30.05.2004 Gianmaria Bruni, celebrated his 23rd birthday in satisfying style, finishing 14th and leading his team mate home: Minardi race report from the EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX

Minardi Cosworth driver, Gianmaria Bruni, celebrated his 23rd birthday in satisfying style today, finishing 14th in the Grand Prix of Europe and leading team mate, Zsolt Baumgartner, home to the chequered flag, the result providing the Faenza squad with a solid, two-car finish.

Baumgartner did have the satisfaction, however, of setting the faster race lap. Both drivers adopted similar pit-stop strategies, each calling in three times for fuel and tyres in the course of the 60-lap race. 

“I’m satisfied with the result, as I had to try and maintain good lap times, but also conserve the rear tyres, if I pushed too hard I risked blistering them. In fact, I’m happy with the tyres Bridgestone has provided us with this weekend," commented Gianmaria Bruni after the race.

"If we had had a better balance in the car this afternoon, I think I could have made better use of the tyres and we might have had a stronger result.  Even so, I am very pleased to have finished the race,” the Italian concluded. 

“Generally, we had a good, solid race today," reported Minardi's second driver, Zsolt Baumgartner. "The first stint was difficult, because the car was really oversteering, but then we altered the differential and the tyre pressures at the first stop, and I also adjusted the brake balance. After that, the car just got better every lap and was really good in the last two stints. I could go quicker and quicker and was able to bring the gap down to Gimmi. 

"The biggest problem for me this afternoon was actually the amount of time I lost with blue flags letting other drivers through. I’m very happy that we had a reliable car in the race and that I was able to take the chequered flag today. I’d also like to wish Gimmi a happy birthday, it was good to present him with his birthday cake.”

“It’s always good to get two cars home," added Minardi Team Principal Paul Stoddard. "Both Gimmi and Zsolt did all that could be asked of them today, and overall, it has been a reasonable weekend for the Minardi team here at the Nurburgring.”

Chassis allocation: Bruni (No 20)  PS04B/02, Baumgartner (No 21)  PS04B/01, Spare car (Baumgartner)  PS04B/04