Minardi Aim to Beat Jaguar and Toyota

Minardi, who finished bottom of the 2001 Formula One Constructors' Championship, are hoping to beat Toyota and Jaguar in this year's competition, team owner Paul Stoddart said on Wednesday.

The Australian-born aviation millionaire has no illusions of challenging for wins in 2002 but he believes the team are in a lot better shape than last year and can be expected to beat several other squads.

"I think we might have a bit of a run with Toyota for a while, Jaguar haven't done too good so far, also BAR - and I think we can get the second Arrows fairly comfortably. Those are the teams that are in our sights," Stoddart told a news conference in Melbourne ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

"We've got our sights set on ninth in the Constructors' (Championship). I think we need a few points to do that. We'll be more than pleased to beat one or two teams this year, particularly those that might have better budgets than us."

British-based Stoddart bought Minardi less than two months before last year's season-opening Australian Grand Prix and was overcome with emotion when Spanish teenager Fernando Alonso finished 12th for the team in Melbourne. But with insufficient testing behind them, Minardi failed to gain a single point in the 2001 Championship.

Stoddart said his new drivers, Australian rookie Mark Webber and Malaysian Alex Yoong, both 25, would benefit from the better preparation this year.

"Whereas when we arrived this time last year, the cars hadn't turned a wheel, other than one straight-line shake-down on one car. So we're in a lot better shape," Stoddart said. "What a difference a year makes. We've been able to get a couple of thousand kilometres of testing under our belt."

Stoddart added that he is dreaming of Yoong and Webber achieving top-10 placings on Sunday.

"What we don't know yet is what our competitors have done and that is why it gets so interesting on Saturday," Stoddart said. "It really is hard to tell until that first qualifying session. I take no notice of testing."