AUGUST 9, 2001

Minardi to shake down at Fiorano

EUROPEAN MINARDI has some tweaks for its PS01 chassis prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be run in during a 30-mile test at Ferrari's Fiorano test track next Wednesday.

The car will be driven by one of the Minardi team's nominated test drivers, 22-year-old Andrea Piccini, who has a pair of top-10 finishes for European Minardi's Formula 3000 team in the F1-supporting series.

Piccini will assist technical personnel as they shake down a slightly modified version of the team's new titanium gearbox and some minor modifications to the accompanying aerodynamic package prior to the tight and twisty Hungaroring circuit sees them put into action.

"Andrea is showing increasingly strong form in Formula 3000 and did a solid job when he tested for us in early July, at Mugello," said the team's general director, Giancarlo Minardi. "Add to that the fact he is Italian-based, and it makes sense for him to carry out this shakedown at Fiorano."