STODDART SLAMS WILLIAMS AND MCLAREN

[Senna 0]

From ITV-F1.com:

STODDART SLAMS WILLS AND MCLAREN

Last Updated: Monday, 12 April , 2004, 18:30

Paul Stoddart has branded Williams and McLaren wasters after failing to catch Ferrari.

The Minardi boss added that with his budget his team would be able to take on the red giants, and beat them.

McLaren and Williams are lying joint third and fifth in the constructors championship after three rounds with Renault and BAR proving more of a challenge than the predicted contenders to Ferrari's throne.

Stoddart told The People newspaper: "Ron's motor home costs almost more than it does to take the whole of my team to a race.

"I can't believe Williams and McLaren can't do a good enough job to challenge Michael and Ferrari with the amount of money they have available.

"If I had a budget of

[webber 0]

hell with the amount of money that ferrari have thay should be faster as well. but hay when a team is on top thay can invest in a nice Big motorhome

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I’m sure that quite a lot of people on this forum are aware of the fact that I don’t rate Williams too highly any more as a team. Poor driver and personnel choices over the years have meant that Williams haven’t won anything substantial since 1997. Williams have poor management and thus do indeed do a poor job on such a substantial budget.

I think that McLaren have a very good personnel base and that they always pick strong driver line-ups – I just can’t explain their recent lack of form. I also question the benefits that Mercedes bring to the team but I suppose there aren’t many good engine suppliers out there who don’t currently work with a team.

I don’t think it’s a matter of Ferrari having a substantially larger budget than Williams and McLaren but a matter of Ferrari simply using their money more effectively. Indeed, Ferrari has arguably the best personnel base, driver line-up and resources of the entire grid and uses their budget very effectively to maintain and strengthen their assets.

[webber 0]

Merc has hampered mclaren more than it has helped them. merc has some p**spoor engines this year and also the fact that merc now own nelly half the team so now all the things that ron whould deside on the run in 5 mins now takes 2 or 3 houres in a bord room meeting. and EJ is trying to get merc on there side :?

[nojvnof1 0]

I totally agree with Paul on this one. I read that McLaren's new factory is worth roughly the same as Minardi's entire budget, which is crazy. The fact that Ferrari is so far ahead of these established teams, and have been so for quite a long time does nothing for Williams and McLaren in the eyes of the racing public.

[rodders47 2]

and what about BAR ??? I somehow doubt their budget is much less then william / McLaren and like where have they been in the past few years ????? answer >>>> pushing S...T up hill

[Senna 0]

Williams and McLaren only have themselves to blame for their abysmal form this year…well, McLaren obviously have Mercedes to blame but the faults both teams experience are almost entirely down to their own mismanagement (especially in Williams’ case). It would be interesting to see how well Paul Stoddart would do running a large racing outfit like Williams or McLaren...

[webber 0]

how many people work for Minardi. what like 50 or 60 people :?: