Stoddart Delighted with 'History-Making' Result

Minardi boss Paul Stoddart was delighted after Jos Verstappen topped the timesheets in first qualifying for the French Grand Prix, even if teammate Justin Wilson could lose his second fastest time.

Despite the concerns, Stoddart was delighted with the team's efforts and said they had helped his team "make history" by topping the times in the grid-deciding session.

The topsy-turvy situation was exactly what the new qualifying regulations, introduced at the start of this season, were meant to do and Stoddart was delighted to see his drivers were up to the challenge.

"It gives us such a lift and it's so nice for the boys who put in 110 percent at every race to get a result like this," said Stoddart. "It was a gutsy drive for drivers to go out on a drying track. I'm really, really pleased for the whole team and for Jos and Justin.

"It is one thing for us to say try this or put these tyres on but they have to go and deliver and they did deliver. Jos' lap was nothing short of amazing and Justin kept us on the edge of our seats all the way round not knowing which one is going to be first and which one second - a really good effort from both guys."

Stoddart confirmed that Wilson's car was measured to be 2kg underweight. Wilson finished just one tenth of a second behind his teammate Verstappen.

Verstappen's time will stand and although the sport's governing body, the FIA, could not comment on the weigh-in, Wilson is likely to drop to the bottom of the times if the irregularity is confirmed.

"There is an issue about Justin's car about the weight," said Stoddart. "If it is excluded then fair enough. It was all done in a hurry and perhaps we didn't put enough fuel in when we changed from the wet to the dry. If that does happen then so be it, he will always know that he was 1-2.

"It would mean starting from the back of the grid, but if it happens it would mean hedging our bets whichever way the weather goes. We would have one at each end."