Red Bull interested in buying Minardi team

I want lotus back!

thats all I have to say

 

As I stated in the "7 offers" thread. Why would Red Bull purchase Minardi? They already have their Red Bull F1 team.

 

To have a Red Bull America F1 team.

 

I do not think that the Malaysian car company (lotus) has enough revenues to compete in F1! They can barely keep the brand alive.

Irvine is in talks to buy Minardi... but everything is pretty hush hush at the moment. You can check out f1live.com for a story regarding Irvine's interest in Minardi.

The sooner F1 gets rid of that crazy barking dingo running Minardi, the better it is for the sport.

 

i agree with imperial...wats minardi doin here? they are just practically wasting their time and money in the sport...so better if someone buys them off, just like jordan...i would certainly hope to see more teams in the future tho...mebbe 12..just like before..

 

Economic's.You do R&D once for two teams and save million's. Develop driver's in the junior team.More TV exposure for Red Bull. I think it's a brilliant idea.

 

Irvine is a publicity machine he just say's things to get attention.If Eddie Jordan could not hack it out in F1 what in the world will Irvine bring to the table.

 

Irvine has driven for Ferrari and knows what it takes to run a top team from the inside. Technology changes everyday but procedures, protocol and work culture of a top team remains the same.

I relly do not care who buys out Minardi as long as they are SOLD and we can get rid of the DINGO from F1!

 

I agree that he seen how it works, but that doesn't always translate into making it work once you have the helm.

 

I would just be happy that Stoddart the barking dingo is gone!
If Irvine wants to blow his money or his Russian friend's money, good for him!

 

You and me both.

Irvine isn't dumb, my guess is that he'll spend someone else's cash first...

 

You are right. There seems to be quite a bit of potential money floating around waiting to be injected into F1 teams. I can't understand why some sound mangement and determination cannot create a competitive team.

Red Bull has been a pleasant surprise this year. I was completely wrong in thinking that they would end up as a moving billboard. They have shown that some level headed management and structured investment can turn a team around. If Irvine can create the right technical and management team to work for him then he has a chance to fight for some points.

If Red Bull do go ahead and create this Red Bull team USA it may be an interesting gamble. There is the notion that some Brand confusion may be involved. But a US based team and a new venue for races in the US would give a fresh start for F1 here .

The fact that Stoddart is leaving is a win win situation no matter who takes over.

 

So would you guys be happy to have the American team considered the junior team?

That is what it would be, as the other team would have allcomers ... not only American drivers.

This IMO is a very bad thing for American drivers ... ie, only got in to F1 because a team was ONLY hiring American drivers.

While sponsors definitely guide this (think Massa and Ferrari) I think this would really look bad from an American point of view.

If Red Bull want an American driver ... just put him in a car, don't create a special team only for him and the like.

I really don't think Mr Red Bull has thought about the negative implications of this sort of team structuring and naming. Buy Minardi and call it Gurney F1 or something ... Not Red Bull America team, but importantly you can't openly just hire a particular nationality.

In the end if Americans (for God only knows why?) cannot make the grade, they cannot make the grade!!, just like Australians, etc.

Pete

 

Red Bull have four drivers (DC, Klien, Liuzzi, Scott Speed) that they want in F1 race seats and only two seats to give them. Buying Minardi is one potential solution, paying Stoddart to give them drives is another (though this might upset the drivers).

Under current regs I believe they can't use identical chassis across teams. That may change in future, it's already been discussed as a potential cost-saving measure.

As for Lotus, Proton don't own Team Lotus or the right to enter F1 under the Lotus name.

 

I don't see this as a good thing in any way. It's a nice testbed for the current team, but at what cost (ie, making Americans juniors, possibly alienating that demographic, etc.).

I'm starting to get real tired of the whole American in F1 crap. When it happens it happens, until then, don't try to make something out of nothing. F1 is perfectly fine without an American driving. And (this is a big and), what's the point of all this anyway?

They want to increase their exposure in the world's largest consumer market... Newsflash, Scott Speed is not going to make some middle-America family stop watching NASCAR (or the NFL) on Sunday and start watching a foreign racing series (with little actual racing) run by whiney, egotistical people with funny names...

 

Eddie was too lazy to test as a driver and would have no clue what to do as a team owner. i hope red bull buys minardi.

 

Sure sounds good! Just get rid of Minardi and Stoddart.
I don't care who buys him out as long as he is not around next year!

 

Ok i'll buy them out and you can drive, how's that?

 

Sorry, I would only drive for Ferrari!

 

Ferrari engine......

 

Ferrari has already committed to supply engines to another team for next year (Red Bull Ferrari).

Any contracts to supply another race team would have had to be signed a long time ago to insure there was capacity for next season.

No Ferrari engines possible for next year besides Red Bull.

 

Howthe h@ll did he end up with Minardi in the first place?

 

Stoddart you mean? He got his money from starting European Aviation, originally they bought an ex-RAAF cargo aircraft and it grew from there - they only do freight AFAIK.
He was always into racing, and he has (had - sold quite a few to fund Minardi not so long ago) a large collection of F1 cars. When Tyrrell was bought out by BAR and most of the physical gear ditched, Stoddart bought it all up at a low price and used it with his F3000 team (who ran Mark Webber for a year, before he went to Super Nova). Then Minardi got into financial trouble, PS was in the right place at the right time (for Minardi... wrong place/time for fans, his bank account, Max and Bernie, etc) and he ended up with his very own F1 team. I'm sure I missed a few details in there but that's the basic gist of it

Pity he's such a dickhead really, it could've worked well.