But, without challenges there is no hope
Decided to go ahead with something less common - the first F1 Minardi. Beautiful 1/20 kit by AMC - a manufacturer I can only recommend, for the quality and for the cars the big ones would never cast.
The kit will need some improvements, as any kit does if you want it to look good, these things take a lot of time and scratchbuilding, but I generally try to avoid simple OOB most of the time
1985 was a debut for Giancarlo Minardi in F1, moving up from F2. The first F1 car (not counting the M184 prototype) was designed by Giacomo Caliri, then a designer of its F2 cars, and previously responsible for work in Ferrari, and having experience with F1 by designing Fittipaldi F5A and ATS D2.
The engine used was Motori Moderni (Motori Moderni 615-90 1.5 V6 turbo), a company established by former Alfa Romeo F1 chief engineer, Carlo Chiti. The company has been probably been formed just before Minardi deciding to go into F1, and the engine has not been ready at the start of the season, M185 equipped by DFV power for the first two races.
The best result by Pierluigi Martini, a driver of the only car for the team, was 8th in Australia, the ultimate race of the season.
Historians cite Martini as not being "up to F1 standards in 1985" as one reason, the other probably being the engine - Motori Moderni producing some 720bhp, compared to 1000bhp of Renault, Honda and BMW, and 900bhp of TAG Porsche and Ferrari...
The kit looks reasonably simple, though as I said I will try to work on a few improvements - starting with the opening vents at the rear of the bodywork, now casted as closed from resin, will scratchbuild them as open from a piece of plastic sheet.
