Minardi M192

The Minardi M192 was a Formula One car designed by Aldo Costa and built by the Minardi team for the 1992 Formula One season. The car was powered by the Lamborghini V12 engine and ran on Goodyear tyres.

First raced in the San Marino Grand Prix, the M192's best finish was when Christian Fittipaldi drove it to 6th place at the Japanese Grand Prix. This earned Minardi its first and only point of the season.

Following the 1991 season, in which Minardi scored six points for seventh place in the Constructor's Championship, a number of changes were implemented. In particular, the expensive Ferrari V12s it had used had been replaced with a supply of Lamborghini 3512 V12 engines for 1992. This change saved the team around 20% in its expenditure on engines, but the V12 weighed in at a heavy 145 kilograms (320 lb). It had a capacity of 3,493 cubic centimetres (213.2 cu in) and was rated as having 730 brake horsepower. From the Italian Grand Prix, the team received uprated 'B' specification engines. In addition to securing the use of the Lamborghini V12, Minardi was also provided with the manufacturer's 6-speed transverse gearbox.

Designed by Aldo Costa, with aerodynamic input from Rene Hilhorst, the M192 was intended to have a stiffer chassis than the M191. The monocoque chassis was of carbon fibre and configured with double wishbone pushrod suspension having twin Koni springs, front and rear. The front dampers were externally mounted, which allowed them to be more easily adjusted as the need arose. Brakes were by Brembo. The steering was of a Minardi design and the car ran on Goodyear tyres. Its wheelbase was 2,940 millimetres (115.7 in), the front track was 1,800 millimetres (70.9 in) while the rear track was 1,680 millimetres (66.1 in). The capacity of the fuel tank was 220 litres (48.4 imp gal) and fuel and oil was supplied by Agip. The overall weight of the car was 505 kilograms (1,113.3 lb).

Sponsorship was provided by a variety of companies, and included SCM, Sabiem, Resta, AST, IBF, Calcestruzzi and CIFA. The car was presented in a largely black colour scheme, with bands of white and yellow.

Some aerodynamic components from the previous year's car, the M191, were carried over to the M192. However, partway through the year, Minardi identified errors in its wind tunnel data which had to be rectified. For financial reasons, there was limited development through the course of the year. The M192 was noted for suffering understeer. When Gustav Brunner joined the team towards the end of the season, he introduced detail changes which improved the car's handling.

The drivers for 1992 were Gianni Morbidelli, continuing on from the previous year, and Christian Fittipaldi, who had won the Formula 3000 Championship in 1991. The team started the year with an interim car, the M191B, which had been modified to take the Lamborghini engines. Its best finish was Morbidelli's seventh place at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The M192 was first used at the Spanish Grand Prix but only in practice, by Morbidelli who drove the M191B in qualifying and the race. The new car was first used competitively at the fifth race of the year, the San Marino Grand Prix, the team bringing two chassis for its drivers. A M191B was also present as the spare car. Both drivers retired in the race with transmission issues, having qualified 21st (Morbidelli) and 25th (Fittipaldi).