Ferrari sports 2,641 points, 146 pole positions, 143 wins, 480 podiums, 147 fastest laps, 11 world championships and a worldwide following.

European Minardi has totaled 28 points, no poles, no wins, no fastest laps and no podiums in its 16-year history.

Ferrari pays Michael Schumacher an estimated $40 million a year, which is almost Minardi's annual budget.

In 269 starts, a Minardi driver has never led a lap of competition. The greatest day in team history came in 1990 when Pierre Luigi Martini qualified third at Phoenix. Minardi is pretty much the Chicago Cubs of international motorsports, the loveable losers that keep coming back for more.

But, unlike the Cubbies who usually start out strong and fade in August, the European Minardi team doesn't even have a chance to be competitive at the beginning of the 17-race season.

And it's got nothing to do with talent.

In the cubic-dollar world of F-1, where Ferrari's annual budget is estimated at $250 million, Minardi goes to war with a cap pistol.

"It is a daunting challenge, obviously, when Ferrari operates with a quarter of a billion dollars and the other top teams get $175-225 million each year and little us can only raise $50 million," said Minardi owner Peter Stoddart.

"Considering what we're up against, we haven't done a bad job."

Stoddart, an Australian native who made his fortune in the airplane parts business, is an admitted F-1 junkie. He idolized the late Ken Tyrrell (he owns 20 of the old Tyrrell F-1 cars) and dabbles at driving himself.

And, while he's enamored with the world's most sophisticated race cars, Stoddart is very realistic.

"Yes, we are three seconds slower than Schumacher but look at the engine we are running compared to Ferrari. We have an old Ford that is maxed out but next year we're going with Asia-Tech. "If we get 800 horsepower, that should help move us up. Maybe some day we can get a manufacturer to take us to that next level. But my goal is to get Minardi off the bottom."

Of course one way to do that is find a brilliant designer. Stoddart had the respected Gustov Bruner before Toyota came along and stole him with its checkbook.

"I'm afraid that's the darkside of Formula One but it's as free market economy and you've got to grin and bear it," he said with a shrug. "Toyota throws wicked amounts of money at people so it's difficult.

"You know we have a new car every two weeks, we seldom run the same car two races in a row because we are constantly developing it. That's where a real sharp guy can make a difference."

For Spain's Fernando Alonso and Malaysia's Alex Yoong, Minardi will hopefully be a springboard for their driving careers and not a dead end like it was for Tarso Marques.

"I'm totally realistic about the siutuation," said Yoong, a 25-year-old who has competed in various European formulas. "We've got a four-year-old engine that's tired so we run very little downforce to make it better and we still end up slow everywhere.

"But there are only 22 F-1 rides and hopefully we can take a big step forward next year. I think it's a team that is going places, I really do."

Stoddart says he's got a five-year plan.

"The first year I wanted to compete with dignity and we have. We've got three Top-10 finishes. Next year we want to get into the Top-10 in constructor's points. In year three we're looking at a mid-field position.

"From there, our main goal is to get a podium. It's going to take a lot of hard work and a little luck, but I think it's possible."

In Friday's free practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's U.S.Grand Prix Alonso was 19th out of 22 and Yoong was last -- exactly three seconds behind McLaren's Mika Hakkinen.

"Both cars ran faultlessly and the times were very respectable," said Stoddart. "Fernando was fastest than both Arrows and, considering it's only Alex's second grand prix, he was solid.