Stoddart Confident Minardi Will Survive

Minardi team principal Paul Stoddart said on Friday that his team will continue racing in Formula One until at least the end of the season despite the apparent collapse of the fighting fund.

Stoddart is facing a lean budget after the promised $8 million (Dollars) was cancelled because the decision of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, to change the rules went against a clause in the agreement.

And although Stoddart is now unlikely to receive his money, he insisted: “Minardi will continue to survive and continue to compete and complete in the rest of the season. But in what state...

“I would like to think that we can continue. We’re the fourth oldest team in Formula One, behind only Ferrari, McLaren, Williams. It’s not for me, I don’t care, but I believe passionately that the team deserves to survive.”

Stoddart believes the manufacturer teams are trying to force his minnow outfit out of the sport by backing out on the plans to offer him money left over from the demise of Arrows last year.

But he warned them that it would be “a sad day for Formula One” if that happened and also questioned the longevity of the sport if it were totally based on manufacturer outfits.

“What manufacturer would like to see their cars consistently at the back of the grid? It’s not a nice place to be. It’s very hard to defend to sponsors and it’s very hard to defend to shareholders or partners.”

The Prost and Arrows teams disappeared from the grid during last season and if any of the remaining teams collapses the sport would be left with a grid of less than 20 cars.

A clause in the Concorde Agreement, which governs Formula One, states some teams must run third cars which do not count for points in the championship if that situation occurs.

But Stoddart believes it would be a disaster if that happened, and added: “The sport needs to have ten teams, because to not have ten teams would bring in all kinds of horrible problems.

“Just take a classic example â€" and Eddie can speak for himself â€" but were Jordan and Minardi to cease to exist after this race, just paint a scenario here, what would happen?

“There would be a ballot from the FIA to put four third cars out and just say, because it could happen, that those cars were a McLaren with Wurz, Gene in a Williams, Badoer in a Ferrari and say McNish in a Renault, four of the top cars.

“And just say that they were first, second and third at the next Grand Prix, there would be an empty podium because that car cannot go on a podium, those drivers cannot take part in any points-scoring.

“What sort of a message would that send out of the state of Formula One?”

Stoddart, who fought his corner hard in a press conference Friday, received backing from Eddie Jordan, a fellow proposed recipient of the fighting fund money.

Jordan’s team also struggled through the winter after the loss of their title sponsor DHL last year and he added: “I think every single member of Formula One wants ten teams, 20 cars.

“We need to be careful. I think it is important to have private teams but I think we just have to all get through this year. The maintenance of the fabric of ten teams in Formula One is very important.”