FEBRUARY 2, 2002

New Minardi running at Imola

THE new KL Minardi-Asiatech PS02 made its first appearance on Friday with Alex Yoong doing the first shakedown runs at Imola. As expected the car is very different from the PS01 which was to a large extent based on the 2000 Minardi. The PS02 is the result of considerable windtunnel work and that is reflected in the sleeker look of the car. The big question is whether or not the Asiatech AT02 V10 engine is going to be a better package than last year's engine. The Paris-based company has produced a lighter, lower and smaller engine which has a rumored 40 horsepower more than last year.

The team will now conduct a series of tests before the cars are shipped to Malaysia where there will be a big launch on the weekend before the Australian GP.