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.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

So we could be in a situation that all the new teams that entered the sport in 2010 could have all folded by the end of 2014. So much for keeping cost down in F1.

 

[The Artist.....]

Johnny Carwash

The teams that entered were acting on the understanding that there would be a budget cap of £30million in place.

The FIA removed this cap, and effectively stopped them from any chance of competing!

 

[gethinceri]

The sport itself has caused this to happen.
The whole situation is ****ing pathetic.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Bernie has been trying to bin those two teams and HRT since the day they entered the championship.

 

[Andyoak]

The sport needs teams like Marussia as a training ground for new talent; this is just typical short termism and the sport will suffer from their loss.

I sincerely hope this is not the end and the other teams will also recognise and support their contribution..
**** all chance of Bernie helping anything more than his wallet

 

[siffert_fan]

3 cars logistically maybe problematic but Mercedes, Ferrari , Mclaren and Red Bull are the only teams who would have them available.

Force India , Williams and Lotus will struggle to field a 3rd car

Then, when FI, Williams and Lotus leave the sport, Bernie will "solve" the issue by mandating 4-car teams.

 

[Andyoak]

Keep going; it truly will be a spec series before he's done... Ferrari and 20 pay drivers.

 

[siffert_fan]

Andyoak,

Unfortunately, I really don't think that is very wide of the mark.

 

[Andyoak]

And you can bet all those pay drivers would end up paying a license commission to BE for the privilege...

F1 will be WWF

 

[siffert_fan]

I will also say this--if the day does come when Williams closes up, that will be the day I stop watching F1. That team started a very few years after I began being interested in F1, so if they leave, so will I.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Williams are one of the "big teams" - the six teams who went against cost caps. The four remaining who are now facing meltdown are FI, Sauber, Caterham & Marussia.

 

[siffert_fan]

That's quite true. But, if you believe that a private team like Williams could ever match the spending ability of a manufacturer like Mercedes or Fiat, I think you are grossly mistaken. And the sad fact is that the manufacturers keep raising the spending bar, and the other teams have to try to keep up.

To me, a cap is the only way for the sport to survive, at least in the form we know it.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Apparently Marussia was always going to fold up shop after the Russian GP. I'm sure that decision has unfortunately been made much easier with the absence of Bianchi.

Alexander Rossi must be shaking his head though.

 

[cider_and_toast]

That's mad. All they had to do was find the funds to keep going into the end of the season and should they remain 9th, or even 10th, their funds would have increased significantly. Obviously the loss of Bianchi was a major blow as he has lifted the teams performance significantly this year.

What that does call in to question however, is the veracity of their noble gesture to run one car in Russia as a tribute to Jules. If they were going to close the doors then why would they go to the expense of preparing a second car? Having said that though, the did have the second car there so on balance it was a gesture from the team. Even so, you have to wonder.

 

[soccerman17]

Not sure how much it really cost them since both the staff and parts were going to be there regardless.

 

[Greenlantern101]

All those that voted against a cost cap are hopefully feeling ashamed. This is what they voted for, an 18 car grid and F1 making the news for yet again all the wrong reasons.

How many more teams need to fail before costs are addressed.

 

[The Artist.....]

Greenlantern101

Given how much excrement was thrown at Max Mosley when he tried to impose the cost cap, from both teams and fans, this was always the likely outcome....

 

[Greenlantern101]

I just wonder what would happen if 2 more teams failed. Sauber, Force India and Lotus have been struggling.

Is 18 cars still ok? What about 16 or 14 how about 12?

I wonder if Hass is now looking at this and reconsidering.

 

[The Artist.....]

Greenlantern101

Haas will never join F1 - that's my prediction....

If he does, he will purchase an existing team (Marussia/Caterham/Sauber/Lotus) at best...

I searched a little back in time, and there were 4 teams that threatened to quit F1 if a budget cap came in:

Renault (quit), Toyota (quit), Ferrari (will never quit), and Red Bull (?!?)

 

[Il_leone]

Greenlantern101
- As much there has been FOTA , FOCA or whatever guise to represent the teams in F1 in arguing with Bernie over the money allocation in F1. Every team will always put their own interest first to remain competitive and dominant... just look at Mercedes now not wanting engine unfreeze development

- Red Bull for example left FOTA because they were spending more money than the other teams who were convinced they were not within the agreed resource restriction agreement


- Ferrari stayed at the top because they had outspent everyone except Toyota

Currently the teams interest are represented by Merc, Mclaren , Red Bull and Ferrari so they are not going to care if Caterham and Marussia fall away