Favourite F1 Minnows
Discussion
I nominate Super Aguri, specifically the SA06 using the tried and tested Arrows A23 chassis.
Takuma Sato's attempt at rebooting his F1 career was able to show what a good F1 driver he was. Loved how he could lightning starts and race with the quicker cars for a while before going backwards in the A-spec, could hold his own with the B-spec - I remember how exciting it was awaiting the B-spec chassis. The whole team got their desserts at the final race of the season in Brazil 2006 when Sato finished in 10th position - they celebrated like it was a win and that was when not even a point was scored for a tenth place finish!
Takuma Sato's attempt at rebooting his F1 career was able to show what a good F1 driver he was. Loved how he could lightning starts and race with the quicker cars for a while before going backwards in the A-spec, could hold his own with the B-spec - I remember how exciting it was awaiting the B-spec chassis. The whole team got their desserts at the final race of the season in Brazil 2006 when Sato finished in 10th position - they celebrated like it was a win and that was when not even a point was scored for a tenth place finish!
For me, it has to be Minardi.
For what they did, with what they had, and what they achieved, I'd say they're as near God like as you can get. They never had an ugly car (fight me), and I've only ever been heart broken twice in my life when it comes to F1. When Fisichella was robbed of the winners trophy in Brazil and I was with my family in Ireland, and when Badoer's car broke down at the European GP in 1999.
Still chokes me up, even now.
You don't get the passion, the charisma, the absolute knife edge of needing to find a way to score a point. And F1 is the poorer for this.
For what they did, with what they had, and what they achieved, I'd say they're as near God like as you can get. They never had an ugly car (fight me), and I've only ever been heart broken twice in my life when it comes to F1. When Fisichella was robbed of the winners trophy in Brazil and I was with my family in Ireland, and when Badoer's car broke down at the European GP in 1999.
Still chokes me up, even now.
You don't get the passion, the charisma, the absolute knife edge of needing to find a way to score a point. And F1 is the poorer for this.
Got to be Jordan for me too, brought a bit of fun to F1 with the liveries, concerts and attitude but showed you coudl still be serious enough to win. Also the first team I rememeber seeing go from new team to GP winners, not sure I can rememeber another since; most (e.g Mercedes) are just rebrands of existing teams.
Minnows for me were people like Osella, Toleman, Eurobrun, Theodore, Onyx
Some of them had no moments in the sun, but times when martin got on front row in a Minardi, or Leyton House nearly winning a race, a very low budget Brabham getting a podium at Monaco, Rosberg winning a soaking non championship f1 race in a Theodore, Hunt winning in a Hesketh against Ferrari and Lauda.
there is life below that with people like Zakspeed, Ensign, Pacific et al.
Some of them had no moments in the sun, but times when martin got on front row in a Minardi, or Leyton House nearly winning a race, a very low budget Brabham getting a podium at Monaco, Rosberg winning a soaking non championship f1 race in a Theodore, Hunt winning in a Hesketh against Ferrari and Lauda.
there is life below that with people like Zakspeed, Ensign, Pacific et al.
Maybe my choice isn't a minnow in the true sense as the car was originally developed by Honda, but being as Jordan and Tyrrell who won multiple races and titles are being classed as minnows by other posters then I will throw my choice in the mix:
Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
TwentyFive said:
Maybe my choice isn't a minnow in the true sense as the car was originally developed by Honda, but being as Jordan and Tyrrell who won multiple races and titles are being classed as minnows by other posters then I will throw my choice in the mix:
Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
I always thought a Minnow was a team that spent their life at the rear of the grid, with odd flashes of brilliance in a season. So Super Aguri, Minardi, Forti, Simtek, Footwork/Arrows, Osella, EuroBrun etc. I could argue that Haas could be classed as a minnow.Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
Jordan had their moment, but it was only really at the end of the team's life did they struggle. The same with Tyrrell. Both teams had success (albeit Tyrrell had more than Jordan), and Brawn were never a minnow.
