The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

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AndreaModa
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The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by AndreaModa »

Here we go then. Baker asked for it, so here it is. The following series of posts is intended as a scrapbook of news articles covering the team that entered F1 in 2010 and has at various points competed as Virgin, Marussia and Manor.

Each post will be a 'chapter' so you can jump to specific point in the team's history if you want. Links to each chapter are below.

It's important to realise that each of these posts is MASSIVE. The whole thread contains every article I've been able to find on the team from Autosport to date. So it's big, and only worth reading if you have plenty of time to spare! I've probably ended up inventing a new cure for insomnia!

If you're looking for something specific, say references to CFD, or stuff on Andy Soucek, then I'd recommend using CTRL+F and typing what you're looking for into there, instead of trawling through everything. Anyway I hope it's useful!

Chapter 1: 2009 - Entry submitted and granted.
Proposals for cost cap and rule changes, coverage of the new team entries, Branson comes in, Manor becomes Virgin.

Chapter 2: 2010 - Year 1 - Virgin Racing
Debut year, too small fuel tank, di Grassi's pre-race crash in Japan, Marussia takes a stake.

Chapter 3: 2011 - Year 2 - Marussia Virgin Racing
D'Ambrosio replaces di Grassi, Pat Symonds comes in, split with Wirth Research, technical partnership with McLaren, finishing 12th again.

Chapter 4: 2012 - Year 3 - Marussia F1 Team
New name, failed crash tests, Pic replaces D'Ambrosio, Symonds leaves, Maria de Villota's testing crash, Glock 12th in Singapore, Caterham snap up Pic and then pip Marussia to 10th place in Brazil.

Chapter 5: 2013 - Year 4 - Marussia F1 Team
Glock and Chilton then Chilton and Razia then Chilton and Bianchi! Maria de Villota's death, deal agreed with Bernie, finally finish above Caterham.

Chapter 6: 2014 - Year 5 - Marussia F1 Team
Ferrari engines, first points in Monaco, Rossi/Chilton palava in Belgium, Jules' accident, withdrawal after Russia, administration.

Chapter 7: 2015 - Year 6 - Manor Marussia F1 Team
11th hour rescue, Fitzpatrick enters, Jules' death, rebuilding the team, Mercedes partnership, Booth and Lowdon leave, Dave Ryan comes in.

Chapter 8: 2016 - Year 7 - Manor Racing MRT
New name, new faces, "actually competing with rivals", 10th in Austria, Haryanto out, Ocon in and then off to FIndia, advanced payments, investor rumours.

Chapter 9: 2017 - Year 8 - Manor Racing MRT
Last edited by AndreaModa on 10 Jan 2017, 19:59, edited 11 times in total.
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AndreaModa
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

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Chapter 1: 2009 - Entry submitted and granted.

FIA seeking massive cost cuts for 2010
By Simon Strang Wednesday, February 4th 2009, 11:32 GMT
The FIA is preparing to unveil a new package of drastic cost-cutting measures that will reduce Formula One teams' operating budgets to just 50m Euros from 2010, in a bid to ensure continued manufacturer commitment to the sport.
While the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and the FIA recently agreed a raft of cost-cutting measures, autosport.com has learned that the sport's governing body sent a letter to the team principals in December outlining the need to take further steps to prevent more teams following Honda out of F1.
According to today's Financial Times, the FIA will call for a defined area of competitive technical development, such as energy recovery systems, and another, described as 'non-compete', which will effectively expand the range of standardised parts to include gearboxes, wheels, braking systems and suspensions.
Despite these measures, which may be perceived as restrictive by some of the top teams, the FIA wants to maintain the 'technical awe' of F1 and believes it can achieve this by defining specific areas of open development.
However the blueprint also calls for manufacturers that do develop technology in these areas to make it available at a set price to customer teams.
The FIA is taking action in the face of the continuing extraordinary global economic conditions, and in view of Honda's failure to find a buyer for its team so far, feels justified in pushing them through in time for next year.
But FIA technical consultant Tony Purnell suggested that this new rule package allows the FIA to open up and areas of development in the future depending on the world's economic climate.
"When we see that things are picking up and there is more money in multinationals for discretionary spend, then we can start reintroducing a wider technical competition," he told the FT. "But we'll keep to a central philosophy that engineers work on things that are relevant to society, like fuel economy and efficiency."
In December, the FIA announced a number of cost-cutting measures for the 2009 season that were agreed with FOTA. These included a total ban on in-season testing, major reductions in aerodynamic development during the season and limit of eight engines per-driver per-season.

Mosley expects 12 F1 teams in 2010
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, February 5th 2009, 16:29 GMT
FIA president Max Mosley believes there will be 12 Formula One teams next season despite the economic crisis hitting the world.
The 2009 field will include ten teams if the Honda Racing squad manage to find a buyer in time for the start of the season in March.
If not, there will be just 18 cars on the grid in a year where 24 were expected.
The Super Aguri team folded in the early part of last season, and Prodrive, who were to enter F1 this year, decided against it over the legality of customer cars.
But Mosley believes the cost-cutting measures agreed by the teams and the FIA, as well as the possibility to have cheap engines and gearboxes, will see the grid increased by next year.
"I think we will have 12 (teams) in 2010," Mosley told selected reporters on Thursday. "If we get the job done we will have 12 teams - it means independent engine and gearbox supplier at a sensible cost.
"Secondly decisions taken quickly and thirdly the commercial rights holder paying down to 12th place and also transport."
Mosley admitted the governing body had been approached by the American group looking to enter Formula One as USF1.
The FIA boss said the team are to be taken seriously.
"Yes, they have," Mosley said when asked if the team had approached the FIA. "They are serious people but they are the same as everyone else, they need the costs to come down if they are to be competitive.
"They are recommended by Nick Craw, our man in the States who knows a lot of people. You have to take it seriously."
The Briton also said that he expected the Honda team to be sold and to be on the grid this year, although he admitted he felt the chances were around 70 percent.
"I don't have any inside knowledge but my feeling is that from all the circumstances it is more likely than not that they will be there but I would not put it higher than 70 percent," he added. "But I honestly cannot pretend I know.
"As far as we are concerned that team has an entry, they have not withdrawn their entry and they are fully entitled to turn up in Melbourne and race if they want to. If they want to change the name there is no reason why they shouldn't.
"Talking to people around the thing they seem optimistic but they always are until the moment comes."
Mosley downplayed the negative impact the failure of finding a buyer would have on the sport, as he thinks people would finally realise it is crucial to reduce costs drastically.
"It wouldn't actually be damaging. I think it would make everyone realise finally that there really is a problem, as there are one or two people who still don't understand.
"I don't think it would matter provided we can lay out a plan for 2010, which makes it possible for a small team to come in and run competitively and do so without losing money.
"The days of the billionaires wasting money have gone."

FIA consults teams on budget cap
By Dieter Rencken and Edd Straw Wednesday, April 22nd 2009, 21:14 GMT
The FIA has asked Formula 1 team principals for their input on whether the £30 million per season budget cap figure announced at last month's World Council meeting should be revised, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
In a letter sent to the team principals and seen by AUTOSPORT, FIA president Max Mosley requests the teams to submit what they consider to be the minimum acceptable figure for the budget cap by tomorrow (Thursday).
Against the backdrop of a looming global recession, Mosley has already gone on record as saying that he would be keen to see the budget cap figure set even lower.
"I actually think it could be done for £25 million but that's just my opinion," said Mosley after the budget cap plan was first announced in March. "All my advisers think it should be more."
Mosley's letter offers the teams a final chance to make a case for adjusting the budget cap prior to the anticipated ratification of the technical and financial regulations at the next FIA World Council meeting on April 29. The budget cap is optional, although teams who opt not to adopt it will work to more restrictive technical rules.
Although some existing teams consider the budget cap figure to be too low, those who are evaluating a move into F1 believe that a competitive operation can be run for £30 million a year.
The FIA has also decided that race and test driver salaries should no longer be included in the budget cap figure, a change from the plan announced last month. Expenditure on marketing, hospitality and motorhomes is also excluded.
All other team activities will fall under the budget cap, with services and capital assets valued at the market rate. This will include engine and gearbox supply fees, technical support, windtunnel usage and any outsourced activities.
Mosley adds that the FIA plans to limit expenditure in the medium and long term with such spending restrictions, rather than relying on tight technical regulations.
The move towards budget caps is also likely to be attractive to some of the larger manufacturers who are working to slash costs. Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche told Bloomberg today that costs must be reduced in F1.
"People tend to see Formula 1 as a luxury to entertain management on weekends," said Zetsche. "Costs in F1 will come down significantly because everyone needs it."
The letter also reveals that the FIA intends to grant three new teams a place on the 2010 grid. Both Lola, which today announced that it is evaluating an F1 entry, and USF1 are among the teams who are likely to be in contention for the available slots.
AUTOSPORT also understands that Cosworth has been in discussion with as many as eight teams that are evaluating a move into budget-capped F1.
This raises that possibility that F1 could return to a 26-car grid for the first time since 1995 despite numbers being limited to 24 in recent years.

New teams set for budget cap boost
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, April 28th 2009, 09:37 GMT
The introduction of a voluntary budget cap that will attract new teams into Formula 1 is expected to be given the green light by the FIA at its World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris tomorrow, AUTOSPORT has learned, even though current teams have baulked at providing a realistic figure to set it at.
FIA president Max Mosley asked teams last week if they could provide him with an idea of what a good financial level the cap should be set at. The original proposal of £30 million is widely accepted as being too low.
Although teams subsequently wrote to Mosley to say that they wanted more time to discuss the matter, AUTOSPORT has learned that this has not stopped the FIA pressing ahead with plans to discuss the budget cap at its WMSC meeting tomorrow.
Although the hearing in Paris was originally called to discuss the lying controversy surrounding McLaren, it is understood that the FIA is to use the opportunity to push through F1's 2010 sporting regulations - which will include the budget cap and entry to the championship.
Despite the teams having not provided a counter argument to the £30 million figure, it is believed that the FIA may choose to keep the final level open pending future discussions with the teams.
However, it will be confirmed that what will become known as the 'Cost Regulated Teams', will be given technical and sporting freedoms compared to those outfits that choose to retain an unlimited budget.
As well as movable wings, an improved underfloor and a higher revving engine, cost regulated teams may also be allowed unlimited in-season testing.
Leading F1 team figures are not opposed to the introduction of a budget cap, but are adamant that it needs to be introduced at the right level.
Toyota president John Howett told AUTOSPORT: "I think it is quite a complex issue. I think the question is, what is included and what is not included?
"Our position at Toyota is that driver salaries should be included if we are serious about actually reducing total costs. There are differences of opinion, of the inclusions and also what happens to people who are supplying engines, as they need a bigger budget. Do we therefore exclude engines?
"So I think nobody actually objects on a major basis, providing it is a high enough gap to be reasonable to our employees with a glide path down that is sensible, and the right discussion and understanding of what is included."
Should the budget cap concept get approval by the FIA WMSC tomorrow, then it will pave the way for a host of new teams to enter F1.
AUTOSPORT understands that it is likely the entries for the 2010 championship will be opened at the end of May, with 13 team slots to be made available in a move to attract new blood into the sport.
Team USF1, Lola, Prodrive and iSport have already gone public in expressing an interest in entering F1.
As well as getting the budget cap, AUTOSPORT has learned that the three new teams that enter F1 in 2010 could be given $10 million (USD) in television rights money and some transportation costs in exchange for constructing their own car and signing up to F1 for a five-year period from 2010 to 2014.

FIA confirms £40m budget cap for 2010
By Edd Straw Thursday, April 30th 2009, 10:54 GMT
The FIA has announced that Formula 1's cost cap will be increased to £40 million when it is introduced next season.
The original figure mooted was £30 million, but has been revised upwards following consultation with Formula 1 teams instigated by FIA president Max Mosley last week.
The FIA confirmed that the budget cap would run from January 1 to December 31, with the £40 million figure covering all team expenditure, with certain exceptions.
Most notable among these is that engine costs will not be included in the budget capped expenditure for 2010.
Also excluded from the budget cap are marketing and hospitality, driver pay, fines and penalties imposed by the FIA, anything that teams can demonstrate has no influence on its on-track performance and dividends paid from profits relating to participation in the championship.
The FIA will allow those teams that sign up to the budget cap to have increased technical freedom to make it easier to compete with the uncapped teams. This includes adjustable front and rear wings as well as an engine that can run without a rev limit.
In addition, the budget cap teams will be allowed unlimited testing outside of the racing season, and will not be restricted by the wind tunnel scale and speed stipulations
The budget cap will be monitored by a new Costs Commission that will be set up to ensure that teams are adhering to the regulations. A chairman and two commissioners will be appointed to the body by the WMSC for a term of three years.
It was also stipulated that one of the commissioners should be an expert in finance and the other someone with high-level experience in motor sport.
The governing body also announced that the maximum number of cars permitted to enter the championship has been increased to 26, from 24.

FIA's budget cap Q & A
Thursday, April 30th 2009, 11:15 GMT
Provided by the FIA's press office.
Why does Formula One need cost capping?
Formula One faces a period of great uncertainty during this harsh recessionary period. Funding a team is increasingly seen as a discretionary spend for the majority of team owners and sponsors. To ensure a healthy grid all are agreed that costs need to be cut.
Two main philosophies have emerged, either i) reduce activity levels through very restrictive technical rules, plus a degree of standardization if required; or ii) restrict the money that teams are allowed to spend (cost capping).
The FIA believes that unfettered technical competition is part of Formula One's DNA, and would like to see this flourish, but in an environment of strong, responsible and innovative management, not a spending race. For these reasons cost capping is preferred.
What is covered by the cost cap?
Everything except:
• Marketing and promotion - we want Formula One teams to look good and to entertain their partners. We want manufacturers to show off their cars at exhibitions and city centre displays, and we want teams and their sponsors to promote Formula One through inclusion in advertising campaigns.
• Drivers and young driver programmes - Formula One is the pinnacle of motor racing. Fundamental to this is attracting the world's best drivers. Moreover we wish to encourage continued investment in young driver programmes.
• Engine costs – In order to attract manufacturer owned teams to take up the cost capping option, the FIA have decided to exclude engine costs for 2010 (only).
Furthermore, we are allowing manufacturers to honor existing supply arrangements, provided there is no element of subsidy that could have a cartel-like affect on the engine market.
How did the FIA arrive at the £40m figure?
We arrived at the figure by analysing both revenues and costs in Formula One.
We know what the FOM (Formula One Management) revenue is likely to be in the future, and we have some understanding of realistic sponsorship revenues during the recession. Taken together, it’s possible to project total external revenues for all finishing positions in the Championship. At £40m we believe that 70 per cent of the grid can generate a profit. This transforms the business case for owning a Formula One team, for both manufacturers and private investors. The desired net result is to have a very healthy commercial environment for present and new owners.
We also had a good look at costs, and believe that £40m in combination with greater technical freedom will allow engineers to create Formula One cars even more interesting and exciting than today's cars.
Will the £40m cap for 2010 be changed for future years?
As set out in the Regulations, the cap for future years will be decided by the FIA. In setting future years' limits, the FIA will have regard to the progress of the project and the feedback from all stakeholders to the sport.
How does the FIA intend to police the cost cap?
Throughout the construction of the Regulations we have worked with expert forensic accountants.
The Regulations allow for the establishment of a Costs Commission to monitor and assist teams in complying with the Regulations. The Costs Commission will appoint auditors, and other financial experts as required, in order to do this.
A key factor is that all cost capped teams are businesses engaged in exactly the same activities and this enables consistent interpretation of the principles of the regulations. It is difficult to hide engineering activity or to falsify accounts consistently, given the traceability of transactions in today's world and the access and inspection powers which the Costs Commission will have. The penalties for defrauding the FIA with regard to any wilful transgression of any Regulation or any subversion of an investigation are well established.
Is a Costs Commission really needed?
The emphasis is on teams to demonstrate compliance, and to pro-actively seek clarification and interpretation of the Regulations. As the Cost Cap Regulations are new the FIA has decided to provide an appropriate resource, staffed with a small number of financial and technical experts, to deal with such issues, and to monitor compliance, such that the Regulations are effective.
Who pays for the Costs Commission, auditors and other experts, and doesn't this just add costs, rather than removing them?
The cost capped teams will each pay an equal contribution to cover these costs. The costs involved will represent a tiny fraction of the costs saved in Formula One.
What is the penalty if a team exceeds the cost cap?
This depends on the case. The International Sporting Code covers transgressions in the same manner as for the technical or sporting regulations. There are no 'fixed penalties'. The Cost Commission will judge the degree of misdemeanor and advise the FIA, who will determine any penalty.
What measures are there to prevent teams spending money this year on a car that will compete under cost cap in 2010?
The teams must demonstrate that they have adhered to the spirit of the regulations and spend no more than 50% of the value of the 2010 cap on the development of the 2010 car (in 2009). Furthermore, there are limits on the value of stock of car parts which can be carried into 2010.
How will you stop manufacturer backed teams from running hidden F1-related projects in their parent companies?
The question is actually asking 'how will we stop manufacturer teams from cheating'. The principles of determining a fair market value for all activities which are undertaken for the benefit of a team (whether a manufacturer or not) are clearly set out in the Regulations.
No team would wish to be exposed as cheating, so we expect a healthy amount of self-policing. However, the rules are clear on this point, such activities must be declared and appropriately valued. Bear in mind the access that the costs commission and auditors have and their ability to compare reported costs across all cost capped teams.
Will teams be allowed to buy parts from other teams/manufacturers?
Yes, according to the FIA regulations, but one should bear in mind that contractual arrangements with the Commercial Rights Holder will place restrictions on such activities. Inter-team transactions are covered by the regulations.
How many teams do you expect to take up the budget option?
All those who wish to transform the commercial basis of participation for their owners and investors. The FIA believes that cost capping will prove attractive, and it hopes that over time all teams will join. So far, interest has been extraordinarily high from both existing teams and potential new entrants.
If a team decides not to become cost capped now, can it do so at a later date?
Yes, a team will be able to opt to become cost capped in advance of each year of its participation in the Championship.
Are you worried that F1 will effectively become a two-tier championship?
There is one set of Technical Regulations and as always there are choices for all teams as to how they decide to attack the Championships.

New teams to get financial support
By Edd Straw Thursday, April 30th 2009, 11:21 GMT
The FIA World Motor Sport Council has announced that financial support will be given to new teams entering Formula 1 next year.
Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Management (FOM) has agreed to make an annual payment of $10 million to each new team as well as offering free transportation of two chassis, plus 10,000kg of freight, to each race.
It will also offer 20 economy class air tickets for each new team for events held outside Europe.
The number of cars permitted to enter the world championship has been raised from 24 to 26 cars, leaving the door open for three new teams to join in 2010. A number of operations have already expressed a serious interest, including the new USF1 operation and British race car manufacturer Lola.
Applications for new teams will be open on May 22-29, with the FIA publishing the list of accepted entrants on Friday June 12.
The FIA will select the successful candidates based on their ability to qualify as a genuine constructor, as well as their ability to demonstrate they will have the required facilities, financial resources and technical expertise to be competitive in F1.
The applicants will be expected to declare whether they want to compete under the newly-confirmed £40 million budget cap, although it is unlikely that any of the teams would choose not to do so.

Five new teams confirm F1 plans
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 20th 2009, 10:25 GMT
Former grand prix boss Nick Wirth, sportscar team Epsilon Euskadi, leading race car engineering company Ray Mallock Limited, former GP2 outfit Campos Racing and automotive parts company Formtech have joined the list of outfits confirming plans to compete in Formula 1 next year, AUTOSPORT has learned.
Although only a handful of outfits have gone public with their intention to make the step into F1 in 2010, a more expanded list of candidates emerged from the French courts on Tuesday during the hearing to discuss Ferrari's bid to get an injunction on next year's rules.
As part of the defence from the FIA that such an injunction would wreck the plans of new teams to make the jump to F1, AUTOSPORT understands that a number of letters were presented from new teams saying that any delay to them getting the go-ahead for 2010 plans would force them to abandon their efforts.
According to sources, the list of teams that were looking at moving to F1 were Lola, USF1, Wirth Research, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Campos Racing, iSport and Formtech, which bought the Super Aguri F1 team's assets.
Another two outfits have also expressed an interest in moving up to F1. British F3 team Litespeed issued a statement declaring its intention to apply for an entry, while Prodrive has also admitted to be considering the move.
However, in recent days Prodrive boss David Richards has suggested that uncertainty over the 2010 regulations was forcing him to consider a rethink about his plans.
"The new regulations announced by the FIA are very much in line with what we were expecting and, I believe, have the potential to allow a team to be commercially viable and competitive on a far more realistic budget," he told GPWeek.
"However, we are very concerned about the controversy these proposals have created with the existing teams and the uncertainty that this has created."
Bernie Ecclestone has also talked about a second team from the United States expressing an interest.
FIA president Max Mosley made it clear last week that the governing body was unwilling to compromise on its plans for a £40 million voluntary budget cap because it was vital that new teams came into F1.
"If we wait any longer, we won't have any new teams because it is too late for them to come," he said. "I think there was an element among the FOTA teams hoping to delay until the point where there could be no new teams.
"I think we now have 11 organisations that say they want to come in, of whom seven are serious. So it will be interesting to see what happens."
Should Ferrari's injunction application be successful, then it will mean that all the 2010 regulations introduced by the FIA last month will be on hold - including the fact that the entry list for the 2010 championship closes on May 29.
With the matter likely to go to appeal whichever side wins, the delay in the entry list closure will buy manufacturer teams more time to propose alternative regulations to the FIA - even though it could force new entrants to abandon efforts.
A decision from the French courts is expected at 2pm local time on Wednesday.

Ferrari slams quality of new teams
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 20th 2009, 12:30 GMT
Ferrari has blasted the quality of entries being lined up to join Formula 1 next year - even going so far as saying the sport would perhaps be better off rebranded as 'Formula GP3'.
Shortly prior to finding out that it had lost its legal bid to prevent the FIA introducing a £40 million voluntary budget cap in F1 for next year, Ferrari vented its frustration at the teams hoping to make the step up to motor racing's premier category.
As AUTOSPORT revealed earlier today, the court case that took place in Paris yesterday revealed the list of teams serious about joining F1 was Wirth Research, Lola, USF1, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Formtech, Campos and iSport.
These teams, and the FIA, claimed that if Ferrari's legal bid was successful and the entry deadline for 2010 was delayed by an injunction, then they would have little chance of getting things in place to be ready to race next year.
Ferrari has said it is shocked at the entries - and does not believe they are the kind of teams that will enhance F1's image.
"They couldn't almost believe their eyes, the men and women working at Ferrari, when they read the papers this morning and found the names of the teams, declaring that they have the intention to race in Formula 1 in the next year," said a statement issued on Ferrari's website.
"Looking at the list, which leaked yesterday from Paris, you can't find a very famous name, one of those one has to spend 400 Euros per person for a place on the grandstand at a GP (plus the expenses for the journey and the stay) [to see]."
The statement added: "Can a world championship with teams like them - with due respect - have the same value as today's Formula 1, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?"

FOTA agrees on plan to help new teams
By Edd Straw Thursday, May 28th 2009, 14:13 GMT
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has agreed to propose a system of technical partnerships for new teams to assist them in joining the grid in 2010, following a meeting between the team principals in London yesterday, AUTOSPORT has learned.
As the teams close in on an agreement with the FIA over the future regulations of F1 ahead of tomorrow's 2010 entry deadline, FOTA hopes this compromise would allow prospective new teams assistance from the established operations to compete credibly in their first seasons without having to fund a significant increase beyond the set budget cap.
FOTA is pushing for a "glidepath" approach to adopting the budget cap regulations, with a two-step reduction in expenditure in 2010 and 2011.
This would see expenditure limited to €100 million in 2010, dropping to €45 for the following season.
The technical partnerships would give the new teams assistance in terms of parts, particularly non-performance differentiators, as well as some design know-how.
The FOTA proposal is believed to stop short of allowing full-blown customer cars, something that is strongly opposed by several teams, and would be structured to ensure that the newcomers compete under the budget cap in their own right in 2011.
FOTA also discussed further ways to develop the budget cap concept, with the possibility of some commonality of non-performance differentiators still on the table in a bid to repackage the imposed limit as a programme of cost containment.
Although final agreement has not been reached, it is believed that both the FIA and FOTA are confident that a resolution can be found ahead of the entry deadline.

Formula 1 awaits 2010 entry list
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, June 11th 2009, 18:57 GMT
Formula 1 is bracing itself for what could be its biggest day in recent years, with the FIA due to publish the much awaited 2010 world championship entry list before lunchtime on Friday.
After last-ditch talks aimed at bringing an end to the stand-off between the FIA and the Formula 1 Teams' Association (FOTA) ended inconclusively on Thursday afternoon, all eyes are now on how many of the current teams will be on the entry list.
FIA president Max Mosley met in London with four representatives of FOTA - Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali, Brawn GP's Ross Brawn, Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner and Toyota's John Howett - in order to try and thrash out an 11th hour deal that will keep all the current teams committed.
But although there was no public confirmation that the two sides had edged any closer to a deal, there were suggestions that FOTA and the FIA were not totally at loggerheads on a way forward.
One source compared the situation to the black or white smoke signals given off by the Vatican during the election process of a new Pope. "There is grey smoke tonight," he said.
In recent days there has been more talk of a compromise deal, with Mosley indicating in a recent letter to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo that the FIA would be ready to scrap the two-tier F1 plans, and sign a Concorde Agreement, if teams agreed to a 100-million-euro budget cap for 2010 - prior to it being reduced to £40 million (GBP) the following year.
As to what happens with the entry list announcement on Friday, no one outside of the FIA's circles is sure about what will happen.
Williams and Force India are certain to be on it, having lodged unconditional entries, and it should not be too difficult for the FIA to find at least three new teams to fill the available slots on the grid.
However, which of the remaining current outfits is on the entry list will determine where F1 is heading in both the next few weeks and perhaps the longer term.
Should the entries of the eight remaining FOTA members - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing and Brawn - be rejected, then it could be the signal for those teams to accelerate their plans for a breakaway championship.
There would also likely be huge controversy should the FIA choose to put Ferrari, and perhaps the two Red Bull teams, on the entry list unconditionally - if the governing body stood by the belief that some teams have contractually tied themselves into racing in F1.
One way of defusing the tension, however, would be for the FIA to hand provisional entries to all of FOTA's outfit - pending the successful resolution of talks aimed at reducing costs.
Ferrari has made no secret of the fact that it will only race in F1 if it is happy with the rules - and the announcement of the entry list comes ahead of a visit to Le Mans by di Montezemolo and the Scuderia's team principal Stefano Domenicali.
In a statement issued on Thursday, di Montezemolo made a clear hint that the challenge of Le Mans would be enough to attract the Maranello team in the future.
"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to start a race that has made motor racing history and has such strong links with Ferrari," he said.
"Our Scuderia has delivered some unforgettable achievements on this circuit. The Le Mans 24 Hour Race is synonymous with technologically-advanced sporting competition and has always been a focus of great attention on our part."
The other interest in the entry list will come with which of the new outfits is granted a place on the 2010 grid. Among the leading contenders to be given the nod are Prodrive, Campos Racing, Epsilon Euskadi, Lola, Superfund, USF1 and Team Lotus.
AUTOSPORT will keep you fully up to date with news and reaction to the publication of the 2010 entry list.

FIA announces 2010 F1 entry list
By Jonathan Noble Friday, June 12th 2009, 09:51 GMT
World championship leaders Brawn, plus former champions McLaren and Renault are among the teams that have been told to lift the conditions on their entry to the 2010 championship by June 19 or risk being left off the grid.
After days of intense speculation about which teams would comprise the make up for the 2010 championship, the FIA announced that of the current teams only Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Williams and Force India have been granted entries.
It means that Brawn, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber and Toyota have all been sidelined for now - pointing towards further frantic efforts to try and find a solution to the row over cost cuts.
In a statement issued by the FIA, it said: "These five teams have submitted conditional entries. The FIA has invited them to lift those conditions following further discussions to be concluded not later than close of business on Friday 19 June."
The inclusion of Ferrari and the two Red Bull teams is also a bone of contention, with the outfits likely to claim that they could only be entered if the conditions attached to their applications to race were met.
The FIA, however, believes the teams committed several years ago when they signed deals with the governing body and Formula One Management tying themselves to the sport.
The list also confirmed that three new teams had been granted an entry - Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1.
Should any of the five current teams not make the cut, then the FIA is evaluating further entries being added.
AUTOSPORT understands there are three or four other teams who are close to being granted entries, and dialogue is still ongoing.
Campos Grand Prix is being run by former grand prix driver Adrian Campos, with Team US F1 headed by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor.
AUTOSPORT understands the new Manor Grand Prix team is headed by F3 team boss John Booth and former grand prix team owner Nick Wirth.
Team Constructor
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari
Scuderia Toro Rosso STR TBA
Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing TTBA
At&T Williams Williams Toyota
Force India F1 Team Force India Mercedes
Campos Grand Prix Campos Cosworth
Manor Grand Prix Manor Cosworth
Team US F1 Team US F1 Cosworth
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes* McLaren Mercedes
BMW Sauber F1 Team* BMW Sauber
Renault F1 Team* Renault
Panasonic Toyota Racing* Toyota
Brawn GP Formula One Team* Brawn TBA
* These five teams have submitted conditional entries. The FIA has invited them to lift those conditions following further discussions to be concluded not later than close of business on Friday 19 June.
The maximum number of cars permitted to enter the 2010 Championship has been increased to 26, two being entered by each competitor. Pending completion of the discussions referred to above, further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries.

Wirth to build Manor's Formula 1 car
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, June 12th 2009, 11:31 GMT
Wirth Research has confirmed an exclusive partnership with the Manor Grand Prix team to produce its Formula 1 car for 2010.
Formula 3 squad Manor was one of three new teams included on the FIA's entry list for next season, and former F1 chief designer Nick Wirth will be working on the new car.
The services will be provided by WR Technology Ltd as well as Wirth Research.
"Up until recently even my closest friends and family would have confirmed that I had no interest in making a return to designing Formula 1 cars," Wirth said.
"It's only with the exciting possibilities of cost constraints, with a refreshing new emphasis on design ingenuity and resource efficiency, that Formula 1 has now become a viable and fascinating new challenge for Wirth Research, and we will make sure it has all of the race-winning know-how that our previous cars have enjoyed.
"We see this project as a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our work, increase our range of technology and engineering capacity to the benefit of all our existing and potential clients beyond Formula 1.
"As the project evolves, we hope to continue to demonstrate the benefits of our unique approach to Development in the Digital Domain."
Manor will be using Cosworth engines in 2010.

Fifteen teams lodged F1 entries
By Jonathan Noble Friday, June 12th 2009, 11:33 GMT
The FIA has revealed that it received 15 entries from new teams to enter Formula 1 next year.
In the wake of the announcement that Campos Grand Prix, Team US F1 and Manor Grand Prix have been granted unconditional entries to next year's championship, the FIA also says discussions are continuing with other outfits in case current teams choose to leave.
In a statement issued on Friday, the FIA said: "When the FIA opened entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, it received applications from 15 potential new teams.
"All of those entries underwent a stringent due diligence process to ensure that new teams have the required level of funding, resources, experience and technical expertise to compete at the highest level of motor sport.
"Three of those teams have been confirmed for 2010 and further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries."
The FIA also revealed details of the three successful new teams.
Campos Grand Prix's headquarters will be in Madrid, while its technical centre will be at Campos Racing's current headquarters in Valencia. The team will be powered by Cosworth engines, and its car will be built by Dallara.
Manor Grand Prix is a tie-up between Manor Motorsport and Wirth Research Limited; with former team boss Nick Wirth acting as technical director below team owner John Booth.
Team US F1 is being run by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, and will be based in Charlotte in the United States.

FIA's Q & A on new team entries
Friday, June 12th 2009, 12:06 GMT
Conducted and provided by the FIA's press office.
Q. How are you ensuring that applicants are adequately and securely funded?
A: We are using professional advisors to make checks on the substance behind any funding sources on top of obtaining reviews of pertinent contracts and other relevant documentation. Bank references have been supplied in many cases.
Q. What is involved in the Due Diligence process?
A: We have requested documentary evidence to support all the new teams' assertions, in particular with regards to funding. Thus we have been provided with accounts, contracts, multi-year business plans and other supporting material. On the technical side we have asked for a thorough description of their capability, key staff, project plans, capital assets (present and planned for), organisational charts, and so on.
Where there are key sub-contractors required we have asked to see contracts and letters of intent. This extends to the sponsorship side, where plans and any descriptions of existing relationships are required. In all these aspects we have requested evidence that substantiates any claim in the teams' plans.
In the background to these evaluations, where key individuals were identified on the funding side, our forensic accountancy advisors have run reputational checks, alongside the checking of factual data supplied.
Once we had formed an opinion of the serious contenders we asked them to come to London to be questioned face to face by the due diligence team. Then a short summary report on the top five was sent to the FIA President.
Q. Have you enlisted the help of other experts to help with the Due Diligence?
A: It would not have been possible to perform this exercise without expertise from our advisors, Deloitte, who have assisted us throughout. The forensic ability to give advice on the documents provided is invaluable.
Q. How many applicants were there and were all of them taken forward to the due diligence process?
A: There were 15 applicants and we took 12 of these through the process initially. We interviewed nine of the more promising potential teams. There were a surprising number of well-presented entries, with substantial funds behind them.
Q. Is it really possible to perform due diligence on all of these organisations in such a short amount of time?
A: It has been intense. The one advantage is that the short timescale has revealed the teams that really have their plans together and the answers to hand, and those that are making it up as they go along. If they are going to be in Formula One they need to be able to respond quickly and competently. Thus the condensed time line has 'stress tested' the new entrants.
Q. Have you been surprised by how many viable teams have applied to enter the championship?
A: Yes it was a surprise in some ways, but more reassuring than surprising. Formula One is a fantastic prospect and with the financial reforms to lower the barrier to entry to realistic levels it is good to see such a strong market for new teams. This exercise has demonstrated that the only reason there have been vacancies on the F1 grid for many years was the excessive cost of participation.

