Minardi: No Deal with Cosworth

The Minardi team will make an announcement on a deal with an engine supplier for 2003 within the next two weeks after denying they have already received Ford-Cosworth engines.

Formula One's ruling body, the FIA, reported that Minardi will test at Valencia later this month following the bankruptcy of 2002 supplier Asiatech last week, but spokesman Graham Jones denied the claims.

He added that a decision will be made on an engine supplier within the next two weeks by team owner Paul Stoddart and that the 2001 European-badged Ford engines will be used for testing and not new Cosworth power units.

"I have spoken with Paul and he has said that hopefully we will have something to say regarding engines in the next 10 days or certainly within two weeks," Jones said. "Paul bought the rights to the Ford-Cosworth engines in 2000 when they were called Fondmetal and that is the only way you could say we are testing a Ford-Cosworth engine.

"But they are now European engines that have been developed. I don't know where the FIA's information came from, but it is not true. If you trace the roots of the engine it is a Ford-Cosworth, but it is certainly not a brand new engine."

Jones said that Russian Sergei Zlobin will test for the team in Valencia in a PS01B as Minardi work on system developments at the Spanish circuit. Two other testers are expected to join him once contracts are in place.