New engine for Minardi

[daz 0]

The team would definitely be ecstatic but as Jens said, I think the fans would still prefer seeing the 2 Ferrari's compared to 2 Minardis...

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

It does depend though. After such a successful season maybe the Italians would be just as happy or happier to see something different but still an Italian team. But I imagine if Minardi were to achieve a 1-2 the entire team would be up on the podium or something of the sort. It would take an 18 car pileup at the start of the race though..

[nichosnz 0]

Not necessaraly 18, if the new engine can propell them up the grid a bit, maybe 12 or 14.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Next season, I was thinking in terms of this year. But definitely next year it would be a better chance even if its still a very small one.

[nichosnz 0]

Oh I was thinking next year, or a few down the track even.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

If Stoddart does things right, gains even more popularity (you have to admit, Minardi is probably one of the most popular teams) and sponsor money and hires the right people Minardi in a few years could be doing quite well. Especially with these new engine developments.

[nichosnz 0]

Not sure how Minardi could get more popular, but those other points, yeah I hope amnd I know it is possible.

[daz 0]

That would certainly be something to see....

Wonder what odds the bookies would offer on a Minardi 1-2????

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Right now the best one I know of is 3000:1!!!! But I think in the coming years it will become more and more possible.

[nichosnz 0]

Those are pretty long odds at the moment though, I would have thougt it was even longer than that.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Imagine someone who put 100$ on a Minardi 1-2 at Indy, and the entire field crashes out ahead of them at the first turn and Webber and Yoong race to win. That guy would be about $300,000 richer!!

[nichosnz 0]

That would be cool.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Early retirement thanks to 18 cars crashing, nice! But then to fix all the damage to the cars it probably takes 10 times more than what the guy would win.

[daz 0]

Think I'd be willing to offer odds of a million to one on that happening. I think that the event organisers would immediately stop the race if there was an 18 car crash at the start just to keep the sponsors happy...

[nichosnz 0]

You are right daz, the majority of the field would have to retire during the course of the event, or be delayed and then slowed but a non terminal problem. Or the organisers would pull the red flag.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Which really makes me wonder why the red flag was not brought out at Melbourne because of the big crash, while last year in Hockenheim it was brought out while only two or three cars went off and the track wasn't really littered with debris either...

[nichosnz 0]

I think, (but I suppose we will never know) that it was because in Australia it was at the first turn, so most of the debris that there was was in the gravel trap. Whereas in Germany the accident was on the straight, the debris (little or lots) was all on the track.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

I still have to think it had to do with Schumacher being out of the race at the first turn for the second year in a row. The track at Hockenheim was quite clean and completely so by the time the cars got around to the stadium again.

[nichosnz 0]

It wasn't completly clean, I saw every single remaining car run over some debris when repassing the area. But I think you are probably right MS in Germany, the German race control (and Bernie) wanled him to race, not that it helped MS in the long run.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

But you can imagine the controversy had he won the race..

[nichosnz 0]

Good job he didn't even score points, and his brother won the race.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Funny how Ralf won three times last year but only once this year thanks to Montoya and Schumi touching at the first corner.

[nichosnz 0]

And with DC winning at Monaco, only because passing is a no-no there. It just shows that Ferrari are so dominant this year.

[nichosnz 0]

Has the Minardi engine been announce yet Jens. It is supposed to be this weekend or do we wait till Sunday morning (in the US), Sunday morning is almost over for me (probably will be when you read this).

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Probably tomorrow morning, because the people in Indy are already in their hotel rooms getting ready for bed. I dont think Stoddart will be making any more annoucements today