Minardi PS03
Encyclopedia
The Minardi PS03 is a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 car used by the Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded 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...

 team during the 2003 Formula One season
2003 Formula One season
The 2003 Formula One season was the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 9, 2003 and ended on October 12 after sixteen races...

.

The PS03 was the third Minardi car to be created under the influence of Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart, born 26 May 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate, and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team. He later took the Minardi brand into the Champ Car World Series after his purchase of a portion of CTE-HVM Racing which he renamed Minardi Team USA for 2007.-Early...

 and he wanted it to be a regular point scorer. Justin Wilson and Jos Verstappen
Jos Verstappen
Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen nicknamed "Jos the Boss" is a Dutch racing driver. He is the most successful Dutch Formula One driver, and has also won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races...

 were the drivers, with Nicolas Kiesa
Nicolas Kiesa
Nicolas Kiesa is a racing driver from Denmark. He participated in five Formula One Grands Prix in the 2003 season...

 as the test driver. The highlight of the season for the team was Verstappen's fastest time on Friday at Magny Cours, however this was only because it rained. Surprisingly, even though the team had many retirements; Wilson only finishing 2 of his first 8 races, the Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

 engines were reliable, they never caused the driver to retire. What caused Wilson to retire these 6 times was; 3 holed radiators, physical issues and a recurring refuelling glitch.

One of the main problems Minardi always had with the car was the lack of wind-tunnel testing, only managing 12 days in the Fondmetal
Fondmetal
Fondmetal is a Italian wheel manufacturer, founded by Gabriele Rumi.It also was a Formula One constructor from 1991 through 1992, as well as a Formula One engine supplier in 2000 and sponsor of several teams throughout this period...

 windtunnel.

Pre-season issues

At first the team appeared to have no sponsors, engines or tyres. Michelin had pulled out of the team leaving Minardi to run some pre-season tests on Avon tyres. Asiatech engines were gone, as was the previous year's sponsorship from Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

 due to Alex Yoong
Alex Yoong
Alexander Charles Yoong Loong , is a Malaysian race car driver of European and Asian parentage. His mother, Joanna Bean, is from England. His father, Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah , a Malaysian Chinese, is a former racer and manager of the Shah Alam circuit between 1988 and 1998...

's departure to Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

. This left Minardi in some serious problems. Eventually Bridgestone
Bridgestone
The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....

 agreed to make the tyres, and with the help of new driver Jos Verstappen they managed to get sponsorship from Trust
Trust (electronics company)
Trust International B.V. is a privately-held company headquartered in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. It is a manufacturer of value-for-money computer accessories that are marketed mostly at low and middle segment price levels. Trust International B.V. is an international company that is active in...

. European Aviation, (Stoddart's own company) put up sponsorship as did various other small companies for small sums of money, including Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...

, who reportedly did not pay. Minardi also managed to get Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

 engines, old 72 degree V10's, un-tuned and similar to those being used in the Jordan
Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...

 of that season but these were slightly longer. There was initially no title sponsor until the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 company Trust
Trust (electronics company)
Trust International B.V. is a privately-held company headquartered in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. It is a manufacturer of value-for-money computer accessories that are marketed mostly at low and middle segment price levels. Trust International B.V. is an international company that is active in...

 joined the team for the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix.

Complete Formula One results

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC
European
European Aviation Air Charter
European Aviation Air Charter was an airline based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It operated ad hoc charter services, VIP flights, and inclusive-tour and sub-charter flights, as well as ACMI wet leases for other airlines. Its main base was Bournemouth Airport...

 Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded 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...

 Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

 V10
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...

AUS
2003 Australian Grand Prix
The 2003 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 9 March 2003 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.There was a lot of speculation about how the new set of rules that debuted in this race would affect Ferrari, which were the ones to cause the changes after their dominant 2002 season....

MAL
2003 Malaysian Grand Prix
The 2003 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 23, 2003 at the Sepang International Circuit. It was the second race of the 2003 Formula One season, and it was won by Kimi Räikkönen driving the MP4-17 for McLaren-Mercedes. This was Räikkönen's first Formula One Grand...

BRA
2003 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 6, 2003 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace . This was the 700th World Championship event....

SMR
2003 San Marino Grand Prix
The 2003 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 20, 2003 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.__FORCETOC__- Saturday Qualifying :- Race Result :- Notes :...

ESP
2003 Spanish Grand Prix
The 2003 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 May 2003 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.__FORCETOC__- Saturday Qualifying :- Race Result :- Notes :*This was the first double retirement of the season for McLaren....

AUT MON CAN EUR FRA
2003 French Grand Prix
The 2003 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 6, 2003 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.__FORCETOC__- Classification :- Notes :*Fastest Lap: Juan Pablo Montoya 1:15.512...

GBR
2003 British Grand Prix
The 2003 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 20 July 2003 at the Silverstone Circuit.It was won by polesitter Rubens Barrichello but is probably most well known for a track invasion by the defrocked priest Neil Horan, who ran along Hangar straight, running opposite to the...

GER HUN
2003 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 24, 2003 at the Hungaroring. It was won by Renault's Fernando Alonso from pole, becoming at the time the youngest ever driver to win a Grand Prix, beating the previous record of Bruce McLaren...

ITA
2003 Italian Grand Prix
The 2003 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 14, 2003 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.- Classification :- Notes :*Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher 1.21.832...

USA
2003 United States Grand Prix
The 2003 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 28, 2003 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...

JPN
2003 Japanese Grand Prix
The 2003 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 12, 2003 at the Suzuka Circuit.At this race Michael Schumacher won his 6th World Championship, breaking Juan Manuel Fangio's record set in the 1950s...

0 NC
Justin Wilson Ret Ret Ret Ret 11 13 Ret Ret 13 14 16
Nicolas Kiesa
Nicolas Kiesa
Nicolas Kiesa is a racing driver from Denmark. He participated in five Formula One Grands Prix in the 2003 season...

12 13 12 11 16
Jos Verstappen
Jos Verstappen
Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen nicknamed "Jos the Boss" is a Dutch racing driver. He is the most successful Dutch Formula One driver, and has also won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races...

11 13 Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret 9 14 16 15 Ret 12 Ret 10 15
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