Giancarlo Minardi, after being let down by Alfa Romeo president Ettore Massacesi who revoked the promised supply of V8 Turbo engines without notice, had no other option but to continue his journey in Formula 1 using the now underpowered naturally aspirated Ford-Cosworth V8 engines. The project was already underway, and Giancarlo Minardi was not the type of entrepreneur to be daunted by setbacks. In fact, as he would often show in his career as a team owner, it was precisely in such situations that he gave his best.
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| MINARDI M185, Pierluigi Martini Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1985 |
So, after the failed deal with Alfa and the fallback to the old Ford V8s, which were adapted to fit the carbon monocoque chassis of the M185 just to compete in the early races and avoid heavy penalties, Minardi was already working to secure a contract for an Italian turbo engine to install in his car. The opportunity came from a former partner, Piero Mancini from Novara, who, after leaving the Minardi Team, founded his own company called Motori Moderni, aiming to produce a turbo engine for entering Formula 1.
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| MINARDI M185, Pierluigi Martini Paul Ricard, French GP 1985 |
Mancini brought on board engine guru Carlo Chiti, who had recently left Autodelta, where he had designed the V8 890T Turbo still powering the Alfa Romeo F1 cars in 1985. Chiti immediately began working on the new Tipo 615-90 engine, a 90° V6 of 1498 cc, boosted by two KKK turbochargers from the German company Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch. The engine was ready for the second race of the season in Portugal but was not used on the M185 until the following race in Imola.
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| MINARDI M185, Pierluigi Martini Jacarepaguà, Brazilian GP 1985 |
The M185 Motori Moderni was assembled in a rush and had various flaws, including low-quality parts made with outdated materials, but it at least allowed Giancarlo Minardi to fulfill his dream of debuting in Formula 1. Pierluigi Martini was selected as the lead driver, replacing Alessandro Nannini due to sponsorship reasons and the latter's lack of a FIA super license.
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| MINARDI M185, Pierluigi Martini Brands Hatch, European GP 1985 |
Minardi also secured a tire supply deal with Italian manufacturer Pirelli, although their tires were not on par with Goodyear's in 1985. Naturally, the M185 was no match for the more competitive rivals and was heavily impacted by the inexperience of the young Italian team. Minardi concluded its debut season in Formula 1 without scoring any points but managed a respectable eighth-place finish in Australia as their best result, an outcome that sparked enthusiasm and hope for the future.
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