Alonso hovers as Minardi suffers personnel blow.

Minardi's travails prior to the 2001 season continued over the weekend, with the announcement that two key team members had left to join Prost.

Formula One's two pointless teams from last season are both still struggling to get their programmes together for the new campaign, and it is Prost that is showing distinctly better signs of survival. The French outfit has already landed Ferrari engines and gearboxes for 2001, and has been able to recruit some influential technical staff to help with the development of the AP04. This has now been augmented by the arrival of French engineer Jean-Francois Sinteff and Italian mechanic Gabriele Pagliarini from Minardi.

Pagliarini has accepted the role of chief mechanic at Guyancourt for 2001, while Sinteff, a former Stewart employee, will slip into a similar role to that which he held at Faenza last season.

Minardi, meanwhile, has vowed to press on with its 2001 plans, despite the latest setbacks. The team has yet to announce either a driver, engine supplier of main sponsor for the new season, and many insiders believe that last year may have been its swansong in Formula One.

Joining team boss Giancarlo Minardi on the optimistic side, however, is one potential pilot - Fernando Alonso. Until lately, the young Spaniard was tied to a contract with the Faenza outfit but, having had this acquired by Benetton boss Flavio Briatore, Alonso is confident that he will be driving in the top flight next year - probably with Minardi.

Briatore appears to hold a lot of influence over the Italian team's future, dangling not only a potential superstar, but also a potential engine/acquisition deal in front of its nose via his connections with Mecachrome. The former Benetton engine supplier has been strongly tipped to take a financial stake in the ailing Minardi operation, something which will allow the Italian team to use its Renault-based engines next season and beyond.

Alonso, who was allowed to gain sufficient mileage to qualify for a superlicence by Benetton in the Spanish test sessions before Christmas, has told the Reuters news agency that he will be in a position to reveal his 2001 plans in the next couple of weeks - and is expected to announce that he has signed with Minardi, where a rumoured source of LeasePlan sponsorship money will come in very handy.

Despite the various problems, and the lack of a confirmed engine supplier, Minardi is reported to be making good progress with its new car, and should be ready to make first practice in Melbourne in early March provided that there are no further setbacks between now and then.