sgtBerbatov said:
TwentyFive said:
Maybe my choice isn't a minnow in the true sense as the car was originally developed by Honda, but being as Jordan and Tyrrell who won multiple races and titles are being classed as minnows by other posters then I will throw my choice in the mix:
Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
I always thought a Minnow was a team that spent their life at the rear of the grid, with odd flashes of brilliance in a season. So Super Aguri, Minardi, Forti, Simtek, Footwork/Arrows, Osella, EuroBrun etc. I could argue that Haas could be classed as a minnow.Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
Jordan had their moment, but it was only really at the end of the team's life did they struggle. The same with Tyrrell. Both teams had success (albeit Tyrrell had more than Jordan), and Brawn were never a minnow.
When compared to the budgets and development opportunity of other teams on the grid, Brawn were very much minnows in 2009.
They were of course lucky to be handed the golden ticket of a double diffuser equipped car but still had to make it run with a different engine shoehorned into the back. I doubt many gave them a chance of being on the grid prior to testing, let alone winning the championship.
Other mentions would by Spyker, when Marcus Winkelhock ended up leading in Germany 2007. Also Marrusia. I always wanted to see them do well.
TwentyFive said:
sgtBerbatov said:
TwentyFive said:
Maybe my choice isn't a minnow in the true sense as the car was originally developed by Honda, but being as Jordan and Tyrrell who won multiple races and titles are being classed as minnows by other posters then I will throw my choice in the mix:
Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
I always thought a Minnow was a team that spent their life at the rear of the grid, with odd flashes of brilliance in a season. So Super Aguri, Minardi, Forti, Simtek, Footwork/Arrows, Osella, EuroBrun etc. I could argue that Haas could be classed as a minnow.Brawn GP.
One season, no car development all year, on paper should it never have worked yet they won both world titles. 100% strike rate and out.
A movie script played out in real life.
Jordan had their moment, but it was only really at the end of the team's life did they struggle. The same with Tyrrell. Both teams had success (albeit Tyrrell had more than Jordan), and Brawn were never a minnow.
When compared to the budgets and development opportunity of other teams on the grid, Brawn were very much minnows in 2009.
They were of course lucky to be handed the golden ticket of a double diffuser equipped car but still had to make it run with a different engine shoehorned into the back. I doubt many gave them a chance of being on the grid prior to testing, let alone winning the championship.
Other mentions would by Spyker, when Marcus Winkelhock ended up leading in Germany 2007. Also Marrusia. I always wanted to see them do well.
sgtBerbatov said:
Well no, Brawn still weren't insignificant in that season. They made the most of the double diffuser and won the championship. So the achievement negates the budget, and actually makes their achievement more significant and takes them out of minnow status.
I feel their lack of budget added significant weight to their achievement but the lack of budget also supports minnow status.Red Bull and Toyota also had double diffusers and significantly more budget for development, yet Brawn beat them. Brawn were minnows in comparison to their competitors and won just like Leicester beating the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd to their title some years ago.
Were Leicester not dubbed the minnows who won the Premier League? How is Brawn GP any different? It's not really fair to look back retrospectively and say they can't have been minnows during the 2009 season just because you know what the result was. I agree that they wouldn't have held minnow status in 2010 as reigning champions if they hadn't sold the team onto to Mercedes, but at the start of 2009 they were the most unlikely of challengers..
Appreciate that your view is different and happy to agree to disagree.
Edited by TwentyFive on Thursday 4th February 11:42
Edited by TwentyFive on Thursday 4th February 11:44
I think it's realistically hard to be a minnow these days given the size of budget and commitment needed. It's perfectly possible to be back of the grid all of the time but it's more than that to be a minnow.
If you look back to the 70s and 80s it was possible to turn up at a few races and have a bash at pre-qualifying and possibly get into a race and maybe either nab a point. Ensign, Theodore, ATC etc were all minnows.
My favourite hough will always be Minardi for punching above their weight and being the starting point for some great drivers.
