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.

 

[The Artist.....]

Brogan - they will still be the same team; or at the very least, the same entrant.

 

[teabagyokel]

They'll play the same trick that Midland/Spyker played in 2007 or "BMW Sauber Ferrari" played in 2010. Simply don't change the team name officially.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I thought they will be competing as Manor for Abu Dhabi to make sure any prize money awarded at the end of the season can be used by themselves as Manor for the next season.

I'm going to try find some links instead of just gossip as it seems to be at this stage.

Quick edit:
FIA entry list. Down as Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd.

http://www.fia.com/2014-fia-f1-world-championship-entry-list

Edit again,

Marussia was effectively a trading name to suit sponsors, similar to how its the Petronas Mercedes or Infiniti Red Bull. Is it the company name or team name that matters?

 

[Brogan]

Any prize money would be awarded to the original entrant.

 

[The Artist.....]

Brogan.

My understanding is that the entrant is "Manor Grand Prix"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2818576/Marussia-aiming-Abu-Dhabi-grid.html

 

[Brogan]

Marussia Manor have officially entered next season: http://www.fia.com/2015-fia-f1-world-championship-entry-list

 

[teabagyokel]

This thread is ripe for a name change, Brogan...

 

[Brogan]

We had better wait until it's all official and definite.

I have my doubts as to whether they will actually be back in F1 in any form.

 

[Splash]

I wonder why they are "*Subject to confirmation" and yet Caterham aren't?

 

[soccerman17]

*Provisional list subject to confirmation by the FIA that the conditions of entry are respected.

Caterham has apparently been confirmed by the FIA then?

 

[Mezzer]

I wonder why they are "*Subject to confirmation" and yet Caterham aren't?

It's because we're currently in negotiation to rename it to "Mezzer Grand Prix", the negotiations are challenging as the named owner does not want dodgy Ferrari engines.

 

[Mephistopheles]

How can they return as a new team mid-way through at the end of the season?

The rules don't allow for that.

Rules,,,, that's a good one, Bernie stated that the big teams will be obliged to give the small teams a car which is clearly against the rules as the rules say that all teams must produce their own chassis...

 

[Greenlantern101]

Sky saying that a reporter from The Times has tweeted.

Marrussia have stop trading. Staff to be made redundant. Official news soon.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Now confirmed

 

[F1Yorkshire]

My Avatar seems more appropriate than ever. The worst thing is that all Bernie will be bothered about is that he's saving 30 odd million in prize money or would the money for 9th place now pass to Sauber?

 

[teabagyokel]

I would imagine it probably passes to Delta Topco.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I'm gutted about this and at the same time very annoyed. Marussia must have been seriously in debt if Caterham have some how managed to stumble on where as Marussia who were almost guarenteed a cash injection at the end of the season from a top 10 finish couldn't make it.

There's a guy who almost lost his life in a nasty accident whose 2 points will now count for sweet fuck all which adds another layer of sadness.

I really enjoy that warm feeling when an underdog does well, Webber's fith for Minardi in Australia for example, and we had that feeling this year when the Marussia team partied like it was 1999 as a result of two points. They had produced a tidy car that in the hands of Bianchi, in the early stages of the season, gave the Saubers and team Enstone something to think about for a while.

I guess we will never know the full truth behind their closure beyond lack of funds but it did seem massively sudden compared to Caterham. Ah well, another team who's only legacy will be an entry on the F1 rejects page.

 

[teabagyokel]

I guess we will never know the full truth behind their closure beyond lack of funds

My suspicion, as I have intimated before, is that the money that Marussia were paid for running Jules Bianchi was technically not payable by contract at the point he was replaced by Alex Rossi. If I'm being cynical, I wonder if they did not run Rossi in Russia in an attempt to claim that they were providing the machinery for Bianchi, who remained their lead driver.

This is all speculation, and I certainly hope it is not true as it puts Ferrari into a particularly bad light.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yeah, but you could imagine Ferrari doing something like that.

 

[cider_and_toast]

It also goes back to why Marussia were marked as subject to confirmation on the 2015 entry list but not Caterham. Very strange.