Analysis: New F1 teams in detail
Friday, June 12th 2009, 12:21 GMT
Conducted and provided by the FIA's press office.
When the FIA opened entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, it received applications from 15 potential new teams.
All of those entries underwent a stringent due diligence process to ensure that new teams have the required level of funding, resources, experience and technical expertise to compete at the highest level of motor sport. Three of those teams have been confirmed for 2010 and further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries.
Detailed below is information about each of the new teams that will compete in the Championship from next year.
Company Name: Campos Meta
Team Name: Campos Grand Prix
Country: Spain
Team Principal: Adrian Campos Suñer
The Campos Racing team was launched in 1998 by ex-Formula One driver Adrian Campos. Since that time it has competed in various championships from GP2 to Euro F3. It has won six driver championships, five team championships and currently holds the GP2 Series 2008 title.
Campos Racing is running the Campos Grand Prix team in conjunction with Meta Image, a Madrid-based sports agency which specializes in event management, sponsorship acquisition, PR and marketing.
The Grand Prix team's headquarters are based in Madrid, which houses the marketing and administrative departments. The technical centre is based at Campos Racing's current headquarters in Valencia, 25km from the Ricardo Tormo race track. This facility currently manages design and development for the Campos Racing F3, Mexico A1GP and Barwa International GP2 teams.
As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Campos has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth and technical partnerships with Dallara Automobili and Xtrac.
Company Name: Manor Grand Prix Racing
Team Name: Manor F1 Team
Country: United Kingdom
Team Principal: John Alfred Booth
The Manor name came into racing in 1990 when former single-seater champion John Booth decided to establish his own team. Since that time, Manor's record of success includes some 171 Race Wins and 19 Championship Titles in championships such as Formula Renault and Formula 3 Euroseries.
Manor is based in the UK across two sites, one in Sheffield and the other in Bicester. Its technical innovation is characterised by the fact that the race cars are designed, tested and refined entirely in the digital domain using the processes originally developed by Wirth Research Limited (WRL).
WRL is an engineering company, founded by Nick Wirth in 2003, which specialises in research, development and manufacturing in the high technology sector. WRL's designs were successful in winning both the 2004 and 2005 lndy Racing League championships and it has recently produced race winning designs for Honda competing in the American Le Mans Series.
Wirth, who is the Technical Director of Manor Grand Prix Racing, started his career as an Aerodynamicist for the March F1 racing team. He was responsible for aerodynamic concepts as well as scheming and design of wind tunnel model components for the 1988 and 1989 Leyton House March F1 cars.
From 1993 to 1995, Wirth was Founder/Owner/Technical Director of the Simtek F1 team, which started in the 1994 F1 championship. Simtek Research provided the team with all of the engineering and design of the cars. Wirth went on to become Chief Designer for the Benetton F1 team from 1996 to 1999.
As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Manor has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth.
Company Name: Team US F1
Team Name: Team US F1
Country: US
Team Principal: Ken Anderson
Team US F1 is a new racing operation but its directors have many years of motor sport experience and it has already attracted a host of investors.
US F1's Team Principal Ken Anderson has been involved in motor sport for over 30 years. His experiences include designing and constructing multiple Indy 500 and IndyCar Series-winning race cars, operating as technical director for the Ligier and Onyx Formula One teams and creating the advanced Windshear Wind Tunnel.
Fellow team director Peter Windsor has worked in F1 for over 35 years as a journalist, team manager and consultant. He has worked as the team manager for the championship-winning Williams-Renault team, the manager for Ferrari's F1 chassis and suspension departments and as a consultant for F1 drivers Nigel Mansell and Carlos Reutemann.
As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, US F1 has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth.

Q & A with Manor's John Booth
By Ben Anderson Friday, June 12th 2009, 14:51 GMT
One of the biggest surprises of the FIA's announcement on Friday of the entry list to 2010 was the inclusion of Manor Grand Prix. The successful F3 team had never been mentioned in any of the speculation about new entries - but has been quietly working away on its plans.
AUTOSPORT was the first to speak to team principal John Booth after the announcement, as he revealed why he had kept a low profile, how the team came about and what his ambitions for the future are.
Q. You kept this quiet...
John Booth: "It was always our intention to keep under the radar, so if you think something is going to happen and then it doesn't, you don't look like such a pillock!"
Q. How did Manor Grand Prix come about?
JB: "It's a project we've been working on for quite a while. The opportunity came up about four or five months ago after chatting to Nick Wirth and that's the key to the project in all honesty. He's a brilliant guy and has the skill and talent to design and build the car, whereas we've got the nous to run it. Manor Grand Prix will run to Yorkshire values - as cleanly and efficiently as possible. Nick is a partner in Manor GP and I've got every faith in his people."
Q. What made you want to get into F1?
JB: "I always said we'd never go further than F3, because I believe that's the pinnacle outside of F1, and until the recession and the budget cap it was never going to happen except for a major manufacturer with £100million to spend.
"The way the FIA has decided to cap budgets and bring it all under control has opened the door for new teams. Originally we planned under £30million and the willingness to get costs under control."
Q. If the budget limit goes up will you still be able to enter F1?
JB: "Even if it creeps up to £100million, it's better than £500million. If the cost goes up, we will still be working within our parameters – I have every confidence."
Q. Is Manor Motorsport big enough to take on F1?
JB: "Our current premises are oversized for F3. It's about 8,500 square feet, but we do need to expand for F1 and have planning permission for another 6,000."
Q. How far advanced is the car?
JB: "The design is pretty much finalised and we intend to have a car running in January with an FIA-spec customer Cosworth engine. We wanted to be independent of a manufacturer because we don't want to be used as a political pawn – it was a conscious decision not to approach them."
Q. How do you expect to fare?
JB: "I'd expect it to be a good car straight out of the box. I don't expect to win races immediately, don't get me wrong, but I expect to surprise a few people."
Q. How will the F3 team be affected?
JB: "Manor Motorsport will continue, maybe as a two-car operation, but it will continue for sure. Once the season is over, my focus will be the F1 project, but I'll give the F3 team my best efforts until then."
Q. Do you have any potential drivers in the pipeline?
JB: "It's too early to talk about drivers, but it's unfortunate that Roberto [Merhi] isn't a year on from where he is because I have every faith he will be the real article."

Virgin unlikely to expand Brawn deal
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, June 21st 2009, 09:50 GMT
Richard Branson has dropped a firm hint that the Virgin Group will not step up to become title sponsors of Brawn next year.
Virgin signed a sponsorship deal at the start of this season, with a view to expanding its involvement after during 2009 or for the start of next year.
However, with Brawn's success having increased the asking price for a big deal, and Branson reluctant to spend more than he needs, the famous businessman reckons it unlikely his company will do more.
"We got in when it was very cheap and it's been great for us with global coverage, but I suspect next year the price will be astronomical and we may have to look somewhere else with a smaller team," Branson told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"We at Virgin have most likely got the mileage we needed from it. Their value has gone from next to nothing to £50million a year and we're delighted for them and we'll have had a fantastic year with them."
Branson was a guest of Red Bull Racing at the Monaco Grand Prix, and his company could link up with the Milton Keynes-based outfit instead.
Speaking about the threat of a breakaway, Branson said: "I think it would be a great pity [for them to split]. Both sides need to sit down and sense needs to prevail.
"There are good arguments on both sides. Certainly the cost base of Formula 1 needs to be reduced and most of the teams seem to agree to that. The difference between the two sides needs to be sorted out.
"If [the teams] really think it is in their interest [to split] and if they're allowed to do it then maybe, but my feeling is that grands prix have worked really well for 60 years and I think what really makes sense is for someone to adjudicate between the two sides.
"There's a lot of strong personalities in motorsport and I think that certain of those personalities on both sides need to know the art of compromise and sense needs to prevail.
"If I can do anything to help I'd certainly be interested in doing so."

FIA confirms 2010 F1 entry list
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, June 24th 2009, 14:03 GMT
The FIA has confirmed the 13 teams that will race in Formula 1 next season, after a peace deal was agreed between the governing body and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) on Wednesday.
After breakthrough talks prior to the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris, the FIA agreed to accept FOTA's demands in a move that ends threats of a breakaway series.
The move means that all 10 current teams are now entered for next year's championship as well as Campos Meta, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1.
The full entry list is:
TEAM CONSTRUCTOR
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM BMW SAUBER
RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING TOYOTA
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR TBA
RED BULL RACING RBR TBA
AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS TOYOTA
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN TBA
CAMPOS META TEAM CAMPOS COSWORTH
MANOR GRAND PRIX MANOR COSWORTH
TEAM US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

Manor unsure how new rules affect plans
By Simon Strang and Glenn Freeman Sunday, June 28th 2009, 11:24 GMT
Manor Grand Prix team principal John Booth believes it is too soon to know whether the new cost-cutting regulations agreed between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) last week will affect his team's plans to compete in the 2010 Formula 1 world championship.
Manor was one of three teams, including USF1 and Campos, to receive an entry for next year and all three entered under the terms of the FIA's original £40m budget cap plan, which has now been replaced by FOTA-proposed cost-cutting regulations.
But according to Booth, until the FIA and all the teams have agreed and signed a new Concorde Agreement and locked the regulations in place, it is impossible to know where his new outfit stands.
"Honestly I don't know," he told AUTOSPORT. "Every time you think you've got it sorted out it all changes again, it's like walking on quicksand.
"But until we see what the Concorde agreement is, if they ever sign it, then we'll comment."
Booth remains confident that Manor will be on the F1 grid next season, but admitted that the lack of a budget cap made things more complicated.
"It makes it more difficult of course, but I think we can just about manage it," he said. "It just depends what the target is in two years time, what 1990's levels were. Honestly, it's almost impossible to comment.
"It's great that all the cars are going to race in one championship," he added. "But I can't really comment on the agreement until I know what it is - it was very broad wasn't it?"
Asked if he would have entered a team in F1 had he known that it would be competing to 2009 rules he replied: "Probably not. But are they sticking to the 2009 rules? No refuelling is quite important.
"Until we see the exact rules, all of us are just guessing."

Virgin set for Manor GP move
By Jonathan Noble Friday, July 3rd 2009, 09:33 GMT
Virgin's switch from sponsoring Brawn GP to the new Manor team has been all but confirmed, after the Guardian newspaper published on Friday a leaked email saying the deal was done.
There has been intense speculation that Richard Branson's company would join the F1 newcomers for several weeks, with one source saying that the team has informed other potential sponsors that Virgin will buy into the outfit and have it renamed.
Manor itself has kept tight-lipped on the Virgin deal, with team boss John Booth telling AUTOSPORT last week that he would not comment on commercial deals.
However, the Guardian has published an email from Alan Donnelly, who is Max Mosley's official representative, saying the Virgin tie-up was completed several weeks ago.
"Virgin have signed to be investment partners with a share holding of around 20%," said the email.
Although the news of Virgin's deal with Manor is interesting enough, the involvement of Donnelly in the deal has added fresh intrigue - with several teams questioning whether or not there is a conflict of interest in his role as stewards' adviser.
The Formula One Teams' Association has already written to the FIA questioning Donnelly's neutrality in his steward role, although the governing body insists that any support for new teams is merely part of what should be expected to help bolster the grid and improve the sport.
The Guardian also revealed, however, that Donnelly proposed helping put together a deal with the Saudi royal family and the Manor team.
"I will be in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and look forward to seeing you at our planned meeting . . . with representatives of Manor and Virgin," wrote Donnelly in his email, sent to the Saudi royal family.
"However if you would like a pre-meeting with me privately on Sunday then please let me know."
Donnelly himself, however, insists that his visit to Saudi Arabia was purely official FIA business to meet with the country's sports ministry, potential investors in new circuits and the Saudi Motorsport Federation.
"I also met potential investors in Formula 1," the Guardian quoted him as saying. "It would be odd for an FIA representative to refuse to assist in any of these projects."

Virgin rules out signing Piquet
By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken Friday, September 25th 2009, 17:37 GMT
Formula 1 sponsor Virgin has dismissed any suggestion that it could play a part in helping Nelson Piquet back to the sport - after rumours that the Brazilian could be on the shortlist for the new Manor Grand Prix team.
Virgin is set to take title sponsorship of Manor for the start of next season and comments made by team owner John Booth about Piquet were interpreted by some to suggest that the Brazilian could make an F1 comeback with the new team.
However, Alex Tai, the Virgin board member responsible for group sponsorship who is set to become team boss when the lifestyle brand confirms its involvement with Manor, made it clear in Singapore on Friday that his company would never be associated with a driver who had broken the rules.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT in the paddock, Tai said he was not in a position to confirm Virgin's future relationship with Manor – but said that Piquet could never be associated with the brand.
"We will make our plans known after the end of the season," said Tai. "I don't believe it is professional to in any way talk about our plans while we are sponsoring another team this year, namely Brawn - who happen to be leading both championships and who I personally believe will win the championships.
"However, what I can say, is that as a director of the main board of Virgin, I can assure you that we would never have anybody in a team sponsored by us who cheats."

Wirth says Manor F1 car is on schedule
By Steven English and Michele Lostia Wednesday, October 7th 2009, 11:05 GMT
Manor Grand Prix's first chassis should be completed by the end of November and testing at the beginning of February, according to designer Nick Wirth.
Manor has formed a partnership with the Wirth Research company and Wirth is confident that his design of the team's 2010 F1 car is progressing well.
"We are already assembling components on a mock-up chassis, the first real chassis is being built and should be ready in four or five weeks' time," Wirth told Autosprint.
"I'm very satisfied with the way crash tests are going and therefore I predict that the first car will be able to start running on the track at the beginning of February."
Wirth admits that Manor is likely to be at the back of the grid to begin with, but believes the changes to the regulations next year will give the team an opportunity to move forward.
"We'll start from the back but we hope to be in front of the other new teams, then we'll begin to put pressure on the consolidated teams," he said.
"The new regulations this year have mixed things up compared to 2008 and next year the rules will again be very different, and will require cars just as different - particularly with regards to the larger fuel tanks, heavier weight, tyres, aerodynamics...
"This set of changes should not be underestimated because it means there will still be room for surprises.
"If the 2010 rules were the same as this year, I would have been very worried, instead I'm a lot less so."
He confirmed that the car would be entirely designed and constructed without using a wind tunnel.
"We use no wind tunnels. We are developing the aerodynamics completely on the computer with the CDF system. We won't do even one day in the wind tunnel, not even for a check."
Manor GP is set to confirm a commercial partnership with Virgin next month and Wirth says that driver announcements could follow shortly afterwards.
"We'll soon announce our commercial partner and, I think, also the drivers, since many have shown sizable interest in doing a programme with our team," he said.

Di Grassi closing in on Manor seat
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, October 22nd 2009, 11:27 GMT
Renault test driver Lucas di Grassi is closing in on a race seat at the new Virgin/Manor outfit for next year, AUTOSPORT has learned, but wants to wait for his current outfit to sort its driver plans first before committing.
Di Grassi has held detailed talks with Manor about a race seat for its debut campaign in 2010, but is also on the shortlist for a race seat at Renault next year - and will join the outfit for one of its post-season young driver test days.
The Brazilian is upbeat about his chances of securing a race seat – and said he hoped the situation would become clearer once the season has finished.
"At the moment it is looking pretty good," di Grassi told AUTOSPORT. "My commitment at the moment is with Renault. There is still one seat to be decided, and I had a very, very successful time here. Renault has helped me a lot, so my commitment is with them.
"At the moment it is deciding which driver it wants, and I know there are new teams interested in me, but it is difficult at the moment to see which one is going to be the best.
"We know some of them are not going to be the best, but which one will be the best package will become clearer in a couple of weeks. That will provide a better view of the whole thing."
Although di Grassi would not confirm how far advanced his talks with Manor were, he did admit that the team looked to be the most attractive option for him for next year.
"From what I understand, it [Manor] has the best package available of the new teams – in terms of technical people who have joined the team, in terms of marketing, and in terms of financial backing. I think is very, very serious, so from my side I rate it very high on the list."
When asked how he would rate in percentage terms his chances of being in F1, di Grassi said: "I would say a good 70 percent. At the moment it will depend on the next few weeks, after the season finishes, and then we will see if it goes down or up."
Renault is understood to favour slotting in an experienced driver alongside Robert Kubica next year, with Timo Glock top of the team's target list. Current driver Romain Grosjean is unlikely to be retained for 2010.

Cosworth confident on new teams
By Edd Straw Tuesday, November 10th 2009, 16:09 GMT
Cosworth general manager of F1 Mark Gallagher is confident that the four new teams are on target to be on the grid at the start of the 2010 Formula 1 season.
Lotus, Campos Meta, US F1 and Manor Grand Prix will all run Cosworth powerplants next year, and Gallagher is encouraged by the progress the teams are making.
"We are aware of what the teams are doing both technically and financially and we are impressed," Gallagher told AUTOSPORT. "They are doing everything that we would expect of a team at this stage and we have no reason to have any doubts that they will be ready.
"They have all worked hard to fulfil their commitments to Cosworth and on the technical front are behaving in exactly the way you would expect them to. They are asking the right questions and doing a good job of liaising with us on the technical side.
"There are very well-respected people involved in all four teams and they are going about their preparations for next season in the right way.
"All four are professional setups that have impressed us a lot with their approach and you only need to look at what they have achieved in the past few months to realise that these are very serious teams."
Doubts had been raised over the progress being made by the new teams, with US F1 in particular the subject of intense speculation, but Gallagher has no doubt that all four outfits are well-advanced in designing and building their cars for 2010.
Although the new teams have been wary to make too many public comments about their ambitions, all four insist that they will have cars ready to hit the track when pre-season testing kicks off next February.
"We are probably better-placed than anyone to make a judgement on how the teams are doing," added Gallagher. "We are in regular dialogue with all of them and have seen how much progress they have made in recent months.
"There has been a lot of rubbish said about the new teams recently, but nothing we have seen has given us any cause to have any doubts. We're very pleased to be involved with teams that have a very good chance of causing a surprise or two over the course of next year."
As well as supplying the four new teams with 2.4-litre V8, Cosworth will also power Williams next year in a deal revealed two weeks ago.

Glock joins Manor for 2010
By Jamie O'Leary Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 08:46 GMT
Timo Glock has been announced as Manor Grand Prix's first driver for its maiden Formula 1 World Championship assault next year.
The 27-year-old German, who had also been linked with a move to Renault for 2010, joins the British team following two seasons with Toyota.
"I had several options for 2010, some of them with more established teams," said Glock.
"Every driver has the same overall objective - to win the world championship one day - but the way I want to succeed is to be part of the process of building a team and to play a key role in developing the car. This is why the opportunity with Manor Grand Prix is so exciting for me.
"I have spent a lot of time with [technical director] Nick Wirth, [team principal] John Booth and other members of the team and what I liked most is that this a real racing team run by true racers.
"The team may be small and new but it has big ambitions and a very impressive car and development programme. I am confident that I can play a big role in terms of my technical input and that's a fantastic opportunity for me. I can't wait to start testing the new car early next year."
Wirth, who previously ran the Simtek F1 team from 1994-95, said that he was pleased to have snapped up the 2007 GP2 champion.
"It has always been my recommendation that we have at least one driver with experience of the 2009 cars to help our development programme, but to get a driver that has not only achieved podium finishes in 2009 but has such proven talent and the potential to take us forward for many years is very exciting," he said.
"The fact that he has come and seen all aspects of the project before making his decision speaks volumes about what we have achieved so far. Now we just can't wait to get Timo into the new car once track testing begins next year."
Glock finished 10th in last year's world championship with Toyota, despite missing the final two races following a heavy qualifying crash in Japan that left him with an injured leg.

Lola reckons new teams could struggle
By Edd Straw Wednesday, November 18th 2009, 17:37 GMT
Lola owner Martin Birrane, whose company was passed over as one of the new teams to join Formula 1 in 2010, believes that the technical capabilities of the aspirants did not play a big enough part in the evaluation process.
Birrane fears that the applicants that were chosen could struggle because they lack the technical infrastructure of Lola.
Campos Meta, Manor Grand Prix and US F1 were granted the three new grid slots in June, with Lotus F1 Racing also being granted an entry after BMW Sauber could not commit to signing the Concorde Agreement.
The FIA conducted a thorough assessment process to decide which of the aspiring teams should receive an F1 slot, but Birrane reckons the squads' technical attributes should have been given greater priority.
"I do not think that technical capabilities were given sufficient consideration in the process," said Birrane. "From commercial, accounting and sporting matters, everything seemed very thorough indeed.
"However, messages that we got from the FIA were that everything at Lola was in line with their standards and that of an organisation intent on being competitive in Formula 1. It remains to be seen whether the three new teams that were selected then can achieve more than just 'also ran' status."
Birrane set up the Lola Grand Prix team as a separate company from Lola Cars, and intended to underwrite the start-up for the project personally with the intention of bringing investors on board if the grid slot was granted.
"The first phase of the project was underwritten by myself under the proviso that the original £30-£40 million would be ratified," said Birrane. "It was to be a totally separate company from Lola Cars and that was confirmed in my mind very early on.
"I would be the only shareholder and the only one funding it initially. We were also in serious discussion with two separate investors."
Birrane is still hoping that there will be an opportunity for Lola to come into F1 in the future, perhaps as early as 2011, and is happy with his operation's relationship with the FIA.
"We were in regular touch with Max [Mosley] and Bernie [Ecclestone], as well as Tony Purnell, who appeared to be in charge of the whole process," said Birrane.
"The relationship with both FOM and the FIA was good throughout. Of course there was disappointment when it was announced that we were to be essentially reserves along with AMR/Prodrive, but Lola continues to have a constructive relationship and regular dialogue with these organisations."
Birrane confirmed that running a Cosworth engine was the only option available to the team following talks with several manufacturers, and that he was happy to sign a contract with the company.
"Like all the other serious teams, Lola investigated a supply from the FOTA engine manufacturers," said Birrane. "The fact was that there were none available.
"Cosworth engines were available and we were pleased to commit to a contract and pay a deposit. I would say that we also had some external encouragement to do this but there was no real pressure exerted on us."
Should one of the current teams fall by the wayside, Birrane is confident that the Lola F1 project could be relaunched immediately. The Lola factory upgrades are currently being used for its sportscar activities, but could still be switched to F1 in the future with the work done on the team's grand prix car already well advanced.
"It would be fair to say that we did a significant amount of F1 project assessment ahead of the announcement," said Birrane. "The reasons we did this were that we wanted to compete at a high level and not just make up the numbers.
"The lead time in getting a completely new Formula 1 project off the ground is nine to 12 months if you want to be competitive with the established teams.
"In June we had already undertaken an initial windtunnel programme and the infrastructure for the programme was in place. We had started to upgrade our assembly facilities - these were completed in September - and the framework of the Lola Formula 1 team was in place. We would most certainly have had a car testing in December 2009.
"At present our LMP programme is benefiting from these upgrades in all departments and the 2010 spec LMP1 and LMP2s are going to be very special as a result of this."

Manor boss positive about F1's future
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, November 22nd 2009, 00:27 GMT
The end of the manufacturer era and the arrival of more independents in Formula 1 is proof that the sport is heading to the future in good shape, reckons incoming team boss John Booth.
Although the decisions by Toyota and BMW to leave F1 this year prompted fears about the state of grand prix racing, Manor Grand Prix chief Booth says he is far from concerned about what state the sport is in.
"I think that for the long term health of F1 there had to be change," he said at the Macau Grand Prix, where he is taking part in his last race prior to next year's Bahrain season opener. "The budgets that the manufacturers were spending were unsustainable - and were obscene, if I can use that word.
"Funnily enough, I was watching on the plane over here a documentary on Stirling Moss, and it was fascinating how you had the independent teams back then. Someone would buy a car from a manufacturer and run it themselves, and it was great. It will never be the same again, but it is heading that way again."
He added: "It was only six months ago that FOTA was almost a manufacturers' club, but now it is going to be in control of independents. And now you have to call McLaren an independent as well."
Booth believes that there is enough impetus from the teams, and newly elected FIA president Jean Todt, to bring down costs that will make the sport sustainable for non-manufacturer teams.
"I think some things that Jean Todt has said, it sounds like he wants to encourage cost restriction," he explained. "With the majority of teams now being independents, we have every chance of pushing that to the targets that have been set for 2012."
Booth has said Manor GP is ahead of target with its preparations for next year, and it is expected to confirm its commercial tie-up with Virgin within the next fortnight.
"I think we are all a little bit in front of where we hoped to be," said Booth. "The start-up [of the car] is scheduled for January 24. The shakedown is on January 29. That side is the calmest area of all, which is incredible. Nick and the guys at Wirth have done an incredible job."
On the driver front, Booth says the arrival of Timo Glock has been a big boost because of the valuable F1 experience he has.
"The wonderful thing about Timo was that he came over to meet everybody and it was not hours and hours of negotiation and selling to him what we could do," he said. "He just bought into the concept straightaway - and made his decision almost immediately.
"We had to finalise contracts and things, but he liked what he saw and wanted to be part of it. So somebody of his experience and quality, wanting to be part of it, not just an employee, is great. He wanted to build a team around him is as he put it. It is a fantastic boost for Timo to believe in us like he does.
"It is massive for us. Massive. Throughout the seat fitting, which we are doing at the moment, his knowledge even now is helping us plan for the first test."
Lucas di Grassi is expected to get the second seat at the team, with a decision expected within the next fortnight. Booth admitted that the Brazilian would be a good addition.
"Lucas would be great for a number of reasons," he explained. "He is an ex-Manor driver anyway. He won here in Macau for us. It would be great for us to have Lucas, and he has F1 testing experience as well in F1. Somebody like Lucas would be perfect."
And Booth admits that the team is keeping its ambitions in check for next year – with it well aware of how tough it will be to challenge more established outfits.
"Our target, as all the new teams are saying, is to be the best of the new teams," he said. "That is what we are aiming for. But my ambition is to go out there, perform professionally, and earn the respect of our peers – as you are not given respect, you have to earn it.
"We want to conduct ourselves in the correct way. If we get to the end of next year having performed professionally and done a good job then I will be happy."
When asked if he felt there would be two tiers in F1 next year – with the new teams behind the more established outfits, he said: "I think realistically the gap won't close for three years.
"That is our time frame to start to become competitive. There are some very bright guys in F1, the Adrian Neweys and the Ross Brawns – and you think what they have achieved. They are the benchmark that you have to aspire to. If you think you are going to come in and be competitive in one season, you are kidding yourself."

Q & A with Manor's John Booth
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, November 22nd 2009, 00:33 GMT
Q. What have your emotions been like in Macau this weekend - because the next race you will be a team principal at will be the Bahrain Grand Prix in March?
John Booth: Most of the crew here at Manor are personal friends and they have been for a long time, so it is more intimate and a much closer team. While I am here, I won't be thinking about anything other than trying to win. Once the weekend is over, then we will think about Bahrain.
Going to a race with ten friends, even if they do work with me, compared to going to a race meeting with 55 people is going to be very different – and probably the biggest difference between F3 and F1.
Q. How big a change do you think the atmosphere will be like – working in a close paddock like F3 to the piranha club of F1?
JB: The grands prix I have visited so far, the people that I know there could not have been more helpful. Martin Whitmarsh I know quite well through their young driver programme. Christian Horner took me everywhere in the Red Bull organisation, and he drove for me in 1991.
So, so far, everyone in F1 could not have been more helpful. Whether that changes next year or not I don't know. It will always be my desire to keep away from the politics, the 'piranha club' as you put it – it will be my ambition to keep away from that as much as possible.
Q. Can you remember your first visit to the Macau GP?
JB: Oh yes. It was 1999 and we had just won the British championship, and we came here for the very first time. It had always been a big ambition of mine to come to Macau. I had watched it on television since Geoff Lees was here with the Formula Pacific cars, so I had always wanted to race here. It is the best race in the world, bar none. It is such a fantastic event.
Q. Do you think with all your commitments in F1, do you think you will have time to come back to Macau?
JB: I hope so. I would miss it terribly if I didn't come to Macau next year.
Q. How does it feel going into Formula 1?
JB: It is just so much work at the moment. We haven't really had time to think what it means. Everybody is working flat out 20 hours a day, so we haven't had time to think what it means.
Q. Was a move to F1 always on the card? Was it always a dream of yours?
JB: No, never. It was always too far away. When the budgets in F1 were £300 million, or whatever the manufacturers were spending, it was obviously too big a step for anybody to contemplate if you were not a manufacturer or an Arab bank or similar.
Q. So how did the move come about then?
JB: The initial target from the FIA in March was that they wanted to get the budgets down to £30 million. Then that moved to £40 million by April – and it suddenly became achievable. It is still a massive amount of money, but you have a chance of raising that in genuine sponsorship.
So that is when we started thinking and started the collaboration with Nick Wirth at Wirth Research. The more we explored it, the more feasible the idea became.
Q. And Virgin is to buy some equity in the team?
JB: I couldn't possibly comment on that. I think within the next two weeks there will be an announcement about the commercial tie-ups of the company.
Q. How is work going on your side at the factory?
JB: It is great. The new factory is going to be a little bit behind. It won't be ready until we are back from the winter tests, but we have 90 per cent of the staff in place. The engineers are in place now, so we are a long way down the road with it.
Q. Has it been a help for you that Nick Wirth is working on the car aspect of the new team, while you can concentrate on the infrastructure?
JB: Absolutely. We operate in three separate fields. Our commercial office is in London, which it needs to be, as we have an office in the Virgin headquarters. There is Nick over in Bicester doing the development and build, and we have the new team up in Yorkshire.
Although it is one team, it is easy to focus on one particular aspect rather than having to cover all three aspects, so it has made it a little bit easier in that respect.
Q. How much of a boost to the team was it getting Timo Glock on board?
JB: Fantastic. The wonderful thing about Timo was that he came over to meet everybody and it was not hours and hours of negotiation and selling to him what we could do. He just bought into the concept straightaway – and made his decision almost immediately.
We had to finalise contracts and things, but he liked what he saw and wanted to be part of it. So somebody of his experience and quality, wanting to be part of it, not just an employee, is great. He wanted to build a team around him is as he put it. It is a fantastic boost for Timo to believe in us like he does.
Q. Does that surprise you – because Renault was chasing him quite hard and he could have gone to a team fighting for race wins for the off?
JB: It is a little bit of a surprise, but now getting to know him better, you can see why he has done it. I think it tells you a lot about him.
Q. And how much of a help is it for you to get someone with experience like that?
JB: It is massive for us. Massive. Throughout the seat fitting, which we are doing at the moment, his knowledge even now is helping us plan for the first test.
Q. What is the timeframe for sorting out the second driver?
JB: Hopefully in the next two weeks.
Q. And do you want it to be a youngster – someone like Lucas di Grassi? Is that the preferred route?
JB: Lucas would be great for a number of reasons. He is an ex-Manor driver anyway. He won here in Macau for us. It would be great for us to have Lucas, and he has F1 testing experience as well in F1. Somebody like Lucas would be perfect.
Q. What is the progress with the car?
JB: The start-up is scheduled for January 24. The shakedown is on January 29. That side is the calmest area of all, which is incredible. Nick and the guys at Wirth have done an incredible job.
Q. Are you at the stage you hoped to be in at this phase of the year?
JB: I think we are all a little bit in front of where we hoped to be.
Q. What are your hopes for 2010 then?
JB: Our target, as all the new teams are saying, is to be the best of the new teams. That is what we are aiming for. But my ambition is to go out there, perform professionally, and earn the respect of our peers – as you are not given respect, you have to earn it.
We want to conduct ourselves in the correct way. If we get to the end of next year having performed professionally and done a good job then I will be happy.
Q. Do you believe that the season will start next season with two-tiers – the established outfits and the new teams a little behind? Or will they be mixed up?
JB: I think realistically the gap won't close for three years. That is our time frame to start to become competitive. There are some very bright guys in F1, the Adrian Neweys and the Ross Brawns – and you think what they have achieved. They are the benchmark that you have to aspire to. If you think you are going to come in and be competitive in one season, you are kidding yourself.
Q. And the grid is so close...
JB: Yes. That is right. It is a completely new car because of the size of the fuel tank, but the aero regulations staying the same give them [the established teams] a big advantage of course.
Q. F1 is having a difficult time with manufacturers Toyota and BMW pulling out – yet you are going in. Are you not anxious about its state?
JB: No. I think that for the long-term health of F1 there had to be change. The budgets that the manufacturers were spending were unsustainable – and were obscene, if I can use that word.
Funnily enough, I was watching on the plane over here a documentary on Stirling Moss, and it was fascinating how you had the independent teams back then. Someone would buy a car from a manufacturer and run it themselves, and it was great. It will never be the same again, but it is heading that way again.
Q. You could say you are coming in at the right time, as the manufacturer era ends the independents are getting stronger?
JB: I think some things that Jean Todt has said, it sounds like he wants to encourage cost restriction. With the majority of teams now being independents, we have every chance of pushing that to the targets that have been set for 2012.
Q. From your perspective, is F1 actually in rude health – new teams coming in, more independence for teams like Williams?
JB: Yes. It was only six months ago that FOTA was almost a manufacturers' club, but now it is going to be in control of independents. And now you have to call McLaren an independent as well.

Lotus, Manor get FOTA membership
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 26th 2009, 14:25 GMT
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has approved the membership applications of the Lotus and Manor teams, AUTOSPORT can reveal, meaning the organisation now features every team on the grid.
FOTA's executive committee met earlier this week for its latest discussions about the future of F1, and on the agenda was the ratification of the applications of the two new F1 teams.
Sources have confirmed that both Lotus and Manor's membership was approved unanimously, meaning that the outfits follow fellow new entrants Campos Meta and Team US F1 into the organisation.
The move means that FOTA is now made up of 14 teams - with Toyota still members for now despite its pull-out - and significantly it is the first time since Williams was temporarily suspended in May that the body features every team on the grid.
FOTA's executive committee also confirmed that elections for new chairmen will take place next month, with the mandate of both current chief Luca di Montezemolo, plus vice-chairman John Howett, coming to a finish at the end of the year.
Work is also continuing on plans for a common car launch next year, which the teams are considering doing prior to the first official test of the season in February.
It is understood FOTA representatives met with Bernie Ecclestone and F1 shareholders CVC following this week's meeting to discuss the concept - which is being considered to help reduce costs further.
The issue of the final grid slot was also discussed at the meeting, but there is unlikely to be any final decision about what happens with either Toyota or BMW-Sauber until after the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council meetings that take place in Monaco early next month.

