Manor (formerly Marussia)

Virgin

FIA Entry: Marussia Virgin Racing
Car 24: Timo Glock
Car 25: Jerome d’Ambrosio
Engine: Cosworth V8
Team Principal: John Booth
Technical Director: Nick Wirth
Race Engineer Car 24: Mark Hutchison
Race Engineer Car 25: Dave Greenwood

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2010
Races Entered 19
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 0
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Manor Motorsport

When F3 team Manor Motorsport were given a place on the F1 grid in 2010 they commissioned Wirth Research to build them a car. Brawn sponsor Virgin became title sponsor and Virgin Racing was born

Virgin Racing

With Cosworth engines, Xtrac gearboxes and drivers Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi Virgin Racing embarked on their first F1 season. The VR01 chassis was the first ever F1 designed entirely using CFD, with designer Nick Wirth believing computer simulations were sufficient to not need expensive wind tunnel testing.

Inevitably the team had reliability issues early on and they also discovered the fuel tank on the car wasn't sufficiently large enough to allow the team to complete full race distance. Wirth Research got a dispensation from the FIA to homologate a new chassis and by Spain both cars finished the race.

The team regularly finished races but barely troubled the mid-field. By seasons end the team were placed 12th and last in the Constructors Championship based on a count back of minor placing’s having managed a highest finish of 14th.

2011

Russian carmaker Marussia have taken a controlling interest in the team for 2011 and Belgian Jerome d’Ambrosio replaces Lucas di Grassi. With the VR02 chassis Virgin will be hoping to move further up the grid in 2011.
 
What is the point of Marussia?

Good question TBY and I might possibly have an answer.Consider it this way.
Obviously Marrussia have little realistic chance of doing much in any of the races, maybe an odd freak race due to weather or other circumstances they might just might get a half decent result for themselves.Thats the best they could hope for.
But there is another role that they can fill which is of benefit to many youngsters wishing to get on the F1 ladder.
Not as drivers, that route is fairly well documented and straightforward, GP2, F3, World series by Renault or similair.
But F1 is a team sport.The team consists of many different disiciplines.Engineers, designers, aerodynamacists to name but a few.
Somewhere out here is another Adrian Newey, Ross Brawn, Harvey Postlethwaite some of the better known names.
Teams such as Marrussia provides these youngsters with the opportunity to get a foot on the F1 ladder as the bigger teams all require experience in F1 as pre requisite of employment with them.
So my opinion is that teams such as Marrussia do provide a useful role in F1 for exactly these reasons.
 
Good question TBY and I might possibly have an answer.Consider it this way.
Obviously Marrussia have little realistic chance of doing much in any of the races, maybe an odd freak race due to weather or other circumstances they might just might get a half decent result for themselves.Thats the best they could hope for.
But there is another role that they can fill which is of benefit to many youngsters wishing to get on the F1 ladder.
Not as drivers, that route is fairly well documented and straightforward, GP2, F3, World series by Renault or similair.
But F1 is a team sport.The team consists of many different disiciplines.Engineers, designers, aerodynamacists to name but a few.
Somewhere out here is another Adrian Newey, Ross Brawn, Harvey Postlethwaite some of the better known names.
Teams such as Marrussia provides these youngsters with the opportunity to get a foot on the F1 ladder as the bigger teams all require experience in F1 as pre requisite of employment with them.
So my opinion is that teams such as Marrussia do provide a useful role in F1 for exactly these reasons.

:yes: You're right, of course!
 
Depends whether the car works when they unpack it Oz really. Mclaren, in the John Barnard days, used to turn up at the first race putting the car together in the pit lane and then cream the field. I'm not suggesting this will happen with Marussia but two races in and they will have sorted most of the snags. If the car is good, it will be quick straight away, look at the Lotus.
 
Marussia have named Maria de Villota as their official test driver.

It's been quite a while since a female was involved in an official F1 driver role - probably worthy of a thread of its own.
 
