36 replies to this topic

[Marcel Visbeen]

Strangely enough I can't seem to find almost any information on Minardi's F2 history.
Back in 1984 I think it was Eurosport or Supersport that covered the Formula 2 series and it was the first series apart from F1 that I was able to follow on tv in Holland. I remember I was particularly fond of the Minardi's, I thought the M283 was a very pretty car (compared to the Ralts anyway) and Nannini and Del Castello always seemed to want to go faster than track or Minardi allowed. In fact in my memory Del Castello was so quick that I remember him more off the track than on it, in a 'De Cesaris 1981'-way.
Of course it's just a memory...

The only other thing I can remeber is that they only won one race once, I think it was in 1981 with Alboreto.

Can anybody add something to this (apart from the plain results)? And does anyone have a picture of the Minardi M283 so I can check if my memory failed me once again or that it really was the best looking F2-car?

[dolomite]

I don't have a 'fully clothed' picture, but here's what it looked like with the lid off, Thruxton 1983.

[Marcel Visbeen]

Thank you for the pic, Dolomite, I'll cherrish it.
Thruxton was in fact one of those races I saw on the telly.
It sadly seems to be the only picture left of a Minardi F2, but somehow I find that hard to beleive.
Is there really nothing left of Nannini or Del Castello in a 'clothed' M283?

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
Thank you for the pic, Dolomite, I'll cherrish it.
Thruxton was in fact one of those races I saw on the telly.
It sadly seems to be the only picture left of a Minardi F2, but somehow I find that hard to beleive.
Is there really nothing left of Nannini or Del Castello in a 'clothed' M283?

I know I've got a "clothed" Minardi F2 pictured somewhere in my collection - I'll have a ferret around.

[Udo K.]

Here are two pictures from the 1982 Eifelrennen:

[dolomite]

I went to several of the Easter Monday Thruxton F2 races in the early 80s. Here's the earliest Minardi from 1980, driven by Angel Guerra I believe.

[Marcel Visbeen]

Thank you for those Minardi F2 pictures.

Maybe a little dissapointing on one hand because I still don't have a visual on the M283 of 1983.
But on the other hand the Thruxton 1980 pictures are historic, I believe.
Wasn't that race the debut fot the Minardi team in F2 on April 7th?
The driver by the way is indeed Miguel Angel Guerra and the car a Minardi GM75-BMW.

For the record, the picture of the Eiffelrennen in 1982 is of course a young Allessandro Nannini in a Minardi Fly 281-BMW.

The only picture of a Minardi F2 on the web I could find is in the 8W-biography of Nannini on http://8w.forix.com/nannini.html

So to have my Minardi-photobook complete:


What strikes me in this picture is the unusual white helmet (compared to the trad. Nannini-design helmet in the Eiffelrennen picture)
Does anybody know the where and when of this picture?

And then there is just one more picture I have, but it is in a book and I can't post images because I don't have a webpage to put them on, but maybe someone can help me.
The picture is in the new tribute photo-book Michele Alboreto - un campione per amico by Ermanno Barchiesi.
It is a picture of Alboreto in 1981. I suspect it's a Minardi Fly 281. The track looks terrible: the tarmac is all torn up. It's really incredably bad. Could this be Misano?

[fines]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen

It is a picture of Alboreto in 1981. I suspect it's a Minardi Fly 281. The track looks terrible: the tarmac is all torn up. It's really incredably bad. Could this be Misano?

Probably Vallelunga!

[Jeremy Jackson]

I have some M283 photos from Donington Park in 1983 & 1984 (then it was a 283B, if my memory is OK).

I'll dig them out for you, just give me a few days!

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
What strikes me in this picture is the unusual white helmet (compared to the trad. Nannini-design helmet in the Eiffelrennen picture)
Does anybody know the where and when of this picture?

No idea, but it looks like the helmet was a last minute borrowing - as it seems he has duct-taped an 'A' to the front!