Manor to run under Virgin Racing title
By Matt Beer Monday, November 30th 2009, 17:56 GMT
The Manor Grand Prix team will run under the Virgin Racing name in 2010, according to the latest entry list issued by the FIA today.
Richard Branson's company entered Formula 1 as a sponsor of the Brawn team this year, but has long been linked with a larger role with Manor. The FIA document confirms that this will be the case, although an official announcement from Virgin is still awaited.
John Booth's squad will use chassis created by former Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth's Wirth Research company, which designed the Acura LMP cars. Timo Glock has been signed as Virgin's first driver.
The other news confirmed by the FIA's entry list was that Red Bull Racing will continue with Renault engines. The team had been linked with a switch to Mercedes power earlier in the year.
But the entry list did not resolve the issue of the 13th entry. The Sauber team is hoping to get back into the field now that Toyota had pulled out of F1 - having previously committed to the new Concorde Agreement - but the FIA said it could not make an announcement about this situation yet.
"Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so," said a statement from the governing body. "An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course."
Champion team Brawn GP remains listed under its 2009 name on the entry, but the FIA noted that it "has indicated its intention to change its team name to Mercedes Grand Prix prior to the start of the 2010 season" following its purchase by the Germany company.

No Driver Entrant Constructor
1 Jenson BUTTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES

3 Nico ROSBERG (D) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
4 TBA BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES

5 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
6 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT

7 Felipe MASSA (BR) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
8 Fernando ALONSO (E) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI

9 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
10 Nico HULKENBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH

11 Robert KUBICA (PL) RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
12 TBA RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT

14 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
15 Vitantonio LIUZZI (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES

16 Sebastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
17 TBA SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI

18 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
19 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH

20 TBA CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
21 Bruno SENNA (BR) CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA

22 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
23 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

24 Timo GLOCK (D) VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
25 TBA VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH

Virgin in no rush to confirm Manor deal
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 1st 2009, 17:09 GMT
Richard Branson is in no rush to officially confirm Virgin's rebranding of the Manor GP team, despite reports on Tuesday night that an announcement was imminent.
AUTOSPORT has learned that there are currently no firm plans for a press conference on the subject.
Virgin's involvement with the new Manor outfit has been rumoured for some time, and was effectively announced by the FIA when it released the 2010 Formula 1 entry list on Monday evening.
Rather than listing the team as Manor GP, as it had been originally entered, the team was listed as 'Virgin Racing' with the cars called 'Virgin Cosworth'.
As well as its sponsorship involvement and rebranding of the team, it is understood that Alex Tai, who heads special projects at Virgin, will take a senior role at the F1 team.
Virgin entered F1 with a high-profile sponsorship deal with Brawn GP this year. Although there were discussions about expanding its presence at the team, perhaps even to become title sponsors, in the end Virgin decided to do a deal with Manor GP instead.

Virgin to announce plans next week
By Steven English Friday, December 11th 2009, 09:35 GMT
Virgin Racing will officially announce its plans for the 2010 season on Tuesday next week.
The team has still yet to confirm its name change from Manor Grand Prix to Virgin Racing, despite the new name appearing on an entry list issued by the FIA last week.
Richard Branson's company entered Formula 1 as a sponsor of the Brawn team this year, but has long been linked with a larger role with Manor.
The team will use a chassis created by former Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth's Wirth Research company, which also designed the Acura LMP cars.
Timo Glock has already been confirmed as the first driver in Virgin's 2010 line-up.
A statement released by Virgin conceded that it is the "worst kept secret in motor racing", and confirmed that Branson and the Virgin Racing management will make an announcement on the new team on Tuesday.

Di Grassi says F1 deal is done
By Matt Beer Saturday, December 12th 2009, 09:07 GMT
Lucas di Grassi is set to be announced as Virgin Racing's second driver early next week, with the Brazilian having revealed that he has completed a Formula 1 deal with one of the new entrants.
Virgin is set to launch its F1 project in association with the Manor team on Tuesday, and yesterday di Grassi announced via Twitter and Brazilian television that he had secured a 2010 seat.
"For all who are wondering, I'll be in F1 in 2010," di Grassi wrote. "The details will be announced next week. Stay tuned. Thank you very much."
Di Grassi told AUTOSPORT in October that he was very interested in the Virgin/Manor team, and won the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix while driving for John Booth's squad in 2005.
"From what I understand, it has the best package available of the new teams - in terms of technical people who have joined the team, in terms of marketing, and in terms of financial backing," said di Grassi. "I think is very, very serious, so from my side I rate it very high on the list."
The 25-year-old has been a Renault F1 reserve driver for the past two seasons, having long been part of the French company's driver development scheme, and has finished in the top three in GP2 for the last three years, although he did not win the title in the feeder championship.
Virgin has already signed ex-Toyota driver Timo Glock for its first 2010 seat.

Lloyds invests in Manor F1 team
By Matt Beer Monday, December 14th 2009, 10:52 GMT
The private equity arm of the Lloyds Banking Group has taken a stake in the new Manor Formula 1 team, which will run under the Virgin Racing banner.
The Financial Times reported that LDC has made a £10 million investment in the company and believes that the current cost reduction programmes in F1 make the world championship an attractive business proposition.
"It's a new era in Formula 1," LDC director Carl Wormbald told the FT. "There is a resource restriction but the revenue is the same. There is also a degree of stability."
Manor founder John Booth welcomed LDC's involvement.
"The banks have had their share of bad publicity but it is great to see them investing in a young company like this that is creating jobs," he said.
Virgin is set to announce its partnership with Manor in an event in London tomorrow. The team has already signed Timo Glock as its lead driver, with Lucas di Grassi tipped for the second seat.

Di Grassi to partner Glock at Virgin
By Jonathan Noble and Mark Glendenning Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 10:01 GMT
Virgin Racing has confirmed that Lucas di Grassi is to race alongside Timo Glock at the team next year.
After what the team itself called 'the worst kept secret in F1', Virgin Racing unveiled its new logo and showed off its drivers in public at a launch in Notting Hill, London, on Tuesday.
Although Glock signed for the team several weeks ago, di Grassi only recently committed to the outfit - having tested for the Renault team in the recent run out for young drivers in Jerez.
Di Grassi arrives at the team after four seasons in GP2, and having gained experience of F1 through his role as a Renault test driver.
"It feels great to be here, it's a dream come true for me after two years of being a test driver, and from that and from GP2 I feel I'm ready and am very confident in this team," said di Grassi.
"We're here to race, not to do politics or mess around, we're here to race."
The team's sporting director John Booth said he was delighted with the line-up.
"I have 20 years' experience working with drivers," he said. "I have been privileged to work with some fantastic drivers in that time and I hope that's helped in giving me an eye for a good driver.
"The four drivers we have here are the four we wanted in our line-up, they're the perfect drivers."

Parente, Razia join Virgin as testers
By Pablo Elizalde and Mark Glendenning Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 10:41 GMT
Virgin Racing has announced Alvaro Parente and Luiz Razia will be its test drivers in its debut season in 2010.
The 25-year-old Portuguese joins racing drivers Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi at the team, which was officially unveiled as Virgin Racing on Tuesday.
Parente raced in the GP2 Series in 2009, finishing in eighth position after winning the Spa round.
"I'm going to do my best to do a good job. It's great to be with this team and there's going to be a lot of success."
Brazilian Razia, 20, also raced in GP2 in 2009.
"It's so exciting, it's a dream to be a part of a new team," he said.

Virgin car set for February run
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 11:24 GMT
Virgin Racing's new Formula 1 car is on schedule to run for the first time in February - with technical director Nick Wirth confirming it will not be tried out in a wind tunnel before that maiden test.
Wirth has been a pioneer in pushing state-of-the-art Computational Fluid Dynamics technology, and is confident that it is now advanced enough for car designs not to need proofing in wind tunnels.
His company, Wirth Research, has already produced the class-winning American Le Mans Series Acura LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes using this system.
"We will continue our philosophy of major investment in cutting edge technologies to carry on innovating," he said.
"Our group of companies has involvement in many areas both inside and outside motorsport and our philosophy of technology transfer will continue to benefit all of our existing and future clients.
"The fact that our Formula 1 project is fully on schedule speaks volumes for the motivation and capabilities of our entire workforce. We are all looking forward to seeing the car break cover for the first time on track in February."
He added: "We are of course delighted to add Virgin Racing to our burgeoning list of blue-chip clients," comments Nick Wirth, Technical Director of both Wirth Research and Virgin Racing.
"Virgin Racing is an all-new Formula 1 entry and here at Wirth Research we are very proud to be providing the backbone to it with a unique approach to car design and development, part of a process we call 'Development in the Digital Domain'."
Virgin Racing officially unveiled its plans for 2010 at a press conference in London on Tuesday - confirming that Lucas di Grassi will join Timo Glock as the team's drivers.

Branson: Virgin can go all the way
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 12:12 GMT
Richard Branson believes the sky is the limit for his new Virgin Racing Formula 1 team, as he predicts a bright future for the outfit.
The Virgin Group chairman joined the official launch of the team in London on Tuesday, and saw no reason why it cannot be as successful as other pioneering projects his company have been involved in.
"We have had a fantastic first year in Formula 1 and it was incredible to be sponsoring a team that fought so hard to win both championships," he said. "We are huge fans of the sport and we spent a lot of time exploring all the options for a longer-term involvement.
"Over the last four decades Virgin has invested in and supported incredible engineering minds who have literally been pushing the technological boundaries of what man previously believed was possible: boats capable of smashing world records, balloons that captured the imagination of millions around the globe, a plane built purely from carbon composite that flew around the world not once, but 2.5 times without refuelling, and with Virgin Galactic we are investing in technology that will literally push the boundaries off our planet! Virgin Racing will be no different."
Branson said that his decision to switch allegiance from Brawn GP to taking over the Manor team was because of word he got about technical director Nick Wirth's project - with the Virgin-Cosworth VR-01 being designed without the use of a wind tunnel.
"We knew there was an extremely successful designer out there who could bring something different to the sport with his all-digital approach to designing racing cars," said Branson.
"So we thought 'why not back a new British team?' I believe that with the right bunch of people you can achieve anything. It might take a while to get there, but I believe with this team of people on board, Virgin Racing can go all the way."

Virgin promises innovative approaches
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 12:19 GMT
Virgin Racing chiefs have promised to bring some innovative approaches into Formula 1 next year - as the eyes a closer relationship with the sport's fans.
New team principal and CEO Alex Tai said he hoped that the philosophy the Virgin Group had shown in other business ventures would prove just as successful in grand prix racing.
"At Virgin Racing we have a remarkable group of experienced people who have come together to make the impossible possible," he explained.
"Virgin Racing is a real racing team founded by real racers, which has a clearly defined path towards achieving success. This will be our core focus, but at the same time we intend to be a team with great spirit.
"Over the past few months we've spent a lot of time understanding the contribution we can make to the sport, the fans and our partners. We have ambitious plans for 2010 and I am delighted that these have inspired the confidence of the nine new sponsor partners we have announced within our official launch today."
Virgin Racing has appointed former BBC Worldwide chairman Etienne de Villiers, who has also worked at the Walt Disney company, as its non-executive chairman to advise on media and marketing.
"Formula 1 is one of the greatest international sports franchises and offers great rewards to those that get it right," he said.
"It is a remarkably challenging environment that pits the best against the best in an ever changing landscape. The new limitations and entrants makes it even more demanding but also more attractive.
"I am really confident that the mix of resources, experience ,skills and values that Virgin Racing bring to the party will surprise a few and hopefully entertain and reward many."

Virgin aims to earn respect from rivals
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 12:30 GMT
Virgin Racing sporting director John Booth says the team's first target is to earn the respect of its rivals at the start of next season.
With the team's VR-01 design on schedule for a first run in February, Booth says he has no doubts about the competitiveness of the outfit's maiden contender that is being designed by Nick Wirth.
And with the plans for the team having been officially unveiled in London on Tuesday, Booth is keeping ambitions firmly in check.
"I think Nick is a design genius and I have absolute faith in his ability to design a fantastic car," he said.
"In turn he has the belief in our ability to run it. There is already a great chemistry within the team and this is inspiring a lot of confidence. We've kept our heads down for the last few months and just got on with what we needed to do, but now people are starting to see what we are achieving.
"In 2010 my idea of success is to run reliably, safely and efficiently and earn the respect of our peers in the paddock. We need to perform well as a team. Then we can start carrying that through into car performance. Our clear objective is to end the season as the best of the new teams."
Wirth, whose car will hit the tracks without having been run in a wind-tunnel, says his enthusiasm for F1 has returned after he departed the sport a decade ago.
"This is an incredible day for everyone involved with Virgin Racing," he said. "The past year has been something of a rollercoaster ride as we first conceived the idea of entering Formula 1 and then navigated the route to our launch today in 12 very busy but rewarding months.
"I am immensely proud to be part of a team that isn't simply 'making it to the grid', but which has surpassed even our wildest expectations - technically, in our racing operation and also commercially.
"When I left the sport in '99 I admit that I was disappointed and disillusioned. I felt that Formula 1 had become like Boeing versus Airbus. Teams were spending a million pounds a year on wheel nuts, with hundreds of engineers battling against each other for supremacy.
"I had absolute belief in the digital design approach but I knew I would have to wait for the F1 world to change. So we decided to prove the process in the USA, first in Indy Car and then in Sports Cars, in which we achieved phenomenal success. As soon as I heard about the proposals for a budget-capped Formula 1, the opportunity to prove the all-CFD approach at the highest level was too exciting for words. F1 under resource restriction? Welcome to my world."

Di Grassi: F1 drive a dream come true
By Mark Glendenning and Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 13:34 GMT
Lucas di Grassi says securing a deal to race in Formula 1 is a dream come true, after the Brazilian was confirmed as Timo Glock's team-mate at the Virgin Racing team for next year.
Di Grassi has raced in GP2 for the past four years, while also working as the Renault F1 team's test driver.
After such a long time in GP2, he is thrilled he is getting the break to race in Formula 1.
"It has been a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work for the past years," di Grassi told reporters during the official launch of his new team. "And finally to get a race seat this year is just a dream come true. It's amazing.
"I've been in GP2 for a lot of seasons, having good results and also testing for Renault F1 for two years.
"And now I think I'm at the best point of my career, as best prepared as I can be, so I think it's a great opportunity for me to start in such a solid team with such a good team-mate in F1," added di Grassi.
The Brazilian, 25, said he never stopped believing that he would reach Formula 1, despite some missed opportunities over the past years.
"I think the opportunity slipped a couple of times," he added. "I think sometimes for a good reason, sometimes for a bad reason.
"I don't think doubt is the word. I was always working as hard as I could in every single aspect of my career, to try to get the biggest chance for this day to happen. I always believed, I never really stopped pushing, so it finally arrived.
"Now it's just the start of a new challenge for me. So I'm going to be even more motivated, and will work even harder to try to cope with F1.
"F1 is a different level from GP2, it's a different level from F1 testing, so I have to adapt and prepare myself as best as I can to have a long and successful career in F1, and that's what I'm aiming for."
Di Grassi reckons that, despite the missed chances to join F1 earlier, he is becoming a grand prix racing driver at the right time.
"If I had been in F1 maybe four years ago I would not have had the chance to have a long career as I have now, because I'm much more experienced and much more mature than I was three or four years ago," di Grassi added.
"The example is Massa, who is a great talent and he came into F1 very young and he almost lost his seat after a year.
"He went back to be a test driver after a year of racing and with more experience he came back to be one of the top drivers today. So my aim is to do step by step and I think I'm starting in a good position to do so."

Q & A with Lucas di Grassi
By Mark Glendenning Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 13:37 GMT
After four years of GP2, Lucas de Grassi is finally getting a break in Formula 1 with the Virgin Racing team.
AUTOSPORT heard from the Brazilian during the launch of the new outfit.
Q. You are finally an F1 driver...
Lucas di Grassi: Yes, it has been a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work for the past years. And finally to get a race seat this year is just a dream come true. It's amazing. I've been in GP2 for a lot of seasons, having good results and also testing for Renault F1 for two years. And now I think I'm at the best point of my career, as best prepared as I can be, so I think it's a great opportunity for me to start in such a solid team with such a good team-mate in F1.
Q. Did you ever doubt this day would come?
LdG: I think the opportunity slipped a couple of times. I think sometimes for a good reason, sometimes for a bad reason. I don't think doubt is the word. I was always working as hard as I could in every single aspect of my career, to try to get the biggest chance for this day to happen. I always believed, I never really stopped pushing, so it finally arrived.
Now it's just the start of a new challenge for me. So I'm going to be even more motivated, and will work even harder to try to cope with F1. F1 is a different level from GP2, it's a different level from F1 testing, so I have to adapt and prepare myself as best as I can to have a long and successful career in F1, and that's what I'm aiming for.
Q. Do you think Virgin has a chance if Michael Schumacher comes back next year?
LdG: I don't think it has anything to do with Michael coming back or not. There are teams that have been there for 50 years building Formula 1 cars. It's going to be a great challenge to build a car that is very competitive. To build a Formula 1 car is very, very difficult and at the same time it's completely relative to what the others are doing. So it's very difficult to know at this stage how the car is going to behave next year.
So for me the main objective is to... I know the chances of Virgin Racing to succeed are medium, long term, so maybe in three to five years is very high. I think that's the time frame for a new team to start winning races, but we never know. Next year can be a surprise and the best we can do is to prepare ourselves the best way possible.
Q. Richard said he doesn't want to spend too much money? Does that make you a bit nervous?
LdG: Formula 1 is getting to a different stage, where a lot of private teams are coming into F1 and there's also this idea to limit the budget in a couple of years. And also I don't think money and success are completely related. We have seen many teams spending an awful lot of money in F1 and having no results.
And at the same time we have seen teams with less money that had great results last year. And now the regulations are a little bit tighter to make parts a little bit more standard and make the cars a little bit more equal. I think the difference between teams will be smaller between the first and the last place.
Q. What do you think Richards's expectations are for next year?
LdG: I think Richard knows what he's doing, and we know it's a big challenge to build an F1 car from scratch. Richard, myself, Alex, John, Nick... I think Richard's plans are for a medium to long term to have a huge success in F1, but to be realistic and to be optimistic are two different things. I think Richard is very realistic on what we can achieve next year. It's very difficult to know until we put the car on track, but to have a huge success in the first year is going to be very difficult.
Q. What convinced you about Virgin?
LdG: I think first the Virgin Group is a very solid company that's not going to come into the sport to do a bad job. They are entering the sport now to do a good job in the medium, long term and they have a solid background, a solid relationship with John [Booth], with Nick [Wirth]. The team is very, very well structured so that was the main reason - apart from knowing John for a long time, and knowing Nick - that I chose to come to Virgin, and I hope my relationship with them goes as well as it's started.
Q. How do you think you will go against the other new teams next year?
LdG: I think that's our biggest reference for next year. Our reference will be the new teams that are building the car from scratch as well. As I said, to have an exact measure of where we are we have to put the car on track. But I'm very confident that Nick can deliver a very high standard work.
Q. What's your reference for next year?
LdG: I've had quite a few team-mates that had succeeded in F1, and also people I was fighting with. I had Buemi as my team-mate in ART in 2007, I had Glock as I was fighting for the title in 2007, I was fighting with Kubica and Vettel in F3 in 2005, I was fighting with Kobayashi in GP2, with Lewis, with Rosberg in F3. So for many years I have been at the same level that the guys that are in F1 now.
If I had been in F1 maybe four years ago I would not have had the chance to have a long career as I have now, because I'm much more experienced and much more mature than I was three or four years ago. The example is Massa, who is a great talent and he came into F1 very young and he almost lost his seat after a year.
He went back to be a test driver after a year of racing and with more experience he came back to be one of the top drivers today. So my aim is to do step by step and I think I'm starting in a good position to do so.
Q. Have you had to bring backing with you to get this drive?
LdG: No. It was never about backing. I'm trying to bring more companies from Brazil, because as I said the sport is entering a new era. So the marketing side is very important. I have already one company coming with me next year, and we are working very hard to get as many as possible.
Q. So you will be paid a salary?
LdG: Yes, I have been hired by Virgin.
Q. How big a risk is it to build a new car without a wind tunnel?
LdG: I think it's a new technology that is coming into the sport, a car that has been completely designed with CFD. It's hard to me to say anything. For what I've seen the car looks fantastic and I hope it's as fast as it looks, but it's difficult to know until we put in on track.
I believe Nick has done a very good job with the LMP1 he designed. F1 is a different level, but I think with the effort he's putting he will be able to do a good car.

Q & A with Timo Glock
By Mark Glendenning Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 14:35 GMT
After years racing for Toyota, a team with one of the biggest budgets in Formula 1, Timo Glock took the surprise decision to take a step back and commit himself to life at a more close-knit operation for 2010.
But rather than feel that his move is a step down, the German thinks his switch to Virgin Racing will bring fresh impetus to his career. AUTOSPORT heard from Glock when he spoke to the media at the launch of Virgin Racing's F1 plans in London on Tuesday.
Q. What it this fresh start in Formula 1 going to be like for you?
Timo Glock: I think it is a great opportunity for me. I am really looking forward to it, and I have to say it is different. It is different to all that I have done before, but in a fun and positive way. As you can see, the launch is different from a normal F1 team, but it is good.
Q. What are your feelings about leading a F1 team?
TG: It is different if you come to a team and you are the number one driver and leading a team, or coming to a team where the driver has been there for four years, like it was at Toyota [with Jarno Trulli]. That can be quite difficult to get yourself into the team. It worked for me until a certain point, but then you start to run against a wall. It will be different for me here. The first time I came up to Virgin Racing, they told me they wanted to have me and no-one else. They were really, really pushing for me and that was a good feeling for me. I am looking forward to that experience of being a leading driver at Virgin Racing.
Q. There is a lot of talk about doing simulator work this year. Are you looking at moving to the UK?
TG: No. That will not happen for me. I will be in January quite a bit here in England, but I will not move over to England. Too many days of rain!
Q. Some people have said that joining a new team is a step back for you, but it appears Virgin Racing is serious about success?
TG: Yes. When I was in Abu Dhabi, everyone was talking about the new teams and how they would not be on the grid and how they are not serious - things like that. As I said, I was before up there at Nick Wirth's company and was looking around - and realised they were serious about what was going on. I think today everyone knows that Virgin Racing is a serious team - they want to be in F1, they want to succeed in the future and I am happy to be on board.
Q. What is the target for the team in 2010?
TG: 2010 will be a difficult year for us. It is the first year we have to find each other, and overall I would say the target is just to get the respect from everyone else, as John Booth said quite nicely. The main point for me is the progress that we have do, the curve has to keep going up. If it flattens out then I will not be so happy, and I will push so hard to bring it back up again. That is quite important in F1. As long as we continue to develop in a really strong way, then I am happy. The question mark is our starting point in 2010.
Q. You said that it is different in this team. Can you tell us any anecdotes about it?
TG: Overall it is just the first time that I went up. I was used to a team where there were 600-700 people like at Toyota. Then I came to the team in Bicester and there were 120 people. That is quite different. It reminds me a bit back to GP2 when I drove for iSport in 2006 and 2007, and won the championship. I realised that if you had the right people then you don't need 600 - you just need a proper group and proper engineers. Everyone focused, no political stuff in the team and that is the main point that you need in a team to be successful. The fun part, with Virgin, with Richard Branson, and with all the people behind will be mega in 2010 - the hospitality or whatever will be a bit different to normal.
Q. Is there a similar feeling to what you had when you went to see Super Aguri in 2006?
TG: I didn't go to Super Aguri...I just went there to have a look! It reminds me more of Jordan in 2004. That was a point where I would say that there are some points that are similar, but that was five years ago so it is different time and a different way of working. Everyone knows we have to work hard, but you need the fun as well because that is important.
Q. Do you sense a big shift in the team's viewpoint to dealing with the sport? Richard Branson said today it wasn't a case of throwing money at problems, but of being sensible. Toyota treated things a bit different..
TG: Toyota had a different philosophy, and I think here the team with John Booth, he never had the possibility in F3 or other categories to have a huge budget and throw money at it. He just had to do the best job he could. It is the same with Nick Wirth. This is a positive aspect to really, really push the people, and push themselves to get 100 per cent out of what we have.
Q. Toyota was known to have one of the largest budgets in F1, now you are coming to a team with one of the smallest. If Richard is to be believed, you are operating under £40 million. What it is going to be like? Can the team be competitive?
TG: Toyota was not unsuccessful, because we were on the podium a couple of times, but at the end I was at a team with one of the biggest budgets and we could not win a race. Now I am going to a team which is really on the low side of the budget, but they know what they have to do and they know they can do it with a budget. We cannot win a race in the first year, we know this is not possible, but the future I think goes more and more in terms of reduction of budget, and if you have to cut down a team from 600 people and £300 million, to 250 people and £150 million, I think it is quite difficult compared to a team that has 150 people and can go up to 250 and can increase the budget. Life is easier on that side.
Q. Does it also mean that you are paid less?
TG: I would say I am quite happy so far. I did not go to Toyota because of money, or what I can earn. I just want to be in F1, to go racing, and the money for me is down on the list - second or third position for me. It is all about racing and being successful.
Q. So that means you are paid less?
TG: Well, you don't know what I was earning at Toyota - so I have no comment to that.
Q. You seem very relaxed. Is the pressure different here, is there less compared to Toyota's need to win a race?
TG: I think the pressure is different here. The pressure will come when we go to Bahrain and the first race. The normal F1 pressure will be there that you have in every team and every year. The reason I am relaxed at the moment is that I am used to not driving in F1 for a long time! It is a long time that I was back in the car, and I am really looking forward to being at the tests in February.
I would say the pressure is different here. It is a more positive pressure and I would say again it reminds me of GP2 where I had the pressure on in 2007, where I had to win the championship to make the step into F1. That was a positive pressure, and here it is the same. Everyone is focused but you should not lose the fun part of it - but as well you should not have too much fun because then you are not fully concentrated. The mix out of it is pretty good here at Virgin.
Q. How are your injuries?
TG: Good. No problems.
Q. You said your future had already been decided before Japan. So that was before your accident?
TG: Yes, I had options. My personal decision was made two days before Japan, so around the Wednesday. I didn't sign anything, but my personal way was made before Japan.
Q. So you had been told at that point that you would not have a race seat at Toyota?
TG: That was still open, that was one of the options. I decided for myself to go to another team.
Q. And did that mean Kamui Kobayashi got to stay in the seat?
TG: No, that had nothing to do with it. I couldn't race in Japan because first of all I was sick, and then I had the crash. Brazil was not possible to drive at all, and in Abu Dhabi there was still a slight chance but the doctor said that was still a 40-50 per cent risk that if there was a crash it would damage the back.
Q. Do you have any information about Michael Schumacher?
TG: I don't have any information about it. My personal opinion is that he will be back in F1 next year, if there is no problem with his neck or his back. If the doctor will say he is okay, I am 100 per cent sure he will be back.
Q. What does that mean for you as a German driver?
TG: It is good because all the press people will run to Michael, and give me an easy life!
Q. There will be Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, plus Fernando Alonso and now Michael Schumacher - and maybe Jacques Villeneuve. That is five world champions. What does that mean to you?
TG: It is great. Great to race against Michael. I hope I can fight against him, although I don't know if it will be possible to race against him. It is good for F1, and good for the fans if a seven-times champion comes back after a three-year break. It is a mega thing for F1 and for everyone in F1.
Q. There is a lot of competition between the new teams to be the best of the new boys. Is it the same at Virgin?
TG: I think it is one target of 2010, to be the best of the new teams. But, if you go to the company and see the people, that is not the target for them. They want to progress. They want to, in the middle of the season, to be fighting for points or the top ten. I think you have to be realistic, but everyone is focused to be fighting for points.
Q. How do you feel about working with Lucas di Grassi?
TG: I know him really well from GP2, and I have to say that we had a really, really fair fight. I like him as a driver and a person. He is a really relaxed guy and he is really quick. He won Macau, which is a benchmark I have to say. And won against Kubica at that time.
I am looking forward to it. He has a lot of experience from Renault, which is positive for us. So, I am happy to have him as a team-mate and also Alvaro Parente, he is really experienced in GP2. That is a nice line-up for us in the first year.
Q. It is one of those rare line-ups of young drivers with lots of experience too?
TG: Yes. It is good. I am the oldest of the drivers here, which is a strange feeling. But overall it is good. That is part of Virgin, the team - we have in the whole team, there are a lot of experienced guys but also young people. The mix is good.
Q. You talked about Virgin putting the fun into F1. Does Red Bull have to worry about not being the most fun team any more?
TG: Could be! At the launch, we already have a battle between Tony Fernandes and Richard Branson, so I am looking forward to what will happen in the year. I think we will have fun, and hopefully we can put something on and fight against Red Bull on track, and in the hospitality programme as well.

Virgin eyes success with lowest budget
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 15th 2009, 15:48 GMT
Richard Branson believes Virgin Racing can make a success of Formula 1 through talent rather than its chequebook - after revealing that the team will run with the lowest budget of any in 2010.
Branson's Virgin Group unveiled its ambitious plans for next year at a launch in London on Tuesday, and its chief made it clear that it felt his company was perfectly placed to reap the benefits of a new lower-cost F1.
"F1 is trying to bring the costs down of entry," said Branson, speaking on stage. "This team will be the lowest budget team in F1.
"It will run under the £40 million a year that is set in F1, and all teams within two or three years are meant to get to that level.
"But money is not everything and we are determined to prove that through engineering prowess, great drivers and great affinity with the public we can do well.
"I think it is the only British F1 team left - so it is great to support another British team."
Virgin Racing's CEO and team principal Alex Tai saw no reason why his team's small budget would hinder its plans for the future.
"We're fully funded for next year," he explained. "We think it is right to be competing on a level playing field. We have permission that is given to us, the Virgin Brand, to do something different.
"We think it is abhorrent to be spending $400 million on building two cars. We believe it is important not to compete with the chequebook but to compete with the ingenuity that we have with Nick [Wirth], and the team spirit and experience we have with John [Booth].
"I am immensely proud of this team and we absolutely have our sights set on success. We believe that what the FIA and F1 have done in creating a level playing field is exactly the right environment for Virgin Racing to thrive in.
"Our sponsors have understood that, they are backing us to succeed and what we have now is to go out there and deliver."

Wirth: Virgin success rests on car design
By Steven English and Mark Glendenning Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 15:14 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth believes the team has all the tools in place for a successful Formula 1 debut in 2010, and admits that its fate rests in the hands of his company's design of the car.
Virgin, which has taken over the Manor Grand Prix team, has confirmed Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi as its race drivers and will use Cosworth engines next season.
Wirth says that with the backing of Richard Branson's brand, the expertise of the Manor team and Glock leading the line-up, its competitiveness will come down to the job his Wirth Research company does in designing the 2010 car.
"The engine's great, the drivers are great, wherever we are on the grid is down to me," he said. "Any issues will be down to us lot because I think those guys will deliver. We've just got to do our best.
"Of course my ego wants this to be a success, but I'm doing it in a way where I'm not going to all the grands prix, and the way that my own companies are structured means I don't have to worry about business matters and try and worry about what I really enjoy, which is innovation and leading the technical direction."
Wirth is returning to Formula 1, where he previously ran the Simtek team and worked for Benetton, after leading the design of the Acura campaign in the American Le Mans Series.
He admits that there will be pressure on the team to perform well, but expects it be grow in competitiveness as F1 scales down its budgets over the next three years.
"In many ways Formula 1 is like 'oh my God, here we go again' because the pressure and the spotlight is very intense, and you have to explain everything," said Wirth. "I'm happy for the team, I'm happy to create such an exciting job, and I'm just so excited about the future.
"We signed on the dotted line to a championship that said [a cap of] 45 million. That limits our ability to perform really well in the first couple of years, because we're racing against such a budget discontinuity
"But they're coming down, they have to come down. It's what they've all signed up to."

New team challenge inspired Branson
By Simon Strang and Jonathan Noble Sunday, December 27th 2009, 13:23 GMT
Sir Richard Branson says he formed Virgin Racing because he was attracted by the challenges of building a new Formula 1 team from scratch, rather than continuing to fund an established success story.
The British entrepreneur, who has built a fortune out of taking a pioneering approach to his business strategies, sponsored the double-championship winning Brawn team in 2009. But Branson, who has put the might of his Virgin Group behind Manor's plans to enter F1 with a car designed by Nick Wirth, said he wanted to be in on a project from the beginning.
"The temptation might have been to write a big cheque to Brawn and stick with it for another season," said Branson. "But when a team's won, you can't really do any better than winning.
"So we thought it was better to look for a new team and support that."
Branson is not expecting the same instant success from Virgin Racing that he experienced with Brawn in Melbourne, back in March, and says that it will take time to establish the foundations of a brand new F1 team.
"We're not expecting the same sort of good fortune that we had last year," he said. "We fully accept that we're going to have to build the team over the coming years. But it's going to be exciting to try and do that.
"The spaceship company that Alex Tae (Virgin Racing's CEO and Team Principal) has been involved with was very much a case of many years building and building. And I suspect the same will apply here.
"(Technical director) Nick Wirth and the people he's got around him are brilliant. Because Nick's there, he's attracted engineers from Brawn, from Red Bull, from almost all the other teams, and he's got a really great group of people.
"To get Timo Glock, who actually turned down quite a lot of money and turned down tried and tested cars, that was a tremendous endorsement."
Branson says his new venture is a long-term project, but expects the team to be able to fund itself through alternative sponsorship agreements when it becomes established in the sport.
The Virgin Group unveiled its plans for 2010 in London earlier this month, after Branson agreed to fund and rebrand Manor Grand Prix - one of the three new teams to gain an entry to F1 next year – and while Branson insists that he wants to remain a permanent part of the management structure, he does not intend to bankroll the outfit indefinitely.
"It's a three season deal," he said, "but when I say 'forever', they've got to attract enough sponsorship money to keep it going year after year, but I think because they're working within the £40 million budget, the chances are that they should be able to do that.
"I will help and be wheeled in when I'm needed, and will enjoy it and be involved, and be supportive of the drivers," he added. "I'll go to a number of the races and help get the motor racing team on the map on a global basis, which helps the sponsors, and have some fun in the process."

