Minardi lines up power boost for 2002

Stoddart's team has struggled this season with a three-year old Cosworth V10, but is poised to move away from its resident spot at the back of the grid from next year with a customer deal with Ferrari or Cosworth - or even an in-house engine capable of taking the fight to its works rivals.

"The ideal situation would be a works engine, which will be either a third supply from Cosworth or third supply from Ferrari," Stoddart told Autosport.com. "Either of those would be a number one choice.

"But our own development programme, which is being worked on at the moment, is a long way short of being our last choice. We not going to be silly enough to let Minardi to slip into the age-old problem of not knowing what engine it's going to use."

Arrows' deal with Cosworth for 2002, which was announced at the German Grand Prix 10 days ago, has paved the way for a possible second customer supply. Ferrari currently supplies Sauber and Prost and while the former has confirmed for next year, financial problems could yet leave Prost's supply up for grabs.

The Asiatech engine, which is currently used by Arrows, is also available and a customer deal with Renault has not been ruled out. However, Stoddart is keen to point out that a competitive engine could be produced in-house at the team's Ledbury and Faenza factories.

"The programme that we're working on," he said, "and we may not go ahead with it, but we're progressing as though we are, is an exciting thing in itself. It would deliver us an 800bhp engine, which at the end of the day could put us ahead of some of the other engines we're considering."

Tarso Marques has notched up the team's best results of the year with two ninth places. Although neither the Brazilian or team mate Fernando Alonso have qualified higher than 18th position so far this season, Stoddart is happy with the results.

"We are in a perfect, perfect position," he said. "If you'd asked me at the beginning of the year where I would have wanted to be at this point, I would never have dreamed of it being this good."