RIP Manor Racing (2010-2017)

[AxelP800]

Hoping somebody will buy back the 2015 cars from whoever bought them, or maybe that it turns out to be an enthusiast who simply donates the cars back to the time (not likely, but eh) and they develop them to be ready for at least the 4th race of the season.

Well, those 2015 weren't nearly completed, so it would probably still takes months to complete them. It could make it easier to get a compensation, but i'm not sure if using 2 different chassis during a season is even permitted nowadays?

Well in 2009 some teams opted to put KERS on one of the cars, but I don't think that's a chassis issue.....

[FMecha]

source says that Force India, Sauber, Red Bull and Toro Rosso voted against the possibility of use 2014 chassis for 2015 season. The source is not safe, even if some people says that also BBC report this rumors

Red Bull and Toro Rosso

Red Bull and Toro Rosso

Remember, STR has no voting powers within the Strategy Group. (So does Sauber)

Flak is mainly thrown against Mallaya now, and people pointed out his hypocrisy. He said he wants to help small teams, but now...

[DanielPT]

Mallya only wants to help the small teams if the small teams in question are his team. Teams are usually selfish but it is a baffling decision as it was a good opportunity to look good without a dent in their own results. And tomorrow it could be him who needs that help. Unless... Unless one wants to sell his team and needs to reduce competition in order to raise the price of his own team...

As for the Red Bull and Toro Rosso, if true, short memory they have. Very short.

[Londoner]

This whole sorry situation is exactly why the Strategy Group cannot be trusted to act in F1's best interests. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the teams would rather destroy the entire sport if it meant they could win another title.

Hopefully things can be sorted and we will have 20 cars at some point during the season, but given this, I highly doubt we'll see Marussia on an F1 grid again.

[DanielPT]

This whole sorry situation is exactly why the Strategy Group cannot be trusted to act in F1's own interests. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the teams would rather destroy the entire sport if it meant they could win another title.

What is worse is that the teams fail to grasp that they need the sport to stick around in order to win another title.

[CoopsII]

Teams are usually selfish but it is a baffling decision as it was a good opportunity to look good without a dent in their own results.

At first, I felt some sympathy as I thought perhaps Mallya believed having Marussia on the grid would possibly prevent his already struggling team earning some points money. And that being the case why should his struggling team help another struggling team when the wealthier ones do f**k all. But, as you point out, Marussia are highly unlikely to finish before Force India, barring flukes, so this is a baffling and depressing decision.

[Backmarker]

If they still own the IP to the 2015 chassis (not sure about whether that is the case) couldn't they get Stephane Schosse or Dallara or even Caterham Composites to cobble them a chassis together within reasonable amounts of time?

[Ataxia]

If they still own the IP to the 2015 chassis (not sure about whether that is the case) couldn't they get Stephane Schosse or Dallara or even Caterham Composites to cobble them a chassis together within reasonable amounts of time?

If they manage this, it would be a HUGE middle finger to Vijay Mallya. Please Manorussia (not entirely sure what we're calling them), do it.

[Captain Hammer]

Putin. He's the man o' Russua.

[Meatwad]

I hope Force India have a terrible season. In fact, I almost hope they fail to make it to Australia. It would serve the hypocrites right.

[Wallio]

I hope Force India have a terrible season. In fact, I almost hope they fail to make it to Australia. It would serve the hypocrites right.

This. It seems VJ is the new Stoddart, naming the cars after himself, electing himself "shop-stewart" and generally being a whiney lying arse.

[DanielPT]

I hope Force India have a terrible season. In fact, I almost hope they fail to make it to Australia. It would serve the hypocrites right.

This. It seems VJ is the new Stoddart, naming the cars after himself, electing himself "shop-stewart" and generally being a whiney lying arse.

While is understandable the desire to see karma biting Mallya, I think that F1's competitiveness, racing and variety is as poor as it is. It doesn't need less teams.

[CoopsII]

It seems VJ is the new Stoddart, naming the cars after himself, electing himself "shop-stewart" and generally being a whiney lying arse.

I used to know a guy called Shop Stewart. His job was fitting shelves in shops and his name was Stewart.

[Barbazza]

This doesn't surprise me at all. Mallya's always been an idiot, it's just that quite often there have been more obvious idiots like Fernandes to point at.

[f1andrea]

I'm surprised about Mallya behavior, but really shocked about how F1 teams joked with Marussia and Caterham: they said on december that they would be allowed to run 2014 car in 2015 and now that Marussia has found an investor, they changed their opinion and say no. For only £4million. Really really stupid move, totally against the sport, but the paddock is also know as "Piranha Club", now you can know why.