Strange that she's ended up at Marussia as the talk in December was that she was signing a deal to be reserve driver for Lotus. At 32 and with hardly a glorious junior career behind her de Villota is hardly the start of a female revolution in F1, I'd look towards 18 year old Vicky Piria who's just landed a GP3 seat for that, but more the daughter of an ex-F1 driver with a little bit of cash backing. With her Spanish origin I'm very surprised that she hasn't ended up on the Hispania band wagon (although lets face it she could do before the end of the season) but I actually think this is Marussia's smartest move to date as when they give her some Friday running its undoubtedly going to give them some major TV time and major interest which is something they can promise prospective sponsors.

I'm very surprised one of the back end team hasn't tried this already in a bigger way - If you were running HRT or Marussia wouldn't you be on the phone to Dancia Patrick saying "hey DP! we ain't got no money to offer you but how about you jump in our car for the 2 North American GPs this season and we'll split all the sponsorship money and media attention 50-50 ok?"
 
I think Marussia deserve some praise for their performance in the practice sessions today. They managed a total of 49 laps today, whilst HRT only managed 20 having come from a similar starting point and Caterham, the only other real point of comparison, only managed 6 laps more (55 laps). Glock also managed 12th place in the second session.

I know these are skewed by the rain a little, but considering they'd never run the car in anger before today I think they've done a really good job.
 
I've been very critical of Marussia over the winter but I tip my hat to them today. Both new cars made the distance and whilst the pace wasn't amazing it wasn't too bad. The 14th and 15th today will also stand them in good stead against the other 2 teams they're actually compeating against. Has always been a failing of theirs in the past that they've not been running to pick up the results when you have a decent amount of retirements. Today they did though so bravo.

oh and happy birthday Timo
 
I've been very critical of Marussia over the winter but I tip my hat to them today. Both new cars made the distance and whilst the pace wasn't amazing it wasn't too bad. The 14th and 15th today will also stand them in good stead against the other 2 teams they're actually compeating against. Has always been a failing of theirs in the past that they've not been running to pick up the results when you have a decent amount of retirements. Today they did though so bravo.

oh and happy birthday Timo

Indeed. And they actually got on the grid...
 
Charles Pic didn't set the world alight and Michael Schumacher's fastest lap was faster than both Marussia's, And I think Pic was a couple of laps down right?
 
what's Schumacher got to do with the price of fish? if Schumacher's fastest lap had been slower than either of the Marussia's we'd have been talking about the team for a different reason - and I don't think anyone was saying they were setting the world alright but unlike Caterham and HRT they got both cars to the end of the race. What did you expect Charles Pic to do? Podium maybe?
 
what's Schumacher got to do with the price of fish? if Schumacher's fastest lap had been slower than either of the Marussia's we'd have been talking about the team for a different reason - and I don't think anyone was saying they were setting the world alright but unlike Caterham and HRT they got both cars to the end of the race. What did you expect Charles Pic to do? Podium maybe?
Thats a good one, I'm gonna copy it! But I just thought it was a nice fact, the Caterhams are faster but the Marussia's are more reliable. And was finishing at least 1 lap down to hard to ask? D'Ambrosio was 4 laps down on his Virgin debut, Di Grassi didn't finish and to be fair to Pic he was hampered by an oil pressure issue and was only 5 laps down, not sure whether he finished or just completed 75% distance, and to be fair a podium wasn't out of reach!
 
Thats a good one, I'm gonna copy it! But I just thought it was a nice fact, the Caterhams are faster but the Marussia's are more reliable. And was finishing at least 1 lap down to hard to ask? D'Ambrosio was 4 laps down on his Virgin debut, Di Grassi didn't finish and to be fair to Pic he was hampered by an oil pressure issue and was only 5 laps down, not sure whether he finished or just completed 75% distance, and to be fair a podium wasn't out of reach!

Jos you've complete confused me. In your first post you appeared to be slagging Marussia and Pic off and in your second saying they did a good job. no comprenda!
 
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