Minardi M195

Minardi M195
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Category	Formula One
Constructor	Minardi
Designer	Aldo Costa
Chassis	Carbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Pushrod
Suspension (rear)	Pushrod
Engine	Ford ED V8 naturally aspirated
Transmission	Minardi/Xtrac 6-speed longitudinal semi-automatic sequential
Fuel	Agip
Tyres	Goodyear
Notable entrants	Minardi Scuderia Italia
Notable drivers	Luca Badoer Giancarlo Fisichella Pedro Lamy Giovanni Lavaggi Tarso Marques Pierluigi Martini
Debut	1995 Brazilian Grand Prix
Races competed	33
Race victories	0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0

The Minardi M195 was a Formula One car for the 1995 season. The number 24 seat was taken by Luca Badoer, with Pierluigi Martini in the number 23 seat. However, he was dropped before the German Grand Prix and his seat was taken by Pedro Lamy. The teams test driver was Giancarlo Fisichella. The engine was a Ford EDM 3.0 V8. The teams main sponsor was Doimo.

Mugen-Honda legal case

The M195 had been designed to fit a Mugen-Honda engine, as Minardi had been expecting to run Mugen-Honda engines during the 1995 season. A last-minute decision from Mugen to supply Ligier left Minardi struggling to adapt their car to take a Ford Motor Company ED engine. Giancarlo Minardi, the team's owner, threatened legal action over the affair. Minardi stated, "We are very proud because we have had to design two different cars in the time normally needed to do just one. There was an agreement with Mugen Co. Ltd. but this was not respected."

Minardi won the lawsuit, but damages were not awarded. The court ruled that the deal between Minardi and Mugen was "reaching a point of mutual agreement so that it was legitimate to expect that the contract would have been effectively concluded." Minardi appealed the absence of damages and in a counter-move, Flavio Briatore (Ligier's owner at the time) had Minardi's equipment seized at the French Grand Prix due to Minardi oweing one of his companies money for their engine deal from 1993. The matter was settled out of court. The money Minardi owed was forgotten and Briatore paid $1 million to Minardi to compensate them for the loss of the Mugen-Honda engines.

Minardi M195B

The car was upgraded for the 1996 Formula One season with Pedro Lamy taking seat 20 and Giancarlo Fisichella first, then Tarso Marques and finally Giovanni Lavaggi taking seat 21. It scored no championship points.

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