Minardi lose main sponsorship deal.

Perennial F1 back marker Minardi has announced that its sponsorship deal with the Dutch company Wilux has come to an end.

The announcement was made yesterday [Wed] with both parties citing "irreconcilable differences" as the main reason for the decision to end the relationship.

Zsolt Baumgartner`s unbranded Minardi F1 as a mark of respect for departed sporting director John Wa
Zsolt Baumgartner`s unbranded Minardi F1 as a mark of respect for departed…
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Perennial F1 back marker Minardi has announced that its sponsorship deal with the Dutch company Wilux has come to an end.

The announcement was made yesterday [Wed] with both parties citing "irreconcilable differences" as the main reason for the decision to end the relationship.

A major factor is believed to be the decision taken by Paul Stoddart to run his cars without sponsorship in the British Grand Prix in tribute to John Walton, who died on the eve of the event.

Only last week, Wilux managing director Ruud Wildschut admitted that the company had not been pleased that its logo's had been removed from the car "without permission" although he also said that rumours in the press that the company was considering pulling the plug on the deal were false.

However in a brief statement, the team has now confirmed that the deal is at an end.

"Due to irreconcilable differences concerning, among other things, the decision by Minardi to run without sponsorship livery in the 2004 British Grand Prix and the decision by Wilux not to adhere to contractual payments, sadly, the sponsorship agreement between Wilux and Minardi has been terminated today. The Team wishes Wilux every success in the future."

Team boss Stoddart says the decision to end the deal will not stop the team completing the season, saying the situation that developed with Wilux is "of nuisance value only and will not in any way affect Minardi's ability to complete the current F1 season or to compete in the future".

In response the Dutch company also issued a statement in which they said they believed the team had already lined up another sponsor after breaking the news on its own website. The company also admitted that it had already been approached by another Formula One outfit interested in taking them on as a sponsor.

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