Minardi M198

Last updated
Minardi M198
Nakano 1998 Spanish GP.jpg
Category Formula One
Constructor Minardi
Designer(s) Gustav Brunner (Technical Director)
Gabriele Tredozi (Chief Engineer)
George Ryton (Chief Designer)
Mariano Alperin (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Predecessor M197
Successor M01
Technical specifications
Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)double wishbones, pushrod with coaxial spring/damper and torsion bar
Suspension (rear)double wishbones, pushrod with coaxial spring/damper and torsion bar
Engine Ford JD Zetec-R, 3.0-litre, 72-degree V10, mid-engined
Transmission Minardi six-speed longitudinal sequential semi-automatic
Power710 hp (529 kW) @ 15,000 rpm [1]
Fuel Elf or Texaco
Tyres Bridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrants Fondmetal Minardi Team
Notable drivers22. Flag of Japan.svg Shinji Nakano
23. Flag of Argentina.svg Esteban Tuero
Debut 1998 Australian Grand Prix
RacesWins Poles F/Laps
16000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Minardi M198 was the car with which the Minardi team competed in the 1998 Formula One World Championship.

Contents

Overview

For 1998, Minardi signed Japanese Shinji Nakano from Prost, and Argentine rookie Esteban Tuero. [2] [3]

The M198 featured a Ford powered Cosworth V10 engine, upgrading from the previous seasons Hart V8. Tuero first tested the new engine in January 1998 at Mugello. [4] By February, Nakano had joined the team and was testing the car in Barcelona. However, despite optimism, Tuero had yet to be granted a super licence to compete in the 1998 season. [5] [6] Tuero was eventually awarded his license by the FIA and upon starting the season at 19 years of age, he became the third-youngest ever Formula One driver at the time. [7]

At the first round of the 1998 season in Australia, Tuero managed to qualify in 17th position ahead of 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis, and both Tyrrells. However, ultimately the race would finish in a double retirement for the M198 - a feat repeated at the next round in Brazil. Nakano took the M198 to its first Grand Prix finish in Argentina.

Reliability was an issue with the M198, as were a number of accidents. The car failed to finish 18 times. [8] Tuero only finished four Grand Prix he entered, a 75% retirement rate. [9] Nakano suffered six retirements, meaning three Grand Prix where neither M198 passed the chequered flag. At the final race of the season in Japan, Tuero was involved in a collision with Tora Takagi which caused lesions across three spinal vertebrae. The debris from the accident was hit by Michael Schumacher, leading him to retire and Mika Hakkinen won the title. [10] [11]

The highlight of the M198 was Nakano's 7th place finish at the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix. This led Minardi to finish ahead of Tyrrell in the 1998 Constructors' Championship, despite both teams failing to score any points.

Following the season, Minardi began utilising the M198 for testing ahead of 1999. Laurent Redon, Marc Gene and Italian F3 winner Donny Crevels all tested the M198 at Barcelona in December, 1998. [12] Gene would ultimately join the team for 1999, and drive the M01. [13]

Livery

The M198 had a significant livery change from its predecessor, running a new silver and blue paintjob. The car also featured a large number of sponsors, such as Fondmetal, Roces, Avex Group and Doimo.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

YearTeamEngineTyresDrivers12345678910111213141516PointsWCC
1998 Minardi Ford V10 B AUS BRA ARG SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR AUT GER HUN BEL ITA LUX JPN 0NC
Shinji Nakano RetRet13Ret149717811Ret158Ret15Ret
Esteban Tuero RetRetRet815RetRetRetRetRet16RetRet11RetRet

Related Research Articles

Minardi was an Italian automobile racing team and constructor founded in Faenza in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans. In 2001, to save the team from folding, Minardi sold it to Australian businessman Paul Stoddart, who ran the team for five years before selling it on to Red Bull GmbH in 2005 who renamed it Scuderia Toro Rosso. Initially called "M" then a number, from 2001, all of Minardi chassis were called "PS", the PS being the initials of team owner, Paul Stoddart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Canadian Grand Prix</span> 7th round of the 1997 Formula One season

The 1997 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on 15 June 1997. The race was stopped early on lap 54 after a big crash involving Olivier Panis, who broke his legs and would be unable to start the next seven Grands Prix. Michael Schumacher won ahead of Jean Alesi in the Benetton and Giancarlo Fisichella in the Jordan. David Coulthard had been leading, but was delayed for over a lap by a clutch problem during his second pit stop, shortly before Panis's crash. On lap 2, local driver Jacques Villeneuve crashed into the wall on the exit of the final corner. This wall would later be known as the 'Wall of Champions', after three former World Champions, including Villeneuve, crashed into it separately in the 1999 race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Belgian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race held in 1998

