Stoddart eyes 2008 return

Former Minardi boss Paul Stoddart is reportedly planning a return to Formula One and has submitted an entry for the 2008 season. It was confirmed in September last year that Red Bull would acquire 100% of the shares in Minardi and once the transaction was complete in November the team was renamed Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Paul Stoddart.

Photo by xpb.cc.

However, Stoddart retained the rights to the name Minardi and also the PS04B chassis that competed in Melbourne last year. The Australian believes that the team's British base at Ledbury could be revived. "I've lodged myself an entry as European Minardi F1 team Limited," Stoddart told Reuters.

"We've got the cars we ran in Melbourne last year, we've got the team and we've got the facility. We'll see what happens...it might not happen but I miss F1 too badly at the moment. I might not get a slot but it will be interesting to see who does. We are in a better position than anyone, other than a current F1 team, to compete."

The FIA said that 2008 will be limited to 12 teams and the 11 currently on the grid have all submitted their entries. Stoddart may face some competition to be accepted as former BAR chief David Richards is strongly speculated to be mounting a campaign and one or two others have also been rumoured to be interested in entering new teams.