Midland eye BMW, Red Bull
ByReuters
Published 03/02/2006 at 08:46 GMT
The new Midland Formula One team have Red Bull, BMW-Sauber and Williams in their sights. After finishing ninth out of 10 teams last year in their final season as Jordan, Russian-licensed Midland unveiled their first car at a wintery Silverstone on Friday with higher aspirations.
2006 Launch Midland M16 Herbert / Monteiro
Image credit: From Official Website
"It's going to be better than that yellow thing (the Jordan) we had last year for sure," said Johnny Herbert, the former racer who is now Midland's sporting relations manager.
"That was three, four years old at the end of last year and it wasn't good when it was new. It came to the end of its life two years ago,' he added. "This thing will be a lot better, the M16 I'm sure will move the team forward."
Midland bought moribund Jordan a year ago and had to make do with that team's old car adapted to take a Toyota engine.
Technical director James Key said the new Toyota V8-powered M16 was full of original ideas and represented a big step up aerodynamically.
"We are aiming for the likes of Red Bull and Sauber as the obvious people to target," he told reporters. Those teams finished seventh and eighth respectively last year.
Herbert added former champions Williams to that list since their separation from engine partners BMW, new owners of the Sauber team.
"I think we can scrape some points, I don't see any reason why it can't be done," said the Briton. "It won't be easy and I'm not saying we are going to go to Bahrain and just do it, because we're not.
"BMW-Sauber, they are in a situation where it's going to be quite a big shock for them, I personally think, now running a Formula One team.
"Williams are unfortunately in the situation where they have lost a major manufacturer...they're limited on the resources that they've had for a good few years and of course that makes everything very different.
"There's Toro Rosso (ex-Minardi), they are in an old Jaguar/Red Bull which was ahead of us but not that far ahead of us so we may be jumping into their league."
Midland have two drivers with a season under their belts, with Portugal's Tiago Monteiro rookie of the year in 2005 with Jordan while Dutchman Christijan Albers was at Minardi.
"Last year when I was in my first press conference I said I would be happy if the car was reliable and we get points," said team principal Colin Kolles.
"I hope this year that we can be reliable and that we don't need so much luck to get the points."
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