Grapevine: Minardi Conquer Budapest

Minardi gave their Hungarian fans something to cheer about today, when the country's first Formula One driver, Zsolt Baumgartner, took a few lucky people for a ride around the streets of Budapest in one of the team's two-seater cars.

Hundreds of fans gathered to watch their local hero, driving the black-and-white car on a narrow road in the Városliget, a park that is normally one of the most tranquil spots in the Hungarian capital. This time, however, the brutal sound of a V10 engine has filled the air instead of the familiar bird-piping, loved so much by the promenaders who used to spend their Sunday afternoons walking quietly amongst the trees.

"Vajdahunyad vára", the beautiful reconstruction of a mediaeval castle and "Hõsök tere", a famous square surrounded by the statues of long-ago Hungarian kings - both are one of the main tourist attractions in Budapest - provided a somewhat anachronistic background to the ultramodern Formula One car flashing past them.

The event was a tribute to the thousands of Hungarian fans who, through their generous contributions, have helped Baumgartner to keep his Minardi drive after one of his main sponsors, Mol Rt. decided to pull out from the deal in January. Baumgartner's management also hoped that the event, covered widely by the local media, would generate more interest in the young driver's career amongst potential sponsors.

Eight lucky fans were chosen to sit in the two-seater behind Baumgartner, who gave them a short but memorable run on the dusty and bumpy streets, lasting only for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile the onlookers gave policemen a bit of work when, hoping to take once in a lifetime pictures, they tried to get frighteningly close to the car speeding by within a few inches to the barrier set up for this occasion.

One of the fans even managed to sneak in to the Hotel Intercontinental where Minardi held a press conference before the start of the action. He instantly became popular amongst the journalists however when, much to their amusement, he asked team boss Paul Stoddart if he would help Baumgartner to set up a Formula One team after retiring from the sport he has barely started. "Everything is possible in Formula One, so my answer is: maybe..." Stoddart replied, laughing. "But, on a serious note, it's people like you who make all these things possible, so many-many thanks for you!"

Stoddart also said it was now certain that both Baumgartner and his Italian teammate, Gianmaria Bruni - who was also present at the press conference - would take part in every Grand Prix in 2004, something which has not been regarded as a certainty until now because of the Hungarian driver's sponsorship troubles.

The event has not been entirely without glitches, as the VIP-guest promised to the crowd has failed to turn up. The idea was that Baumgartner, Hungary's one and only Formula One driver, would give a ride to Bertalan Farkas, the country's one and only astronaut. However it seemed that Bertalan, who conquered space 24 years ago in a Soviet spacecraft, found the Minardi two-seater a bit too fast for his liking...