryin ta muscle in on my territory?! Huh?!

    Thank God for Quigley.

    [Edited on 8/3/2005 by Lease]
  • I think this season will have to be his make or break season.

    5 years and we've gone nowhere, now we FINALLY have the optimism of having a half decent engine to coincide with a new car rather than using a 3 year old lump as we've done in the past. The future looks bright, but if the optimism after Imola goes, and we still find ourselves in the same position, surely its time for him to call it a day.

    My opinion on him has slowly gone on a downward spiral. I looked upon him as the saviour of Minardi and the pride of the private teams, but slowly but surely, with the amount of bullshit that comes out of his mouth, he really has gone down in my estimate, and last weekend diabolical attempt of getting sympathy, followed by wasting everyone time from the FIA, and the courts to the fan on the street and his dog, really did make me lose my patience.

    I just feel trapped in a timewarp of hope, and i think this is his final chance. If he fails, its time for him to jump ship.

    I just want a sugar daddy to pump money into helping us, ala Roman Abromovich, and to keep the good Minardi name. But we can just dream....
  • Hey - I specialize in clarity.
  • apologies.... had 1 too many grolshes
  • P1, I thought and think it's a valid question which would produce a fascinating result but Lease is absolutely right, these polls are always rigged.
  • I think a sale is on the cards whether Stoddart wants to or not. Having alienated Ecclestone and the FIA I think Stoddarts chances of staying in F1 without a serious backer are slim. As to the buyer, most likely another Entrepeneur. Plenty of them in Bologna.
  • I think a sale is on the cards whether Stoddart wants to or not. Having alienated Ecclestone and the FIA I think Stoddarts chances of staying in F1 without a serious backer are slim. As to the buyer, most likely another Entrepeneur. Plenty of them in Bologna.
    Now might be the time for PS to side with Bernie for a large wad of extra cash?

    As for plenty of money in Bologna, just how much does 'Sandro Nannini make form his coffee shops? and he did contribute to save the team once before.
  • Nannini is from Siena, ask RJ to find him.
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