Minardi M191
The Minardi M191 was a Formula One car designed by Aldo Costa and Rene Hilhorst and built by Minardi for the 1991 Formula One season. The car was powered by the Ferrari V12 engine and ran on Goodyear tyres. Its best finish in a race was 4th (twice).
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Minardi | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Aldo Costa (Technical Director) Rene Hilhorst (Head of Aerodynamics) | ||||||||
| Predecessor | M190 | ||||||||
| Successor | M192 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre monocoque | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front: 1,800 mm (70.9 in) Rear: 1,640 mm (64.6 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,990 mm (117.7 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | 1991: Ferrari Tipo 037, 65° V12, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted. 1992: Lamborghini 3512, 80° V12, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted. | ||||||||
| Transmission | Minardi 6-speed | ||||||||
| Weight | 505 kg (1,113.3 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Agip | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Minardi Team | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | 23.  Pierluigi Martini 23.  Christian Fittipaldi 24. Gianni Morbidelli 24. Roberto Moreno | ||||||||
| Debut | 1991 United States Grand Prix | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The Minardi M191 was the last Faenza-based Formula One car to run on Ferrari engines until the Toro Rosso STR2 in 2007.
Development
For the 1991 season, team owner Giancarlo Minardi arranged a supply of Ferrari V12 engines to replace the Cosworth V8s that it had used since 1988. However, the new engines, designated 036, were actually those used by Ferrari during the 1989 season and had not received any further development. Later in the season, Minardi received 037 specification engines, which were those from Ferrari's 1990 car.[2]
The chassis was designed by Aldo Costa with Rene Hilhorst providing aerodynamic input.[1]
Race history
1991
The M191 debuted in the 1991 United States Grand Prix, driven by Italians Pierluigi Martini and Gianni Morbidelli. Martini, a longtime stalwart of Minardi, scored all the points scoring finishes for the team in 1991, finishing fourth at the San Marino Grand Prix and repeating the feat in Portugal.[1] This meant a finish of 7th place in the Constructors' Championship, the best placing Minardi achieved in the course of its history.[3]
Despite qualifying well on occasion (with a best of 8th place on the grid in San Marino and Japan), Morbidelli failed to score any points. His best finish was 7th at the Mexican race.[1] He was promoted to the Ferrari race team following the sacking of Alain Prost after the Japanese Grand Prix and was replaced by Brazilian Roberto Moreno for the last race of the year in Australia. Moreno placed 16th in that race.[1]
1992
The team used an updated M191, designated the M191B, for the first four races of the 1992 season before it was replaced by the Minardi M192. With it, Morbidelli, back in the team after his one-off drive for Ferrari at the tail end of the previous season, finished 7th at the Brazilian Grand Prix. It was his only finish with the M191B. New recruit Christian Fittipaldi likewise only had one finish with the M191B, 11th at the Spanish race.[4]
Livery
The M191 featured a mostly black livery, with few spots in yellow and white and sponsorship from SCM Group, among other companies.
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Minardi Team | M191 | Ferrari 037 V12 | G | USA | BRA | SMR | MON | CAN | MEX | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | ESP | JPN | AUS | 6 | 7th | |
| Pierluigi Martini |
9 | Ret | 4 | 12 | 7 | Ret | 9 | 9 | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | 4 | 12 | Ret | Ret | |||||||
| Gianni Morbidelli |
Ret | 8 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 9 | 9 | Ret | Ret | ||||||||
| Roberto Moreno |
16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Minardi Team | M191B | Lamborghini 3512 V12 | G | RSA | MEX | BRA | ESP | SMR | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | 1* | 12th* | |
| Christian Fittipaldi |
Ret | Ret | Ret | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gianni Morbidelli |
Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret |
* Point scored using the M192.
Notes
- "Minardi M191". Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- Hodges 2001, p. 179.
- "Minardi". Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- "Minardi M191B". Retrieved 24 May 2016.
References
- Hodges, David (2001). A–Z of Grand Prix Cars. Ramsbury,Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-339-2.
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