[Spectoremg]

It seems VJ is the new Stoddart, naming the cars after himself, electing himself "shop-stewart" and generally being a whiney lying arse.

I used to know a guy called Shop Stewart. His job was fitting shelves in shops and his name was Stewart.

LOL!!!

[Backmarker]

Following the initiation of the CVA process by Marussia F1 Team administrators FRP Advisory earlier this week, and the confidence this step brings to the process of saving Marussia, the team is now pleased to be able to confirm some of the detail of this process.
- On 17 December 2014, the team made a request to the Strategy Group to consider allowing it to use a 2014 race car, modified to meet certain 2015 regulations, for part of the 2015 season. Following analysis, the team highlighted that this would need some form of dispensation on only a small number of clauses in the Regulations.
- Subsequent to this application, the team was informed on 5 January 2015, that the Strategy Group felt that two teams - Marussia and Caterham - should be permitted to race a 2014 car in the 2015 championship. The letter stated that the Strategy Group agreed that the car should comply with all of the 2015 technical regulations, with the exception of four articles, those articles being Articles 3.7.9, 15.4.3, 15.4.4 and 16.2. The team can confirm that the modifications to its 2014 car would meet this stipulation.
- A change to the Regulations at this stage does require unanimous consent from all teams and following the initiation of the CVA process, the team is now actively engaged in achieving this. This process involves providing all relevant information to the teams to allow them to fully consider its request.
- As the press release from FRP Advisory of 4 February states, given the confidential nature of the negotiations underway, neither they nor the team are able to provide further details regarding the team’s new investors, however those investors have either met with or spoken to the key F1 bodies.
- The team has been busy preparing its 2014 cars such that they comply with the stipulations of the Strategy Group and at the same time it is pressing on with the development of its 2015 car to ensure it can supersede the 2014 car as soon as possible.
- The team has a significant number of staff already working on both its 2014 and 2015 cars. It also has the benefit of being able to recruit further staff very quickly from the rich pool of experienced and talented F1 personnel who were left unemployed following the closure of Marussia and Caterham and due to job cuts made by other teams in the sport.
Commenting on the team’s progress, and also comments emerging from yesterday’s F1 Strategy Group meeting in Paris, Graeme Lowdon, a representative of the team, said:
“It has been a very good step to finally get the CVA process underway this week. This is the first external sign that we have been able to make of all the hard work that has taken place privately over the past four months to get us to our current position.
“I was surprised to hear some of the comments made today, particularly regarding an application we were said to have made to yesterday’s meeting, which I can confirm was not the case. We did make a request on 17 December last year and we have been working since to satisfy the requirements subsequently communicated to us, specifically complying with all the Regulations, aside from the exempted articles.
“The comments also mentioned that issues of compliance were raised, that it was felt that our application lacked substance and contained no supporting documentation to reinforce the case for offering special dispensation. Again, we did not make any application to yesterday’s Strategy Group meeting and nor were we asked to.
“Instead, we are proceeding with our clear process regarding compliance and building our operation. We are doing everything possible to adhere to the process set out for us to return to the 2015 grid. This is a fantastic good news story for the whole sport and we just want to go racing.”

[mario]

Teams are usually selfish but it is a baffling decision as it was a good opportunity to look good without a dent in their own results.

At first, I felt some sympathy as I thought perhaps Mallya believed having Marussia on the grid would possibly prevent his already struggling team earning some points money. And that being the case why should his struggling team help another struggling team when the wealthier ones do f**k all. But, as you point out, Marussia are highly unlikely to finish before Force India, barring flukes, so this is a baffling and depressing decision.

Judging by some of the comments Bob Fernley has made, it seems that Force India had 4 million reasons for voting against the move given that they would make £4 million more if Marussia couldn't compete.

Mind you, it is a dangerous game for Force India to play - the fewer small teams there are, then the harder it will be for them to fight their corner (especially if Force India's financial situation is as dire as is being reported) if they have killed off all of their potential allies.

[Wallio]

Very confusing, but ultimately great news. NBC is reporting they "aren't dead yet" and seem to be reporting that West Force India, not Marussia, brought up the team's situation yesterday, and that the Facebook posting is a basically a "F-U" to them.

[AndreaModa]

The post on Facebook is quite remarkable. The page URL has already been renamed to Manor Racing - I suspect the page name itself takes 24 hours to change hence why it's still currently Marussia.

