The FIA have announced that Giancarlo Minardi has been elected to become the President of their Single-Seater Commission. Minardi will replace Bob Fernley, the former Force India team boss, in the role – a position also once occupied by now-F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. The 74-year-old was elected after an e-voting process amongst members of the World Motor Sport Council. Minardi was elected as President of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola) in 2020, and also serves as the President of the Automobile Club d'Italia Land Speed Records Commission. His new FIA role will involve him overseeing the Single-Seater Commission, with a primary focus on reshaping the FIA's junior racing portfolio as well as "introducing innovative technologies and safety measures". FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem celebrated Minardi's arrival at the governing body, saying: "I warmly welcome the election of Giancarlo Minardi as FIA Single-Seater Commission President. "He is a major figure in motorsport [and] I look forward to working with him to further develop the Single-Seater pyramid around the world."
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Gian Carlo Minardi elected as President of the FIA Single-Seater Commission https://t.co/9JTxKSzDAB pic.twitter.com/HkSQ0hQ4nZ — FIA (@fia) April 15, 2022
Minardi's major contributions to motorsport
Minardi began his motorsport career in the late-1960s, racing in hillclimbs and rallying, before switching to management in national motorsport in Italy. Building up a successful Formula 2 team, Minardi entered Formula 1 in 1985 and won many fans due to the outfit's permanent status as a low-key underdog. Minardi were bought out by Paul Stoddart in 2001, retaining the same name until 2005. Stoddart's investment in the team had little impact on their competitiveness, and it took until Red Bull's purchase of the team in 2006 for their fortunes to start improving. The team flourished as Toro Rosso, scoring their first victory with Sebastian Vettel in 2008, and Red Bull renamed it to AlphaTauri ahead of the 2020 season. They have since scored another victory, courtesy of Pierre Gasly. The AlphaTauri team continue to operate from the same Faenza factory that Minardi established in the mid-1980s. Minardi also gave several drivers their first chances in Formula 1, including Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber and current Alpine racer Fernando Alonso.
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