I'd also suggest BMS Scuderia Italia as well - six years in F1 whilst never building their own chassis and using three different engines. Didn't always pre-qualify and sometimes did but then didn't qualify but still bagged some points and a podium or two.
Sadly those days are gone and won't be coming back not least because the cars are so reliable these days and the cost of entry is so high.
If you look back to the 70s and 80s it was possible to turn up at a few races and have a bash at pre-qualifying and possibly get into a race and maybe either nab a point. Ensign, Theodore, ATC etc were all minnows.
My favourite hough will always be Minardi for punching above their weight and being the starting point for some great drivers.
I'd also suggest BMS Scuderia Italia as well - six years in F1 whilst never building their own chassis and using three different engines. Didn't always pre-qualify and sometimes did but then didn't qualify but still bagged some points and a podium or two.
Sadly those days are gone and won't be coming back not least because the cars are so reliable these days and the cost of entry is so high.
I really liked Simtek. They fizzled out early in '95 & the Car wasn't anywhere near as pretty as the '94 S941 but they were real fighters with Soul.
The early Jordan years were fun, I really liked them. Very Hand to Mouth but they were the fun, rock n Roll team long before Red Bull were, but haven't been for the best part of a decade now.
Leyton House, Minardi, any team displaying real spirit, passion & charisma
The early Jordan years were fun, I really liked them. Very Hand to Mouth but they were the fun, rock n Roll team long before Red Bull were, but haven't been for the best part of a decade now.
Leyton House, Minardi, any team displaying real spirit, passion & charisma
For me a minnow is someone doing an amazing job with a far smaller budget.
So Maldonado winning at Catalunya is a minnow for the modern age. Sauber getting podiums etc.
Older days it's stuff like Ensign, ATS, Theodore.
Minardi take some beating, Martini in 89 was astounding what he was doing. I would perhaps even add the 1990 Tyrrell with Alesi, perhaps not a minnow though but certainly punching very well above its weight.
I would suggest the last real minnow win was maybe Vettel in the Toro Rosso, Panis in the Ligier, but there was not minnows per se, just odd results
So Maldonado winning at Catalunya is a minnow for the modern age. Sauber getting podiums etc.
Older days it's stuff like Ensign, ATS, Theodore.
Minardi take some beating, Martini in 89 was astounding what he was doing. I would perhaps even add the 1990 Tyrrell with Alesi, perhaps not a minnow though but certainly punching very well above its weight.
I would suggest the last real minnow win was maybe Vettel in the Toro Rosso, Panis in the Ligier, but there was not minnows per se, just odd results
I agree with most of what has been posted already, I'd add Marussia into the mix, by far the best of the new teams from that era, proper racers and always knocking on the door of the points and of course that glorious day in Monaco.
I miss minnows having big days. Would love to see a small private team take on the establishment and give them a bloody nose from time to time.
I miss minnows having big days. Would love to see a small private team take on the establishment and give them a bloody nose from time to time.
1977 - Bognor Regis’s finest - the Lec (not a fridge) driven by Niki Lauda’s favourite rabbit.
Tiny team manage to lead the Belgian GP that year (Ok dry/wet/dry race) before Purls has his massive Silverstone shunt.
.
Talking of Minardis - Giancarlo ran cars in F2 before hitting the F1 grid some 10 years later. In 1976 Ferrari entrusted him with a 312T to use in non championship F1 races. I was there at Brands when Giancarlo Martini trashed the Scuderia Everest Ferrari whilst getting the tyres up to heat on the warm up lap ...
Tiny team manage to lead the Belgian GP that year (Ok dry/wet/dry race) before Purls has his massive Silverstone shunt.
. Talking of Minardis - Giancarlo ran cars in F2 before hitting the F1 grid some 10 years later. In 1976 Ferrari entrusted him with a 312T to use in non championship F1 races. I was there at Brands when Giancarlo Martini trashed the Scuderia Everest Ferrari whilst getting the tyres up to heat on the warm up lap ...
Edited by moffspeed on Friday 12th February 00:06
Edited by moffspeed on Friday 12th February 00:09
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