But the statement from Lowdon about the request put to the Strategy Group yesterday is very odd. I can only assume the request came from Caterham. Clearly though the team are quite well advanced in preparing their cars for 2015 so things aren't over yet. Good news after all!

[Captain Hammer]

Very confusing, but ultimately great news. NBC is reporting they "aren't dead yet" and seem to be reporting that West Force India, not Marussia, brought up the team's situation yesterday, and that the Facebook posting is a basically a "F-U" to them.

Indeed. Force India have characterised the request as Manor wanting to use the MR03 all season long, but from the sounds of things, Manor only want to use it as an interim car until the 2015 chassis is ready.

I'm actually quite disgusted by Force India's actions here. As the highest-placed non-permanent member of the Strategy Working Group, they were in a position to represent the interests of smaller teams, and took the position that smaller teams should be supported. But as soon as they are put in a position to make good on that, they reject the proposal because it suits their own interests.

The teams have worked long and hard to position themselves as the universal good guys, suffering from autocratic rulers who needlessly meddle in the sport's affairs. It's a populist line to take, since it tallies with fan opinion, but here Force India have exposed the lie for what it is. The will be a chorus of calls from the teams to act in the interests of the sport, but when push comes to shove, they will act in their own interests. I genuinely believe that many of the problems in the sport can be traced back to this.

[Dj_bereta]

Williams did exactly the same with Pro Drive years ago.

[Captain Hammer]

Williams did exactly the same with Pro Drive years ago.

But that was for customer cars.

[AndreaModa]

Williams did exactly the same with Pro Drive years ago.

But that was for customer cars.

And the team wasn't already established, and circa 200 peoples' jobs weren't on the line. I think a lot of people forget that whilst F1 is an exciting global sport, a lot of families depend on it so they can put food on the table and pay off mortgages. The drivers, and even the senior team bosses might earn big bucks, but there's a hell of a lot of ordinary guys working for the teams, and all of the suppliers supporting the teams, that are directly impacted by the selfishness of actions such as those taken by Force India. It's not that easy to jump from being an F1 engineer into something else - it's a highly specialised job.

We are all guilty of getting caught up in the drama, the excitement and the action, but behind all of it is a bunch of lads and lasses from Britain and elsewhere that go about their daily lives in much the same way as we do. They are the people that deserve better. I think it's about time the teams started thinking more about them before so casually making such damaging decisions.

[AndreaModa]

Something to bookmark: http://manorf1team.com/

[DanielPT]

Teams are usually selfish but it is a baffling decision as it was a good opportunity to look good without a dent in their own results.

At first, I felt some sympathy as I thought perhaps Mallya believed having Marussia on the grid would possibly prevent his already struggling team earning some points money. And that being the case why should his struggling team help another struggling team when the wealthier ones do f**k all. But, as you point out, Marussia are highly unlikely to finish before Force India, barring flukes, so this is a baffling and depressing decision.

Judging by some of the comments Bob Fernley has made, it seems that Force India had 4 million reasons for voting against the move given that they would make £4 million more if Marussia couldn't compete.

Mind you, it is a dangerous game for Force India to play - the fewer small teams there are, then the harder it will be for them to fight their corner (especially if Force India's financial situation is as dire as is being reported) if they have killed off all of their potential allies.

I remembered those millions but I wasn't sure they would still have rights to that money.

Any way, I am glad Manor stuck the middle finger to FI and proceeded their own affairs. If they will be at the grid is another matter. Knowing F1, lots of ink and time will be wasted still.

[AustralianStig]

Keep fighting Manor!

[go_Rubens]

I'm actually quite disgusted by Force India's actions here. As the highest-placed non-permanent member of the Strategy Working Group, they were in a position to represent the interests of smaller teams, and took the position that smaller teams should be supported. But as soon as they are put in a position to make good on that, they reject the proposal because it suits their own interests.

The teams have worked long and hard to position themselves as the universal good guys, suffering from autocratic rulers who needlessly meddle in the sport's affairs. It's a populist line to take, since it tallies with fan opinion, but here Force India have exposed the lie for what it is. The will be a chorus of calls from the teams to act in the interests of the sport, but when push comes to shove, they will act in their own interests. I genuinely believe that many of the problems in the sport can be traced back to this.

