Minardi was an Italian
automobile racing team and constructor founded in
Faenza in 1979 by
Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the
Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans. In 2001, to save the team from folding, Minardi sold it to Australian businessman
Paul Stoddart, who ran the team for five years before selling it on to
Red Bull in 2005 who renamed it
Scuderia Toro Rosso.