 Minardi Looking to Sell F3000 Team Thursday June 13th, 2002
"The team is actively looking for a purchaser and there are a number of interested parties," a Minardi spokesman said on Thursday. Sources close to the team suggested that without a change of ownership, the F3000 cars would be unlikely to travel to the Nurburgring in Germany next week. Autosport magazine reported that rivals Coloni Motorsport and Team Astromega were both interested in taking control of the British-based F3000 team owned by Australian-born businessman Paul Stoddart. "There is nothing wrong with the set up, it's just that they don't have the money to run," it quoted Astromega team manager Sam Boyle as saying of the European Minardi team. "We are showing an interest in being involved at a formal level in an effort to keep the team in the series." Minardi, with their Formula One operation facing a serious cash shortfall, laid off staff from their Ledbury headquarters in May with several of those made redundant coming from the Formula 3000 programme. Formula 3000 has served as a feeder class for Formula One, with drivers such as Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and Germany's Nick Heidfeld among former champions. The races are held on the Saturday before the main Grand Prix. Minardi's current Formula 3000 drivers are Belgian David Saelens, who is on a race-by-race deal, and the less experienced but better funded Brazilian Alex Sperafico.
Published at 11:37:20 GMT
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The cash-strapped Minardi Formula One team have put their junior Formula 3000 operation up for sale in a bid to keep it on the road.
(03-11-2005): 