[Marcel Visbeen]

I have some M283 photos from Donington Park in 1983 & 1984 (then it was a 283B, if my memory is OK).
I'll dig them out for you, just give me a few days!

Thanks, I can hardly wait!

[Marcel Visbeen]

Originally posted by ensign14
No idea, but it looks like the helmet was a last minute borrowing - as it seems he has duct-taped an 'A' to the front!

You're right I guess. That should be a helpfull clue for identification, anyone?

[dolomite]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
Thank you for those Minardi F2 pictures.

Maybe a little dissapointing on one hand because I still don't have a visual on the M283 of 1983.
But on the other hand the Thruxton 1980 pictures are historic, I believe.
Wasn't that race the debut fot the Minardi team in F2 on April 7th?

Yes you're right, I hadn't realised that! A very short debut though, seems like he was taken out in an accident on the first lap. Thruxton F2 1980 results

David Hodges' A-Z of Formula Racing Cars 1945-1990 has a pic of the M283 in action on the track at Thruxton 1983, on page 194.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen


You're right I guess. That should be a helpfull clue for identification, anyone?

A for Alessandro, surely? Could be one of his first races then before his helmet was painted up? Or maybe he forgot it once? Cannot find any instances of a no 12 Minardi not being driven by Nannini.

[Jeremy Jackson]

No idea, but it looks like the helmet was a last minute borrowing - as it seems he has duct-taped an 'A' to the front!

Christian Danner used a plain white helmet with some thin striping, so maybe he lent one?

Barilla used Nannini's chassis in practice at Silverstone & thruxton in 1982, but I guess it's not him, as a) it would have been numbered 11T, and I think Barilla had a dark helmet.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson


Christian Danner used a plain white helmet with some thin striping, so maybe he lent one?

Unless he changed, unlikely - Danner's helmet was plain white, but with a pale blue and white diagonal chequered band along the base - inspired perhaps by the flag of Bavaria?

The black stripes on the helmet above are typical of the standard 'default' helmet supplied by someone (Bell?), and was used without ornamentation by Tommy Byrne in F1 (funny as he had a Cecottoesque red stripe over the top in F3). And used by a few others in later years - including Eddie Irvine in F3.

So, if the helmet were a last minute borrowing, it could have been taken from almost anyone...

[Jeremy Jackson]

The black stripes on the helmet above are typical of the standard 'default' helmet supplied by someone (Bell?),

I realised that, and I reckon it was Bell, but I thought Danner a likely candidate since he was in the race. Saw him race often enough, but didn't realise he had that design on the base of his helmet!

[Arjan de Roos]

Gentlemen, please look closely. Alex had not duck taped anything, but placed a Minardi logo decals on his helmet. Which is were the Bell logo is normally. Nannini always used the Jeb's helmet. This is a of the shelf Bell.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Last year Minardi had a Formula 3000 team, though it was originally European Aviation/Paul Stoddart and merged with Minardi when he took over the F1 team. What was the last time prior to the last few seasons of F3000 Minardi had a team in any series that ran something other than their own cars?

[Dudley]

Yeah, the Minardi brand F1 cars were ran in 2001 and 2002. The same team was bought by Coloni, then sold on as the new Red Bull Jr team.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Gentlemen, please look closely. Alex had not duck taped anything, but placed a Minardi logo decals on his helmet. Which is were the Bell logo is normally. Nannini always used the Jeb's helmet. This is a of the shelf Bell.

Good call! It does look like an A from a distance. Damn that white stripe in the Italian flag.

[Udo K.]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson


I realised that, and I reckon it was Bell, but I thought Danner a likely candidate since he was in the race. Saw him race often enough, but didn't realise he had that design on the base of his helmet!

Here is Christian Danner in his F2 March. The blue/white color scheme refers to the colors of his native Bavaria.

[Jeremy Jackson]

Thanks Udo,

I've no excuse, I should've noticed as I've taken photos of him myself. Hadn't noticed he wore glasses while racing either...

[Jeremy Jackson]

Hope these work...

