Minardi bids to enter Italian politics
A report at Brazil's globoestporte.com said the 62-year-old Italian, who sold his Faenza based team to Paul Stoddart in 2001 before it became Toro Rosso in 2006, wants to be the next mayor of the Italian city southeast of Bologna.
With the slogan 'Faenza torna a correre' (Faenza races again), Minardi is said to have the support of centre-right coalition parties.
"It was a difficult decision," he is quoted as telling the Il Resto del Carlino newspaper. "I'm 62 and have never been interested in politics.
"I have always lived in the sporting world, but you learn a lot there. I made the decision because I have the support and Faenza is in an extremely difficult time.
"I know people nationwide and I can use it for the city. I need to change my way of working, but that does not scare me. I will bring a team of young professionals and want to deploy the methods used in the sport with Minardi," he added.
Minardi was born and still lives in Faenza, having brought his team into F1 in 1985.