# Minardi M195

The Minardi M195 was a Formula One car designed by Aldo Costa for the Minardi team. The original M195 was used in the 1995 Formula One World Championship while an updated version, the M195B, was used in the 1996 Championship. Across its two seasons of racing the car was driven by Italians Pierluigi Martini, Luca Badoer, Giancarlo Fisichella and Giovanni Lavaggi, Portuguese Pedro Lamy and Brazilian Tarso Marques.

## 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 owing 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 1996, with the main visible difference being higher cockpit sides per new rules on driver safety. Pedro Lamy took seat 20; Giancarlo Fisichella, then Tarso Marques, and finally Giovanni Lavaggi took seat 21. The M195B scored no championship points.

## Livery

The M195 and the M195B had a black and white colour scheme, with fluorescent green painted wings from major sponsors Doimo and Valleverde.
At the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, a message read "Grazie Adelaide" ("Thank you Adelaide"), as the team said farewell to the city that held the race there.

## Complete Formula One results

(key)
| Year | Team/Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pts. | WCC |
| 1995 | Minardi M195 | Ford ED V8 | G | | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | PAC | JPN | AUS | 1 | 10th |
| 1995 | Minardi M195 | Ford ED V8 | G | Pierluigi Martini | DNS | Ret | 12 | 14 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | | | | | | | | | 1 | 10th |
| 1995 | Minardi M195 | Ford ED V8 | G | Pedro Lamy | | | | | | | | | | 9 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 10th |
| 1995 | Minardi M195 | Ford ED V8 | G | Luca Badoer | Ret | DNS | 14 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 13 | 10 | Ret | 8 | Ret | Ret | 14 | 11 | 15 | 9 | DNS | 1 | 10th |
| 1996 | Minardi M195B | Ford ED2/ED3 V8 | G | | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | | 0 | NC |
| 1996 | Minardi M195B | Ford ED2/ED3 V8 | G | Pedro Lamy | Ret | 10 | Ret | 12 | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 16 | 12 | | 0 | NC |
| 1996 | Minardi M195B | Ford ED2/ED3 V8 | G | Giancarlo Fisichella | Ret | | | 13 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8 | Ret | 11 | | | | | | | | 0 | NC |
| 1996 | Minardi M195B | Ford ED2/ED3 V8 | G | Tarso Marques | | Ret | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | NC |
| 1996 | Minardi M195B | Ford ED2/ED3 V8 | G | Giovanni Lavaggi | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 10 | DNQ | Ret | 15 | DNQ | | 0 | NC |