Wirth says Glock a huge asset to Virgin
By Mark Glendenning and Matt Beer Wednesday, December 30th 2009, 13:14 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth says he regards Timo Glock's faith in the team as a major endorsement of its potential.
Former Toyota driver Glock made an early decision to join the new squad rather than chasing vacancies with established teams.
Wirth said signing an experienced driver had always been a priority for him, having seen the positive effect that David Brabham had on the Acura sportscar project, in which Wirth Research designed the LMP cars.
"The day Timo signed I nearly burst into tears, I couldn't believe it," said Wirth.
"I stuck my whole company's reputation and our contract on the line at one particular moment during the Acura programme to get David Brabham to drive the car, because David was one of my F1 drivers [at Simtek], and I know as an engineer how critical it is to have a lead driver with lots of experience and who is someone you can trust, and who is quick and all the other bits and pieces.
"I said to management, I hope we're not forced to get two young, inexperienced drivers who help the finance by bringing budget.
"And when Timo came along, quite late on in the process, on his way to look at another Formula 1 team, and we spent three hours together and he saw the process, he understood this digital [design] process because he's got friends who drive my Acuras.
"So he phones them up and says 'what's this nutter like, is he any good?', and they told him whatever, and he just flew back with his manager and said 'we're going to do this'.
"I was just literally over the moon, because Timo to me represents all that I wanted - someone who has driven the slick tyres, he has two years' experience, he's a GP2 champion and he's so young, and so grounded."
Virgin has signed former Renault test driver and GP2 frontrunner Lucas di Grassi as Glock's team-mate, a choice that Wirth is also very happy with.
"We've got a lot of engineers from Renault who have joined us," he said. "Lucas has been a test driver there for two years. They were super-enthusiastic about Lucas's testing ability, feedback and skill."

Wirth wants to showcase CFD technology
By Mark Glendenning and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, December 31st 2009, 14:09 GMT
Virgin Racing technical boss Nick Wirth is aiming to showcase the CFD technology outside of Formula 1 by building a successful grand prix car with it.
Wirth is designing Virgin's maiden F1 car using CFD - Computational Fluid Dynamics - instead of the traditional wind tunnel method used by all Formula 1 teams.
He had already used the method in Acura's the American Le Mans Series car.
Now Wirth is hoping to prove CFD can be used outside of racing to improve what he labelled as 'the real world'.
"The miracle of the Acura programme has been the technology behind it - the simulator and the CFD," said Wirth.
"What we're actively looking to do right now - I've got an 11-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, we'd really like to stop the ice caps slipping off Greenland and flooding everybody - we'd like to see applications of this technology help the real world.
"We didn't live in the real world, Formula 1 is not the real world. We're really determined to showcase this technology on a global stage and then use it in much more useful ways for mankind."
Wirth also highlighted the importance of CFD when reducing the costs of running a Formula 1 team.
"It's absolutely critical," he added. "We did it because it's cheaper and faster. If there was unlimited money, I'd just employ loads of people. The point is that you can get more accurate aerodynamic answers for a given amount of money using this technology than any other thing.
"You can try more endplates, more rear wings and other things then the same money gets you in wind tunnel testing or full-scale testing."
He added: "We've done it - we've built race and championship winning cars since then, so we're very happy. We've also been doing open-wheel work in Formula 3 and IndyCar racing at the same time as the Acuras. We'll be using the same technology, so this isn't new to us.
"Can things go wrong? Absolutely, that's life.
"Brawn brought out the new front wing development for Jenson Button to run at Suzuka this year and it was a disaster, it didn't work and it screwed his race up. They have a load of aerodynamic technology which says that front wing is good, they put it on the guy trying to win the world championship at a critical race, and it didn't work.
"What must they be thinking about what they understand about aerodynamics? Everybody has problems and issues."
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Chapter 2: 2010 - Year 1 - Virgin Racing

F1 challenge holds no fear for Virgin
By Jonathan Noble and Mark Glendenning Saturday, January 2nd 2010, 13:28 GMT
Virgin Racing boss Alex Tai says his parent company is unfazed about the challenge of fighting for glory with its own team in Formula 1 this season.
Less than a year after Richard Branson's Virgin Group entered F1 as a sponsor of Brawn GP, it has taken over the Manor outfit to campaign under its own banner for the 2010 campaign.
And although that step up has presented Virgin with a steep learning curve, Tai believes the company's experiences outside of motor racing have put it in good stead for what lays ahead.
"There is a certain amount of mystique in Formula 1, that it is this sort of mafia that you're getting involved with," explained Tai.
"The Virgin brand has been in much more difficult circumstances in the past. When Richard started in the record industry, that's not the easiest industry.
"In the airline industry there were an incredible amount of dirty tricks, which have been well reported, that the Virgin brand had to stride through. Richard turned around British Rail into a fantastic rail franchise. These are all things that required an awful lot of determination. We have a certain amount of character that we bring to Formula 1."
Tai believes that Virgin’s chances of success in F1 have also been boosted by the fact that the competitors currently share a spirit of co-operation through the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA).
"What we're finding, and what I'm finding sitting on the Formula 1 Commission and in FOTA, is that everyone needs to look at the collective health of the sport, and we're finding that there's an awful lot of helpful assistance being given to us by other teams," he said.
"We're all finding that our collective health is based upon a stable platform in the sport. We will fight tooth and nail on track. We will absolutely drive through other teams on the way to success on-track. But we will probably be very collegiate off the track and behind closed doors.
"I think that's really important now. I think the Formula One Teams' Association provides that unanimity and that collegiate approach, and I've got to say it's not a piranha club, it's not full of sharks, and we've been in much more difficult situations in the past. Richard's provided an awful lot of training for his CEOs to get through those sorts of situations."
Tai also says that Branson has weighed up the benefits of being in F1, and believes the team has what it takes to remain in the sport for the long term.
"The Virgin name is difficult to get. Richard needs to see a sound business plan, something that's sustainable. We do not want to be coming into the sport and then coming out again in a year's time.
"We've had a very arduous process over the last six or seven months to earn our Virgin spurs, as it were. We've found ourselves in a situation where the business model actually does work and we believe we have sustainability."

Booth replaces Tai as Virgin Racing boss
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, January 12th 2010, 19:54 GMT
Virgin Racing has undertaken a management reshuffle, with John Booth taking over from Alex Tai as its team principal with immediate effect.
Less than one month after Tai was revealed as the team boss of the new outfit at its official launch in London, Virgin Racing revealed on Tuesday that he was moving on to fresh projects.
He will be replaced with the highly-respected Booth, who originally headed the operation when it was operating as Manor Grand Prix and was previously sporting director at Virgin
Speaking about the reasons for his decision, Tai explained: "Finding new opportunities and the challenge of starting new ventures is where my focus and interest lies.
"I am proud that we have taken the team from concept to reality in a short period of time and I am confident that Virgin Racing will be in trusted and experienced hands."
Virgin Racing's chairman Etienne de Villiers said: "John’s impressive racing pedigree and reputation is beyond question in the critical role of team principal.
"John will be joined by Graeme Lowdon as CEO who previously held the position of Director of Racing. He was one of the founders of the original Manor Grand Prix team and a key architect of its successful formation last year.
"Graeme has a proven track record with Manor Grand Prix and is a formidable operator with an excellent reputation in the sport. Their combined experience and expertise make them the ideal candidates to lead the Virgin Racing team as we head into an exciting first season."
He added: "These appointments reflect our long-term commitment to fully addressing the complexity and challenges of the new business and to creating a team with the appropriate skills and experience to ensure its sustainable success.
"We knew this day was coming but we are still sorry to see Alex move on from his executive duties. He will continue in his role as Director of Special Projects for Virgin and will retain a close relationship with the team. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Alex for his support, energy and commitment from the outset and we look forward to his continued contribution to the business."
Virgin Racing has signed Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock for its debut campaign, with its car expected to hit the track for the first time at the second official pre-season test.

Virgin set to join second winter test
By Mark Glendenning and Matt Beer Wednesday, January 13th 2010, 16:17 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth says the team should be ready to test alongside the established squads at Jerez from 10-13 February.
Although the new car will not be in action at the first winter test at Valencia at the start of next month, Wirth is anticipating a shakedown run in the UK around that time, in preparation for hitting the track in earnest at the second pre-season test.
"Basically, the plan is to shake the car down in the UK," Wirth told AUTOSPORT. "The fire-up is planned to be for Friday the 29th [of January], although I think it will probably be earlier, and we'll shake the car down in the week of the 1st of February. That was always the plan.
"To be honest, we were also planning to miss the first Jerez test. But as we got into August and September we thought we had a chance to bring it forward and do as much testing as possible. So we plan to shake it down in the UK, possibly on the 3rd but more likely on the 4th and 5th [of February], and then ship the thing out and start running on the 10th of February at Jerez."
Wirth added that the car build was fully on schedule at present.
"We are getting the first fully-assembled monocoque back from the painters this afternoon with all the crash structures, sidepods - all the bits that are bolted onto it," he said on Tuesday.
"It has been in to paint, and then that gets all the fuel tank put in, looms and everything like that, and gets built up, building up towards our firing up."

Ecclestone sceptical about new teams
By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Wednesday, January 13th 2010, 20:10 GMT
Bernie Ecclestone says he doubts that all the new teams entering Formula 1 for 2010 will actually make it into the field.
Start-up squads US F1, Virgin, Lotus and Campos Meta have all secured entries for this year's world championship, but there have been a string of rumours about the health of the new projects. The bosses of US F1 and Campos both recently denied that their F1 programmes were in jeopardy, although Campos admits that it needs to secure further investment.
Speaking at the Wrooom media event in Italy, Ecclestone said he was concerned that not only would some of the newcomers fail to complete the 2010 season, but they might not appear for the opener in Bahrain at all.
"I think they're going to have trouble actually getting to the first race, so now we have to wait and see," he said.
"Obviously when you speak to these people they say everything's fine and there's no drama. But I'm sure there is drama."
The F1 commercial chief suggested that the requirement to run two self-designed cars was a key stumbling block for new entrants, and said he was keen on customer chassis and the option for single car entries.
"I honestly believe that one or two of these new teams that are now coming in will be much better off running one car which is supplied by any of the other teams," said Ecclestone.
He believes the global economic situation is to blame for the new teams' difficulties.
"There's one small problem: finance," Ecclestone said. "It's difficult for these teams, even with the budgets becoming more realistic, to raise that sort of money.
"You've probably heard about it, but we've got a bit of a financial crisis in the world, so there's not quite as many sponsors floating around as there were."
But Ecclestone insisted it would not be a blow for F1 if the planned 13-team field failed to materialise.
"We're okay - as long as we've got ten solid, strong teams that's all we really need," he said.

Virgin to launch car online
Friday, January 29th 2010, 16:28 GMT
Virgin Racing will unveil its first Formula 1 car in a broadcast on its website next Wednesday.
The VR-01 will be revealed via virginracing.com at 10.00am on 3 February, the team having chosen to hold a 'virtual' event rather than a normal launch.
The car has been designed by Nick Wirth's Wirth Research organisation and, like the other start-up teams, Virgin will use Cosworth engines. Wirth expects the car to run for the first time next week prior to joining the second F1 group test at Jerez.

Virgin set for Silverstone shakedown
By Matt Beer Sunday, January 31st 2010, 13:25 GMT
Virgin Racing will become the first of the new Formula 1 entrants to run its car on track when it shakes down the VR-01 in a private event at Silverstone at the end of next week.
After launching the Cosworth-powered, Wirth Research-designed car in an online ceremony on Wednesday 3 February, the team will run the car at Silverstone on 4-5 February, prior to joining the second major Formula 1 test of the winter at Jerez the following week.
The VR-01 was fired up for the first time in Wirth's Bicester factory last night.
"I'm really happy to have done the fire-up checks and to have reached this new milestone in our schedule as planned," said designer Nick Wirth.
"I must say the VR-01 is looking quite a neat package. We all look forward to seeing the car on-track for the first time next Thursday."

Virgin reveals its VR-01 F1 contender
By Matt Beer Wednesday, February 3rd 2010, 10:43 GMT
Virgin Racing has revealed its first Formula 1 car, the VR-01, although its planned online launch was delayed by technical difficulties.
The VR-01 was due to be unveiled on the team's website this morning, the team having opted for an 'all-digital' launch to mirror its 'all-digital car' - reflecting the fact that design company Wirth Research created the car entirely using computational fluid dynamics rather than using a windtunnel.
But technical issues prevented the broadcast from taking place as planned, so the car has now been revealed via the team's website later than scheduled.
"Today is a very proud day for everyone involved with Virgin Racing, however on this occasion, where the car is the star, I want to pay tribute to all the amazing people at Wirth Research who deserve so much of the credit for the VR-01," said designer Nick Wirth.
"Putting together an F1 team, assembling an engineering group and designing a new car from scratch is an epic task in the timeframe we have been working to.
"I have been fortunate to have worked with the very best designers in F1 and I am well aware of exactly what it takes to be successful in this sport. When you see what the existing teams have achieved using the conventional but proven design approach, it is unsurprising that there is a great deal of scepticism about our all-CFD approach.
"But we are competing in a sport that is undergoing significant change having come face to face with today's harsh economic realities. Under resource restriction, convention will become too costly and necessity really will be the mother of invention. I have absolute belief in the digital design process and the opportunity to put the all-CFD approach to the test at the highest level - to demonstrate that this could be the way for the future of F1 - is very, very exciting."
Virgin's F1 project was officially launched in December, when Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock were announced as its drivers. It fired the Cosworth-powered car up for the first time last week, and will conduct a shakedown at Silverstone on Thursday and Friday.
The team will then join the rest of the F1 field for the second winter test at Jerez, where it will also become the first of the new entrants to test alongside the established squads.
While unwilling to make grand predictions for his car's debut, Wirth is quietly confident about the VR-01's prospects.
"We are a serious racing team with serious ambitions, so we aren't going to try to run before we can walk," he said. "The starting point is to try to run reliably, safely and efficiently and be the best of the new teams. Then we will start to bring performance to the car through a continuous development programme in computer simulation."
He acknowledged that the CFD approach had limitations - but insisted windtunnel testing was no different.
"We fully expect to encounter issues along the way; CFD is an approximation - as is scale-model testing," Wirth said. "In both cases, it is only when you hit the track that you can really appreciate the effect of factors that are tricky to model with any technology such as the effect that the real stiffness of all bodywork components and joints has on the airflow for example.
"We've done all of this before on both closed and open-wheel cars, so I'm pretty confident in the accuracy of our predictions and looking forward to seeing how our starting configuration performs on the race track."

Booth pleased Virgin ahead of schedule
By Matt Beer Wednesday, February 3rd 2010, 11:41 GMT
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth says he is thrilled that the squad's new VR-01 will be ready to test a week earlier than originally planned.
The car was revealed on the team's website this morning and will join next week's group test at Jerez after a shakedown at Silverstone tomorrow and Friday.
"It was always intended that we would miss the first all-team test in Valencia this week and very early on we targeted the second Jerez test in two weeks' time for our public testing debut," said Booth.
"It is a testament to our methodical approach and the sheer hard work of the team that we are heading to Spain a week earlier than planned to take part in the first Jerez test next week."
The Virgin car has been designed and constructed by Nick Wirth's Wirth Research firm, but will be operated from Booth's Yorkshire premises. The team boss said the collaboration between the two organisations had been extremely smooth so far.
"I have always had the utmost confidence in Nick to design a good race car, just as he has the faith in the race team to make a good job of operating it," Booth said.
"Having worked closely with the technical team over the past 10 months, I know that the VR-01 is the product of a very intensive and thorough design and development process and my excitement at seeing our first race car make its track debut later this week is shared by every single person involved with Virgin Racing.
"I would like to congratulate our new race team - a great bunch of guys working together for the very first time in the pressure-cooker environment of a demanding car build schedule.
"Logistically it hasn't been easy, since the initial build of the two race cars is taking place in Bicester, rather than our operational base in Dinnington. Their commitment and professionalism has been exemplary and they have set their own very high bar in terms of trackside performance this season.
"Finally, not only do we have a great bunch of people at Virgin Racing, we also have a great-looking car. We are delighted with our fantastic new livery which provides a fitting integration of our racing brand with our important commercial partnerships. All in all, we have a lot to look forward to as we progress towards our racing debut in Bahrain next month."

Branson already proud of his F1 team
By Matt Beer Wednesday, February 3rd 2010, 11:42 GMT
Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson says his new Formula 1 team should already be incredibly proud of its achievements even before its first car hits the track.
The Virgin-Cosworth VR-01 was revealed on the team's website this morning. It has been designed by Wirth Research using computational fluid dynamics rather than the more traditional windtunnel method, and will be run by a new arm of John Booth's Manor team with title backing from Virgin.
After a shakedown at Silverstone, the car will join next week's group test at Jerez - where Virgin will become the first of the new-for-2010 teams to run its car alongside its established rivals.
"What a car! Nick and his design team have done an incredible job and so today they deserve all of the spotlight," said Branson.
"It's been fantastic to be part of this journey almost from the very beginning and to see a great engineering mind at work. I'm sure we will be measured by how fast the car is on the track in Jerez next week, but I hope that doesn't overshadow the far bigger achievement of pulling an entire racing team together and taking a brave step that defies convention."
Although Branson admitted that Virgin Racing was an unknown quantity at present, he is confident the team will prove to be a major contender given time.
"In many ways this is an exploration, but given the absolute self-belief we have seen, I can't help but feel very excited about what we can go on to achieve in the years ahead," he said.
"For now though I'm looking forward to seeing the VR-01 on -track in testing in the coming weeks as we prepare for Virgin Racing's very first grand prix."

Virgin VR-01 passes final crash test
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, February 4th 2010, 11:15 GMT
Virgin Racing's new VR-01 car has passed its final mandatory crash test, ahead of a debut track run at Silverstone on Thursday.
The Wirth Research-designed car was unveiled to the public online on Wednesday, prior to two days of shakedown before a first proper test at Jerez in Spain next week.
The team has confirmed that the car passed its rear impact structure test on Tuesday night - so getting its full sign-off from the FIA.
"We are delighted to have sailed through the sign-off of the VR-01's structural integrity in accordance with the FIA's crash testing requirements," said Nick Wirth.
"We're all set for our initial shakedown before heading out to Jerez to begin three weeks of testing. Everyone is looking forward to finally seeing the VR-01 on track."

Virgin car completes maiden run
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, February 5th 2010, 08:22 GMT
The new Virgin VR-01 took to the Silverstone circuit for the first time on Thursday, as the car completed its maiden run.
Virgin became the first new F1 team to unveil its contender for the 2010 season on Wednesday, before German Timo Glock completed a shakedown a day later.
"After 10 challenging months, all the commitment and determination has finally paid off," said Nick Wirth, Virgin's technical director.
"Today was all about those tentative first few steps but the programme really gets underway tomorrow with a full day of on-track evaluation for both Timo and Lucas [di Grassi]."
Glock was also delighted after his maiden run in the new car.
"It was a fantastic moment for myself and the whole team to see the VR-01 come alive. It's great to be back in a racing car," he said.
The team continues at Silverstone today before moving to Jerez next week to join the rest of the F1 squads.

Di Grassi enjoys first Virgin run
By Matt Beer Saturday, February 6th 2010, 09:48 GMT
Lucas di Grassi said his first impression of the new Virgin-Cosworth VR-01 was extremely positive after driving the car in the second day of its shakedown run at Silverstone yesterday.
Timo Glock gave the VR-01 its debut on Silverstone's short Stowe circuit on Thursday, and then stayed in the car for another 42 laps on Friday morning before handing over to di Grassi.
"It feels good. It feels like home!" said former Renault test driver di Grassi after his 36-lap run.
"I'm really happy and our first impressions of the car are very positive. It's amazing what the team has achieved in such a short space of time."
The team will now join next week's group test at Jerez - where Virgin will become the first of the new entrants to test alongside the established teams.
"I think we have a strong car and a great team to get things started in Jerez," di Grassi said. "It was important for me to learn as much as possible here so I can start to put some real mileage on the car next week."
Designer Nick Wirth was also pleased with how smoothly the shakedown had gone.
"I am delighted that we have successfully shaken down the VR-01," he said. "To achieve 100km of running out of the box is a great achievement with only a few minor issues along the way.
"We have acquired some good information to feed straight back into design for the development of new parts, which we may even be testing next week. All in all this is a very pleasing conclusion to a memorable week for Virgin Racing."
Team boss John Booth added that the shakedown showed how well Virgin's crew had gelled already.
"Our shakedown provided our very first opportunity to work together as a trackside operation and it couldn't have gone any better," he said.
"The way the team has come together to achieve such a successful shakedown has been commendable. I'm very proud of what we have achieved and we're looking forward to taking our place alongside the other F1 teams in the pitlane next week."

Newey doubts CFD-only designs
By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw Wednesday, February 10th 2010, 12:23 GMT
Adrian Newey has doubts that a Formula 1 team can successfully design a car without using a wind-tunnel, as Virgin Racing's 'virtual' VR-01 gets ready for its first proper test at Jerez this week.
Virgin Racing has produced the first modern era car not to have been near a wind tunnel, with chief designer Nick Wirth adamant that modern computer simulations are good enough to deliver all the information he needed.
However, famed designer Newey thinks that CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) still has its limits - and that wind tunnels remain a vital part of car development.
"I think CFD is a very powerful tool, there is no doubt about it, and it is another way of simulating the real environment," Newey said at the Red Bull launch when asked for his opinion on the Virgin Racing car. "A wind tunnel is a simulation of the real world.
"CFD is an electronic simulation of a real environment, but it still has pitfalls - not least that every single run in CFD for a given attitude of the car, or ride height, or whatever it might be, is a discreet run. Whereas in the wind tunnel, what we call a normal run, will have 20 or more data points in it. In other words, that is equivalent to 20 runs in the CFD.
"That is a limitation of size really, so your CFD cluster has to be that much bigger to do that many runs. And there are some areas that CFD physically doesn't capture as well as a wind tunnel - like basic aerodynamic properties.
"So how well it turns out, we shall see. It is a different route, and my personal belief is that you still need to combine the two at the moment. But maybe their car will go very well and I will have to revise my opinion."

Virgin becomes first new team to test
By Edd Straw Wednesday, February 10th 2010, 12:59 GMT
Virgin became the first new team to run in an official Formula 1 test, with Timo Glock completing the team's first lap in public at Jerez today.
The German completed a single installation lap in the Cosworth-engined Virgin VR-01 after team principal John Booth's outfit added new parts to the car that arrived in Spain late last night.
After completing the installation lap, which featured several spectacular moments when the rear-end of the car stepped out in wet conditions, Glock returned to the pits and reported that the car was "all good".
The ex-Toyota driver is scheduled to continue driving today and tomorrow, with team-mate Lucas di Grassi taking over for Friday and Saturday.

Glock: Dry running essential for Virgin
By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw Wednesday, February 10th 2010, 19:49 GMT
Timo Glock is praying the rain abates at this week's Jerez test - so his Virgin Racing team can find out exactly where it stands compared to the opposition.
After a frustrating first day of testing, where the late arrival of parts and wet weather meant Glock could complete just a handful of laps, the German is keen to get a picture of just how competitive the new VR-01 is.
As Virgin is a new team, and has designed its car without the use of a windtunnel, the former Toyota driver is well aware that the outfit is stepping into new territory.
"It's different you know [to Toyota], it makes no sense if you sit here and think 'bloody hell, bloody hell I want to drive!' because this situation will not change," Glock told reporters after the testing.
"You just have to back off yourself a little bit, just stay normal and help the team - give the team confidence in what they're doing.
"The mechanics are pretty well and for me it's easy to adapt because I know we can't do something special in the first year - this is just not possible in Formula 1.
"It is normal that it will be a slower start, but I think when we build up everything in a rhythm and it's running smooth then we should be not too bad.
"I think the way Nick Wirth, who has designed the car, and all the guys back in the office do a proper job, they know what they do.
"For the first test we have just a solid baseline car, there is nothing magic on the car, but I think it will come in the future. We have some good stuff to come for the first race.
"I'm sure there are some updates coming, but the question is how far we are away from midfield running teams? Where is our starting point? That is what we have to wait until it's dry for – to see where we are."
Glock thinks that even if the initial baseline of the car is good, it will still take some time for Virgin Racing to find its feel in F1.
"I think the first three or four races, or even the first year, will still be a test for us," he said. "Every race will be a test for us rather than a real proper race."

Q & A with Timo Glock
By Edd Straw Wednesday, February 10th 2010, 19:52 GMT
Virgin Racing became the first of Formula 1's new teams to hit the race track with its new car on Wednesday, when its VR-01 completed a few installation laps of the Jerez circuit.
Although the late arrival of parts and poor weather hampered its day, Timo Glock had the honour of officially starting Virgin's efforts as an F1 team.
AUTOSPORT heard from Glock as he spoke to the media about his day, his first impressions of the car and the state of the team.
Q. You did a few laps of the Silverstone National circuit and one timed lap here. How is it working out so far?
Timo Glock: Unfortunately, due to the weather, a bit slow because we decided to do not much in the wet conditions. We are still in the first week here, and a bit low on parts, so that means if we have a crash we are more in trouble for the next test. So we decided to not do much running today and unfortunately parts didn't arrive until quite late yesterday - 11 or 12 o'clock - and the mechanics had to work 24 hours a day to get the car ready for this morning.
We just did some installation laps today to check if everything is alright, but in the two or three laps I did and the one timed lap, the car felt okay, not bad in wet conditions, so the first impression is that everything worked well. I hope it stops raining. What I know is that it will be better tomorrow, at least no rain, but I don't know if it will be dry.
Q. This is a bit of new territory for you because at Toyota there were no such problems and resources were almost unlimited, so how do you feel about this situation?
TG: It's different you know, it makes no sense if you sit here and think 'bloody hell, bloody hell I want to drive!' because this situation will not change. You just have to back off yourself a little bit, just stay normal and help the team – give the team confidence in what they're doing. The mechanics are pretty well and for me it's easy to adapt because I know we can't do something special in the first year – this is just not possible in Formula 1. It is normal that it will be a slower start, but I think when we build up everything in a rhythm and it's running smooth then we should be not too bad.
I think the way Nick Wirth, who has designed the car, and all the guys back in the office do a proper job, they know what they do.
For the first test we have just a solid baseline car, there is nothing magic on the car, but I think it will come in the future. We have some good stuff to come for the first race, I'm sure there are some updates coming, but the question is how far we are away from midfield running teams? Where is our starting point? That is what we have to wait until it's dry for – to see where we are.
Q. How much of this whole building process do you feel you are a part of?
TG: Quite a big part of it, I mean that's what I see. I'm talking to the engineers in the week, in the winter time, and I'm spending a lot of time on the simulator. I did a lot of work there and after five laps the debrief is quite long – there are lots of discussions, a lot of small stuff and technical stuff, so they are quite interested to know what I think about the car and what I think is the right direction. It's good fun because they are quite open and listen to what I am saying. Nick Wirth is a really special guy and so far I've enjoyed quite a lot working with them.
Q. How many days have you spent in the simulator?
TG: Eight to 10 days.
Q. And how long have you spent with the team?
TG: From 9 until 7 o'clock.
Q. And you didn't get seasick? Because most people have felt seasick when they first go in a simulator.
TG: They have a good simulator!
Q. Toyota didn't have one?
TG: Now I can say officially they did have one, but I didn't have any problems there as well.
Q. Is it the same level as Toyota or better?
TG: I think the new one that is coming up at the end of the test is a step ahead of the Toyota one.
Q. How realistic is it from the driver's point of view?
TG: I have to say it's pretty realistic. The point is you don't have the g-forces, which plays quite a big role in it, but for me I'm quite used to that. I've played when I was younger a lot of computer games and I think this helps. It is a different generation maybe. But the new simulators are quite close to the car, just the g-forces are the main thing missing.
Q. Toyota was a well established team. Do you feel like this team has got its routine or do they seem like they are new to it?
TG: Here we have a second car crew working at this test for the first time properly on the car. There is a lot of stuff that has to be fine-tuned as well, but the main problem was they had quite a late night last night with parts arriving and they had to work the whole night through. They were just a bit down in the afternoon – it took time and concentration out of them, but I think for tomorrow everything is ready and they can recover overnight.
When Toyota started they needed a couple of months or even a year to get the perfect scenario and rhythm into the team, but I think for a new team we have a lot of experienced guys like John Booth, Christian Silk and Nick Wirth, who stand on the outside and just see every little detail where it's not working well enough. They go straight in and say 'we have to do it like this' and I think that will help develop the car and the team quite quickly.
Q. These early days in the wet: are they good for a new team, because you are not under the pressure to deliver the lap times, or are they bad?
TG: Due to the problem we had today it was good it was wet because the others could not do as much testing as they did in Valencia, but I think even if it is dry we don't have the pressure on lap times because we are realistic enough to know that we will be off the pace to the top teams. So far we just have a baseline car – a baseline aerodynamic package that will be updated for the first race.
For us it is just important to get mileage on the car, to see if it is working as we expected, so we don't really look at lap times.
Q. The car looks special. It looks different to all the others, what do you make of it?
TG: I think the wheelbase is shorter than the others. There's some good stuff on it that maybe didn't feel so bad in the few laps we did, but we need a baseline. We know the car is driving around a corner as it should be and it's important to do all the baseline stuff.
I think the first three or four races, or even the first year, will still be a test for us. Every race will be a test for us rather than a real proper race.
Q. What was the problem today?
TG: It was just that the parts didn't arrive until 11 or 12 o'clock last night and the mechanics had to work the whole night and this morning to get it ready. So we decided not to drive much in the wet conditions, just some installation laps because we are a bit short on parts. Every day the parts are arriving and we don't want to take the risk if anything goes wrong and we crash. We said we had nothing to lose today in the wet conditions, so we decided not to run.
Q. What is your impression of the new engine?
TG: The engine I'm quite surprised in terms of driveability in the wet. We didn't have to do much adjustment on it. Power-wise I think it's not too bad, it feels strong, it feels good, but it's not enough laps to have a proper read on it.

Parts shortage halts Virgin test
By Steven English Thursday, February 11th 2010, 12:29 GMT
Virgin has been forced to park its VR-01 for the rest of today's test session at Jerez due to a shortage of spare parts.
Timo Glock was driving this morning when the front wing came off and the debris on the track caused a red flag.
The German returned to the pits but the team does not yet have enough spare parts for him to get back out today.
"This morning we experienced a front wing mounting problem which caused the wing to come off the car at the beginning of a run," said Virgin technical director Nick Wirth in a team statement.
"Unfortunately, we're missing one or two spare parts which will hopefully arrive this evening, so we won't be able to run for the rest of the day."
The team is hoping to get the car back out on track on Friday morning.
"In the short amount of running that we've achieved so far, we are very encouraged by what we've seen and we have gathered some vital aero data which is very much in the range of what we were predicting. We look forward to resuming the programme tomorrow morning."
Glock completed 11 laps today and circulated five times yesterday, when Virgin became the first of Formula 1's four new teams to get its car out on track in an official test.

Virgin to modify wing mounting
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Thursday, February 11th 2010, 17:58 GMT
Virgin Racing is modifying its front wing mounting overnight to prevent a repeat of the problem that forced Timo Glock to halt testing today.
The VR-01's front wing became detached after 11 laps at Jerez this morning. The team has identified the cause of the issue and is flying in new parts, with some arriving this afternoon and others following overnight.
Virgin will then work to get the car ready for Lucas di Grassi to use from the start of the test at 9am local time tomorrow.
Glock played down the problem and said he had always expected a few glitches as the new squad got up to speed.
"Overall I think that's part of being in a new team, and we have to take it like it is and try to get as much running as possible," he said.
"I said already at the launch that we will have problems which no one knows so far. This is normal. We have to sort it out as quick as possible and it's good that we have it at the test.
"Sure, it would be better to drive more to get more data from the car but that it's clear that we have to sort out quite a lot of stuff, and this is one part of it."
He is confident that designer Nick Wirth will have resolved the wing problem by tomorrow.
"Nick is quite hard on the safety side of it," Glock said. "He wants to have a car that is really solid and has no problems in it. Sure the front wing is a point we have to work on now because that was not expected, but I don't have any doubts. There shouldn't be any stuff but we don't know. It should be okay."
Glock admitted that the loss of mileage was not ideal, with Virgin also having sat out much of Wednesday's session as it waited for new parts and then the rain to ease.
"Tomorrow hopefully it's going to be dry again, but it's a bit of a shame when you have not enough days of testing and you lose a complete day," he said. "For a new team, that's difficult. But that's how it is and it should go better tomorrow."