This only sums up that F1 figures at the head of their separate organizations are hypocritical twits. For all of Force India's claims that the lower teams need help, this is completely against what Mallya and co have said in the past. Okay, so the lower teams need help according to yourselves, but it's because you are in trouble yourselves that you deny Marussia the help they need to get into the grid and race? Where is the merit in your comments at the end of last year? It doesn't bloody exist anymore, does it? What the bathplug are they thinking? I thought you had an idea for what F1 really needs to help itself out of the hole it's started to bury itself into. Then you go along and make F1 look even less desirable.

F1 will always be filled with selfish arseholes. This is exactly why the Strategy Group should immediately be abolished. As long as the FIA and FOM are reluctant to actually do anything and leave things down to the idiots in the Strategy Group, nothing positive is actually going to get done to help bring the sport back in the direction it needs to go. Simply because the F1 teams are only going to do what suits them. What F1 team wouldn't take an extra 4 million? None of them wouldn't.

[Rob Dylan]

My only comment at this time is that Force India must be doing pretty badly at this point to fear the presence of Manor F1 Team in any way, shape or form.

[AdrianBelmonte_]

My only comment at this time is that Force India must be doing pretty badly at this point to fear the presence of Manor F1 Team in any way, shape or form.

#IndianAndreaModa

[Henrique]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/321803/minardi-hits-out-at-unsportsmanlike-teams/

Even Giancarlo Minardi is expressing his opinion.

[dr-baker]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/321803/minardi-hits-out-at-unsportsmanlike-teams/

Even Giancarlo Minardi is expressing his opinion.

And of course, he's right.

My only comment at this time is that Force India must be doing pretty badly at this point to fear the presence of Manor F1 Team in any way, shape or form.

#IndianAndreaModa

Don't you mean India Moda?

[dinizintheoven]

...or Vijay Moda?

[Backmarker]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/321803/minardi-hits-out-at-unsportsmanlike-teams/

Even Giancarlo Minardi is expressing his opinion.

Bernie Ecclestone should just pay for Giancarlo Minardi to have an F1 team in perpetuity.

[Pointrox]

Quite a lot of things happened since the last time
Now we know that:

- everything is according to the plan, work on the car is on schedule and they are aiming for Melbourne start with MR03B and MNR01/MR04 introduced later this season
- Manor F1 team will compete as Manor Marussia F1 Team
- the main investor behind it all is Stephen Fitzpatrick of Ovo Energy
- Will Stevens is signed to drive the car

[AdrianBelmonte_]

Quite a lot of things happened since the last time
Now we know that:

- everything is according to the plan, work on the car is on schedule and they are aiming for Melbourne start with MR04B
- Manor F1 team will compete as Manor Marussia F1 Team
- the main investor behind it all is Stephen Fitzpatrick of Ovo Energy
- Will Stevens is signed to drive the car

And the possible names for the second seat are Kevin Magnussen, Roberto Merhi and (obviously) Max Chilton

[Frogfoot9013]

I doubt Chilton will be driving for them, he seems set on the States with Carlin in Indy Lights, and I expect the two to head for IndyCar if they do well there. I'd say Mehri is most likely to get the Manor seat.

[Bobby Doorknobs]

I doubt Chilton will be driving for them, he seems set on the States with Carlin in Indy Lights, and I expect the two to head for IndyCar if they do well there. I'd say Mehri is most likely to get the Manor seat.

It won't be the same without Max

[AndreaModa]

The support for the team is quite incredible really. What I'm seeing is biased because it's coming from people well-versed in F1 and the ordinary Joe probably has no idea and doesn't really care either, but it's fantastic to see them putting something together. I know a few people who went to work at Ovo Energy and from what I've heard they run a tight ship over there. Obviously that has no bearing on Manor's fortunes, but I think Fitzpatrick, providing he has the cash, will do a good job. The BBC article which revealed him as the investor said:

Sources say Fitzpatrick has had a long-time passion for F1 and desire to get involved.

He had originally been looking at a venture in Formula E, the new all-electric series that is racing in city centres around the world.

But when Marussia went into administration in October he saw an opportunity to become involved in F1. The deal has come together in the intervening four months.

[Frogfoot9013]

I doubt Chilton will be driving for them, he seems set on the States with Carlin in Indy Lights, and I expect the two to head for IndyCar if they do well there. I'd say Mehri is most likely to get the Manor seat.

It won't be the same without Max

On the brighter side of things, he has been topping the timesheets in Indy Lights pre-season testing at Homestead-Miami.
2015 Indy Lights Champion
2016 IndyCar Series Champion
2016 Indianapolis 500 Champion
The legend will continue...