Minardi M01

Minardi M01
Category Formula One
Constructor Minardi
Designer(s) Gustav Brunner
Predecessor M198
Successor M02
Technical specifications
Chassis Moulded carbon fibre composite structure
Suspension (front) Double wishbones, pushrod with coaxial spring/damper and torsion bar
Suspension (rear) Double wishbones, pushrod
Engine Ford Zetec-R (badged as Fondmetal), 72-degree V10
Transmission Minardi six-speed longitudinal semi-automatic
Fuel Elf
Tyres Bridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrants Fondmetal Minardi Team
Notable drivers 20. Italy Luca Badoer
20. France Stéphane Sarrazin
21. Spain Marc Gené
Debut 1999 Australian Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
16000
Constructors' Championships 0
Drivers' Championships 0

The Minardi M01 was the car with which the Minardi Formula One team used to compete in the 1999 Formula One season. It was designated 01 because the team felt that the car marked a new beginning for the team. It was driven by Luca Badoer, who had previously driven for Minardi in 1995 and was Ferrari's test driver at the time, and Marc Gené, a Spanish rookie. Prost test driver Stéphane Sarrazin also drove the car for one race after Badoer broke his hand in a testing accident.

Despite the fact that the car represented a major step forward for a team of Minardi's small budget, they remained near or at the back of the grid, in a season-long battle with the Arrows team. Brunner identified the car's greatest shortcoming as its aerodynamics, as the Faenza outfit could not afford long periods of time using wind tunnels.

However, the team did score their first points in four years when Gené finished sixth at the Nürburgring, but this was only after Badoer retired from fourth with a gearbox failure with 13 laps remaining. This point was sufficient to take the team to tenth in the constructors' championship; tied with Arrows but they were behind Arrows due to the fact that Toranosuke Takagi had a better finishing place (7th) at the Australian Grand Prix than Badoer, who finished his highest with a position of 8th at the San Marino Grand Prix, but ahead of the well-funded and resourced British American Racing team.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC
1999 Minardi Fondmetal V10 B AUS BRA SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR AUT GER HUN BEL ITA EUR MAL JPN 1 10th
Luca Badoer Ret 8 Ret Ret 10 10 Ret 13 10 14 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret
Stéphane Sarrazin Ret
Marc Gené Ret 9 9 Ret Ret 8 Ret 15 11 9 17 16 Ret 6 9 Ret

References