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.
 
I guess if they manage to produce a car that meets this years spec they don't have to do much work to redesign the rear of the car as they already know how to package last years engine.
 
The best way to package it would be to put it in the rubbish bin (which may well prove to be the perfect description of the new Manor car).
 
So they will be on the grid with a half baked new car and an old underpowered engine, considering how slow they were last year add to that the new cars are already going somewhat faster than in testing last year I foresee Manor not being able to get within the 107% qualifying time and not being allowed to race, which means that the first seven words of this post are incorrect...
 
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If they are that determined to do away with vast sums of money, why don't they do something useful with it, like donate it to Greece to help pay off their debt, or give it to Ukraine to buy weapons to oppose Putin's forces?
 
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Well I'd rather see them there than not there. At least they'll have a chance to be in it proper for 2016 with a massive amount of test data.
 
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Who will finance them for 2016 if they don't enter for 2015?

If you take that attitude whats the point of half the teams turning up? If Marussia aren't there then Sauber and Force India will be last all the time so whats the point in them turning up? Then Enstone and Williams might as well pack it in too.

So basically lets have only 6 cars running round the track eh? Well done you are all now Bernie's best mates and have killed the spirit of F1. :)
 
I seriously doubt that they will be able to have either car remain unlapped at every race that they finish. Maybe they will get more tv money because they will be constantly on-screen as the leaders fly past them.
 
They may finish some races ahead of McLaren as their drivers walk back disconsolately to the pits. I have grown quite fond of them, they want to go racing, that must count for something.
 
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