Part 1. The first three years with Motori Moderni
Gian Carlo Minardi created his own racing team in 1980 : Minardi Team S.p.A. But before that, he was already reasonably successful in Formula 2. He was owner of the Racing Team Everest and ran Ralt and March cars in the European Championship. But in 1979, he entered a March 792 chassis and that was a disaster. So he decided to build his own F2 car. He used the FLY studio from ex-Ferrari designer Giacomo Caliri and the services of the well sponsored Argentinian driver Miguel Angel Guerra. In 1980, the Minardi GM75 took part in the F2 championship. It was a good year with nine finishes out of elf races. In 1981, with the Minardi FLY 281, there were two drivers: Johnny Cecotto and Michele Alboreto, also running in F1 for Tyrrell. He won the race in Misano, the first victory for the team. For 1982, Gian Carlo built the 281B-BMW for Allessandro Nannini. But it would be a modest year. When the F3000 championship was announced, Gian Carlo Minardi began to dream to get into F1 as soon as possible. Finding a budget was the hardest part.
Heroic as it might seem, taking the plunge into F1 was a more pragmatic decision. In 1983 the Minardi Team already employed more than 20 engineers and costs had reached extortionate proportions, too much for the sponsors in Formula 2. This led Gian Carlo to launch Minardi's F1 programme in 1984 with the aim to enter F1 the following season. Because Alfa Romeo had a miserable F1 season, they were not prepared to support a third team. Minardi, however, had negotiated a deal to get his hands on their new supercharged V8 unit designed by Italian engineering legend Carlo Chiti by means of a loan. Alfa Romeo sent two engines to the Faenza factory for the construction of the new car and so the M184 was born. Alessandro Nannini did some testing in Misano. But then, Alfa Romeo pulled out. This forced Minardi to adjust the car to start its F1 adventure with a naturally aspirated Ford-Cosworth unit. In 1985 Minardi would be then the only team apart from Tyrrell not to use a turbo engine.
With the upcoming turbo era in the formula 1, Italian engineer Carlo Chiti, sacked by Alfa Romeo as designer and team boss, created together with business partner Piero Mancini his own Motori Moderni company late in 1984. They were working on V6 engine, 90 degree turbocharged twin KKK unit with 1498 cc capacity which was said to produce 720 horsepower. They decided to join Minardi together in the upcoming F1 adventure.
Firts steps in the Formula 1
The first Minardi that appeared on the 1985 F1 grid was a second chassis, the ‘M185’ designed again by Giacomo Caliri. It had a carbonfibre/Kevlar monocoque with an aluminium outer skin. Suspension in the front were in pull-rod configuration; push-rod at the rear. The sidepods housed the intercooler, oil -and water reservoirs. The team used Pirelli tyres and AGIP fuel.
The V6 Motori Moderni wasn’t ready for the first two races, so the M185 had to be adapted to take a naturally-aspirated Cosworth for the first 2 races; the M184 is the spare car. F3 champion Pierluigi Martini was confirmed as the driver. The car started at the back in these races and had to retire.
The turbocharged V6 finally arrived at the third round of the season, the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, and Pierluigi Martini managed to qualify the car in 19th position; the turbo blew out in lap 14. Due to a crash in practice, it was a non-qualification in Monaco. The next races all ended in a non-finish: two engine problems (Canada and Detroit), a crash with G.Berger Arrows in France, suspension failure at Silverstone. At the Nürburgring, Martini started last on the grid and worked his way up to P13 halfway and finished in P11. In Austria, he crashed out in lap 40 and at Zandvoort in the first lap. At Monza, the engine died in the warming-up lap. In the variable weather conditions at Spa, the M185 stayed on the road and Martini was 12th, being lapped four times. At Brands Hatch, there was again a crash; at Kyalami again turbo problems. In the final GP in Australia, Pierluigi ended on P08, the last of the remaining drivers. But a good way to end a difficult first year.
The second year
For 1986 the Minardi team expanded to two cars. Andrea de Cesaris and Alessandro Nannini joined the team. The existing design was modified as the M185B with new front suspension and a lower rear bodywork thanks to a smaller fuel cell. Thanks to Enzo Ferrari, the team could use the Ferrari developed Magneti-Marelli electronic engine management. Motori Moderni also introduced improved KKK turbocharger. The cars were still on Pirelli tyres. Because of the small budget, a new and only one M168 could be used from the Hungarian GP onwards. This car had an all fiber/Kevlar monocoque. Giacomo Caliri designed again a new front suspension and yet a lower rear bodywork to improve the airflow to the rear wing, revised sidepods and a new transaxle case. The latte rwas an integrated Minardi production with a magnesium base but with the strength of aluminium. De Cesaris raced the car in five of the last six races but handed it to Nannini in Austria, who outpaced him immediately.
The Minardi Motori Moderni showed improved qualification speeds but remained unreliable and was the cause of most of the retirements in the races. The Mexico GP was an exception. Both cars started from the back, but Andrea managed a P08 and Alessandro a P14. De Cesaris was 11th on the Australia grid, but had to retire. Both cars did not qualify in Monaco.
The last year with Motori Moderni
The use of the turbocharged Motori Moderni would go on in 1987. The new teammate for Nannini was Adrian Campos with sponsor money from Lois Jeans. Minardi also had a deal with Simod Sport shoes. The new 187 was based on the 1986 monocoque with lighter and lower bodywork and pull-rods suspension in the front and push-rods to the rear. They used a more reliable five speed gearbox. The car remained overweight. Nannini had a strong year and impressed when the car was running. He qualified in the top 15 on ten occasions. He registered just three finishes usually because of engine and turbo failures. His highlights were certainly a P07 in the wet qualifying at Spa, a race against the Ferrari of G.Berger in France and a P 06 in the race in Germany before the engine failed. A P08 when running out of fuel in Portugal and P09 in Mexico. Adrian Campos had a terrible year. He was fined for missing the weighbridge in Rio and was black flagged for taking to late his positioning at the grid. He did not start in Monaco after a qualifying crash. He was involved in too many start and first lap incidents, apart from the technical problems of the car. His best result was a P14 in Spain.
Halfway through the season the FIA proposed to return to naturally aspirated engines, which heralded the complete ban of turbo engines in 1989. At the end of the season, the Minardi team announced that it would split with its engine partner Motori Moderni, hoping for a better future if sponsors would provide the money.
