Minardi engine decision in August

Minardi principal Paul Stoddart has revealed the team will probably make an announcement concerning engines sometime late in August. Minardi currently run customer Asiatech engines but have been linked with Cosworth for a possible future deal. Mark Webber had a test with Jaguar recently and Stoddart commented that it didn't take a genius to figure out what Jaguar has that Minardi would want.

"We're going to be announcing something I would think by the end of August," he said of his plans. "We're not due to make any decisions until after Hungary so pretty much all up in the air. Obviously we're talking to a few other people as well. We'll just have to wait and see."

Asiatech recently confirmed it was looking for a manufacturer to support its intention to enter Formula One as a team in its own right. It had been suggested that Asiatech buy Minardi but Stoddart said although it had been discussed, it was unlikely: "We've talked about it but to be honest, no," he remarked.

"We just don't know what their (Asiatech's) final plans are. At this moment they've done a good job supplying us with the engines this year, reliability has been good and beyond that, it's all still to be discussed."

Jaguar boss and CEO Niki Lauda said recently that supplying Cosworth engines to more than two teams next year was not an option. Arrows, whose future is still uncertain, run the Cosworth units this season and as well as Minardi, Jordan are rumoured to be interested, if the deal they currently have with Honda falls through.