Q & A with Timo Glock
By Edd Straw Thursday, February 11th 2010, 18:10 GMT
Virgin Racing's Formula 1 debut has got off to a tricky start, with rain and the late arrival of parts limiting its mileage on day one at Jerez, and then a front wing breakage halting Timo Glock early today.
But Glock has remain bullish about the situation - telling the gathered press, including AUTOSPORT, that he accepted teething troubles would be inevitable when he signed for a start-up team.
Q. What happened today?
Timo Glock: We had a problem with the front wing unfortunately, and in the end when they analysed it we couldn't run anymore as they had to get the new parts overnight. We will have it tomorrow morning. Unfortunately one of the days without rain and we couldn't run and get any data.
Q. Was the wing not properly fixed on?
TG: It was properly fixed but it didn't work like we expected.
Q. Is it being modified now?
TG: Yeah. But overall I think that's part of being in a new team, and we have to take it like it is and try to get as much running as possible. Tomorrow hopefully it's going to be dry again, but it's a bit of a shame when you have not enough days of testing and you lose a complete day. For a new team, that's difficult. But that's how it is and it should go better tomorrow.
Q. Were problems like this something you expected when you decided to join a new team?
TG: Yeah. For me it was. I said already at the launch that we will have problems which no one knows so far. This is normal. We have to sort it out as quick as possible and it's good that we have it at the test. Sure, it would be better to drive more to get more data from the car but that it's clear that we have to sort out quite a lot of stuff, and this is one part of it.
Q. How does Virgin compare to your previous team? What is the main difference compared to Toyota?
TG: What is the main difference? Toyota had just really, really big resources, and maybe you could fix problems like this a bit quicker. But the point is we have a lot of clever people here and they know what they're doing. Maybe we are just a bit limited in terms of production, [compared to] as quick as the big teams can do it. That's a bit of a limiting factor. The other teams just open the door and get a new part out, and we have to produce a lot of new parts at the moment, and that makes life a bit difficult.
Q. How was the car handling?
TG: I can't say much at the moment. This morning some corners were still wet. It doesn't feel bad, but for sure we will not be fighting for the top five or top ten at the beginning, but it does feel okay. We have to just sort it out. We don't have any proper set-up at the moment. We were just starting to fine-tune ride heights and things like this. There is no real feeling. The numbers from that run were what we expected and look good, so that's positive, but you have to have a proper run to really get a feeling.
Q. Were you anxious before the car ran for the first time?
TG: No, I mean you have some mixed feelings when you run the first time, like we did in the shakedown at Silverstone. But I felt quite quickly that it was doing exactly what it should do. That's positive. It's good. That's what I'm looking forward to this season, really seeing the effect of how we develop the car.
Q. Were you afraid when the wing broke?
TG: No. Sure, you think at the first moment, 'oooh, what's going on?' But it's part of the process.
Q. This is the first chance you've had to see how the team works at the track. Are you pleased so far?
TG: Yeah. From the engineering side they do a really, really good job I would say. The mechanics are flat-out. They had to work 24 hours on the first day and they prepared the car really, really well. There is still fine-tuning because the people are new to working together, but on all sides communication is coming quickly.
How we sort out problems is the right way to do it - we go straight into the problem, find it, and find a solution for it really quickly. It's straightforward, let's say.
Q. Are the crew all new to F1?
TG: I know quite a lot of people. Of the engineers, Dave Greenwood came from Renault, Mark Hutchinson worked for Red Bull. I know them quite well.
Q. Anyone from Toyota?
TG: No. I have to say I still don't know all 600 people from Toyota, so maybe there is someone from Toyota, but I don't think so...
Q. Is it still a boost that Virgin was able to be here and the other new teams weren't?
TG: That's a positive sign, and makes me more confident in my decision. Because there were two other options that could have been the wrong one. The point is that's positive for us.
Unfortunately we couldn't really use the test where we were ahead of the other teams, especially Lotus, but it's positive that they planned over 10 months to bring the car to Silverstone on Friday to do a shakedown, and got it on that day and got everything together. I think that's a big target that they had, and they achieved it, and that's already a big step. Now we have to do the next steps, which are even harder I think.
Q. Are you comfortable in the car yet?
TG: Yep, we sorted it out already on the Silverstone Stowe circuit where we did the shakedown. Here we just have some fine-tuning to do, but not much. That's already positive. If you jump in the car and straightaway your seat and everything is right, you get good feedback from the car.
Q. Does it look like a normal F1 car from inside? Is it what you're used to?
TG: It's quite similar. Sure there are some points on the car that are different to the Toyota, and it doesn't matter which Formula 1 car you jump in - they feel different and give different feedback. But it's nothing strange or different compared to the others.
Q. The design is impressive...
TG: Should it look different?
Q. Pictures of the Lotus suggests the Virgin has more detail... were you impressed?
TG: I saw it already a couple of months ago when I was over the first time, and a lot of computer simulations were already there. I saw how far they were, and it looked quite impressive already.
I think for Bahrain there will be quite a lot of updates. This is just the baseline. There is nothing magic on here. It's a normal front wing, nothing really special on it. But there are some points on the car where I think it's quite aggressive. Some good ideas.
Q. Do you have a target lap time for Jerez based on your simulations?
TG: No, the target now is to do as many miles as possible. We are not here to try to get the quickest time possible.
Q. But will you try?
TG: It doesn't matter what fuel level you have - everyone has maybe a higher level or a lower level and you see it on the lap times. It's clear that we will be maybe 2s off the pace or even more. The others have developed over the winter time.
I would like to have it that we come here with a new team and be straight on the pace, but it's not the case. Formula 1 is really difficult and we know that. But we have a plan and we'll follow that and try to develop as quick as possible.
Q. Was everything okay apart from the wing today?
TG: Yep. No problems. The gearbox was working really well. No cooling problems or stuff like that. Brakes were okay as well.
Q. Are you confident that when the car comes back out tomorrow everything will be fine, or are you thinking about other problems?
TG: I don't think so. [Designer] Nick [Wirth] is quite hard on the safety side of it. He wants to have a car that is really solid and has no problems in it. Sure the front wing is a point we have to work on now because that was not expected, but I don't have any doubts. There shouldn't be any stuff but we don't know. It should be okay.

Virgin faces further test delay
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 12th 2010, 08:16 GMT
Virgin Racing will now sit out Friday morning's testing action at Jerez in Spain, while it completes modifications to its car's front wing following yesterday's failure.
The team was forced to cut short its running on Thursday when the front wing of Timo Glock's car came off after he had completed just 11 laps of dry running.
With the team not wishing to take any risks, it is flying out new parts to strengthen the front wing to ensure that there will be no repeat.
But those parts are not expected to arrive at Jerez until Friday lunchtime - which means Lucas di Grassi will have to wait until this afternoon to get his first taste of the car.
Virgin Racing has had a baptism of fire during its debut F1 test.
Its VR-01 completed just a handful of laps on the first day because it did not want to risk an accident in the wet conditions, before Glock managed just 11 laps on the second day prior to the wing problem.
Glock's best lap during his brief outing was more than seven seconds slower than the next best car. Missing Friday morning's session could also result in the team losing out on the best track conditions, with rain forecast for Jerez later on.

Virgin frustrated by lack of mileage
By Steven English Friday, February 12th 2010, 17:15 GMT
Virgin technical director Nick Wirth has admitted the team's frustration at not being able add any significant testing mileage to its car today.
The VR-01 had to park after just 11 laps at Jerez yesterday due to a lack of spare parts after its front wing mounting broke.
It then had to sit out the morning's running today while modifications were made and brought to the circuit, then rain this afternoon limited Lucas di Grassi to only eight laps.
"Once again, despite working round the clock to remedy yesterday's problem, we not only missed the opportunity for dry running this morning, but it was so wet this afternoon that we lost a lot of running when we were finally able to get going," said Wirth.
"This was particularly annoying given the great efforts to design and manufacture new parts, R&D test them and get them out to the circuit within a 24-hour period."
Wirth is hopeful that di Grassi will be able to complete a full test programme at Jerez tomorrow.
"the harder you work, the luckier you get and with the hours we are putting in at the moment we are all hoping that our fortunes will change soon.
"The drivers remain positive, the data we are gathering is as expected and we're all keeping our heads down and just getting on with what we need to do at this early stage in our development."

Di Grassi: Wing issue is resolved
By Edd Straw Friday, February 12th 2010, 18:31 GMT
Lucas di Grassi is confident that Virgin Racing has solved the front wing-mounting issue which has forced the team to miss significant running at Jerez after the problem did not repeat itself today.
The Virgin VR-01 lost its front wing with Timo Glock at the wheel on Thursday, and the team was forced to modify the design of its mounting and manufacturer new parts.
All of the required parts had arrived by the middle of the day, and di Grassi was able to take to the track in late afternoon.
"The weather is not helping us, with rain forecast for tomorrow," he said. "But we hope that everything goes according to plan and we are able to do more mileage tomorrow."

Gascoyne doubts all-CFD design
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 12th 2010, 20:23 GMT
Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne says he is sceptical about the chances of a team being successful in Formula 1 using only computer simulations to design its car.
On the back of a big focus on Virgin Racing's difficult start to testing at Jerez in Spain this week, Gascoyne has joined design genius Adrian Newey in claiming that the use of wind tunnels remains vital in F1.
Virgin Racing's new VR-01 is the first modern era F1 car to have been designed without the use of wind tunnel - with technical head Nick Wirth having just used Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Speaking about the CFD tactic, Gascoyne said: "I think it is an integral part, but it is not a complete part."
When asked about his reaction to Newey's comments, Gascoyne said: "Well, I think he is one of the best aerodynamicists in F1. I used to be an aerodynamicist, and my PhD was in CFD, and I think I would kind of agree with him.
"You look at BMW when Albert II was announced as one of the world's biggest supercomputers dedicated just to their CFD. If you look at Enstone, they built their environmentally-friendly CFD centre with a huge computing resource. I don't think these guys are idiots, and they also have wind tunnels.
"I know Bob Bell at Renault very well, he is a clever guy who gave me my first job in F1 and he is a trained aerodynamicist - and I think he thinks you need a wind tunnel. I think CFD is a very exciting technology and it is advancing, but is it an absolute? I don't think there are many people who think it is."

Di Grassi relieved to get good mileage
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Saturday, February 13th 2010, 17:15 GMT
Lucas di Grassi believes Virgin now has a good baseline to work from after finally completing some worthwhile testing mileage at Jerez today - but he warned that the team still has a long way to go.
Niggling problems, the late arrival of parts, a front wing breakage and the changeable weather meant Virgin managed few laps during the first three of the four test days. However today di Grassi had a trouble-free run, achieving 63 laps, with a best time of 1m22.912s, 3.3s off the pacesetting Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.
"It was very important for us to have a baseline to start working on the car," di Grassi told AUTOSPORT. "Today finally with the weather and with everything in place, we were able to do some running and have a baseline to start work for the next test."
He said he was carrying a representative fuel load when he set his best time, but that the team's embryonic status and his own rustiness meant it was not a true measure of what the car could do.
"I don't think we are the lightest car on the sheet and we are not the heaviest," said di Grassi.
"The last two years I've driven an F1 car for two and a half days, so I need to improve my driving, get more used to this new car - it has different feedback to what I was used to - and the same for the car, there's a lot of room for improvement in every aspect of the car. But as a baseline now we can start working on each of these aspects."
The Brazilian is confident that the VR-01 has fundamentally good potential once the team is up to speed.
"I think the most important thing with the car is that there is no chronic problem," di Grassi said. "There is no project mistake or anything. The car is doing well. It's behaving as a Formula 1 car, and now we just need to improve its performance and reliability."

Q & A with Lucas di Grassi
By Edd Straw Saturday, February 13th 2010, 17:17 GMT
Virgin Racing's first public test was a fraught experience, with the weather and various issues - most notably Thursday's front wing breakage - preventing the VR-01 from completing many laps during the first three days at Jerez.
But today Lucas di Grassi was finally able to start putting some miles on his new car, completing 63 laps in total. Afterwards he talked to AUTOSPORT about Virgin's progress.
Q. You got some good mileage today, are you happy?
Lucas di Grassi: Yeah, much better. As we discussed yesterday, it was very important for us to have a baseline to start working on the car. Today finally with the weather and with everything in place, we were able to do some running and have a baseline to start work for the next test.
Q. Are you at the point you wanted to be at the end of this test? Do you know you can go to the next test with everything working now?
LDG: I think the weather didn't help - we had two and a half days of rain out of four - and I think we would have wanted to do more dry mileage, but as we are a new team with a completely new car for this test, I think ending up with these 63 laps today was a good achievement. At least now we have two days to sit down, calmly analyse all the data we've got from today, and also the engineers can try to find a way of improving the car performance.
Q. You set a solid time today, what level of fuel were you carrying?
LDG: It was okay. I don't think we are the lightest car on the sheet and we are not the heaviest. The last two years I've driven an F1 car for two and a half days, so I need to improve my driving, get more used to this new car - it has different feedback to what I was used to - and the same for the car, there's a lot of room for improvement in every aspect of the car. But as a baseline now we can start working on each of these aspects.
Q. Is the car's handling fairly predictable?
LDG: I think the most important thing with the car is that there is no chronic problem. There is no project mistake or anything. The car is doing well. It's behaving as a Formula 1 car, and now we just need to improve its performance and reliability.
Q. What was your programme today? Could you work on the set-up, or was it still really an installation test?
LDG: We started the day actually with no reference from any other test, or we started from scratch. We were trying to find a direction for where to work with the car. We haven't gone through many things. The important thing was really to do some important reliability tests, and I think for the next test now we can start thinking about performance, set-up and other things.
Q. Do you now feel you can put in a respectable performance in Bahrain?
LDG: Yeah, if you consider that the other guys have been doing this for 20 years and they've had at least six days of testing - they had three days at Valencia last week plus four days here. And this is our first day with a car we started building eight months ago. I think we have a lot of room for improvement in Bahrain in many areas.
So I was very pleased with what I felt of the car today, and also the feedback from the engineers and how the team worked - it's a new team, some people are used to F1, some are not. Now the team is starting to get together and everything is starting to be more fluid and things are starting to work better. So I'll quite happy with this first run for our car and definitely things are going to get better for Bahrain.

Funding woe costs Parente Virgin role
Thursday, February 18th 2010, 10:32 GMT
Alvaro Parente has lost his test driver role with the Virgin Racing team after the Tourism Institute of Portugal backed out of a sponsorship deal.
The 2005 British Formula 3 champion was announced as one of Virgin's two reserve drivers at the end of last year, but says that the deal fell apart and left him without a budget to race in 2010.
"After agreeing to everything they fell off and didn't commit," Parente told this week's AUTOSPORT magazine. "It was already very late, so I am a bit in the s***.
"I'm just trying to get something sorted for this year but I have no budget now, so it's crazy."
Almost 2000 Portuguese fans have signed a petition protesting against the sponsor's decision.
With a lack of funding putting another season of GP2 beyond reach, Parente said that he was exploring possibilities elsewhere.
"I have some propositions to do some GT Open races, and we've had some contact with Superleague," he said. "Nothing is confirmed. But it wasn't what I wanted. Formula 1 was always the main objective, so we'll see what happens."

Virgin: Reliability problems are solved
By Steven English and Mark Glendenning Thursday, February 18th 2010, 18:20 GMT
Virgin Racing has overcome the reliability issues that hampered its running early in the Jerez test, according to the team's technical director Nick Wirth.
Timo Glock had only done 26 laps in the car before today, due to last week's front wing mounting issue and the hydraulics glitch which limited the German to just 10 laps yesterday.
But with the car running well today, Glock managed 72 laps and set the eighth fastest time, albeit in changeable conditions he was quicker than Vitantonio Liuzzi, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastien Buemi and Heikki Kovalainen.
When asked about the mileage clocked up today, Wirth told AUTOSPORT: "We needed it. Yesterday was a real challenge, the problems we had were tricky, not ones we had experienced before and it just required a lot of thinking.
"We eventually found the problem, but too late to get going. There was a lot of work last night to fix that problem and get everything ready for today - try and regroup and have a good day today.
"Timo had a very frustrating week last week, so it was nice to finally get him in. He seems to enjoy driving the car; he's got a big smile on his face today. The whole team, everybody put in a continuous effort and it's nice to finally see that rewarded. I just wish the poor guy could get some dry laps."
Although hoping for some dry running, Wirth is not concerned that the amount of wet testing will leave Virgin unprepared for the opening race in Bahrain.
"We are finding and fixing problems, we're not stopping because of the weather," he said. "We had another issue today and pretty much every issue we've had has fallen into the category of 'happy issues', which are problems that are not fundamental, but are new problems that we did not understand when we got into this project. It's just about fault-fixing, and we're all in the same boat."

Q & A with Nick Wirth
By Mark Glendenning Thursday, February 18th 2010, 18:23 GMT
Timo Glock managed 72 laps in the Virgin VR-01 today and was eighth out of 12 on the timesheet - a significant achievement for the new team, which has struggled with reliability problems throughout testing at Jerez so far.
Virgin technical director Nick Wirth gave AUTOSPORT his feedback at the end of Thursday's action.
Q. It's been a long night but it looks as though it paid off because you got some decent miles today?
Nick Wirth: We needed it. Yesterday was a real challenge. The problems we had were tricky, not ones we had experienced before and it just required a lot of thinking. We eventually found the problem, but too late to get going. There was a lot of work last night to fix that problem and get everything ready for today - try and regroup and have a good day today.
Q. Was this a hydraulic problem?
NW: Yeah this was a hydraulic problem yesterday. We know the car is fundamentally sound. Timo [Glock] had a very frustrating week last week, so it was nice to finally get him in, albeit in challenging conditions. He seems to enjoy driving the car; he's got a big smile on his face today. The whole team, everybody put in a continuous effort and it's nice to finally see that rewarded.
Our longest run so far was longer than a grand prix distance, so we found new problems, but it's all about problem solving at this time of year. We found those, fixed them, it's an exciting and challenging engineering process.
Q. So at the moment it's just about putting miles on the car, it's not about chasing set-ups?
NW: Yeah, with this weather it's just impossible [to chase set-ups]. We tried some experimental parts today, which will be part of our on-going aerodynamic upgrades, and it was really satisfying to see them come in and perform as per expectations. It's great validation for us and good confidence for the drivers to say 'here are some new parts and this is what they do' and they do it. It says 'perhaps this CFD lark will work!' It was a really good day, tiring, but we're looking forward to continuing on this odyssey we're on.
Q. Has Timo had enough time in the car to give you some feedback?
NW: Very much so. I just wish the poor guy could get some dry laps, but his time will come - he's patient. He's been an absolutely fantastic addition to the team - his experience, his talent and he's a joy to work with. He's given some very positive comments and we know what areas we need to improve, we knew them some time ago, and we're just working along. Rome wasn't built in a day. We're not experienced in building Formula 1 cars, we got our eye in with sportscars but this is a bit different. But it's engineering, it's fun and we're enjoying the challenge.
Q. What's the plan for tomorrow?
NW: As best I know we're swapping to Lucas [di Grassi], hoping for some nice weather and just carry on.
Q. Are you concerned about running out of dry days before Bahrain comes around?
NW: We are finding and fixing problems, we're not stopping because of the weather. We had another issue today and pretty much every issue we've had has fallen into the category of 'happy issues', which are problems that are not fundamental, but are new problems that we did not understand when we got into this project. It's just about fault-fixing, and we're all in the same boat.
It's interesting how parallel the challenge is to sportscars, particularly to the Acura LMP1 car. We went through misery and then stuck the thing on pole and won eight out of 10 races, nine out of 10 poles, lack of sleep!
Q. How are things going as far as getting the Wirth side and the Manor side to gel?
NW: Perfect, no problem, we're all one team with regard to this project. It's very exciting to be testing and working toward our Le Mans package with our partners HPD on that programme. We're testing simultaneously in Portugal with a new sportscar, so it's quite a challenge but it's an exciting time and the integration is very good.

Wirth admits Virgin behind schedule
By Matt Beer Sunday, February 21st 2010, 12:30 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth has admitted that the persistent hydraulic problems his team suffered at Jerez this week have delayed its test programme.
Wirth said the intention had been to bring aerodynamic developments to Barcelona next week, but with Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock only able to complete 144 laps between them over the past four days at Jerez, Virgin will now have to keep focusing on reliability work in the final test.
"It has been a character-building week, that's for sure," said Wirth. "Despite our best efforts to cure the hydraulic problem which has beset our entire test, this was simply not achievable with the components that we had available in the field.
"The specific problem is that we have been losing hydraulic oil at a rate which has limited the number of laps we can achieve on each run and so we look forward to receiving updated parts for the Barcelona test, which we expect to fully resolve the problem.
"Having said that, we will now need to continue focusing on reliability work when we would have liked to introduce our Bahrain-specification aerodynamic updates. The revised programme means we will be reserving our full set of aero warpaint for the first race."
But Wirth added that while the test delays were a blow, he was very optimistic about the VR-01's pace.
"On a positive note, despite these issues, we have actually completed a lot of good race preparation work and it is satisfying to see the car's potential with minimum set-up changes or development, bearing in mind that we have consistently run with a healthy amount of fuel," he said.
"Indeed, none of our lap times have been achieved with anything close to qualifying fuel and therefore we are not letting the frustrations in one specific area overshadow what has generally been an encouraging start to our development programme."

Soucek joins Virgin as reserve driver
By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 23rd 2010, 09:03 GMT
Formula 2 champion Andy Soucek has joined the Virgin Racing team as its reserve driver for the 2010 season, it was announced on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Spaniard replaces Portuguese Alvaro Parente, whose deal with Virgin fell through after losing one of his sponsors.
Soucek had been actively working on a deal to secure an F1 seat, the Spaniard being linked previously with a move to the Campos Meta team.
"I am thrilled to be joining Virgin Racing," said Soucek. "This role offers me a great opportunity to prepare myself for the Formula 1 environment, which is naturally where my longer-term ambitions lie.
"I look forward to learning from Timo and Lucas as well as soaking up as much information as possible from engineering meetings and time on the simulator.
"I would like to thank John Booth and Nick Wirth in particular for the faith they have shown in me at this stage in my career.
"It is exciting and very motivating to be part of a new structure in such a challenging sport and I hope that my experience can contribute a great deal to the development of the car and team in order to help us progress as quickly as possible."
Soucek will attend the upcoming Barcelona test and will be standing by to deputise for race drivers Timo Glock or Lucas di Grassi if required.
"We are delighted to welcome Andy Soucek to Virgin Racing," said team principal John Booth. "He had a very good season in Formula 2 last year and a positive F1 test with Williams. He is certainly someone we have been keeping a close eye on as we believe he has a great deal of potential.
"We expect him to be a real asset to our development programme with the VR-01 and at the same time he provides the experience we need should he be required to deputise for one of the race drivers at short notice.
"We are pleased to have finalised our driver line-up and we look forward to having Andy alongside us in Barcelona later this week so he can spend some valuable familiarisation time with the team."

Soucek confident he will drive soon
By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 23rd 2010, 14:53 GMT
Andy Soucek is confident he will get to drive the Virgin VR01 very soon after signing a contract to be the new team's reserve driver.
The Formula 2 champion has joined Virgin Racing after Portuguese Alvaro Parente, originally expected to take that position, lost one of his backers.
Although Soucek will be working with the team in the upcoming Barcelona test, Virgin suggested the Spaniard is only going to work outside of the car.
Despite that, and the Barcelona test being the last one before the start of the season, Soucek is hopeful he will get some running soon.
"I am not 100% sure yet but it will be very soon," said Soucek, who tested for Williams at the end of last year as a prize for winning the F2 title. "I will be with the team in Barcelona later this week and I cannot wait to get my first experience in the car.
"Having previously tested with Toyota and more recently with Williams it will be fantastic to drive another Formula 1 car.
"I am excited to see and feel how the car behaves and then hopefully I will be able to assist the team in developing the car further. Coming into a team that is new on the grid is very exciting as you really feel that you can make a difference."
With in-season testing banned, test drivers are unlikely to get much running unless the teams use them during Friday practice sessions.
Soucek still believes his work with the team will be valuable both for the squad and for himself.
"It feels great," he added. "I couldn't quite believe it even as I was signing the contract. To have joined a Formula 1 team and knowing that I could be competing in Grands Prix if I am required is a fantastic feeling. It will be a difficult job, but I know that I will learn a lot in preparation for racing in F1.
"One of the key aspects that excited me about this project is that I will be heavily involved with the team from the outset.
"I will get to use the simulator, I will be at every test and Grand Prix, and I will be in every meeting between the drivers and engineers, so I will be a real member of the team."

Q & A with Andy Soucek
Tuesday, February 23rd 2010, 14:56 GMT
Conducted and provided by Formula 2's press office.
Q. Tell us how you feel having achieved a lifelong ambition to reach Formula 1.
Andy Soucek: "It feels great. I couldn't quite believe it even as I was signing the contract. To have joined a Formula 1 team and knowing that I could be competing in Grands Prix if I am required is a fantastic feeling. It will be a difficult job, but I know that I will learn a lot in preparation for racing in F1.
"One of the key aspects that excited me about this project is that I will be heavily involved with the team from the outset. I will get to use the simulator, I will be at every test and Grand Prix, and I will be in every meeting between the drivers and engineers, so I will be a real member of the team."
Q. How important a role did your championship winning season in F2 play in helping you reach F1?
AS: "Winning the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the prize of a test drive in Formula 1 really helped to raise my profile. I had some good results when I was in GP2, but it was only once I started winning in F2 that things really started to develop.
"Everyone knows that in F2 it is the driver that makes the difference and I feel that my performance last year showed people I was good enough for F1. Of course, the prize was a massive boost as I got to show my abilities in an F1 car in Jerez. This experience went very well, but it would not have been possible if I hadn't succeeded in Formula 2."
Q. What would you say to any talented young drivers who are considering joining F2 and what do you feel are the main benefits of competing in the championship?
AS: "I would recommend Formula 2 to any young driver, and particularly those who do not have the big budgets required to compete in GP2. F2 is a great step towards Formula 1 and it is a great place to learn. People say that it is difficult when you do not work with a team but it means the driver in Formula 2 is responsible for every single detail.
"Of course working with teams during your career is important, but in F2 you have to work extremely hard to achieve the most out of the experience and that is what I think makes Formula 2 so special."
Q. You have been heavily involved in the testing and development of the newly upgraded Williams JPH1B. How has this been going and do you expect to continue in the role?
AS: "Well I am actually testing the car in Barcelona again today, but this could be my last one before the new season. If I am asked to test the F2 car again in the future then I will always want to do it. I have enjoyed being part of the programme and as a driver it is always good to keep clocking up the miles!
"I did a lot of laps yesterday as we are here with Avon testing various new tyre compounds for 2010. Things have been going well over the winter and the improvement in the car has been very impressive. The team is doing a great job and we are still learning all the time.
"In general, I will keep a close eye on the F2 championship this season and will try to attend any races that I can. If there is not a clash with my schedule then it would be great to be at the final round in Valencia to see the new F2 champion crowned."
Q. Moving back to your future in Formula 1 - when do you expect to drive the Virgin Racing VR-01 car for the first time?
AS: "I am not 100% sure yet but it will be very soon. I will be with the team in Barcelona later this week and I cannot wait to get my first experience in the car. Having previously tested with Toyota and more recently with Williams it will be fantastic to drive another Formula 1 car.
"I am excited to see and feel how the car behaves and then hopefully I will be able to assist the team in developing the car further. Coming into a team that is new on the grid is very exciting as you really feel that you can make a difference."

Di Grassi shunt costs Virgin time
Thursday, February 25th 2010, 18:54 GMT
Virgin Racing expects to be back on track on Friday morning after it lost more than half a day's running at Barcelona when rookie Lucas di Grassi crashed at Turn 9.
The new squad is keen for more dry mileage to dial in its new VR-01 chassis in the final pre-season test in Spain this week, but was forced to spend the afternoon pit-bound after the Brazilian's off just prior to the lunch break.
"We are continuing to debug the car hydraulics and making good progress in our understanding of the issue," explained the team's technical director Nick Wirth.
"Unfortunately when we were running some experimental control settings on the car, which were adversely affecting its handling, this caught Lucas out on the entry to turn nine resulting in a spin and contact with the barrier.
"We're going to need to spend the time before tomorrow replacing some broken suspension and wings. We should be back on track tomorrow morning when we hope to really start building up our mileage."
Di Grassi did manage to complete 31 laps before his spin, setting a best time of 1m27.057s, good enough for tenth fastest and 5.4s off Mark Webber's pace-setting 1m21.487s.

Virgin set to test again after shunt
By Glenn Freeman Friday, February 26th 2010, 08:49 GMT
Virgin Racing's first Formula 1 car will return to the track this morning following Lucas di Grassi's crash on Thursday.
The team had spare parts flown in to Spain overnight, and while the VR-01 was not quite ready as testing kicked off at 9am local time, it was reported to be almost ready.
"The guys did an amazing job overnight - the car looks ready to go," di Grassi, who hands driving duties over to Timo Glock for the second day, told AUTOSPORT.
"Independent of the crash itself, the biggest shame was that we lost half a day of mileage, which in a four day test in crucial."
The Brazilian added that there was nothing he could do to prevent the crash, as the car was so difficult to drive while Virgin ran some experimental settings.
"We were trying some different maps in the car, and it ended up being not as predictable as it should," he said. "I wasn't trying to push more, we were just trying something and it caught me out big time in corner nine.
"There was some very unpredictable oversteer which put me in the barriers. If I had exactly the same reaction from the car next time I drive it, there's nothing I can do."

Glock thriving in leadership role
By Steven English and Dieter Rencken Friday, February 26th 2010, 11:19 GMT
Timo Glock is revelling in his position as the senior driver at Virgin Racing and is eager to lead the team's development push.
The 27-year-old German was the junior driver at Toyota for the last two seasons, alongside Jarno Trulli, and says he is now thriving in his role as lead driver of one of Formula 1's new teams, alongside rookie Lucas di Grassi.
"It's a really good opportunity for me and it's good that I can step into a role like this," Glock told AUTOSPORT.
"At Toyota, Jarno, with his experience, was a bit more preferred. Now I feel at home and I have a lot of fun to develop and bring the team forward.
"Sure, there is a little bit of positive pressure. [But] I'm really comfortable in this situation. That's the reason I am looking forward to this year and the future. I hope we can achieve what we all want."
Glock is confident that he can call on his experience in the junior formula, where he led the iSport team to the GP2 title in 2007.
"It's not a big change for me, I just do my work as I did in the past years," he added. "Sure this is Formula 1 but for me my work doesn't change because I did this already in GP2 and in the last years.
"I am really happy that I can develop together with the team and engineers but it is a long and a hard way."

Upgrades will prove CFD, says Glock
By Steven English and Dieter Rencken Friday, February 26th 2010, 11:45 GMT
Timo Glock believes CFD design will not prove itself until Virgin Racing implements a major aerodynamic upgrade onto the VR-01 during this season.
He says the updates the team has made so far have worked as planned, but thinks it will take the success of a significant package before Virgin's windtunnel-free design approach is accepted by the rest of the paddock.
"So far, we haven't had any problems with it," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "We've had some little updates with aero parts that straight on worked, so that's a positive sign. But I think when the big steps are coming, it will be quite interesting to see.
"The way of operating with CFD is just a bit quicker than windtunnel time. A lot of stuff in the windtunnel takes quite a lot of time to make the model and test in the tunnel. That goes much quicker with CFD, but we still have to show people that it is definitely working."
Glock added that he has been impressed with the technology since joining the team, even though it made for a nervous first test drive.
"When I came over to the factory and saw the different way to develop a Formula 1 car it was a really interesting project," he said.
"The first time I jumped in the car at the Silverstone Stowe circuit, in the first moment there was a strange feeling. You know it hasn't been in a wind tunnel, it's just CFD. If the computer was in the wrong setting the car could take off after 200km/h, which it didn't!
"The first feedback was good, the feeling was okay. So it shows the way of CFD is working. It's a completely different mentality of working and developing the car than by a windtunnel. In terms of driving the car, I didn't feel any difference."

Q & A with Timo Glock
By Dieter Rencken Friday, February 26th 2010, 11:46 GMT
Virgin Racing suffered more delays to its testing time on the first day at Barcelona on Thursday after Lucas di Grassi crashed the car just before lunch.
The break gave Timo Glock the chance to sit down with AUTOSPORT and talk about life at the new team, his new role as a team leader and his impression of the much talked about CFD-only car design.
Q. From the team with arguably the biggest budget to what they say is the smallest. Tell me about the change.
Timo Glock: For me personally it didn't change much, I'm really happy at the moment to be at Virgin Racing. We had a lot of problems at the first test which I think is normal for a new team. But overall I am happy to be here.
It's definitely a change from Toyota to Virgin, we are much smaller at Virgin but this can be a positive thing. At the moment with all the problems we had at Jerez it's better to have big resources so you can fix problems quicker. But this is our first year so the expectations are quite low.
Q. There are five teams with Cosworth engines. Do you see it as your challenge to be the first of them?
TG: It will be difficult to be stronger than Williams in the first year. Our aim is to be the best of the new teams. That's the first goal. If we could be in front of Williams at the middle of the year or the end of the year it would be great, but I think this is still a bit far away.
Q. At Toyota you were the inexperienced driver in a big team. Now you are the experienced driver in a small team. How have you developed to handle the responsibility of leadership?
TG: For the moment it's a really good opportunity for me. It's good that I can step into a role like this. At Toyota, Jarno with experience was a bit more preferred. Now I feel at home and I have a lot of fun to develop and bring the team forward. It's not a big change for me, I just do my work as I did in the past years.
Sure this is Formula 1 but for me my work doesn't change because I did this already in GP2 and in the last years. I am really happy that I can develop together with the team and engineers but it is a long and a hard way. Jarno is as well in a new team at Lotus so he is in a similar situation.
Q. Do you feel additional responsibility on you?
TG: Sure, there is a little bit of a positive pressure. I'm really comfortable in that situation at the moment with it. I'm happy with it. That's the reason I am looking forward to this year and the future. I hope we can achieve what we all want.
Q. Last year after Suzuka you sat out the remaining races. Did you ever fear that you would not return to Formula 1?
TG: No, not really. I had a lot of good opportunities after Singapore. I was not really worried. Sure, if you have to cancel the last two races it's tough. It's not very nice. But I had good opportunities and I didn't have a strange feeling over the winter or anything.
Q. At Toyota you had the two biggest wind tunnels, here you have just CFD. How do you find the difference with this car?
TG: When I came over to the factory and I saw the different way to develop a Formula 1 car it was a really interesting project. The first time I jumped in the car at the Silverstone Stowe circuit, in the first moment there was a strange feeling. You know it hasn't been in a wind tunnel, it's just CFD. If the computer was in the wrong setting the car could take off after 200km/h, which it didn't!
The first feedback was good, the feeling was okay. So it shows the way of CFD is working. It's a completely different mentality of working and developing the car than by a wind tunnel.
Q. At BMW you had a car that was partially CFD and partly wind tunnel, Toyota was mostly wind tunnel, here it is all CFD. Can you see any differences or similarities between them?
TG: In terms of driving the car, I didn't feel any difference however it was done. The way of operating with CFD is just a bit quicker than wind tunnel time. I know a lot of stuff in the wind tunnel takes quite a lot of time to make the model, test in the tunnel. It goes much quicker with CFD. But we still have to show people that it is definitely working.
So far we haven't had any problems with it, we've had some little updates with aero parts of the car that straight on worked. So that's a positive sign. But when the big steps are coming I think it will be quite interesting to see.
Q. Your relationship with Lucas, you raced against him in GP2, what is that like?
TG: It's good. From the first moment when we spent some time in England together and did a lot of work in the simulator it was pretty good. He has a lot of experience from Renault and I think as a team we work quite well together.
Q. And your relationship with the rest of the team?
TG: Very good. We have a lot of fun. I don't know why but I feel quite happy with English guys. I was already at iSport in GP2. I am really happy here, good people, a lot of experience. Even in the hard times like we had at Jerez everyone has still the motivation and is working as hard as possible.
Q. There is a problem with the car again, some form of technical issue. Does that worry you as the season gets closer?
TG: It was clear that we would not have a smooth running in the winter tests and it would be quite difficult for the first race maybe. We had to wait again for some parts for the car. But this is the normal procedure for a new team. It is a bit frustrating sometimes for everyone if you can't do the plan like you want to do it. But we have to go through that and the better times will come.

