Bridgestone Hoping to Finalise Minardi Deal Soon

Japanese tyre supplier Bridgestone hope to finalise a tyre agreement with the Minardi team by next week as team boss Paul Stoddart today continues attempts to thrash out a deal.

Minardi are still without a tyre deal less than a month before the start of the Formula One season, with their new car expected to be debuted next week. Drivers Justin Wilson and Jos Verstappen had to scrabble around on Formula 3000 tyres in testing at Valencia a fortnight ago.

Minardi will roll-out their new car at Fiorano next week before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 9 and hope to finalise a deal before then.

"We are well aware that under normal sporting circumstances we would need to meet this obligation (of supplying Minardi)," a Bridgestone spokesperson said. "Time is getting short, but negotiations are ongoing and we are hopeful of finding an agreeable solution."

Minardi had offered to pay Bridgestone cash in hand for six lots of tyres at a cost of £5,000 per set for the Valencia test but were turned away. It is also understood that Minardi have refused to give in to demands from Bridgestone that they pay a $1,000,000 (USD) bond up front.

"Normally, no team would ever be asked for that but maybe Bridgestone fear that because Minardi are an independent team they might go bust like Arrows," a Minardi source said. "There has even been an offer of cash on delivery for the season, but still they can't do a deal."

Currently, Bridgestone supply four of the 10 teams competing and rivals Michelin are tyre suppliers to five teams.