MARCH 1, 2002
Minardi goes ballistic
The news that Tom Walkinshaw Racing has bought the assets of Prost Grand Prix means that the Minardi team will not get around $12m of TV money which goes to the top 10 F1 teams.
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Paul Stoddart, the boss of Minardi, was not impressed when he heard about the TWR deal, telling the Australian Associated Press that it was "an absolute travesty of justice". The Australian was outspoken about the deal.
"I think when scrutineering commenced here yesterday at 10 am, then under the Concorde Agreement, Prost Grand Prix team's right to exist ceased," said Stoddart, "because they were then a team failing to turn up to an event whilst insolvent. That is a statement of fact - not disputable in law.
"To me liquidation is and always has been the final chapter in a company's history, therefore it can't come back from the dead unless all the creditors are paid and unless all the employees are paid. This seems to me that they've all been f**ked over...and why am I not surprised - look at who's name's attached to it," he said.
"We are going to have to fight. We believe this will not be allowed to go ahead because if it did it would wipe out the assets you attach the entry of every team in this pit lane. I'll be surprised if I'm the only team who thinks that this is absolutely outrageous. I'll be gutted if we don't have a bunch of team principals united on this point."
Stoddart is believed to be planning legal action to stop the deal going through.