Branson: Ferrari criticism is 'sad'
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, February 27th 2010, 09:28 GMT
Richard Branson has labelled Ferrari's attack on Formula 1's new teams as 'sad', and thinks the Italian outfit should be welcoming fresh competition rather than be unhappy about it.
A column on Ferrari's website this week attacked the push by former FIA president Max Mosley to bring new teams into the sport because of the struggles that US F1 and Campos Meta had faced.
It claimed Mosley's 'holy war' had been a failure and reckoned that F1 would have been better off keeping manufacturers like BMW and Toyota involved.
Branson, whose Virgin Racing team is one of four new outfits that won an entry for this season, is clearly unimpressed by the stance adopted by Ferrari - especially because proposed rules breaks that would have helped new outfits were blocked by the established teams.
"I think that it is a bit sad to see Ferrari carrying on with those kinds of words," said Branson during a visit to testing at Barcelona on Saturday.
"F1 needs new teams, and Ferrari won the battle of making sure the new teams were shackled. For testing, we built a new car and we are going to have to have exactly the same amount of practice time as Brawn or Ferrari or the others, who have had years and years and years to get their cars to a certain stage.
"We are not complaining about it, and we are happy to go on with it, but Ferrari should be welcoming new teams because they [the new teams] make the sport much more exciting. And we will make them look better for a year or two until we catch them up. Ultimately, I think the new teams will give Ferrari a run for their money and I think will make the sport more exciting – particularly as the budgets come down to more realistic levels."
Branson also believes that the move by manufacturer teams that blocked the FIA's plans to put a budget cap in place for this season was wrong.
"I think it was a pity that they were resistant and I think it is foolish actually," he said. "I think the one thing the Virgin team will prove is that you can have a really good racing team, running very fast, within a very tight budget. There is no need to do massively expensive windtunnel testing, or all the other things that they do to get the extra second or two."
Although the VR-01 has had a troubled baptism, with hydraulic problems and a wing failure blighting early running, Branson is not unhappy with the state his team is in.
"We are tremendously excited," he said. "We love supporting the underdogs in every area that we are in. This is one of the new teams. The new teams eight or nine months ago were going to be given a few breaks here and there in order to give them a bit of a leg up – as it is they have been told that they have to come into the race with exactly the same rules as the teams that have been going for 20, 30 or 40 years.
"So it is going to be tough for them – as it is literally having to start from scratch. But that is what we at Virgin like – we like a challenge. We've got the best people in the world to work with and it is going to be very, very exciting."
He added: "By the start of the season I think the gap between the new teams and the old teams will be less. Give it a year or two – you cannot just build a new team from scratch and immediately start beating Ferrari that has spent £400 million on a car – whereas Virgin has spent less than £40 million.
"That is the budget that all the teams were meant to spend this year but then at the last minute changed the rules to spend the same kinds of monies that they have been spending for years. So, the budgets are a lot less but they are going to be tremendous cars. There will be a race among the new owners and then in time the new owners will start picking off some of the established teams."
When asked about his target for the year, he said: "If this year we can beat the other new teams that will be a great start. If we can take one or two of the established teams occasionally that will be fun, and then next year we will go a little bit better and start moving forward.
"Once the budgets for the established teams comes down to the £40 million that Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA have said they must come down to – then we will see a much more equal playing field."

Q & A with Richard Branson
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, February 27th 2010, 09:34 GMT
Virgin boss Richard Branson dropped in at the Catalunya test this morning to see his new Formula 1 team in action for the first time.
AUTOSPORT was there to hear his thoughts on progress so far - and on Ferrari's criticism of F1's newcomers.
Q. This is the first time you have seen the new VR-01 in the flesh. How are you feeling?
RB: Well, I am actually looking forward to seeing it. I haven't seen it yet, but it is very exciting. I have come down to wish the team well. They have done an absolutely remarkable job in six months to build a car from scratch. And they are gelling fantastically well as a team. The car looks beautiful and they are working hard to ensure that it performs beautifully as well. So it is all looking good.
Q. The clock is clicking down to the start of the season. How are you feeling personally?
RB: We are tremendously excited. We love supporting the underdogs in every area that we are in. This is one of the new teams. The new teams eight or nine months ago were going to be given a few breaks here and there in order to give them a bit of a leg up - [but] as it is they have been told that they have to come into the race with exactly the same rules as the teams that have been going for 20, 30 or 40 years. So it is going to be tough for them - as it is literally having to start from scratch. But that is what we at Virgin like – we like a challenge. We've got the best people in the world to work with and it is going to be very, very exciting.
Q. The Virgin brand is very strong and known for hard work but also fun. How much will that live on in Formula 1?
RB: I don't think we would have got involved if we didn't think we could do that. There is a fun group of people working together to create a great new team and a great new car. I think they have already proved the sceptics wrong, to show that a car can be produced within a budget – a very, very reasonable budget – and it is a very good quality car. This is just the beginning.
Every other car that is on the grid has had literally years and years of input to get a car to that stage. This car has had just over six months input to get to this stage – with no advantages whatsoever. And I think we are going to have a lot of fun proving that it can be done within that kind of budget.
I think it will be interesting – and will show the other F1 teams that they could reduce their budgets to the £40 million cap that was planned for this year but has been delayed. And have just as much fun – you don't need to spend hundreds of millions to have fun. You can do it within a cap of 40 million and people can have just as much fun – and it will be just as exciting out there on the grid.
Q. Speaking of fun, there has been a little bit of a war of words between you and Tony Fernandes. Have you got your air stewardess' outfit ready?
RB: I am going to measure him up today to make sure we get the most fetching outfit for him!
Q. What was your reaction when you see statements like the one from Ferrari belittling the new teams coming into F1?
RB: I think that it is a bit sad to see Ferrari carrying on with those kinds of words. F1 needs new teams, and Ferrari won the battle of making sure the new teams were shackled. For testing, we built a new car and we are going to have to have exactly the same amount of practice time as Brawn or Ferrari or the others, who have had years and years and years to get their cars to a certain stage. We are not complaining about it, and we are happy to go on with it, but Ferrari should be welcoming new teams because they make the sport much more exciting.
And we will make them look better for a year or two until we catch them up. Ultimately, I think the new teams will give Ferrari a run for their money and I think will make the sport more exciting – particularly as the budgets come down to more realistic levels.
Q. When you arrived in F1 last year you talked about the sport needing to be greener, and you were pushing your clean fuel. What is the progress on that? Do you think F1 needs to wake up to the changing approach to the environment?
RB: Yes. I think that it is getting to within a year or so where F1 cars can be run on clean fuels. We've spoken with the powers that be and they have intimated that the second the clean fuels are available for retail, for the public, that they will adopt it in F1. And I think that is a fair compromise. Our own fuel company is rushing to get enough fuel back out into the market place so we can persuade F1 to use it.
Q. You were involved with the championship winning Brawn GP team last year. Why did you choose to leave them and involve yourself with your own team?
RB: It was nowhere near as exciting! I love creating things from scratch, and building new things. Brawn, we won the season and had great fun sponsoring them for the year, but it is far more exciting to start a new team, and grow a new team. It may take two or three years to move up the grid, but it will be very exciting in the process.
Q. But it is true you talked to Ross Brawn and the team about what you could do together?
RB: We are not used to writing out big cheques for successful, established companies. We like to start things from scratch. We have created 200-300 new jobs, we have new technology, a new team with Virgin branding – it is exciting. It is much more exciting that way.
Q. Looking at the pace of the new teams, it seems it could be a struggle as they are four or five seconds slower?
RB: They are brand new teams, and they have only been going six months. They have built cars from scratch, and by the start of the season I think the gap between the new teams and the old teams will be less. Give it a year or two – you cannot just build a new team from scratch and immediately start beating Ferrari that has spent £400 million on a car – whereas Virgin has spent less than £40 million. That is the budget that all the teams were meant to spend this year but then at the last minute [they] changed the rules to spend the same kinds of monies that they have been spending for years.
So, the budgets are a lot less but they are going to be tremendous cars. There will be a race among the new owners and then in time the new owners will start picking off some of the established teams.
Q. So what will be a good year for you then? Have you set a target?
RB: If this year we can beat the other new teams that will be a great start. If we can take one or two of the established teams occasionally that will be fun, and then next year we will go a little bit better and start moving forward. Once the budgets for the established teams comes down to the £40 million that Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA have said they must come down to – then we will see a much more equal playing field.
Q. Did it disappoint you that the established teams were so resistant to the budget cap?
RB: I think it was a pity that they were resistant and I think it is foolish actually. I think the one thing the Virgin team will prove is that you can have a really good racing team, running very fast, within a very tight budget. There is no need to do massively expensive wind tunnel testing, or all the other things that they do to get the extra second or two.
Q. You were part of the Brawn team last year – but will the emotions be different this year?
RB: No. We had tremendous fun with Brawn last year, and we wish them all the best. They are one of the best teams in the world – we have tremendous respect for them. For the time being we will see the back of their car, but one day we might look back at the front of their car. Let's see.

Virgin promises major step for Bahrain
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Saturday, February 27th 2010, 11:47 GMT
Virgin Racing's technical director Nick Wirth has promised a major upgrade on the VR-01 for the Bahrain Grand Prix - and says he is utterly confident that his squad will start as the best of the new teams.
So far in testing Virgin has tended to be faster than fellow newcomer Lotus, while Campos has yet to run its car at all and US F1 is still shrouded in uncertainty.
When asked if he expected Virgin to be the top new team, Wirth replied: "I have no doubt about that! We have clearly got a strong baseline car, we have already seen from our track performance with the very limited running that we have done."
He has high hopes for the new parts that his team is poised to bring to the opening race.
"We have got a fantastic step forward ready for Bahrain," Wirth said.
"We were going to introduce it here [at Catalunya] but the issues we had in Jerez meant we really had to focus on making sure everything is sorted out regarding hydraulics and the things that have slowed us down, so we are going to bring a very interesting step forward in performance for Bahrain, as I am sure many of our competitors will, and then we get into the development during the season."
Although Virgin's testing has been disrupted by some reliability issues, Wirth said the important point was that the car was running as the team expected - despite doubts elsewhere in the paddock about the validity of his all-CFD design approach.
"I guess the most radical aspect of this project is the aerodynamic side and the numbers have come in exactly as we predicted," he said. "The characteristics, the balance, the feeling of the car is as predicted - it is reacting to changes as predicted. So I think we have a fantastic baseline to move forward.
"What has caused us some problems are small design issues, issues with various systems on the car, and with the limited amount of testing we've had, plus the inclement weather we have had in Jerez, that has kind of put us a little bit on the back foot.
"But we are here now, we had a very positive day yesterday in terms of getting these issues we had not slow us down and we are looking forward to the last two days and finishing, getting through the check boxes ready for Bahrain."
He warned not to judge Virgin until it had developed its car through the season.
"At the end of the day, what happens on the track is important," Wirth said. "Hydraulic issues that have slowed us down recently are nothing to do with CFD, they are everything to do with the process of getting the car there.
"The numbers are right, we are happy, and all I would ask if for everyone to judge our performance on where we get to – and particularly our rate of development. We have set our whole programme up to have the best rate of development that we can through the season.
"We saw some of the teams last year start off in a very poor way, and turn their season around and come forward. It is all about the rate of development and we are very excited about what we can deliver in that respect this year."

Virgin still hindered by hydraulic issue
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, February 28th 2010, 18:26 GMT
Virgin Racing is hoping new components will help the team solve the hydraulic leaks that have been hitting the newcomer during pre-season testing.
The team has been unable to get as much running as it was hoping due to continued hydraulic problems in the VR-01 car, both at Jerez last week and at Barcelona in the final test of the pre-season.
Virgin has managed just 159 laps in total over the four days of the Barcelona test.
Technical director Nick Wirth said the team will introduce new parts in the first race of the season in Bahrain, in the hope that it will solve the issues that have hindered its preparations ahead of its first ever grand prix.
"Once again, our running today has been heavily compromised by the re-occurrence of the hydraulic leak," said Wirth. "We have new components designed to fix this issue on their way for the Bahrain race and we're looking forward to putting that particular story behind us.
"Lucas did manage to conduct some productive race work but we leave Barcelona having never run a qualifying simulation or the super soft tyres that all our competitors are likely to have set their times on.
"Now both Virgin Racing and Wirth Research have a busy two weeks preparing both race cars and spares for our debut in Bahrain."

Di Grassi: Virgin is making progress
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 13:38 GMT
Lucas di Grassi is confident that his Virgin Racing team is heading to the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix with a solid baseline to work from - even though it is still lacking ultimate pace.
The VR-01 has had a troubled baptism in testing, suffering from poor reliability and ending last week's Barcelona test more than five seconds off the pace-setting McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.
Despite the hurdles that the team faces, di Grassi believes the team has made progress and can head to Bahrain hopeful of making more progress.
"From day one we improved a lot as expected on reliability and also on performance," di Grassi told AUTOSPORT.
"We found a lot of useful information during these days, although I was expecting to do a little more mileage than I actually did, as before my debut grand prix I wanted to do more than 12 or 1300 kilometres.
"I'm very confident that the car will do well. I have to say thanks for the whole team; they have been working so well and improved as a team. Now, after this test, I can really see everyone on this team pushing 100%, they are working as a complete group now so I am very confident for Bahrain."
Although Virgin Racing struggled with niggling reliability problems throughout the Barcelona test, improvements planned before the first race should help it show better once the racing starts.
"Our main priority, of course [is] to finish the race," continued di Grassi. "Then, with a good performance. We will be able to do so and I'm not worried at all. This will come as a result of our work, especially during these days at Barcelona.
"Performance in Bahrain will be a different issue; Bahrain is a track that consumes a lot of brakes, the setup is very different from here so we have no data to predict how it is going to be. It's going to be difficult for us, but the team is up to it, that is for sure."

Q & A with Lucas di Grassi
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 13:41 GMT
Despite a difficult pre-season for the Virgin Racing team, Lucas di Grassi has been encouraged with the progress made and believes the British squad has a solid base to work with during the year.
AUTOSPORT talked to the Brazilian driver ahead of the first race of the year.
Q. You've made a bit of progress over the weekend and seem to have turned a corner on reliability...
Lucas di Grassi: Yes, definitely. From day one we improved a lot as expected on reliability and also on performance. We found a lot of useful information during these days, although I was expecting to do a little more mileage than I actually did as before my debut grand prix I wanted to do more than 12 or 1300 kilometres.
I'm very confident that the car will do well. I have to say thanks for the whole team; they have been working so well and improved as a team. Now, after this test, I can really see everyone on this team pushing 100%, they are working as a complete group now so I am very confident for Bahrain.
Q. How tough is that weekend going to be in terms of getting to the end of the race?
LdG: That is our main priority, of course to finish the race. Then, with a good performance. We will be able to do so and I'm not worried at all. This will come as a result of our work, especially during these days at Barcelona. Performance in Bahrain will be a different issue; Bahrain is a track that consumes a lot of brakes, the set-up is very different from here so we have no data to predict how it is going to be. It's going to be difficult for us, but the team is up to it, that is for sure.
Q. Do you feel you have got the platform that you wanted to start the season with?
LdG: Now we have a good baseline, we know the areas that we have to improve on the car, we know that we have to improve in many different technical parts of the car. We didn't have so much time to do so because the car has been done in six months and the other teams have been doing them for 40 years!
So our steps will be greater in the beginning of the season, then it gets more difficult as you get closer to the other teams. Since the first time I drove the car, I felt it was a good baseline and now that the reliability problems are fixed we are OK for Bahrain.
Q. Pace-wise are you where you expected to be compared to the established teams?
LdG: For sure, yes. I think we haven't run as fast as we can at the moment. We have a lot of potential to go on. I had to work a lot on different aspects and different performance parts of the car. We are not as advanced as other teams in terms of simulating qualifying and race runs. We did a lot of set-up work, performance work, reliability checks so I think we learned a lot and we have a lot more potential to show than we have shown here in Barcelona.
Q. Have you done enough testing?
LdG: In terms of mileage, it's never enough. If you think you are at the best of your form, I think it's not the right way of thinking about it. I definitely have a baseline to go to Bahrain and do a job but I'm sure I have more potential to explore and I can improve during the season with more experience driving with different fuel loads, driving with different tyre compounds.
So I don't think I've done enough mileage compare to what the other drivers have on their backs. For sure, I will try to be in the car every time possible and use every single second in the car to improve as a driver. I also have a good team-mate who has done a good job in the past, so he is a great person to work with.
Q. What is something really valuable that you have taken out of these days testing?
LdG: Everything is valuable, even when you have a car that is not 100% optimal at its performance level because you are not going to have the car at its best every time during a grand prix. Even the bad aspects of testing, some reliability problems, you can learn from. That's my approach. I'm just trying to improve every single time I'm in the garage, in the car, driving or just watching other cars on track. That's my approach and that's the fastest way to improve as a driver. This is how I am going to take it in Bahrain.

Massa says new teams bad for F1
By Matt Beer Saturday, March 6th 2010, 15:14 GMT
Felipe Massa has hit out at the new teams joining Formula 1 this season, suggesting that their relatively slow pace is bad for the championship and could pose a danger for the frontrunners.
Massa's Ferrari team has been strongly critical of the way the increased F1 entry was handled, and the Brazilian said the newcomers' lack of speed is a concern for him too.
"I hope they won't be a danger," said Massa in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reprinted on Ferrari's website.
"There are six/seven teams one second apart while those teams are four seconds behind. It's not good for the sport and not good for them: it's like two different series.
"They'll suffer. And we'll suffer too, when we have them in front of us during qualifying."
Lotus and Virgin were several seconds off the pace in pre-season testing, but are confident they will get up to speed given time and mileage, while fellow newcomer Hispania will not run until Bahrain next weekend.

McLaren calls for support for new teams
By Jamie O'Leary Tuesday, March 9th 2010, 13:18 GMT
McLaren believes that it is critical that Formula 1's new teams are stabilised as quickly as possible, for the good of the sport.
Following on from the withdrawals of BMW and Toyota at the end of 2009, and US F1's inability to make it to the grid this season, the Woking outfit's managing director Jonathan Neale said that the newcomers, such as Virgin and Lotus, should be welcomed into the fold, rather than disregarded for any lack of experience at the top level.
"As a group we have to be supportive in getting new teams off the ground," Neale told reporters via teleconference. "I respect greatly what the drivers are saying and one or two have raised concerns about it, but I think that's a matter for the FIA.
"We have to try and get as many new teams off the ground and stabilise them as quickly as possible because we need it in view of the disappointing losses Honda, Toyota and BMW [since 2008] is disappointing. I'd like to think that collectively we can achieve that."
Despite voicing his support for the new teams, Neale said that he expected the FIA to keep a close eye on their performances, and particularly that of the Spanish HRT squad, as its car will not turn a wheel until first practice in Bahrain this weekend.
"I wouldn't like to be an MD with a car running for the first time on a GP Friday in terms of the reliability package and how do you dial it in with such limited running and so few tyres," he added.
"I'm sure that the FIA will look very closely at it and if there are big gaps in closing speeds and plenty of red flags, then they'll take the necessary actions. And it's important that they do because we don't want yet more casualties before the start of the season."

Glock frustrated by Virgin problems
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, March 12th 2010, 15:07 GMT
Timo Glock was frustrated after managing just eight laps in Friday's practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
After a difficult pre-season, the new Virgin Racing team continued with its reliability problems in today's first official sessions of the season.
Although the team said new parts had solved the hydraulic issues that hampered its testing, more problems meant both Glock and Lucas di Grassi covered little mileage today.
The German driver admitted the team was in for another long night of work.
"Today hasn't been the start to the weekend that we hoped for," said Glock. "We always knew it was going to be tough but we've had too many technical problems which have prevented me getting track time today.
"We already had two tough nights but we have another one ahead, I'm afraid, to get us to a point where we can feel confident going into the rest of the weekend.
"On the positive side, if we can get on top of the issues we have we'll be in an okay place because with the brief amount of running I have had, I can see that the car isn't bad. I hope we can be ready to get some proper work done tomorrow."
Di Grassi didn't manage to set a time in the opening session, but had a much better afternoon after completing 21 laps.
The Brazilian finished 21st, nearly seven seconds off the pace.
"Although a tough day, we actually had a good session this afternoon and got through a lot of things," di Grassi said. "For me everything is new. I wasn't able to run this morning so the afternoon laps were key to my performance and helping us get started this weekend.
"The mechanics did a great job running the car and everything seems fine so far. Now we just need to work on car performance, which we clearly haven't been able to optimise at the moment."

Glock elated with Virgin's performance
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, March 13th 2010, 14:27 GMT
Timo Glock was elated with the performance of his Virgin Racing team after the German qualified as the best of the newcomers.
"It's great to be the best of the new teams here today and I'm very happy with what we have achieved," said Glock after qualifying in 19th position ahead of the two Lotus drivers.
"This is a team result and a credit to everyone who has worked so hard in really difficult circumstances to get the best out of our first race package.
"To also be just 2.7 seconds away from teams with many more years of experience is even better. We have a big mountain to climb but we go into our debut race having achieved our first target and I think this will give us the momentum we need to keep on pushing.
"It just goes to show we are going in the right direction and all we have to do is focus on overcoming the hurdles we were bound to come across along the way."
Team-mate Lucas di Grassi qualified in 22nd, ahead of the HRT drivers, but nearly a second behind Glock.
The Brazilian, whose weekend has been blighted by problems, was still happy to have managed to take part in his first F1 qualifying.
"First of all I'd like to say a big thanks to the team," said di Grassi. "They have put in so much effort to make this team and today happen for us. For us to be here with a healthy car is fantastic.
"For me it was still the very beginning, I only did three laps in the session this morning due to the issues we had. I'm quite happy to have done my first qualifying in F1. I know there are a lot of opportunities for us and plenty of scope for improvement."

Wirth: Virgin pace justifies CFD
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, March 14th 2010, 15:54 GMT
Virgin Racing's technical director Nick Wirth says his team's performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix justifies its all-CFD design approach.
Virgin was the best of the new teams in qualifying yesterday and was running in front of its direct rivals before both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi were forced to retire.
Di Grassi suffered a hydraulic fitting failure, similar to those that had hindered him during the weekend. Glock was forced to retire after losing his gears.
Wirth admitted the double retirement was disappointing, but he believes the team's approach to not use a wind tunnel has been justified by its performance during the weekend.
"So we leave our first grand prix disappointed that we did not manage to get either car to the finish but at least we haven't had a repeat of any of our winter testing problems," he said.
"Most importantly, we now know that our faith in the all-CFD design approach was justified, as we have demonstrated that we have built a competitive Formula 1 car.
"That is one reward that we can take away from this weekend. Finally, congratulations to Lotus Racing on achieving a two-car finish in their first race.
"It is a fantastic achievement for a new team and I hope we can get Timo and Lucas to the flag in Melbourne in two weeks' time."

Virgin targeting early success
By Jonathan Noble Friday, March 19th 2010, 12:04 GMT
Richard Branson believes Formula 1's move to cut down costs in the next few years will help his Virgin Racing team on a fast track to success.
Although Virgin has started its first season in F1 near the back of the grid, Branson thinks his outfit has every chance of following in the footsteps of Red Bull Racing in becoming frontrunners in a short space of time.
And with F1 teams' budgets all due to be cut to around the £40 million level that Virgin Racing is operating to this year, Branson believes that could be a key factor in helping his outfit move forward quicker.
"It was a five or six year process, but if the rules are stuck to, and everybody comes within the £40 million budget that we are working to this year, then in a couple of years time we will know how to run a team with that money, while other teams will have to come down to that level," said Branson.
"So then things will start equalling out.
"Yes, they [the established teams] will have quite a few more years under their belt but we have quite a few guys here with a lot of experience. So, we are hoping for three to five years, rather than five years. But, who is to know? We have to aim for it."
He added: "We went into this with our eyes completely open. To me it is far more exciting building a team from scratch, than sponsoring a team that had been around for many years. We want to start eating our way up the group.
"Look at Red Bull Racing, and how they got themselves ahead of Ferrari. Hopefully one day Virgin can overtake Red Bull, but you have got to start somewhere."
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth reckons Branson's idea of making swift progress is realistic.
"Yes, I genuinely think so," he explained. "We've got a very ambitious development programme, and I would not want to reveal how many seconds we will put on the car this year. Richard knows and it will be a record if we can achieve it, particularly in the budget.
"People talk about how McLaren sped up last year. We think we can do some fairly impressive things despite this very rigid budget we are working to, and just progress from there."

Q & A with Richard Branson
By Jonathan Noble Friday, March 19th 2010, 12:07 GMT
Twelve months ago, Richard Branson flew out to Melbourne knowing little about Formula 1 other than he was about to become a sponsor for the Brawn GP team.
A year on, having seen his Virgin logos adorn the side of the championship-winning outfit, he is now a team owner and certainly much wiser about the state of grand prix racing.
During a visit to Bahrain last weekend, Branson talked to the media about the progress of his Virgin Racing team, his hopes for the next few years and why he still thinks Ferrari was wrong to criticise the new teams. AUTOSPORT heard what he had to say.
Q. You obviously experienced very different feelings at the first race 12 months ago when you came in with Brawn GP and won the first race. Was there a different feeling in Bahrain seeing your own car on track?
Richard Branson: Yes. It is obviously different, but just as exciting. The challenge that the team set itself was to be number one of the new teams, with a budget that is almost half of the other new teams and a fraction of the price of the big teams. In qualifying, they pulled that off. Considering they have had a few months to get this far, they have done tremendously well. Now they are a proper racing team, which is tremendously exciting.
Q. Is Virgin Racing where you want it to be at this stage?
RB: Yes. I think it is a very, very respectable start. Bahrain was a long track and they were not far off teams that have been around for years. We are talking about 1.5 seconds on a big long track - so I think it is a tremendous start. I am very proud of everybody, and they have worked enormously hard. It is tremendous.
Q. Are you a patient man, because this will be a slow burning project in terms of progress?
RB: Yes. The baby was born in Bahrain, and babies have to develop into children and then adults. We hope it is going to be a quicker process than that. What has been shown is that you can design a car on a fraction of the price that everyone else is paying and have a very respectable start.
Q. There is a big contrast to last year though, isn't there?
RB: We went into this with our eyes completely open. To me it is far more exciting building a team from scratch, than sponsoring a team that had been around for many years. We want to start eating our way up the group. Look at Red Bull Racing, and how they got themselves ahead of Ferrari. Hopefully one day Virgin can overtake Red Bull, but you have got to start somewhere.
Q. You mentioned Red Bull Racing as a benchmark, but this year is their sixth. Doesn't that show how long the process can be?
RB: It was a five or six year process, but if the rules are stuck to, and everybody comes within the £40 million budget that we are working to this year, then in a couple of years time we will know how to run a team with that money, while other teams will have to come down to that level. So then things will start equalling out. Yes, they will have quite a few more years under their belt but we have quite a few guys here with a lot of experience. So, we are hoping for three to five years, rather than five years. But, who is to know? We have to aim for it.
Q. How many races do you plan to attend this year?
RB: I think similar to last year, which was four or five races.
Q. Do you have much say in what is happening at the team? Do you participate much?
RB: I am definitely kept well clear of the engineering and the driving!
Q. In the build-up to the season, there were lots of criticisms aimed at the new teams - that they shouldn't be here and would be limping into the first race. After what we saw on track in Bahrain, do you think those critics have been silenced?
RB: Yes. When Enzo Ferrari started Ferrari, he had to battle to get into the racing - he spent two years trying to get his foot in the door. He struggled like any new boy on the block. So everybody has to start somewhere. I don't think there is any new team that has come in and won on their debut - remember Brawn was Honda with a couple of hundred million dollars! I think Ferrari was mistaken in being as critical as they were.
Q. You seem much more knowledgeable about F1 that you did a year ago?
RB: I was certainly a new boy on the block. The only thing I knew about it was that four days before [Australia 2009] I knew we were going to be involved in F1!

Virgin forced to increase fuel tank size
By Jonathan Noble Friday, March 26th 2010, 03:48 GMT
Virgin Racing has been given permission to change the size of its fuel tank after finding that it cannot hold enough petrol to get it to the end of some races.
With teams having to homologate their chassis this year, the Virgin outfit had to apply to the FIA to be allowed to make the major modifications on reliability grounds.
The team has discovered that the capacity of its tank does not allow it to fill up with enough fuel to comfortably get it through races where consumption is quite heavy.
This could prove to be a particular problem at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, with the Albert Park circuit being one of the most demanding in terms of fuel use.
Nick Wirth, technical director of Virgin Racing, hopes the modifications to the fuel tank can be made by the early stages of the European season - probably around the time of the Turkish Grand Prix.
"We recently applied to the FIA for permission to change the size of the fuel tank on the grounds of reliability and we are pleased that the FIA has granted us this permission," said Wirth
"It has become clear during pre-season testing and our debut race in Bahrain that our fuel tank capacity is marginal and if not addressed there is the possibility that fuel pick-up could become an issue in certain circumstances.
"At the time the design of the tank was locked down in June 2009, its capacity was determined by a number of factors, some of which have since changed, and the tank capacity now needs to be increased accordingly. We thank the FIA for permitting this change, which we expect to introduce in the early part of the European season."

Reliability woes hit Virgin Racing again
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, March 26th 2010, 09:59 GMT
The Virgin Racing team continued to be hindered by reliability problems as the Australian Grand Prix weekend began.
After a difficult season opener in Bahrain in which both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi retired from the race, neither man could get much running in today's practice sessions.
Glock managed 17 laps in total after being hit by a gearbox oil leak in the morning.
Di Grassi, meanwhile, managed a respectable 25 rounds in the morning but failed to set a time in the afternoon.
"With Lucas this morning we had a good session," said technical director Nick Wirth. "The target was to test the car and give Lucas plenty of acclimatisation laps - which we achieved successfully. This afternoon he had a problem with a gearbox oil line which delayed us at the start of the session.
"Once he got going again he was further delayed by a failed real-time telemetry sensor, and as it isn't possible to run the car without it, we had to change it. We tried to get out again before the end of the session, but unfortunately just missed out.
"For Timo the morning was unfortunately dominated by a problem with the gearbox oil system. We managed to solve our issues over the lunch break, but it required a lot of work and caused a delay to the start of his second session. He went out towards the end of the afternoon and was quite happy with the car, considering his lack of running.
"Obviously today was not as smooth as we would have liked but we've made progress since Bahrain so the team will stay focused on the positives."

Trulli: Virgin will be faster for now
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Friday, March 26th 2010, 11:29 GMT
Jarno Trulli has admitted that his Lotus team is not currently quick enough to beat Virgin to the honour of being the fastest newcomer - but is sure it will not be long before his squad moves ahead.
Although Virgin has tended to be slightly faster than Lotus so far in 2010, the latter has enjoyed much better reliability.
Trulli pointed out that Virgin had been given the go-ahead for its Formula 1 project much earlier than Lotus - which did not get its entry until September 2009 - and that Lotus had deliberately concentrated on reliability before chasing performance.
"Virgin has been quick," said Trulli after practice in Melbourne today. "Here it's difficult to judge to be honest, they didn't run much. But in Bahrain they were quicker than us.
"But they have probably focused more on the performance rather than reliability. We personally think we need to fix reliability, then we can work on the performance.
"Also they had much more time to work on their car during the winter time than we did on ours. They started their Formula 1 project much, much earlier than ours.
"So we can't really compare the performance at the moment. Even though we're very close, I think they might again have the edge on us in pure performance. But we're very confident we can get ahead very soon."
Today's revelation that Virgin cannot finish races at full speed until it brings a new chassis with a larger fuel tank means Lotus is near certain to beat its rival in the races for now, but Trulli said it was still important to out-qualify Virgin too.
"We always want to try to beat them, so for sure it was disappointing to be behind by just a tenth in Bahrain," he said. "But we'll try again here and maybe this track will suit our car better."

Glock frustrated by Virgin reliability
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, March 27th 2010, 03:25 GMT
Timo Glock has admitted that his Virgin Racing team is struggling to get on top of the reliability issues that have dogged the early part of its season.
With hydraulic problems having hits its winter testing, and further reliability struggles hampering its preparations in both Bahrain and Australia, Glock has expressed some frustrations about the difficulties his outfit is facing.
"There was trouble with the gearbox again," said Glock about losing track time on Friday in Melbourne. "We thought we had it under control, but another problem came up straight away in the morning - and in P2 too."
When asked if he had noticed any improvement in the reliability issues over the weeks since the car first hit the track at Jerez in February, Glock said: "No. At the moment we are at the same level we had at the tests.
"I thought it had improved...but if we can run only 10 laps then that does not help us."
Glock also believes that even more pre-season testing would not have helped matters – in the wake of suggestions from Bruno Senna that the new outfits should have been allowed more track time in the winter.
"We started testing quite late and the car was not ready before February," he said. "I think there would not have been more time for more testing, and you need time to sort out the problems - so it would have been quite tight before the first race.
"It would have been good in the European season to do some tests in-between, but we signed up for F1 and there is no extra space for us where we can go testing. It is like it is, but we will see."

