Wednesday February 9th, 2000

The Minardi Formula One team, among the last to launch their new car, will finally unveil their 2000 model at Bilbao's Guggenheim art museum in Spain on February 16th.

The Italian team's principal sponsor is Spanish telecoms company Telefonica and their only confirmed driver so far is Spaniard Marc Gene. He scored one point last season, Minardi's first for almost four years.

A spokeswoman said on Wednesday a decision on Minardi's second driver was expected within a few days.

The three candidates are all South American -- Argentines Gaston Mazzacane and Norberto Fontana and Brazilian Max Wilson.

Arrows, who finished equal ninth with Minardi last season after scoring just one point with Spanish driver Pedro de la Rosa, are expected to come in behind Minardi with their launch, the last of the 11 teams on the grid.

Their launch is pencilled in for Amsterdam on February 24.

The British-based team last month signed experienced Dutch driver Jos Verstappen, who has raced in Formula One with Benetton, Arrows, Tyrrell and Stewart, for 2000.