The Spanish driver Marc Genč will drive for the Minardi Ford Team in the 1999 F1 Championship, which begins in one month's time. The official announcement was given today in Madrid, in the presence of Gabriele Rumi and Gian Carlo Minardi, during the press conference arranged by the main sponsor of the driver, the Multinational Corporation Telefonica.

The agreement was reached taking into consideration the excellent performance given by the 24-years-old Catalan in the test offered to him by the Team as the winner of the Open Fortuna by Nissan Spanish Championship, last December, in Barcelona.

As from Monday next week, Marc will be on the track at the Catalunya Cicuit, to finish his preparations as F1 driver and carry on with the development of the new car, after the positive impression that it gave in the recent shake down, carried out last week in Mugello, by Luca Badoer.

The presentation of the Team will take place next Sunday, February 7th in Barcelona. The second driver to join Minardi is the 23 year old Argentinean, Gaston Mazzacane.