Stoddart sticks with F1

Jordan's slump in competitiveness and eventual sale to Alex Shnaider's Midland group demonstrated the difficulties facing F1's remaining independent teams. Minardi has struggled at the back of the grid for most of its 20-year history, but Stoddart told autosport.com that he does not plan to follow Eddie Jordan's example and sell his team.

"I wouldn't give it up now, I feel that there is unfinished business there," he said. "I have long since given up on the dream of finishing on the podium, it is a dream, but it has to be a Brazil 2003 (a turbulent wet race won by Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella) or something like that."

Stoddart is certain that the current political controversies affecting F1 will be resolved in a way that benefits the smaller teams.

"There is a new Concorde Agreement to be negotiated, one that will see - without question, with or without GPWC, or Bernie (Ecclestone), or the banks - a more equitable distribution of the wealth in F1," he said.

"That is the one and only time that people like Minardi and Jordan will be able to leapfrog and invest in the right areas. If you give Minardi an extra 10 or 20 million it will make a difference - it is a motivator for us.

"I do believe in the sport and I do actually long for the day when we have one chance to actually do something - and I want to be around for it when it happens."

Minardi will race a radical new car from the fourth round of the 2005 world championship, unlike any other machine on the grid according to Stoddart (see separate story). The team has already signed former DTM racer Christijan Albers, who looks likely to be joined by returnee Nicolas Kiesa.