Polo Storico brings Minardi F1 back on the track

The Minardi M191B chassis #003, equipped with a Lamborghini LE3512 V12 engine, roared back onto the track after 26 years of silence, driven by Lamborghini Factory Driver Mirko Bortolotti. The exciting shakedown organized by Squadra Corse was made possible thanks to the integral and meticulous restoration carried out by Polo Storico with the support of the same specialists involved in the Lamborghini F1 project in early 90s at the times of Lamborghini Engineering. This represents an exciting new challenge for Polo Storico, as this is the first single-seater to be restored by the House of the Raging Bull.

The Minardi M191B returned to its original splendor after seven months of work that saw the preservation of most of the original parts: the tires, fuel tank, engine control unit, seat belts, and fire extinguishing system were replaced, while the other components were carefully restored, starting from the 12-cylinder LE3512 engine, still able to deliver the original thrilling almost 700 CV.

Giancarlo Minardi, founder of the Faenza-based team, shared his memories of the collaboration with Lamborghini during the entire 1992 season. “Seeing the models of 25 or 30 years ago is still exciting,” Minardi said. “They are the last cars before the beginning of telemetry and automatic transmissions. Apart from the rumble, which still today brings back those wonderful times, it was a very flexible engine with enormous power starting from the low rpms.”