Branson calm over fuel tank error
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, March 27th 2010, 06:15 GMT
Richard Branson says he remains wholly committed to his Virgin Racing Formula 1 team, and the staff behind it, despite the outfit's fuel tank error.
Virgin Racing has had to apply to the FIA to be allowed to make modifications to its chassis so it can fit a larger fuel tank - after discovering that it might not hold enough fuel to allow it to finish all races.
Although the error has proved an embarrassment for the team, Branson thinks the situation will have no negative impact on his company's image - and has revealed there will be no financial consequence as Virgin's supplier is paying for the modifications.
"I think all of us around this table know that he [Nick Wirth] has managed to get a car that is the fastest of the new cars, but there is an issue here that is going to take a few races to fix," said Branson at the Australian Grand Prix.
"It will actually give the car some time to have some practice time – because the new cars were given so little practice time. Over the next five races we will learn more and more about the car.
"It also hasn't cost us anything. I read one or two articles saying it had cost us a lot of money, but it is not going to cost us a thing. It will be the supplier whose issue it is who has agreed to redesign it, so it won't cost the team anything.
"Obviously, we would rather it hadn't happened, but these things happen and it is F1. It is the birth of a new team and even the most experienced teams have issues, even the most experienced car companies have issues."
When asked if the affair was damaging to the Virgin name, Branson said: "I don't think so. The Virgin name is synonymous with experimentation and trying things.
"People, when we first tried to cross the Atlantic in a boat, people said that if the boat sinks then it will reflect badly on the Virgin companies. Well the boat did sink, and we came back and were successful the next time.
"I think the Virgin brand has been a challenging underdog brand throughout its history and it will continue to do so. In the end we will get it right, but there are going to be teething problems on the way."
Branson sees no reason why the team needs to change its target to be the best of the new outfits this season after its frustrating start to the year.
"We are still hoping to be the best of the new teams – and we are obviously going to be more challenged," he said. "If we can get this problem resolved, and we don't have an hydraulic problem and we don't have a gearbox problem, then we know we have a fast car.
"A few things need to start going our way. It will also be interesting to see how all the teams perform."

Q & A with Richard Branson
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, March 27th 2010, 06:26 GMT
Virgin Racing has endured a very difficult start to life in Formula 1, with reliability problems hitting the team in basically every single session.
Added to that, the new outfit has been forced to redesign its fuel tank in order to make sure it can reach the end during races. But Virgin boss Richard Branson remains calm and believes it's all part of the learning process.
AUTOSPORT heard from Branson ahead of qualifying for the Australian GP.
Q. So what was your first reaction when you were told about the fuel tank problem?
Richard Branson: F*** me! We knew that the car was designed to push the barriers to the limits, and I also knew that we had six months to pull this car together - and that there were going to be teething problems. I think you will find that there are a number of cars that are challenged in this area, but we had to go to the FIA because of the particular redesign that we have had to do.
From what I am told, there are a number of teams that, because it is a new system, they may have to back off a limit bit on occasions. I may be wrong, and it may just be ourselves, but that is what I am told. And some of the other teams can tweak their fuel situation, whereas we have got to have a new one.
I think that we will be able to put in a good performance with the fuel tank that we've got, and we certainly should be able to complete the race. But that is not to say we won't have other problems, since the car is a brand new car. Anyway, not a perfect situation but it is part of the challenges of building a team from scratch. If Toyota can have problems, then a brand new company can also have some teething problems.
Q. So you are slightly more relaxed about it than some other teams may have been. A team like Ferrari may have given someone the boot for such a schoolboy error?
RB: I don't think it is a schoolboy error actually. I've seen transcripts of Ferrari and others talking about fuel tanks in the [FIA] press conference, and I think it is clear that getting it absolutely right – where you are trying to optimise speed and weight, and the balloon shape fuel box, is not easy. Particularly if you are a brand new team.
I think all of us around this table know that he [Nick Wirth] has managed to get a car that is the fastest of the new cars, but there is an issue here that is going to take a few races to fix. It will actually give the car some time to have some practice time – because the new cars were given so little practice time. Over the next five races we will learn more and more about the car.
It also hasn't cost us anything. I read one or two articles saying it had cost us a lot of money, but it is not going to cost us a thing. It will be the supplier whose issue it is who has agreed to redesign it, so it won't cost the team anything. Obviously, we would rather it hadn't happened, but these things happen and it is F1. It is the birth of a new team and even the most experienced teams have issues, even the most experienced car companies have issues.
Q. You had the front wing failure in the first test, the ongoing hydraulic problems and now the fuel tank issue. Were you expecting a less frustrating start to this new team adventure?
RB: As I said the first day, we expected to be the underdog team for a number of years. We are starting from the back of the pack and we will go onwards and upwards – and at least there is only one way to go!
Was I expecting it? It is Formula 1, and if the new teams could come in, build a car from scratch and get it all right then the sport would be too easy. There has got to be some teething problems. It is a really complicated sport, and getting the balance right between speed and reliability takes time and practice. I've been in balloons that have been technologically attempting to be the first to cross the Atlantic, or the first around the world. And generally speaking we ended up in the water on our first attempts. Almost always, there was a technological problem that went wrong on the first attempt. Our first boat in which we were trying to cross the Atlantic in sank, and with the second we broke the record. We just have to accept that it is a challenging sport and there will be challenging issues.
Q. Do heads roll as a consequence though?
RB: Of course not. Some articles have slightly oversimplified it as saying, how much fuel do we want – so let's build a fuel tank like this. There is a lot more to an F1 car than that. What you want it to do is maximise speed and get the fuel tank just right. It could be that we are still just right, but to play safe the team has gone to the FIA for dispensation. We think other teams are on the edge, but you can ask them.
Q. Does this affair not damage the Virgin name as a whole?
RB: I don't think so. The Virgin name is synonymous with experimentation and trying things. People, when we first tried to cross the Atlantic in a boat, people said that if the boat sinks then it will reflect badly on the Virgin companies. Well the boat did sink, and we came back and were successful the next time. I think the Virgin brand has been a challenging underdog brand throughout its history and it will continue to do so. In the end we will get it right, but there are going to be teething problems on the way.
Q. One year ago you arrived in Melbourne and won immediately. Now you are struggling so much...
RB: We've gone from first to last. I've always accepted that that was the likely scenario. I've always said that we would like to be the fastest of the new teams, and there is still a long season to go. And I am hoping still that Tony Fernandes does not come and measure me up – although he has probably got his tape measure ready. We will see how the season goes. But we are going to have a lot of fun from here, and part of the fun is the challenge of overcoming difficulties. This is a little difficulty that will be overcome.
Q. One perspective of this is that Nick has said the regulations changed from the time he designed the car to what you have now. This is a long problem F1 has had – is there any frustration about that?
RB: He wanted to get the car bedded down as early as possible – and managed to do that. Subsequently a few things shifted that changed the horizon, so if you built the car in the last few months you had an advantage on this issue than if you had built it six months ago. That is the swings and roundabouts of the sport – we are not frustrated with the sport as a result.
Q. Did you get anywhere near buying Brawn GP?
RB: Yes. But we didn't. There was a stage where we came very close, I think. But it didn't happen.
Q. Would it have been a bit of a bargain?
RB: We had the bargain of the lifetime last year, so we are not complaining. And I never look back – I like to look forward. We are going to enjoy the process of building a new team, with all the ups and downs that go with building a new team.
Q. In the short time the team has been around, what impact has it had on the Virgin brand?
RB: We have had lots of coverage, and I think most of the public who follow this sport realise that it is a tough sport, and Virgin has taken on a tough challenge. We could have written out a big cheque to continue sponsoring a team like Brawn, or we get involved in starting a new team which, I think, ultimately is more exciting. To build our way from the back and move forward, rather than be third or fourth in the championship as Brawn GP is. We are happy to take on this challenge.
Q. Does this make you modify your ambitions for the championship?
RB: We are still hoping to be the best of the new teams – and we are obviously going to be more challenged. If we can get this problem resolved, and we don't have an hydraulic problem and we don't have a gearbox problem, then we know we have a fast car. A few things need to start going our way. It will also be interesting to see how all the teams perform.
Q. You say you want to go from the bottom of the top, but what if it doesn't happen. Do you have a timeframe of when you need to do that by?
RB: I hope that Virgin will be on the car for a long time to come. We are not the owner of the team, so it would not be for us to decide – but we are very involved, and we want to stay involved. We are enjoying it.
Q. The Virgin brand is young and exciting, but F1 was criticised after Bahrain for being boring. How does that affect you?
RB: Personally, there were some exciting moments in Bahrain – for us when Timo overtook Lotus that was exciting. And other people would have had their good moments. I have always said that the more we can make the sport [more exciting], with more overtaking places, and bring the teams' budgets in line - remember that our budget is £40 million against some of the other teams' £250-300 million – the better the sport will be. But I think the billion people who watch the sport don't seem to find it boring. You are the guys who write on it, but I am not sure the public necessarily agree with you.

Pitlane start for Virgin drivers
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, March 28th 2010, 03:29 GMT
Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock will start from the pitlane for the Australian Grand Prix after Virgin Racing opted to replace parts on its cars after qualifying.
Virgin has encountered further reliability problems over the Melbourne weekend, with qualifying blighted by fuel pick-up issues that forced the teams to run heavier fuel loads than would be ideal for single-lap pace.
In a bid to try and overcome the problem, Virgin replaced fuel collectors on both cars.
Although the changes were allowed by the FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer, the parts are different from the original specification and the team has opted to make modifications to the set-up of the suspension. That means the two drivers will be required to start from the pitlane.
The requirement to start from the pitlane does at least mean Glock and di Grassi will be able to start the race with their fuel tanks filled to the brim rather than using up some of their marginal capacity by driving around to the grid.
Glock was also given a five-place penalty for opening up his gearbox.

Wirth to pay for Virgin car changes
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, March 31st 2010, 11:01 GMT
Virgin's technical director Nick Wirth says his Wirth Research company will pay for the changes needed to solve the fuel consumption issues suffered by the team.
Virgin has been forced to work to increase the size of its cars' fuel tanks after it discovered that the capacity is not enough to reach the end of the races comfortably.
Wirth Research is working on new monocoques that are expected to be introduced once the European season kicks off in Barcelona. That means the team still has to race in Malaysia and China with the problem.
Wirth said it was down to his company to supply Virgin with a car that can reach the end, so it will not be charging the team for the new parts.
"The chassis supplier is us. Nothing to do with engine supplier or fuel supplier. What that means is that we are fixing it for the team. We are not charging the team," Wirth told AUTOSPORT.
"It's our responsibility to provide cars that can finish a grand prix. It's down to us."
Virgin was also hindered by fuel pick-up issues at the Australian Grand Prix, something that meant the team had to go out in qualifying with a lot more fuel than usually required.
Wirth made it clear the problems were not related to the team.
"It's us. It's not a team issue, it's us," Wirth added. "We are not doing a very good job at the moment, particularly in qualifying, of picking up all the fuel.
"We are at liberty to carry on doing that [using heavy fuel loads]. That doesn't affect the volume of fuel. But what we are saying is that even if we could pick up every last drop, which we can't at the moment, we've got an issue."
He said Virgin could make it to the end of races using sportscars techniques, but admitted he was not willing to do it.
"There are techniques that we learned from sportscars, but that's not racing. We want to race," he said.

Q & A with Nick Wirth
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, March 31st 2010, 11:05 GMT
It has been a challenging start to life in Formula 1 for Virgin, which has not only been hit by reliability issues, but has to modify its cars to increase its fuel tank capacity.
Technical director Nick Wirth explained the team's problems to AUTOSPORT.
Q. What is this fuel tank issue about?
Nick Wirth: We are not here to make the numbers up, we never were here to make the numbers up. We are pushing the boundaries in all the areas. Because of our schedule we had to lock the monocoque down on the 22nd of June, which was 12 days after we got our entry. We had to commit to the services and go into manufacturing.
And there's basically a few main issues which determine how much fuel you have to carry in a race car. First one is sporting regulations. The second thing is the technical regulations. The third thing how much fuel our engine uses. And the fourth thing is the type of fuel you are using. And basically we are pushing the boundaries, but the problem is when the boundaries move it makes life a bit difficult. And three of those boundaries changed for us between when we designed the car and where we are now.
First of all, the sporting regulations were not fixed when we designed this car. The last time they used to go to the grid and do a race like this you could top up on the grid. And so when the sporting regulations became clear that they weren't going to do, we had made that assumption. We had made the assumption that you could do that. Second assumption was the technical regulations, and the technical regulations for us had a change which affected our fuel capacity.
The technical regulations changed in October because they introduced a new test for the seat-back bulkhead. So basically we have a new front impact test where they do those and we had to be sure that we passed that, so we nibbled into the space we had, which affected us.
But the engine fuel consumption, compared to the figures that we designed the car to, compared to what we have now, are the same. None of the information that Cosworth gave at the time compared to what we are using now, they have not changed that at all. It's nothing to do with the information Cosworth provided us.
But the final big one was that we had been led to believe that we were going to have a high density fuel, and that option disappeared at the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, which was the middle of October. So when we designed the car in June, the density of the fuel changed by a very significant factor. There was a different type of fuel available to us via the Cosworth deal, and that changed for us. It changed for everyone, but at each of those points we chose not to, or could not react.
The bottom line is that the engine is under continuous development. Cosworth, up to the homologation point, tried to improve the fuel economy, and we rolled the dice. And until we really saw it under racing conditions in Bahrain what the fuel consumption was, how bad things were, etcetera, etcetera, unfortunately it turned out to be exactly what they said it would be, and when you take all these other factors in, it was just too marginal. It's just that simple. You can say what you want. That's where we are.
Q. You said the supplier has taken full responsibility for this.
NW: The chassis supplier is us. Nothing to do with engine supplier or fuel supplier. I was talking about chassis supplier. What that means is that we are fixing it for the team. We are not charging the team.
Q. So are you also picking up the tab for the new monocoque?
NW: Yeah. It's our responsibility to provide cars that can finish a grand prix. It's down to us.
Q. So this only came to light during the race in Bahrain?
NW: We went in knowing, but you have to see it.
Q. And there's a fuel pick-up problem that's related to it?
NW: No, that's a another thing. In our efforts to try and maximise what fuel we had available to us we've had some issues. We are trying to pick up every single drop. Unfortunately one of those things went wrong, so we had to go back to an older spec and this meant we had to carry a lot of extra fuel. So we've got problem after problem. It's a new team. Well, not as much a new team, but a new manufacturer to Formula 1.
It's us. It's not a team issue, it's us. We are not doing a very good job at the moment, particularly in qualifying, of picking up all the fuel. We are at liberty to carry on doing that. That doesn't affect the volume of fuel. But what we are saying is that even if we could pick up every last drop, which we can't at the moment, we've got an issue.
Q. Can you wind the things down to finish?
NW: We can't do that, because all of our calculations were done on the leanest mode.
Q. So you can't finish a race until the problem is solved?
NW: There are techniques that we learned from sportscars, but that's not racing. We want to race.
Q. So for Turkey you'll have new pieces?
NW: Barcelona. We are working on it.
Q. What about the hydraulic issues?
NW: No, hydraulics are fine. We haven't had any hydraulic issues [in Australia]. In Bahrain we had one specific issue and we haven't had any problems. Zero.
Q. Is it frustrating that the car seems to have potential pace-wise?
NW: Yeah. We could have qualified ahead of our main competitor if we not for the fuel load. That's pretty frustrating. But that's why I'm actually quite calm.
Q. So the hydraulics are fine?
NW: For the avoidance of doubt, the fundamental problem that we've had with hydraulics over the winter we cured by Bahrain. And then we had a new problem in Bahrain, where a part was incorrectly manufactured and it was on Luca's car, and we kept blowing an oil ring out.
And only when got it back to the UK we could examine it properly and found the part was incorrectly made and it's been fixed. In Bahrain we had an specific problem which is not the same as anything over the winter, and in Australia we've had zero problems with hydraulics and we don't expect any problems with hydraulics.
Q. How many laps under the safety car would you need to finish?
NW: We could do, limp home, with none. It wouldn't be pretty but we could do it.
Q. Is Australia particularly hard on fuel?
NW: Yes. This one, Barcelona, Spa. Spa is terrible, lots of drag.
Q. And Malaysia?
NW: It's better. Clearly, the problem is, particularly for a new team... If there's a variable, you normally give yourself a margin. But on this car you go as wide as you can, you go as high as you can, and trust me, we have. It gets to a point where you start going longer and longer and longer, and for us, the issue is weight. Honestly it's just about weight, because we have not got the budget to make super expensive, super light-weight stuff. We don't have the experience either.
Next year with the same budget we ought to do a better job. For example, we did the best job we could on the uprights, but we know we are heavy on the uprights, but for the team is great because the uprights last a year. You don't use them for 200kms and then throw them away. They are sportscar uprights.
It's easy to have hindsight, but when one of these things came through, like the sporting regulations change, and we were face with difficult things, and the hardest one of all was the fuel. When that fuel density came through it was three weeks before our crash test. So it's like 'what do we do? Do we put ourselves on the back foot now? Could we get away with it?'. Anyway, it is what it is.
Q. But what changed on the fuel density side? Was it purely a change of supplier? What happened to your original supplier?
NW: I don't want to go there.
Q. Is this supplier still active in the paddock?
NW: I don't want to go there. It was a package and it's not available now. I just have to deal with what affects me.

Wirth praises Virgin's step forward
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, April 3rd 2010, 11:23 GMT
Virgin's technical director Nick Wirth praised the team's step forward after Timo Glock qualified in 15th position for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Today has been a great day for everyone involved in Virgin Racing - a clear step forward for the team," said Wirth, whose team had never made it to Q2 before.
"Despite still not running qualifying fuel loads, it was nice to again demonstrate the underlying potential of this car and its unique design process," added the Briton, referring to his cars still running with more fuel than necessary to work around its fuel pick-up issues.
"Timo continued to demonstrate our potential in Q1 and whilst some of our more experienced competitors elected to stay in the garage at the optimum time, Timo made it through to Q2.
"The Q2 session was tricky. We were running with all our weather prediction services warning us of an imminent downpour, so unfortunately we ran our last set of Intermediates a little bit early, which costs us a place. Looking at our times from earlier today though, that won't matter in the race."
Glock was also very pleased with his day's performance.
"It's been a very good weekend for us so far," he said. "We've had no real problems with the car and we've been able to do proper work during every session. Qualifying went quite smoothly considering the rain at the start of the session.
"It was critical to get out on time and my lap in Q1 was really good, getting me into Q2. It was good to see us do a better job than some of the top teams and as a result they will be starting behind us. Q2 wasn't perfect though as we came in too early and that cost us the place against Heikki.
"In general though we have to be happy with what we have achieved today. It's great for the team and there is now a lot of motivation for tomorrow. It looks like it could be a crazy race tomorrow, so we have to stay focused - and stay on the track - and we'll see how it all ends."
Team-mate Lucas di Grassi, on the other hand, was unable to escape trouble and qualified at the bottom of the grid.
"Once more some problems affected us today and we had to rebuild parts of the car between practice and qualifying," di Grassi said. "It was touch and go whether we would even get the car out at all for qualy, but the mechanics did an incredible job and because of that we were able to do at least a couple of laps to make sure the car was working well.
"While it has been a disappointing day for me personally, it has been a good day for the team so we all have to be pleased for that. We look forward to the race tomorrow and hope that brings better things, including achieving our target of finishing our first race."

Glock: Virgin quicker than Lotus
By Edd Straw and Steven English Saturday, April 3rd 2010, 13:03 GMT
Timo Glock reckons Virgin Racing has had the better of Lotus so far this weekend in the battle of the new teams.
Heikki Kovalainen qualified 15th for Lotus with Glock 16th in his Virgin, but Glock believes he was compromised by not taking a new set of intermediate tyres in the final minutes of Q2.
He was also carrying an extra 30kg of fuel because of Virgin's fuel pick-up problems.
Other than that, the German says Virgin has had a strong weekend and is well placed to challenge Lotus as the best of Formula 1's new teams in the race.
"The whole weekend has been positive for us so far, there have been no problems with the car and set-up wise we have gone in the right direction," Glock told AUTOSPORT.
"In qualifying, everything went quite smoothly for us. I had a really good lap in Q1 on the intermediates while the others waited a bit too long I think.
"In Q2 I was a bit disappointed with the tyres, they didn't work like they should have done and I think we made the wrong call to not come in at the end.
"Heikki came in two laps before the end to put on a new set of inters and just stepped in front of us. Otherwise I think we've been a step quicker than Lotus over the weekend."
Glock added that he expects Virgin's progress to continue when the European leg of the season begins at Barcelona next month.
"We know where the problems are and we are sorting them out step by step," he said. "Barcelona will be another step for us, we will be better in reliability and in speed.
"We still have to watch out for Lotus, I think they will bring a big aerodynamic upgrade, like every other team is doing. But this is the next step for us, to see how that works."

Di Grassi buoyed by maiden race finish
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, April 4th 2010, 11:58 GMT
Lucas di Grassi says his Malaysian Grand Prix performance showed the competitiveness of the Virgin Racing team after achieving the squad's first race finish.
The Brazilian saw the chequered flag for the first time this year after finishing in 14th position, three laps behind race winner Sebastian Vettel.
Di Grassi was the highest-placed driver in a car from a new team, and the Virgin racer was buoyed by the result.
"It was a very tough race today - physically and mentally - but I'm so happy to bring the Virgin Racing car home to the finish," said di Grassi.
"We were well ahead of the other new teams, which meant that we could afford to ease off a little to make sure nothing got in the way of our result today. It has been a long wait and we've had some tough times in the past few months, but we know that we're making progress and we can go on to achieve better things.
"Today showed that we are truly competitive and it's a great feeling that our fight has really started now."
Team-mate Timo Glock retired from the race after making contact with the Lotus of Jarno Trulli, the German conceding the incident had been his fault.
"I had a pretty good start and the first laps were quite fun with a lot of fights going on," he said. "I dropped behind Jarno and in general I was quite a lot quicker than him. I tried to overtake but locked the rears and for some reason the anti-stall didn't kick in.
"Unfortunately I hit Jarno and it was my mistake. But it's great that Lucas finished the race, and ahead of Lotus, which is good for the team. I hope that in the next race we can get both cars to the finish."

Virgin targets major step at Barcelona
By Steven English and Edd Straw Sunday, April 4th 2010, 13:32 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth was delighted to see one of his cars finish highest of the new teams' entries in the Malaysian Grand Prix, but reckons the team will take an even bigger step forward in Spain next month.
Lucas di Grassi overcame his reliability problems on Saturday to finish 14th, ahead of both HRT cars and both Lotuses, although Timo Glock retired in the other Virgin.
"It was great," said Wirth. "All those issues we've had - hydraulics, gearbox - were under control. Very happy to finally get the thing over the line and get that monkey off our backs.
"It's been a good weekend, much better, and we'll build from here - it's a good platform. We think we can put some more things on the car for Shanghai, but then we're really looking forward to Barcelona and being able to race and qualify properly.
"We're hoping to bring some new aerodynamic parts for Barcelona – the car will look quite different. I hope all goes well with the new monocoque."
Wirth added that it was especially rewarding to prove his doubters wrong with Virgin's first finish of the year.
"A lot of sceptics were saying can we do it, can we build a car this way? If you look at our performance through the weekend, it was pretty satisfying."
He is looking forward to continue Virgin's battle with Lotus to be the best of the new teams and says things are looking positive in his camp.
"They [Lotus] are concentrating on their stuff, we're concentrating on ours. Clearly, they're bringing performance as fast as they can. We're not, because we're concentrating on reliability.
"It looks like it's going to be a great season. After all the pain and agony we've been through in the winter, for the staff, the sponsors, the investors and everyone in Virgin Racing, it's really satisfying."

Only one upgraded Virgin for Spain
By Jonathan Noble Monday, May 3rd 2010, 11:32 GMT
Virgin Racing will only have one of its upgraded cars ready for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, with plans to lengthen the fuel tanks on both cars wrecked by the recent volcano-caused travel chaos.
With the team having realised that the fuel tank on its VR-01 was not large enough to get it comfortably through all races, designer Wirth Research had embarked on a revamp plan to lengthen the cars for the Barcelona event.
However, with the team having faced delays in getting its race cars back from the Chinese Grand Prix because of the volcanic ash cloud, the team has been unable to modify both its chassis in time.
With only one car ready, the team has elected to give the modified version to its more experienced driver Timo Glock.
Technical director Nick Wirth said: "Having worked tirelessly to prepare the new car for the race, including its successful rehomologation, it is a bitter pill to swallow that we are unable to complete the second car due to the 'volcanic delays'.
"Running two fundamentally different specification cars at Barcelona will certainly challenge the team, but as the reliability fixes apply to both specifications, we'll keep our heads down and focus solely on getting both cars to the chequered flag."
Glock admitted that the challenge the team faced in operating cars to different specifications would be a tough one this weekend.
"The last few weeks haven't exactly gone according to plan thanks to the Icelandic volcano, but what this has enabled us to do is draw a line under the disappointment of Shanghai and focus on better things ahead," he said. "We have taken a good hard look at the first four races and now have a very clear picture of where things have gone well for us and where we need to improve.
"It's a shame that we couldn't bring two new modified chassis to Spain, because we would have had two sets of data to work from, but we will work with what we have and hope that it brings the kind of results we are hoping for."
Di Grassi added: "Though I'm disappointed that I will be driving the previous specification chassis, as we didn't have enough time to modify two cars, I hope with all the work we've been doing to make our race weekends go more smoothly we can have a positive European debut."

Virgin drivers get five-place penalties
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, May 8th 2010, 09:52 GMT
Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi will both be given five-place grid penalties at the Spanish Grand Prix after their Virgin Racing team failed to notify the FIA about its intended gear ratios in time.
F1 teams are supposed to notify the FIA's technical delegate about the gear ratios that the team will be using for the rest of the weekend within two hours of the end of Friday's free practice session.
Virgin Racing failed to do that, which is a breach of the sport's technical regulations.
The race stewards issued a statement on Saturday morning stating that both Glock and di Grassi would be handed five place grid penalties.

Branson committed to backing Virgin
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, May 15th 2010, 11:44 GMT
Richard Branson sees every reason why he will continue to support Virgin Racing over the long haul, despite the troubles it faced earlier in the season.
On the back of reliability dramas and the team's failure to fit a fuel tank big enough to finish some races, questions had emerged about whether Branson would lose his interest in the outfit.
But with Virgin Racing having delivered its first two-car finish in Spain, and Branson encouraged by the fact the team continues to sign new sponsors, he is upbeat about his continued involvement.
"If they continue the kind of progress we've made to date, we will be delighted and will continue to support it, and there's no reason why it shouldn't," said Branson in Monaco on Saturday.
"There will be technical problems, but even the teams who are spending £300million on their cars have technical problems. We went into this with our eyes open and we plan to stick with it as long as they get other sponsors on board as well, which they are managing to do."
Branson still thinks he made the right choice in opting to put his name on to the new outfit, rather than continue a straight sponsorship deal with Brawn GP.
"It is just as much fun being the new boy on the block as being out and winning," he explained. "It is a different kind of experience. If we had stuck with Brawn for another year we would have been $50 million worse off and then not winning, so only one team can win.
"Supporting a team and building a new team from scratch is very exciting, and you get different kinds of excitement. It was incredibly pleasing to see both cars finish last week, and if you look at the history of this sport to get two cars to the finish after four or five races is pretty good going. So a challenging start, but just as exciting."
Branson also rubbished talk from Bernie Ecclestone was referring to Virgin when he suggested one of the new outfits might not finish the season.
"I'm surprised Bernie has said that," said Branson. "He might know something about the other teams that I don't. But this Virgin will go all the way to the end of the season, and hopefully for many seasons yet."

Di Grassi gets revised Virgin for Turkey
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Sunday, May 16th 2010, 08:03 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth has confirmed that Lucas di Grassi will run the team's revised car from the Turkish Grand Prix onwards.
The Brazilian rookie has been left with the original design as transport delays caused by last month's volcanic ash crisis left Virgin unable to prepare two of its new cars for Spain, where Timo Glock gave the upgraded chassis its debut.
The revised car has a wheelbase 135mm longer than the original, and addresses the fuel tank size issue that hampered Virgin in the early races.
"We were really pleased with its debut," Wirth told AUTOSPORT. "Obviously very, very disappointed for Lucas that events conspired to prevent us getting that car done, but it was down to timing and we were about two or three days out when the freight came back so we couldn't do it.
"I'm glad that this weekend is going to be the last race with the old spec."
Wirth believes the team has not yet shown the full potential of its new car.
"The new car in Barcelona spec was about half a second quicker than the old car, and there are a few issues we were having with the new car there," he said.
"One was that it was slightly overweight, which we've addressed somewhat here. The other thing was that we had some specific issues with the braking system on that car, so I don't think we really saw in qualifying what the car was capable of doing, but I think we saw it in the race.
"I was pleasantly surprised at the race-long battle that we had with the much-vaunted Lotus upgrade."

Di Grassi changes engine for race
By Matt Beer Sunday, May 30th 2010, 10:11 GMT
Virgin has changed the Cosworth engine in Lucas di Grassi's car ahead of today's Turkish Grand Prix.
As the new V8 is within the eight allowed before a penalty is incurred, di Grassi will be able to start from the 23rd place he achieved in qualifying yesterday rather than being put right to the back.
The Brazilian had complained of a lack of power in qualifying, where he was 1.2 seconds behind team-mate Timo Glock and beaten by Hispania's Bruno Senna.
"Despite the improvements that we made to the car set-up overnight, today has been very frustrating for me as we had an issue with the engine," said di Grassi.
"Timo was able to demonstrate the true potential of the package and so it was disappointing for me to end up so far away because of the problem."
Virgin's technical director Nick Wirth was confident that di Grassi would have been on Glock's pace - and ahead of both Hispanias - had his engine functioned correctly.
"The power loss from this engine is the sole reason that Lucas is so far behind Timo and having discussed the issue with Cosworth we have no other option but to change the engine for the race," Wirth said.

Glock pins hopes on Silverstone upgrade
By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken Monday, June 21st 2010, 14:26 GMT
Timo Glock hopes that the upgrade that Virgin Racing has scheduled for the British Grand Prix is big enough to help renew belief in the team's ambitions to finish as the best of the new outfits this year.
After a difficult opening part to the campaign, dogged by reliability problems and dramas surrounding the team's fuel tank, Virgin has delivered some more encouraging performances in recent races - but is still some way off the opposition.
Glock himself believes that the development rate needs to be ramped up - with hopes high about the package of upgrades scheduled for the British GP.
"We've made a step in the right direction but we still need more," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "I hope we make a big step in Silverstone, where a new upgrade comes - and we will see what is possible then.
"But we have to develop more the car. The car is far too heavy, and mechanically and aerodynamically we are just not where we should be.
"For sure the first three months of the year cost us a lot of development time with all the updates we had. The updates are now coming, but they are little steps and we need more. That is where we have to improve.
"Mechanically the car is really, really bad over bumps and we have to improve. We don't have the spec like the others, or what I had at Toyota, and that would bring us a good step in the right direction."
When asked what timeframe he believed it would take for Virgin to score a point on pure merit, Glock said: "In a real race, we are far away. At the moment, if we get a magic upgrade for Silverstone which we need then maybe, but realistically not."
Glock said one of the positives of Virgin Racing is the Cosworth engine - which he says he has been impressed with.
"I have to say I was quite surprised by the Cosworth engine," he said. "In terms of power it is pretty good, and I am quite happy with it."

Wirth: Glock can beat Lotus on pace
By Simon Strang Sunday, July 11th 2010, 10:48 GMT
Virgin technical director Nick Wirth believes that Timo Glock can fight with Lotus for top new-team finish in today's British Grand Prix based purely on pace, following a successful introduction of a significant upgrade to the VR-01.
The German driver qualified three tenths behind Heikki Kovalainen, to go second fastest of the new teams and take 18th on the grid.
But Wirth reckons that due to problems earlier in the weekend, it was not possible for Glock to get the most out of the new package which includes a new front wing assembly, rear wing, rear brake duct, rear diffuser, new underbody and new bodywork aero parts.
"We definitely didn't [get the maximum]," he told AUTOSPORT. "Fundamentally because he had an annoying oil leak on Friday. Issues cost him a lot of track time.
"But it was a really great result. We've had our public knocks this year, but we know what we are capable of doing. We've taken on a massive challenge, keeping all the budgets balanced and focusing on reliability. Meanwhile, the aero team has gone about their task, which is really challenging.
"There has been a bigger, bigger disconnect between what we know we could achieve as a company and the results on the track. This was the perfect opportunity to address that."
Wirth added that the second of the team's two recent big updates has pushed the team even further ahead than was expected.
"If you say this is what is going to happen, then you have to deliver," he said, "having previously called for the team to be judged on its performance at Silverstone. We put the step on the simulators and the drivers came in and drove it, and they said, 'Oh flip that's a lot!'
"So when you actually deliver it... It was actually a bigger step than we expected.
"With us it is a lot to do with the quality of the parts. So you can have a CAD model, but if the quality of the parts are one level, and then you can build exactly the same thing of a higher quality - that has better fit, better surface finish, that sort of thing. You are going to generate better performance. Part of the step has been to do with that."

Virgin hoping to retain Glock for 2011
By Simon Strang and Edd Straw Friday, July 16th 2010, 12:56 GMT
Virgin technical director Nick Wirth is hopeful that Timo Glock will remain with the team next year.
The German has registered only four finishes in 10 races in 2010, with a best result of 18th.
But despite a difficult season, Wirth is confident that Glock is fully committed to the cause even though Renault is believed to be interested in his services for next year.
"We've got another year on the contract with Timo, but like anything in life everyone has got to want to carry on," Wirth told AUTOSPORT
"Timo understood that we were a new team and he wanted to be part of something that was growing going forward. That's why the Silverstone weekend was so important because it has hopefully shown him that we can do it."
Wirth added that being able to attract and keep hold of a driver who has three podium finishes to his name is a good sign of the team's long-term potential.
"We were so lucky to have a driver with his talent, ability and experience join us at his age," said Wirth. "It's up to us to try and deliver on that
Wirth also believes that Lucas di Grassi has been an impressive rookie this season despite only outqualifying Glock once in 10 attempts.
"I know I'm very biased, but I think he is looking good for rookie of the year if you look at his relative performance," said Wirth.
"He's coming into his own and doing a fantastic job. The disadvantage is that Lucas is naturally a bit heavier than Timo. For all of the new teams, weight is an issue so he's still got a disadvantage. It's to do with us and we're working very hard on it."
Wirth is hopeful that di Grassi will be able to run on the weight limit before the end of the European season with a raft of lightweight parts planned.

