Minardi M01

Minardi M01

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Minardi
Team	Fondmetal Minardi Ford
Designers	Gustav Brunner
Drivers	20. Luca Badoer & Stéphane Sarrazin 21. Marc Gené
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
Gearbox	Minardi six-speed longitudinal semi-automatic
Fuel	Elf
Tyres	Bridgestone
Debut	1999 Australian Grand Prix
Races competed	16
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Race victories	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	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 when there were just four laps remaining. This point was sufficient to take the team to tenth in the constructors' championship; tied with Arrows 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	Inj	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

• AUTOCOURSE 1999-2000, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1999) ISBN 1-874557-34-9