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.
 
How would a budget cap (which if it ever were to come about would still be a multiple of the annual budgets of those teams) have saved any of those teams?

Well with budget caps to £100m it wouldve been more sustainable & wouldve had more buyers
 
A budget cap in line with the proposals which were discussed prior to the teams joining would have made it easier for them to compete. I believe the budget cap that was initially tabled was around 40m
 
Shame Bernie isn't still in charge as he probably would have given the team some money to carry on...
 
Yet another team dead thanks to Bernies payout structure. Really hope Liberty can fix it so little teams can not only survive but flourish.
 
Talking about liberty fixing budgets

Im not against ferrari payment as a loyalty bonus, but its ridiculous they get more than the bottom 5 teams just for turning up to melbourne, what i dont get is why that 70m isnt shared out between williams (1978) & mclaren (1966)
 
That would make sense because i thought it was ridiculous. Can imagine them around a table
Bernie/max - Ferrari youve been here 67yrs & we want to reward you with £70m

Williams - what about us we've been here 40yrs

Mclaren - what about us we've been here 51yrs

Bernie/Max - why do you deserve anything, youve been with us for 40/50yrs. How is that loyalty
 
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Ferrari are given the payment due to the prestige their involvement is seen as giving F1.

Ferrari make very famous sports cars that are known the world over. Williams make bugger all and are not seen to attract an audience. Mclaren have made some nice and famous cars but I'm willing to bet you say Mclaren and Williams to the average none motorsport fan then they'll look at you blankly. Say Ferrari they might be willing to have a look.

Not saying I agree with the payment but that is why it is there. F1 and Ferrari both benefit from each others brands.
 
Although the tifosi no doubt add much, i personally dont think that F1 is wholly reliant on Ferrari, any more than motogp depends on Rossi. That said, when the chips are down, and the spectacle is poor, crowds of scarlet clad fanatics give a rallying cry and keep the heart beat of the sport from arresting.

If there is a sport which is producing something that appeals broadly, then Ferraris presence would be beneficial but not essential. If redistributing thd prize money led to more competitive teams, popularity would increase regardless of whether Ferrari is there or not imho.
 
Surely more value for Stuttgart to beat Ferrari? Particularly in comparison to a fizzy drinks firm.

Personally I get the feeling Stuttgart would like all the cars on the grid to be Merc powered so they could control the exact result of every race whilst pretending to us that it's a really exciting "show".

At least with Ferrari they Don't pretend they want to entertain us or that they are on the fans side.
 
thinking about budget caps or another system to make the grid more competitive, dont know if anyone been seen the news of whats been happening in the FA Cup recently, where 2 non league sides have made history making the last 16 of the fa cup, it reminds me of F1 & that in sport in the little guys are more important. sometimes can get more joy than big guys. because for the last month the been alot of talk that fa cup has lost its magic, do we change something to regain its magic. then all of a sudden Lincoln & Sutton utd do some giantkilling knocking out 3 teams from 3 divisions higher & 1 of them gets drawn v arsenal at home. everyone excited the magic of competition that everyone was worried about has returned

reminds me we had many problems in F1 few years ago of how much we liked F1 races in 2012 when perez nearly won in his sauber at Malaysia & Monza, Maldonado won for Willams & Hulkenburg shouldve won at Interlagos. sometimes all you need is the odd giantkilling
 
The reason that the lower clubs do well in the FA Cup is that there is nothing in it for the big boys any more. they don't get access to any European tournament from it, unlike the days when there was the Cupwinners Cup.
 
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