In a sport where success is all, it's hard to get excited about Minardi. But, despite their perennial struggler status, they do at least deserve credit for staying afloat.

But such is the cut-throat existence Formula 1 life, that this tiny Italian team is regularly the subject of take-over rumours.

Giancarlo Minardi's team debuted at Imola in 1985 using a turbo engine built by local engineer Carlo Chiti. But the new car would frustrate driver Pierluigi Martini with its poor reliability and lack of pace.

It wasn't until 1988 that Minardi made any real breakthrough after they reverted to the Cosworth DFRs engine. Their inaugral first world championship point arrived in Detroit courtesy of Martini.

By 1989 the team were beginning to look like a proper outfit. So much so that their M189 would briefly lead the Portuguese Grand Prix and the team scored a double-points finish at Silverstone.

They were definitely becoming more competitive and Minardi became the first-ever team to be supplied with works Ferrari Formula1 engines. In 1991 despite the car looking rather ungainly, Portugal was again the scene of another landmark when Martini narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth.

Christian Fittipaldi drove well for the team in 1993 as the Brazilian racked up a 13th place finish in the world championship. But a solitary point was scored the season after and it was the same story in 1995.

Minardi were failing to keep up with the rest of the pack and it took until last year for Marc Gene to put Minardi back on the score board at last season's European Grand Prix.