After 20 years of glorious 'failure', the best-loved team in Formula One is consigned to the history books.
But it deserves one of its own.
Minardi had a successful time in Formula Two until the tiny Italian outfit was ready to hit the big time in 1985. It somehow survived in F1's shark-infested waters as bigger teams were dragged under.
Minardi had a truly international fan-base and was the 'second team' of most F1 devotees. It was held in such affection because everyone loves the plucky underdog - Minardi's annual budget would have lasted one month at the other Italian team up the road.
Yet, from its plant in Faenza near Bologna, Minardi produced cars that qualified, sometimes scored points and often led the way in technology. Gian Carlo Minardi also developed a reputation as a fabulous talent-spotter - Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso all started their F1 careers with Minardi.
Minardi was taken over by controversial Australian tycoon Paul Stoddart. Cast as David against the Goliath of F1's governing body, Stoddart constantly hit the headlines as he tried to get a more equal share of the sport's billions of dollars. Ultimately, he failed and Red Bull has now bought the team.
Despite a petition signed by 15,000, the Minardi name vanished from the F1 grid and true motorheads miss it.
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