By Huw Alban
February 7 2006

Since the M16 car launch on Friday, Midland and ex-Jordan fans have been clashing swords on this site’s forum. Almost as if in answer has come a quote from team owner Alex Shnaider confirming that Midland are in it to stay. At the Midland F1 car launch last Friday several TV companies secured separate interviews with the key people in the team. Gradually the quotes are starting to make their way onto the web media outlets, including some reassuring claims from the boss.

Last year speculation was rife that Midland were not in F1 to stay, and the team had an appauling reputation with the press and the fans. Through this site, Midland have already admitted that they made mistakes in 2005 and that this year they want to put them right. The recent car launch has rekindled some of the bad feelings towards Midland on this site’s forum, so it is interesting that one quotes to make it’s way onto F1-Live.com talks about the team’s commitment to the sport and about it’s budget this year.

"The plan is to stay in F1," the squad's owner Alex Shnaider has been quoted as saying. "I do not intend to sell the team, but that doesn't mean that we are not open to partners. At the moment we are the Midland team, but if someone can offer us something, we will look at it."

On a similar thread, 2006 team race driver Tiago Monteiro has hinted at the investment made in the team since the start of this season. "Even though it is not like a top team's budget," the Portuguese rookie of 2005 was quoted as saying, "it will be nearly double what we had."

According to F1-Live.com, further proof of the commitment to competitive racing is the fact that the new car will benefit from 3 or 4 upgrades with the first of these expected to race for the first time in Australia in April.