The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 30 August 1998, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps; it was the thirteenth race of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race was won by Damon Hill driving for the Jordan team, with Hill's teammate Ralf Schumacher finishing in second place and Jean Alesi finishing in third for the Sauber team, taking his 32nd and last podium of his F1 career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Japanese Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1998 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka, Mie, Japan on 1 November 1998. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship. The 51-lap race was won by Mika Häkkinen driving for the McLaren-Mercedes team. Eddie Irvine, driving for Ferrari, finished second with David Coulthard third in the other McLaren. Häkkinen's win confirmed him as 1998 Drivers' Champion as title-rival Michael Schumacher retired with a punctured tyre on Lap 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Formula One World Championship</span> 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It was the 55th FIA Formula One World Championship, and was contested over eighteen races from 7 March to 24 October 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Formula One World Championship</span> 57th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 57th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It began on 9 March 2003, and ended on 12 October after sixteen races. World Championship titles were awarded for both drivers and constructors with Michael Schumacher winning the former and Ferrari awarded the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Formula One World Championship</span> 56th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 2002 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 56th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It began on 3 March and ended on 13 October after seventeen races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Formula One World Championship</span> 52nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 52nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1998 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1998 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a sixteen-race series that commenced on 8 March and ended on 1 November. Finland's Mika Häkkinen won his first Drivers' Championship, and McLaren-Mercedes won the Constructors' Championship, the first for the McLaren team since 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Formula One World Championship</span> 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It commenced on 9 March and ended on 26 October after seventeen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Jacques Villeneuve and the Constructors' Championship was awarded to Williams-Renault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Formula One World Championship</span> 50th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1996 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 50th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. The championship commenced on 10 March and ended on 13 October after sixteen races. Two World Championship titles were awarded, one for Drivers and one for Constructors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jos Verstappen</span> Dutch racing driver (born 1972)

Johannes Franciscus Verstappen is a Dutch retired racing driver who competed in Formula One for Benetton, Simtek, Footwork Arrows, Tyrrell, Stewart, and Minardi. Verstappen was the German Formula Three champion and Masters of Formula Three winner in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esteban Tuero</span> Argentine racing driver (born 1978)

Esteban Eduardo Tuero is an Argentine former racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Minardi team in 1998. At 19, he became the then-third-youngest Formula One driver in history when he landed his seat alongside Shinji Nakano, but left the championship at the end of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minardi M02</span> Formula One racing car

The Minardi M02 was the car with which the Minardi Formula One team competed in the 2000 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minardi M01</span> Formula One racing car

The Minardi M01 was the car with which the Minardi Formula One team competed in the 1999 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Italian Luca Badoer, who had previously driven for the team in 1995, and Spaniard Marc Gené, with Frenchman Stéphane Sarrazin deputising for Badoer at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrrell 026</span> Formula One racing car

The Tyrrell 026 was the car with which the Tyrrell team competed in the 1998 Formula One World Championship. The car was driven by Brazilian Ricardo Rosset and Japanese rookie Toranosuke Takagi, and was the final Tyrrell car to compete in F1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minardi M197</span> Formula One racing car

The Minardi M197 was the car with which the Minardi Formula One team competed in the 1997 Formula One season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minardi PS03</span> Formula One racing car

The Minardi PS03 was the car with which the Minardi team competed in the 2003 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrows A23</span> Formula One racing car

The Arrows A23 is a Formula One racing car, used by the Arrows team during the 2002 Formula One season. It was designed by Mike Coughlan, Sergio Rinland and Nicolò Petrucci with engines supplied by Jaguar-works Cosworth customer rather than the Asiatech unit used in the previous year's Arrows A22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAR 004</span> Formula One racing car

The BAR 004 was the car with which the British American Racing Formula One team competed in the 2002 Formula One season.

The EC and ED family are a series of 3.0-litre and 3.5-litre, naturally-aspirated, V8, Formula One racing engines, designed, developed and produced by Cosworth, in partnership with Ford; and used between 1994 and 1997. The customer engines were used by Benetton, Sauber, Forti, Lola, Simtek, Pacific, Minardi, and Tyrrell.

References

  1. ↑ "Engine Ford Cosworth • STATS F1".
  2. ↑ "Nakano Signs For Minardi". Crash.net. 30 January 1998. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Tuero signs for Minardi". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Minardi test their new car M. Schumacher ready to solve Villeneuve problems M. Schumacher worries over 1998 tyres Mansell gets into ice racing". Atlas F1. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Barcelona Testing - Minardi". Crash.net. 8 February 1998. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Tuero's superlicence". grandprix.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Vigar, Simon (2008). Forza Minardi!: The Inside Story of the Little Team Which Took on the Giants ... Veloce Publishing. p. 57. ISBN   9781845841607.
  8. ↑ "Minardi M198". Stats F1. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Esteban Tuero F1 stats". GP Racing Stats. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Japanese GP, 1998". grandprix.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "Injured Tuero Back On Sidelines". crash.net. 27 November 1998. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "News wrap-up for last week's testing". Atlas F1. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "F1 news 99-02-05". Motorsport. Retrieved 1 June 2022.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.