Minardi sale adds poignancy to auction.

Paul Stoddart's second auction of F1 cars and memorabilia has taken on a new, and poignant, dimension following the Australian's reluctant decision to sell the team to drinks giant Red Bull.

The auction, a sequel to the successful event of 2004, is set to take place at Minardi's Ledbury base this coming Saturday and Sunday, and follows exactly a week after Stoddart agreed to hand over the reins of the world's favourite minnow.

The auction will now offer a golden opportunity for motor racing fans and collectors alike to purchase anything from a Minardi cap to a complete Formula One car, and thereby secure their own special memento of one of the sport's most popular teams.

"It is obviously sad to hear that the Minardi name may disappear from Formula One at the end of the current season, but the auction now becomes even more of a 'must' for motor racing fans everywhere, as it will give them an ideal opportunity to purchase a personal keepsake of this much-loved team," Chris Hall, of auctioneers Bache Treharne, commented.

Aside from the wide range of Minardi items that will be under the hammer, however, there will also be Tyrrell, Arrows, BAR and Benetton memorabilia, plus pit equipment and transport, and no fewer than 22 modern-era Formula One cars. The auction will also mark the final opportunity to purchase items belonging to the former Arrows F1 team in a public sale.

Minardi F1 drivers Robert Doornbos and Christijan Albers, along with Stoddart, will all appear at the event, although rumours that they may be prepared to auction themselves to the highest bidder in order to remain in Formula One next season are wide of the mark. Doornbos is due to visit on Saturday, Albers on Sunday, with Stoddart present on both days. All three will sign autographs, chat with those present, and assist with auction duties