Nannini at Donington 1983




Leoni at Silverstone '84



Nanni at Silverstone '84


Marcel, If you want me to send you larger versions, let me know.

Jeremy

[dolomite]

Alboreto at Thruxton '81.
(apologies for the dubious quality, this was one of my earliest attempts at on-track photography, taken through a cheap teleconverter with the optical properties of the bottom of a milk bottle )



Following behind is Riccardo Paletti, later tragically killed in the 1982 Canadian GP startline accident.

[Marcel Visbeen]

Thanx everybody for the Minardi picts!

Especially the ones of the M283, Jeremy. Now I see why I loved that car, I still think it is the best looking F2 car ever!
And to dolomite: you are very easilly forgiven for the (non even really) poor quality of the Alboreto pic, since it is such a rare image! Thanx again.

[dolomite]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
And to dolomite: you are very easilly forgiven for the (non even really) poor quality of the Alboreto pic, since it is such a rare image! Thanx again.

Thanks - I'll admit it does looks much better than the original print when shrunk down to small size and given a good dose of Photoshop sharpening and tweaking!

[ghinzani]

Lamberto in the EMCO Minardi - WOW!! rare picture !! anyone got any other EMCO teams pics? Chauvet or Gartner in the Spirit? Or Chauvets March from later in the season? Whilst we are on the subject anyone got any Merzario f2 pics? esp the M4... and also Nakajima in the Ikuzawa March 812 he ran in europe in 1982.

Actually sod it lets have your f2 pictures or should I start a new thread??

[Jeremy Jackson]

anyone got any other EMCO teams pics? Chauvet or Gartner in the Spirit? ...got any Merzario f2 pics

Er, okay then...


Chauvet at Donington '83


Gartner, same meeting


Livio's Merzario, Silverstone '84

[ensign14]

[ghinzani]

Top work Mr Jackson!! what other playthings can you other us today? Those pics are great!!

[ghinzani]

I used to have that drive it book of f2 motor racing, which was very good IIRC. Lots of great pics in there.lost it tho ...

[dolomite]

Originally posted by ghinzani
Lamberto in the EMCO Minardi - WOW!! rare picture !! anyone got any other EMCO teams pics? Chauvet or Gartner in the Spirit? Or Chauvets March from later in the season? Whilst we are on the subject anyone got any Merzario f2 pics? esp the M4... and also Nakajima in the Ikuzawa March 812 he ran in europe in 1982.

Actually sod it lets have your f2 pictures or should I start a new thread??

OK, I found several Merzario pictures while looking for the Minardi ones, here's one from Thruxton 1980 to start off with



You're right, maybe we should start a separate 'bring out your dodgy old F2 photos' thread

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by dolomite

OK, I found several Merzario pictures while looking for the Minardi ones, here's one from Thruxton 1980 to start off with



You're right, maybe we should start a separate 'bring out your dodgy old F2 photos' thread

Thankyou, a thing of beauty!! and doesnt it look Kaushenesque like his last F1 car.

[dolomite]

Here are a couple more cars from Thruxton 1980, both sadly ill-fated:


The one-off Tiga F280 of Hans-Georg Burger (is that Howden Ganley on the right?)




The Gustav Brunner designed Maurer MM80 of Markus Hottinger

[fines]

Originally posted by dolomite
The one-off Tiga F280 of Hans-Georg Burger (is that Howden Ganley on the right?)

Yes.

[km1164]

Thanx everybody for the Minardi picts!

Especially the ones of the M283, Jeremy. Now I see why I loved that car, I still think it is the best looking F2 car ever!
And to dolomite: you are very easilly forgiven for the (non even really) poor quality of the Alboreto pic, since it is such a rare image! Thanx again.

Best looking F2 car ever?
Not going to disagree with seeing as i own the car !!
i wanted Maurer MM82 but nowt around and i didnt want a March way too common so i bought the Minardi without really knowing much about what it looked like other than a small postage stamp photo i found in autosport the day before i went to see the car
Plan to run it again this year possibly Hockenheim in Sept