climacus

If Minardi can't run, don't McLaren and Williams have to field a third car? I think Ferrari is calling somebody's bluff here. Or perhaps they know something about Minardi's finances and the threat of keeping them out of several races will potentially sink the team (walk-away clauses in the sponsorship contracts?). I doubt Ferrari intend to follow through with the threat. It's the same old F1 paddock intimidation talk.

One thing is for sure, there is no love lost between Stoddart and Brawn.

Triple-H

This morning I read Red Bull is pulling sponsorship money, so Minardi's problems run way deeper than Ferrari not allowing them to break the rules...

I have though this might happen all along when Red Bull took over Jag...

s2ksimon

Not to worry.. i think Vince is over there now talking to Stoddy, he'll probably infuse them with funds, and they'll be on the grid and you'll see Vince getting full paddock access come every gp

matrix

Funny enough, even Minardi's own sponsor's agree with Ferrari....

Minardi must play by the rules or risk exclusion from Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Thursday.

Horner said Red Bull, which took over from Jaguar in November, could not support Minardi boss Paul Stoddart's request to be allowed to race last year's car with unmodified aerodynamics.

"I sympathise with his position but rules are rules," Horner told Reuters. "They are there for a reason and we all have to abide by them. My position and that of Red Bull is that nothing would be more frustrating for us in a debut race to finish ninth with a Minardi ahead of us and a point taken from us."

It really was not a difficult situation for Ferrari to make the call they did - and imo the right one...

Triple-H

Nice!

Nabs 79

I don't know. I kinda agree with the rest of the F1 paddock. Yes, those are the rules but rules can be changed under exceptional circumstances. This is a team which has absolutely no chance of winning a grand prix so why not just let them race and increase the number of F1 entries...