Just when Minardi thought it had cleared a final hurdle and was going racing at the Australian Grand Prix, it ran into another one: Formula One stewards refused to allow the struggling team to practice yesterday.
Minardi owner Paul Stoddart said he was shocked by the decision and would appeal it, still hoping to race in tomorrow's season-opening race.
The other nine teams had their first official practice runs, with McLaren cars recording three of the top five times in the second session.
PHOTO: AP
McLaren's reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa had the fastest lap of 1 minute, 25.376 seconds, three-tenths ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Williams' Nick Heidfeld was third, defending champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari was fourth and Juan Pablo Montoya, who switched from Williams to McLaren in the offseason, was fifth.
New rules restricting cars to one set of tires per race, one engine for two racing weekends and changes to the qualifying format meant flying laps yesterday were kept to a minimum.
McLaren chief Ron Dennis said the team had worked on tire evaluation and finding the optimum set up, and "it's been a very encouraging start to the season."
Attention on new bodywork regulations was firmly on Minardi's desperate bid to circumvent them.
Ferrari, winner of the last six constructors' titles, was the last team to consent to Minardi using its 2004 model vehicles which don't conform to the latest rules.
Stoddart said he was told by FIA president Max Mosley that if all teams agreed to a relaxation for his cars, Minardi could race at Albert Park.
After long delays, Ferrari finally agreed between Friday's two practice sessions, but race stewards declined Minardi's application to race because it didn't want to set a bad precedent.
Independent stewards Tony Scott Andrews of England, Jacques Regis of France and Garth Wigston of Australia said it would be inappropriate to grant Minardi an exemption.
"It is unacceptable to alter the technical regulations with which all other competitors comply in order to suit the individual needs of one competitor," the stewards said in a statement. "For Minardi to participate further, their cars must comply with all the requirements of the 2005 technical regulations."
"We're obviously disappointed and surprised," said Stoddart. "We have a letter from Max Mosley saying this is the procedure that we need to go through.
"So it's somewhat of a shock that after following the FIA president's procedure, that we're still excluded. Obviously not even Max Mosley can tell the stewards what to do."
Stoddart said he'd pursue an injunction in a Victoria state court.
If that fails, he said his crew would attempt to modify the car overnight to have it up to specifications by today's opening qualifying session. If the Minardi's cars don't pass scrutineering at that stage, they're out of tomorrow's race.
Stoddart thought he'd be racing after Ferrari's lawyers agreed to go along with the exemption for Minardi.
Coming into Friday, Stoddart had agreement from the other eight teams, dating back to September last year, to use his old cars.
Two teams (Jordan and Red Bull -- formerly Jaguar) have changed owners between seasons.
Mosley said in a statement earlier Friday that Stoddart had been "too trusting, even naive" in the issue, adding that rival teams would "turn on him as soon as it suits them."
After hearing Minardi was refused permission to race, representatives of BAR-Honda, Jordan and Red Bull said the ruling by stewards was fair.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said he was delighted with the decision.
"Rules are rules and ultimately its down to the regulators to police that," he said.
BAR-Honda chief executive Nick Fry said the stewards "made a very brave decision."
Stoddart said he couldn't change his set up for the new regulations, including changes in the positioning of the front and rear wings and the profile of the diffusers, because he didn't have enough time after only signing a new engine contract in November.
Ferrari, the richest of the 10 teams, is starting the season with modified versions of its 2004 cars because it is still testing its 2005 versions. The Ferraris comply with new regulations.
Seven-time drivers' champion Michael Schumacher completed only 18 laps in two sessions but said it was enough information to make a tire choice for the weekend and reinforce his idea on who to watch this season.
"It looks as though our preseason idea of who would be our main opposition was pretty accurate, although I was surprised at the pace of the Red Bull and Sauber cars."
Felipe Massa was sixth quickest in the second session in a Sauber, followed by Renault's Fernando Alonso, BAR-Honda's Jenson Button, Ferrari No. 2 Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella in the other Renault.
Red Bull's David Coulthard was 12th, splitting a Toyota sequence of 11th, 13th and 14th. Reserve Ricardo Zonta was the first Toyota, followed by Ralf Schumacher an Jarno Trulli.
New Williams recruit Mark Webber was 15th, followed by Jacques Villeneuve, who joined Sauber after missing most of last season.
Rookie Narain Karthikeyan, the first Indian driver in F1, was slowest of the drivers registering flying laps in 1:38.175 in the first session. He carved 10 seconds off his time in the afternoon session, but had a costly day. Karthikeyan was fined US$6,750 (5,150 euros) for exceeding the speed limit in pit lane.
The teams have two practice sessions today before the first qualifying session in the afternoon. The grid positions will be determined on race day with a second qualifying session scheduled tomorrow, three hours before the GP.
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