Minardi unveils 2001 car in Australia.

Minardi have finally unveiled the PS01. New team boss Paul Stoddart said it was a miracle the team had managed to pull it off in time for the opening grand prix.

Stoddart said: "The first race was to get the cars manufactured in six weeks and three days and to get them to Melbourne, and I was amazed to learn that we were the first cars to arrive here."

"If I am standing on the grid with two cars in Sunday's race, that's the reward that we need. We're starting our testing on Friday morning on the track with two drivers who have never seen the place before."

"The perfect scenario for me would be for one car to finish on Sunday, that will be like winning the world championship."

He added: "There'll be a few teams that will be struggling to get points and if the big guys do their job this year, there aren't going to be many points left for anyone else. Tenth or better (out of 12) in the constructors' championship is more than we can expect."

Stoddart also spoke highly of the team's designer. He said: "Gustav Brunner, our technical director, has done us proud with this design. There will be quite a few people looking very carefully at this car because there is quite a bit of innovation in there that people would not have thought possible in the time-scale we had."

The car was show off on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne. The team's drivers in 2001 will be rookie Fernando Alonso and former Minardi driver Tarso Marques.

Minardi will use a V10 Cosworth engine this year updated by Stoddart's men and re-badged as a European. Like Williams, Benetton, Jaguar, and Prost the team will also use Michelin tyres.