In 2003, all the chassis of the Arrows A23 single-seaters and all the intellectual property rights of Arrows Grand Prix International were purchased by Team Minardi, still in the hands of Australian businessman Paul Stoddart after his entry as majority shareholder of the small Romagna-based team headquartered in Faenza, in the province of Ravenna. The Arrows A23 was renamed Minardi PS04, where PS are the initials of the team owner Paul Stoddart and 04 represents the year the car was used. After a series of track tests, the new car proved to be superior to the 2003 Minardi PS03. The small Italian team, however, was obviously aware it could not race with a car from another team (the Arrows A23), and therefore used the designs of what would have been the future Arrows A24, along with the best elements of the PS03 and Arrows A23/PS04, to develop a new car for the 2004 season, the Minardi PS04B.
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| MINARDI PS04B, Zsolt Baumgartner Shanghai, Chinese GP 2004 |
The small group of technicians in charge of the new car’s project was still led by Italian Gabriele Tredozi (Technical Director) and Frenchman and former Ligier engineer Loïc Bigois (Chief Aerodynamicist). From 2004, another Italian figure from Minardi joined them, Chief Designer Sandro Parini. Minardi’s Sporting Director remained Irishman John Walton, a deep connoisseur of the Formula 1 world, having previously worked with several teams, including Toleman, Benetton, Jordan, Arrows, and Prost Grand Prix. Despite the restyling work done by the Faenza technicians, some reports from the time suggested that the PS04B was probably more closely based on the Arrows A23 than Minardi was willing to publicly admit. At first glance, the Minardi PS04B outwardly resembled the 2003 PS03, which was unsurprising given the stability of Formula 1’s technical regulations at the time. In fact, the basic architecture of most teams’ single-seaters remained largely unchanged for the 2004 season, despite FIA-imposed modifications regarding the dimensions of the engine cover and the endplates of the rear wing. A closer inspection of the new Minardi, however, revealed a series of detailed modifications compared to the PS03, particularly evident in the aerodynamic department. The main differences concerned parts hidden from view, such as the floor, diffuser, and partly the front wing, as well as the required changes to the engine cover and rear wing.
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| MINARDI PS04B, Bas Leinders Monza, Italian GP 2004 |
For 2004, the Cosworth CR-3 V10 at 72° was retained, a power unit now largely outdated compared to the CR-4 and CR-5 versions with a 90° bank angle. However, from this season the CR-3 was slightly updated to the “L” (long-distance) version, in order to last an entire race weekend as required by the new sporting regulations, and it functioned as a fully stressed component of the chassis. It still delivered the same output as the previous version, about 800 hp at 18,000 rpm, with performance obviously far behind the best engines on the grid. It was paired with a further development of Minardi’s innovative six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with a titanium casing. This compact, longitudinally mounted unit was developed by Minardi’s staff in collaboration with titanium casting specialists CRP Technology. The team, together with technical partner Magneti Marelli, also dedicated much time since the end of the 2003 season to developing and improving onboard electronic systems, particularly the control software for the engine, gearbox, and clutch.
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| MINARDI PS04B, Gianmaria Bruni Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2004 |
On paper, the mechanical configuration of the PS04B remained similar to that of the 2003 car. On a classic honeycomb composite monocoque chassis made of carbon fiber and aluminum, double wishbone suspensions in carbon-coated steel were mounted, in a push-rod configuration with torsion bars and Sachs dampers made specifically to Minardi specifications, as well as mechanical anti-roll bars. Still using the Cosworth V10 meant the exhaust and cooling systems remained unchanged, with radiators placed longitudinally in the sidepods. The black-and-white livery of 2003 saw the addition of the dark green of sponsor Superfund on the engine cover, which was removed during the 2004 British Grand Prix following the sudden death of Sporting Director John Walton. On that occasion, the team raced without sponsors, replacing them with the words “John Boy,” and with an almost completely black livery.
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| MINARDI PS04B, Gianmaria Bruni Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 2004 |
The PS04B hit the track for the first time in the second week of February, at the Misano circuit, well ahead of the start of the championship, showing exemplary reliability in the hands of its two new drivers, Hungarian Zsolt Baumgartner and Italian Gianmaria Bruni, both making their Formula 1 debuts, although the Hungarian had already raced two Grands Prix with Jordan in 2003. With further pre-season tests completed successfully, Team Minardi approached the start of the new season with an atmosphere of optimism, though tempered by the realism gained from the previous disappointing years. During the season, in almost every Friday morning session, a PS04B was entrusted to the team’s third driver, Belgian Bas Leinders, although he was never used in a race. The 2004 season again yielded poor results, but after nearly scoring points at Monaco, Stoddart’s Minardi finally managed to capture its first point since the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, thanks to Baumgartner’s eighth place at the United States Grand Prix.
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