Stoddart 'torn' over customer cars

Stoddart sold Minardi to Red Bull in 2005 and says he loved seeing Toro Rosso take their well-deserved triumph at Monza.

However, with controversy about the use of customer cars in F1, Stoddart remains unsure if they are ultimately good for the sport.

When asked if it was better for F1 to have successful customer cars teams or an old Minardi-type constructor at the back of the grid, Stoddart told autosport.com: "I am torn on that question.

"The one thing that made me proud of Minardi was when we operated with a 10th or a 20th of our competitors' budgets and every now and again scored a few points when we punched above our weight.

"Toro Rosso have a world championship designer designing the cars, the resources of Red Bull, and one of the two top engines in competition this year and they made it all work, irrespective of what chassis is there. But part of me says is it fair?

"Is it fair for someone to spend 25 million compared to others spending half a billion, and be able to go out and win races? You can argue there is righteousness in both arguments and I am not taking anything away from the victory, but I do think F1 should be constructors only."

Stoddart admitted he also took some personal satisfaction from having kept Minardi alive during their difficult final years - and choosing not to sell it to the highest bidder.

"You cannot take away what Red Bull have done and what Gerhard (Berger) has done," explained Stoddart.

"There has been an improvement in the budget. It was a justification for turning down offers to sell the team to people who were going to shut it. I could have taken more money from people who would have closed it down, but I didn't."

And Stoddart is not ruling out further strong performances from Toro Rosso over the remainder of the season.

"He is certainly one of the people who has to be credited with the turnaround. You get times like this in F1, go back to Jordan in 1999 when the Mugen-Honda engine hit the sweet spot and the team could punch above their weight, it can happen.

"I believe in what they said, they have improved steadily. These are not gifted results, they have been earned results. And just look at the next four races. We have a complete unknown in Singapore, high potential for rain in China, Japan and Brazil, and they could end up anywhere.

"At the moment the car is performing to the max, it is down to a sweet spot of balance and being driven by two good drivers. Let's wish them all the best of luck."