Wirth Research to relocate next year
By Simon Strang and Edd Straw Friday, July 16th 2010, 14:38 GMT
Wirth Research, which designs the chassis for Virgin Racing, will not complete its relocation to a new factory until work on the 2011 VR-02 is complete.
The organisation, run by Nick Wirth, is currently located in Bicester in Oxfordshire, but will start a phased move to the ex-ASCARI cars facility located 20 miles to the north-west in Banbury.
"It will be sometime early next year, probably after the F1 car is built," Wirth told AUTOSPORT when asked when the move would be completed.
"The move starts in the August shutdown and will continue for several months to fit in with the build-up of next year's F1 car. People who have to stay will stay behind until the car is built and on its way.
"It's a phased process, but we're used to working all over the place so it's not really going to be much of a change."
Wirth is confident that the move from the current six-building set-up to the new facility will be of huge benefit both to F1 and its other racing programmes.
"In terms of our business both on the F1 side and on all the other projects, it represents a major step to get everyone into such a great facility that is still in motorsports valley.
"We're moving everything under one roof. It's sized and designed to take us to the next level of research and development and the next level of computing power. We literally can't fit any more computers into where we are now!"

Glock hopes Virgin can worry Lotus
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, July 24th 2010, 09:36 GMT
Timo Glock thinks that Lotus may have to start worrying about the challenge from his Virgin Racing outfit once again judging by the success of recent updates added to his car.
Although Lotus said recently that its attention had shifted away from the contest between the new teams on to the fight with the established outfits, Glock reckons the battle of F1 rookies has been reignited once again.
And, after updates to the VR-01 helped him lead the new team contest on Friday in Hockenheim, and more tweaks scheduled to be fitted to his car before final free practice, Glock is more encouraged than ever about Virgin's form.
When asked about Lotus' recent claims that they had moved their attention away from worrying about the new team contest, Glock said: "Maybe they have to think about it again! Let's see.
"It is hard to say after a Friday about who is driving what engine, how old is the engine and just let's see how tomorrow goes.
"However, it is positive that we have two races now where we bring parts and they work. It is quite a nice step and I hope there is more to come.
"Nick [Wirth, technical director] is pushing for another big upgrade later in the season and that could bring us another step. And I hope now the time comes where we can concentrate only on bringing performance on the car."
Virgin Racing had one of its biggest updates of the season at the British Grand Prix and Glock thinks that finally the team is making the progress that he had hoped for when he joined.
"It is more positive, yes, definitely. It is going in the right direction," he said. "The one is Silverstone was quite a big one, which brought us quite close to Lotus.
"And now we have another three or four tenths which should theoretically bring us in front of them."

Glock handed 10-place grid penalty
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, July 24th 2010, 17:39 GMT
Timo Glock has been handed a ten-place grid penalty for the German Grand Prix after his team fitted a new gearbox to his car before qualifying.
The German had qualified 20th for his home race but his team had been forced to change the gearbox after the final free practice session.
That change alone meant that Glock would start from the back of the grid, but his Virgin Racing team also fitted a different seventh gear ratio from the one declared on Friday - which means he will get an additional five-place penalty.
Glock's team-mate Lucas di Grassi is also set to be handed a penalty for a gearbox change that will be required tonight after problems he encountered in qualifying.
The FIA stewards also gave Mark Webber a reprimand after qualifying for exceeding the maximum permitted time between the two safety car lines on his qualifying lap that he had aborted following his first corner error.
"It was to do with my in-lap, after I made a mistake," said the Australian. "I was a little bit too slow between the two sector lines because I was letting people through as I didn't want to destroy anyone's laps."

Ecclestone suspects grid will shrink
By Matt Beer Wednesday, July 28th 2010, 09:21 GMT
Bernie Ecclestone suspects that 'one or two' teams will drop out of Formula 1 before the end of 2010, and reckons that Lotus aside, this season's new squads would not be missed if they departed.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Ecclestone played down the significance of Renault asking for an advance payment of its television money and said there were no doubts about the Enstone team's health - but was much more pessimistic about other squads.
"All that was [the Renault situation] was the fact that one of the shareholders didn't want to take money from another one of his companies because that would have meant convening a board meeting," Ecclestone said. "But I never gave them the money. And they got over the crisis so everything is fine.
"But I would not be surprised if one or two of them did not make the end of the season. I think there are a couple of teams in Formula 1 who really shouldn't be there. They are a bit out of their depth at the moment."
Ecclestone does not feel the current 24-car grid size - which could expand to 26 next year if the FIA accepts any of the applications for the slot formerly earmarked for US F1 - is essential and reckons a return to a 10-team field would be no problem at all for F1.
While singling out Lotus as a worthwhile addition to the field, he suggested the other 2010 newcomers have brought little to the sport.
"All we ever want is 10 teams," he said. "Lotus is a good name. I wouldn't want to lose them. But in general this year has been a bit of a nuisance because it has cost money to keep these [struggling] teams in. It has cost a lot of money to pay for them to compete.
"The bottom line is they haven't really and truly given us value for being there. If suddenly these teams don't turn up at races then I don't think the crowds will get any smaller, or the TV sets will turn off, or the newspapers will stop writing, will they?"

Kovalainen expects Virgin threat to grow
By Edd Straw and Steven English Sunday, August 1st 2010, 09:15 GMT
Heikki Kovalainen is expecting the battle between Lotus and Virgin to be quickest of the new teams to close up in the remaining races of the season.
Lotus had established itself dominant among Formula 1's three new outfits this season, but the team's decision to stop developing its car in favour of concentrating fully on its 2011 challenger means it is expecting Virgin to catch up.
Timo Glock qualified 19th for today's Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of both Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli - the first time Lotus has not been the quickest new team in qualifying since the Chinese GP in April.
"It was always going to be close with Virgin because we have stopped developing the car and they are still carrying on," Kovalainen told AUTOSPORT.
"I'm not concerned. We're not too worried about it. We did a good job in qualifying, especially my car crew after missing a practice session yesterday because we found the set-up and had a decent balance, so I'm happy about that."
Kovalainen predicts a tight battle between the two teams today, and admitted that the high temperatures in Hungary could be a worry for Lotus.
"It's difficult to predict - it will be a close fight but I'm not afraid of the Virgins," he added.
"[The heat] is still a question mark for us and still a concern. We can never be 100 per cent confident given the record that we have, but if we have hot conditions it will be tough for all of the cars, so everybody will be on the limit. So far, we are within the targets on cooling."

Virgin will keep pushing for 10th place
By Edd Straw Tuesday, August 10th 2010, 10:13 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth believes that the team must still target finishing 10th in the Constructors' Championship this season.
Virgin is currently 12th in the championship behind fellow new teams Lotus and HRT with a best race finish of 14th, achieved by Lucas di Grassi in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
With points awarded only to the top 10 finishers, non-point scoring teams are ranked according to best finish, giving Lotus the initiative courtesy of Heikki Kovalainen's 13th place in Australia.
HRT is also ahead of Virgin because Karun Chandhok has two 14th places to his name.
"We need that 12th place because our competitors were able to take advantage of circumstances earlier in the season and get some results," Wirth told AUTOSPORT.
"We must keep putting performance on the car so that if such an opportunity occurs again we are able to take advantage of it. We'll keep pushing to the end and see what happens."
Wirth believes that Virgin requires a race of attrition to claim such a strong result and does not believe that the car has enough downforce to climb the order in a rain-hit event.
"It would be way too optimistic of us to assume that we will do that just because of a wet track, despite the massive talents of both of our drivers and particularly Timo Glock's experience."
Wirth added that the team's performance in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Timo Glock qualified as the best of the new teams, suggests that Virgin now has the pace to be the best of the new teams on track.
Lotus chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne has said that his team's focus is now on the design of its 2011 car, potentially giving Virgin, which is still developing its car, the chance to pull ahead in the new team battle.
"The Hungaroring type of track, with low-speed corners, hasn't traditionally favoured us compared to Lotus, so our performance there shows the underlying progress that we've made," said Wirth.
"We switched our focus to development [as opposed to reliability troubleshooting] in the second half of this year and we've got to keep the learning curve going.
"We'll see whether Lotus stops develops. We've got our plan, and every team up and down the pit-lane is working hard. I'm sure that in light of the wing controversy that's going around at the moment, people are going to have to re-evaluate what they are doing on their cars for the second half of next year and indeed next year's car."
THE BATTLE FOR 10th
10. Lotus (Best results - 13th, 14th, 14th)
11. HRT (Best results - 14th, 14th, 15th)
12. Virgin (Best results - 14th, 16th, 17th)

Soucek parts company with Virgin
By Matt Beer Wednesday, August 11th 2010, 12:57 GMT
Andy Soucek has parted company with the Virgin Racing team, for which he had been acting as test and reserve driver.
The 2009 Formula 2 champion took on the role after original candidate Alvaro Parente ran into funding difficulties, and attended the early rounds of the Formula 1 season with the team, although the testing ban meant he had no opportunity to drive the car.
Soucek's departure still leaves Virgin with Luiz Razia as a test driver.
AUTOSPORT understands that Soucek is working on alternative routes towards an F1 race seat for 2011. He recently returned to competition with the Sporting team in Superleague Formula.

Soucek says Virgin exit was friendly
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, August 12th 2010, 08:34 GMT
Andy Soucek says his exit from the Virgin team has been friendly and insists there were no breaches of contract whatsoever.
The Spaniard was the team's third and reserve driver this season, but has decided to end his relationship to focus on racing in other series.
"I've left Virgin by mutual agreement," Soucek told AS newspaper. "I asked them to give me the opportunity to continue racing in other categories and they accepted. It was friendly and nothing to do with payments or no payments.
"I'm thankful that they didn't cause me any trouble, which they could have done, to break the contractual relationship for good."
He added: "At this time I feel more like racing in a lesser category than waiting for something that maybe will never come."
He denied reports that the relationship had ended because of a breach of contract from Virgin.
"There was no breach of any kind," he said. "I would only climb into the car to replace one of the racing drivers, although that doesn't mean that I didn't try to drive some Fridays, but that was not something they had committed to. I didn't get it, but the experience has been good to know F1."
Soucek, who has raced once in the Superleague series this year, insisted his main goal remains securing a racing seat in Formula 1.
"People shouldn't think that because I'm done with Virgin I won't be coming back [to F1]. I'm still trying to have an official seat in F1."

Glock fully committed to Virgin
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, August 12th 2010, 08:55 GMT
Timo Glock says he remains committed to the Virgin Racing team for the long term despite the squad's difficult start to life in Formula 1.
The German driver joined newcomer Virgin from Toyota for the team's first season in Formula 1.
The year, however, has not been easy for Glock, who has been plagued by reliability problems. His best result so far is a 16th place in Hungary.
Although Glock admits Virgin's maiden season in F1 has been very challenging, he insisted he remains fully committed to the team and has no plans to leave.
"Our debut season at Virgin Racing has been a big challenge but I always knew this would be the case when I joined the team," Glock said on his website.
"The start of the year in particular was quite difficult but since then we have really started to turn things around and since the middle of the season we have made very good progress with the development of the car.
"We can't deny there have been some frustrations along the way. It hasn't always been a straightforward run up to the race and we have made things harder for ourselves sometimes.
"But in terms of the big picture, for the last three or four races we have brought new developments to the car at every race, which have translated immediately from the simulator to the track and that has been very encouraging to see.
"Our digital approach means that we can also continue with the development of this year's car right up until the end of the season, as well as working on next year's car.
"I am fully behind Virgin Racing and very motivated because of the progress we have made so far and that we can continue to make in the last seven races of the season. I have always said that I want to be in a team and a car that is continually pushing forward.
"If development stopped or we didn't keep moving forward then like any driver I would become frustrated, but so far this is not the case. We are improving all the time now, but there are also bigger steps we have to take in the future.
"I have a long-term contract with Virgin Racing and I'm fully committed to the team moving forward. We have what it takes to fight to continue to achieve our objectives for this season and in the future."
AUTOSPORT understands Glock has one more year of his contract left to run, although some performance-related clauses would allow him to leave early.

Virgin confident it can deliver in F1
By Jonathan Noble Monday, August 23rd 2010, 10:04 GMT
Virgin Racing is bullish that it can deliver both commercially and with its on-track form over the remainder of the season to silence the sceptics who think it cannot thrive in Formula 1.
With the outfit having overcome a troubled start to the campaign, which included poor reliability and a fuel tank issue, Virgin Racing has faced more recent troubles with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone questioning whether or not it could survive the year.
But rather than get disheartened about the situation, Virgin Racing's CEO Graeme Lowdon has told AUTOSPORT that he is totally upbeat about its plight - and thinks it can do enough to win over the doubters.
"I think Bernie Ecclestone is obviously entitled to make his comments about various teams," said Lowdon. "But we get on with our job; we know what we need to do.
"However, perhaps we should have kept Bernie more informed of where we are it with sponsors and investors because we do not have any concerns or issues at all. We just have to assume that he is talking about some other teams. It is as simple as that.
"We are here to add to the show as well. We did some innovative things at Silverstone which were really well received by the fans, so we do think over time we can bring something overall to the show as well. At the moment the main thing we can bring now is to make sure we are competitive towards the end of the season and then I am sure the comments will change."
Lowdon says he is happy with the commercial progress Virgin Racing has made, and says there are no financial doubts about this season or next.
"Because of our cost base and because we have this target where we can break even at quite a low level, the amount of sponsorship that we needed to get was a figure that we were always quite comfortable with," he explained.
"The unknown, if you like, was that some sponsorship deals can take years to come to fruition, so the key thing was how quickly we could ramp up to the levels that we wanted. So that was the interesting side.
"Unlike the established teams, the new teams have had to go from literally zero up to a certain level, but we are pretty happy with it. And we are still adding sponsors and signing deals now, to cover the remainder of this season and the following seasons. From that point of view, we are reasonably comfortable.
"But the key to all of this is that it is all reasonably comfortable if your cost basis is low. If we had a cost base of £100 million, or £150 million, or even £75 million, then the task is significantly different. That is where we have the opportunity."
Lowdon has also made it clear that Virgin Racing's future is not dependent on it finishing 10th in the constructors' championship - a feat which would boost its television income revenue by several million pounds.
"It would be nice!" he said. "You marry lots of things together in a business plan, and our objective is to finish as high as possible in the championship. From a technical point of view we set our sights on that, but from a commercial point of view, to be prudent, we always made the assumption that we would get the lowest amount of revenue from the commercial rights holder that is possible under the Concorde Agreement.
"To do anything other than that would mean you are starting to get into some of the models of the failed football teams - and we cannot live in a dream world.
"Our commercial model assumes we get the minimum payment so it is not essential that we finish 10th, 11th, 12th, or 13th. But from a sporting side we obviously want to, and if we were to finish 10th in the championship then it does have a positive implication from a commercial point of view. So we will be trying to do it - but if we don't achieve it we don't disappear! Far from it."
Regarding on track form, Lowdon admits that Virgin Racing's start to the campaign was not as good as the outfit had hoped – but he believes the team is now back on track.
"We had a slower than planned start, but now we have got on top of things – and we are not just getting back on track but really towards where we want to be," he said. "It is well recorded that we had difficulties in pre-season testing, and then the first four flyaway races in particular.
"But since that point it has been a massive turnaround and certainly, if we were measuring ourselves against Lotus, who are the nearest competitor, then our performance since the first four flyaways is massively different. We are fundamentally more reliable, and we have achieved four two-car finishes. So from that side we are pleased.
"Now we are starting to turn the speed back on, and I think that will continue for the rest of the season as well. So, after a slower than planned start, I think we are starting to get back on track and move forward."

Q & A with Graeme Lowdon
By Jonathan Noble Monday, August 23rd 2010, 11:00 GMT
It would be fair to say that Virgin Racing's debut season in Formula 1 has been nothing less than a baptism of fire. With wing failures in testing, early reliability dramas, a fuel tank-sizing issue and continued scepticism about a team using only CFD to create a car, it's not been an easy time for the operation.
Matters were also not helped recently when Bernie Ecclestone hinted that Virgin Racing's future could be in doubt because of financial reasons.
But despite the troubles, Virgin Racing has kept its focus and, rather than feel downbeat about what it has faced, it is encouraged by the situation it finds itself in.
AUTOSPORT caught up with Virgin Racing's CEO Graeme Lowdon for his view on the season so far, the state of its commercial platform and what his reaction was to Ecclestone's remarks.
Q. We are now about to enter the second phase of the season after the summer break. What is your verdict on the way the first half to the campaign went?
Graeme Lowdon: We had a slower than planned start, but now we have got on top of things - and we are not just getting back on track but really towards where we want to be. It is well recorded that we had difficulties in pre-season testing, and then the first four flyaway races in particular.
But since that point it has been a massive turnaround and certainly, if we were measuring ourselves against Lotus, who are the nearest competitor, then our performance since the first four flyaways is massively different. We are fundamentally more reliable, and we have achieved four two-car finishes. So from that side we are pleased.
Now we are starting to turn the speed back on, and I think that will continue for the rest of the season as well. So, after a slower than planned start, I think we are starting to get back on track and move forward.
Q. Has it surprised you that, despite a perception that Lotus has been streets ahead, that pace wise you are actually quite close to them?
GL: The results do not show it, but if you ask people which is the most reliable new team they might answer Lotus - but the truth is far from it. One thing it does show is that initial perceptions do tend to linger.
Without any question Lotus had a better reliability in the first four races, although equally I am sure they were not particularly happy with their reliability in those races. But since then we are streets ahead, and we are just focusing on maintaining that and progressing the car. We have more of a stable platform, which we didn't have then, so I would like to think that our rate of increase can be significantly more now.
Q. The fight for tenth place in the constructors' championship seems wide open...
GL: Yes. The way the scoring works, where any team on the same number of points as another team means the result is based on the single highest car finish, applies for all the teams with zero points. So it is all down to the highest single finish. So, if Sebastian Vettel had not retired in Australia then I don't think Lotus would be tenth in the championship. That is how random it becomes at this level.
My own view is that the championship standings do not really bear any relation to where things are at, but it is incumbent on us as a team to push forward and improve our position in the championship - even if it has to come about in some rather strange ways. There is nothing we can do about cars falling off in front. There was nothing we could do about Vettel breaking down - we just have to make sure that we keep winning the race with the other new teams and, if there are a number of issues ahead, then things can happen in the championship. Obviously we are keen to keep developing the car so we can have more control over racing against the back end of the existing teams, and that is definitely the target for us this year.
Q. As the season progresses, what is the biggest challenge for you - the technical aspect or the commercial situation in terms of building a platform to go forward?
GL: The two are always interlinked. We set our stall out commercially very early on by saying, 'we are going to do this differently'. We have a different cost base to the other teams. Our view was that you cannot build the same cost base as a McLaren or a Ferrari or even Red Bull Racing - and then say we will do it exactly the same way as them as we don't care they have been doing it for so many years, but we think we will be better at it. To me that just doesn't work.
You have to go about it a different way, so we structured the team quite differently. We spend the same amount of money moving stuff around the world, we do our hospitality the same as everyone else, we do everything like that - but the key bit where we save a lot of money is in not doing scale models, or wind tunnel testing, and we save millions doing that. So we can use that to have a different commercial model.
It means we are not exposed to the same pressures that a team following the model of everyone else down the pit lane has. And I find it hard to believe anyone would come in as a new team, and say we will do it the same as everyone else but try to be better. That is quite a leap of faith for an investor if you ask me.
We think we have done a pretty good job of getting sponsors on board as a new team, and we are very happy with the approach we have taken. Like any new venture there is always a challenge involved, and there especially is on the technical side, but it has proved to be what we thought it would be.
Q. How important in terms of going forward is getting that tenth place in the constructors' championship, because it is worth a lot of money?
GL: It would be nice! You marry lots of things together in a business plan, and our objective is to finish as high as possible in the championship. From a technical point of view we set our sights on that, but from a commercial point of view, to be prudent, we always made the assumption that we would get the lowest amount of revenue from the commercial rights holder that is possible under the Concorde Agreement.
To do anything other than that would mean you are starting to get into some of the models of the failed football teams - and we cannot live in a dream world. Our commercial model assumes we get the minimum payment so it is not essential that we finish 10th, 11th, 12th, or 13th. But from a sporting side we obviously want to, and if we were to finish 10th in the championship then it does have a positive implication from a commercial point of view. So we will be trying to do it - but if we don’t achieve it we don't disappear! Far from it.
Q. Sponsorship wise, have you reached the levels of income for this year and next year that you hoped to be at this stage?
GL: Yes. The big challenge, because of our cost base and because we have this target where we can break even at quite a low level, the amount of sponsorship that we needed to get was a figure that we were always quite comfortable with. The unknown, if you like, was that some sponsorship deals can take years to come to fruition, so the key thing was how quickly we could ramp up to the levels that we wanted. So that was the interesting side. Unlike the established teams, the new teams have had to go from literally zero up to a certain level, but we are pretty happy with it. And we are still adding sponsors and signing deals now, to cover the remainder of this season and the following seasons. From that point of view, we are reasonably comfortable.
But the key to all of this is that it is all reasonably comfortable if your cost basis is low. If we had a cost base of £100 million, or £150 million, or even £75 million, then the task is significantly different. That is where we have the opportunity.
Q. Do recent comments like Bernie Ecclestone suggesting some new teams will not survive make life harder for you?
GL: I think Bernie Ecclestone is obviously entitled to make his comments about various teams. But we get on with our job; we know what we need to do.

Glock given blocking penalty
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Saturday, August 28th 2010, 14:38 GMT
Timo Glock will be demoted five places on the Belgian Grand Prix grid after being adjudged to have blocked Hispania driver Sakon Yamamoto during Q1.
The German had got Virgin through to Q2 for only the second time this season amid the rain of chaos of Q1 at Spa, and had been set to line up 17th on the grid prior to the penalty.
The stewards have also fined Lotus driver Jarno Trulli 4,400 euros for breaking the pitlane speed limit during the session.

Virgin set to retain Glock, di Grassi
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 11th 2010, 09:46 GMT
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth says his team is closing in on a deal to retain its current line-up for 2011, despite speculation linking GP2 front-runner Jerome D'Ambrosio to the outfit.
Timo Glock already has a firm contract for next season, while there is an option on Lucas di Grassi that can be taken up.
And although rumours in Monza suggested that D'Ambrosio had emerged as a leading contender to grab a seat alongside Glock, Booth has hinted that everything is on course for di Grassi to stay.
"Obviously Timo is here next year, his contract is tight with both of us, and both of us are very happy with what is happening," said Booth about the driver situation for next year. "So Timo is 100 percent.
"We have an option on Lucas which looks pretty good as well, so in an ideal world we will keep the same drivers next year."
When asked if the speculation suggesting d'Ambrosio was in the frame was true, Booth said: "No. I've heard similar rumours as well, but it's that time of years for rumours.
"Jerome has been helping us out a little bit since [test driver] Andy Soucek left. All he has been doing is helping us out as a stand-by because he has a superlicence."

Glock to get five-place grid penalty
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 11th 2010, 11:56 GMT
Timo Glock will have a five-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix after his team opened up his gearbox to change the differential following final practice.
Virgin Racing had to break a seal on Glock's gearbox to replace the differential - which is a breach of F1's technical regulations.
Glock will therefore lose five places on the grid for the Monza event.

Petrov penalised for Glock incident
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, September 11th 2010, 14:05 GMT
Vitaly Petrov will lose five places on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix after impeding Timo Glock during qualifying.
The Russian Renault driver blocked Glock as he was joining the track from the pits, when the Virgin driver was starting a flying lap.
Glock was forced to slow down as Petrov drove slowly through the first chicane.
The Renault driver, who qualified in 15th, was given a five-place penalty.
"I can only apologise to him if I held him up," said Petrov. "I didn't see him coming up behind me and didn't see any blue flags as I came out of the pits.
"My grid penalty will make things even harder in the race but, as we saw in Spa, tomorrow is another day and a lot can still happen."

Haryanto earns Virgin F1 test drive
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, September 11th 2010, 17:52 GMT
Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto will test a Virgin Formula 1 car as a prize for his performance in the GP3 series.
Virgin Racing had promised a test drive got the man who finished highest in the GP3 Series in a Manor Racing-entered car.
Haryanto is currently in sixth place in the championship with just tomorrow's race left. The Istanbul race winner clinched the Virgin test by finishing third in the first Monza round today.
The 17-year-old will get behind the wheel of the Virgin car after the end of the Formula 1 season.

D'Ambrosio joins Virgin as Friday driver
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, September 20th 2010, 05:49 GMT
Virgin Racing has announced that it has signed Jerome D'Ambrosio in an "evaluation role" for four of the remaining five races of the 2010 season.
The 25-year-old Belgian will take part in the first practice sessions at the Singapore, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Grands Prix, as the team evaluates his performance.
D'Ambrosio will replace Brazilian Lucas di Grassi in all the sessions, driving alongside Timo Glock.
The GP2 driver, 10th in this year's championship, will also run for Virgin in the young driver tests taking place in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.
"My ultimate goal has always been to race in Formula 1 and I am delighted to get a step closer," he said. "I wish to thank Virgin Racing and Gravity Sport Management for their confidence. I won't disappoint them.
"This drive is a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to helping the team in every way I can, as well as gaining experience on four of the most demanding tracks of the F1 calendar. Looking at the 2011 season, this will be very useful."
The team also said Glock still has two years of his contract left, with an option on di Grassi for next season.
Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Virgin Racing, added: "We are very pleased to welcome Jerome to Virgin Racing and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to drive the VR-01 during the first free practice session of the next four race weekends. He will also take part in our young driver test in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.
"We have a contract with Timo Glock for another two years and an option on the services of Lucas di Grassi for next year. Both drivers have done an outstanding job for us in our debut season. We are always looking to progress new racing talent and the team out of which Virgin Racing was born has a long history of this.
"Jerome is a real racer and very deserving of this opportunity. We are looking forward to evaluating his performance with effect from next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. With both Jerome and Luis supporting the Team, we have two drivers with enormous future potential."

Di Grassi: Singapore Virgin's big chance
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Wednesday, September 22nd 2010, 15:57 GMT
Lucas di Grassi believes this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix will give Virgin a vital chance to jump ahead of its fellow new teams.
Lotus, Hispania and Virgin are currently fighting for the lucrative 10th place in the constructors' championship - which is set to be decided on count-back of highest race finishes unless one of the trio can get into the points in one of the remaining races. The position is currently held by Lotus thanks to Heikki Kovalainen's 13th place in Melbourne.
Virgin is introducing several updates for Singapore, and di Grassi hopes that the combination of a performance boost and the chances of a chaotic race on the street track could give his team a shot at taking the top-12 race finish it requires to vault ahead of Lotus and Hispania.
"If one of the new teams gets a 12th, then they will move up into the 10th place. So it is a very important weekend for us," he told AUTOSPORT.
"I was just discussing with the engineers today how much we have for here, and how big are the upgrades. We hope it is enough so we can fight with Lotus, and then I think the full approach is to stay ahead of the new teams - and if extraordinary conditions happen then I hope we can get the best place possible.
"Here is maybe the longest race of the year, because it is a 300km race and the average speed is very low – and it is very hot as well. So, I think reliability is an issue here. Race incidents and accidents are another point – and the weather can change as well.
"So it is one of the races where we have maybe the highest chance to finish in the top 12."
Di Grassi will have to hand his car to Jerome d'Ambrosio for opening practice on Friday as part of Virgin's new deal with the Belgian GP2 graduate - and he admitted that the loss of mileage could hurt this weekend.
"Of course it is not ideal, but the team has made that decision and I fully respect it," di Grassi said.
"On other tracks I would not mind missing FP1 if I knew the track, but of course at Singapore I will lose track time so will lose the ability to learn the track – and there is even a situation where it could rain for FP2. And it such an important weekend for us.
"But, at the same time, I am confident with the upgrades, and with the correct approach, I can take the best out of this weekend."
D'Ambrosio is believed to be a candidate for a race seat with Virgin for 2011, and with the team adamant that Timo Glock will stay on, di Grassi is the driver whose position could be in jeopardy. But the Brazilian said he was not worried about his F1 future.
"I am very confident for my future in F1," di Grassi insisted. "It will always depend on the driver market at this moment – but I am very happy with the Virgin Racing team. We have done a lot of work, more than people realise, for this year – and it would be normal to have a continuation with them.
"But of course I am talking to some other teams and seeing what other opportunities there are."

Q & A with Lucas di Grassi
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, September 22nd 2010, 16:01 GMT
Lucas di Grassi never let the early frustrations of Virgin Racing's debut season in Formula 1 get him down, and he is now ready to knuckle down for what he thinks could be a vital weekend for the British team.
With the fight for 10th place on the constructors' championship wide open, di Grassi sees a big chance for Virgin in Singapore - even though he will have a frustrating time in first practice with his car getting handed over to reserve driver Jerome d'Ambrosio.
AUTOSPORT caught up with di Grassi at the World Finals of the 'F1 in Schools' event in Singapore to talk about the competition, his weekend, the fight to be best of the new teams and his own future.
Q. This is the first time you've been to a 'Formula 1 in Schools' final event. What have you made of it?
Lucas di Grassi: When I came I had no real expectations of what it would be like. Then, when I came here, I found out they have come up with a very bright competition between them - because it is essentially like F1. You do what you can do with the current rules, to try and be as fast as you can. It is the same for these kids – although there is the difference of a couple of million dollars involved!
Q. And you had a go with the cars some of the students created?
LdG: Yes, I had a go. For me it was just a question of reactions – and I beat the quickest two guys! And all the while, [Kamui] Kobayashi was jumping the start! So that was quite funny! I was impressed not by the racing itself but by how the guys designed the cars.
Q. Do you agree it could be useful for the future of the sport as well, if it gets some clever kids wanting to get involved in the sport?
LdG: Yes. More than that, it is about the spirit of competition. So it doesn't matter how good your car is – you still have to beat the other guy. It is the same as F1. It doesn't matter how good one car is – if another one is better it doesn't make yours look so good. So this competition is all about getting that right spirit and hopefully coming to F1 one day.
Q. This is the first time you have been racing here in Singapore. What does it feel like?
LdG: It is my third time here in total – I was two years before here as reserve driver for Renault. This time is my first time as an official driver, so it is a slightly different approach.
For me, it is an amazing track, a very difficult and a very technical track. It is a mixture of Monaco and Valencia, and at night – and with weather conditions that are not very predictable. So for sure it is one of the weekends for us where we can achieve one of our best results.
Q. It is likely that 10th place in the world championship will be decided by one of the new teams getting to the finish in a chaotic race that takes out a lot of the frontrunners. Could that be here?
LdG: If one of the new teams gets a 12th, then they will move up into the 10th place. So it is a very important weekend for us.
Q. You are missing first practice here so Jerome d'Ambrosio can take part. Is that a bit annoying for you?
LdG: Of course it is not ideal, but the team has made that decision and I fully respect it. On other tracks I would not mind missing FP1 if I knew the track, but of course at Singapore I will lose track time so will lose the ability to learn the track – and there is even a situation where it could rain for FP2. And it such an important weekend for us. But, at the same time, I am confident with the upgrades, and with the correct approach, I can take the best out of this weekend.
Q. How much of a step forward do you feel the new bits will give you?
LdG: I was just discussing with the engineers today how much we have for here, and how big are the upgrades. We hope it is enough so we can fight with Lotus, and then I think the full approach is to stay ahead of the new teams – and if extraordinary conditions happen then I hope we can get the best place possible.
Q. And reliability will be the key factor in getting that finish, won't it?
LdG: Yes. Here is maybe the longest race of the year, because it is a 300km race and the average speed is very low – and it is very hot as well. So, I think reliability is an issue here. Race incidents and accidents are another point – and the weather can change as well. So it is one of the races where we have maybe the highest chance to finish in the top 12.
Q. A lot of drivers are looking towards next year now – and sorting out their contracts. What is your situation?
LdG: I am very confident for my future in F1. It will always depend on the driver market at this moment – but I am very happy with the Virgin Racing team. We have done a lot of work, more than people realise, for this year – and it would be normal to have a continuation with them. But of course I am talking to some other teams and seeing what other opportunities there are.

Q & A: D'Ambrosio on his F1 debut
By Edd Straw Friday, September 24th 2010, 18:17 GMT
GP2 race-winner Jerome d'Ambrosio made his Formula 1 debut as third driver with Virgin Racing in Singapore, completing 16 laps.
His best time was just 0.241 seconds off experienced team-mate Timo Glock on the first of four free practice outings as an evaluation for a potential race seat with the team in 2011.
AUTOSPORT caught up with the 24-year-old at the end of his first day as an F1 driver.
Q. So how was your first day as a Formula 1 driver?
Jerome D'Ambrosio: It was great. It was not the easiest of conditions to start off in but it's something special to be out there in an official F1 session with all of the other drivers. I really enjoyed it and took it step-by-step. I didn't want to get caught up in the enthusiasm of driving on an F1 weekend for the first time so I just took it steadily at the start and in the end I was quite confident with the car and the track. The only negative point was that the track time was too short!
Q. How easy was it to explore the limits of the car given that the session was held in damp conditions?
JDA: It wasn't at all easy in the mixed conditions, which made my life a bit harder. But it was the same for everybody out there. An F1 car is very efficient and I really enjoyed driving it because it was really good and stable.
Q. Was the fading light a problem?
JDA: No. You don't notice the difference because the lights from the circuit are so strong.
Q. Is it a special feeling to be out there on track with the big names like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton?
JDA: Yes, it is. But in the end, once you are in the cockpit you don't really look at the other cars! Of course, if you see a Ferrari or a McLaren coming you move out the way but in the end you just have to do the job. It is special because to be part of F1 for the first time is great, but once you are driving you just have to concentrate on doing your job and make sure that you do not get in the way of the big guys.
Q. How did you get on with the team?
JDA: Really good. The team helped me a lot with this and have been very helpful in the preparation. I spent some time yesterday with the mechanics, as of course it's not easy for them working with me and then switching back to Lucas di Grassi for the second session. They have been very good to me and have made my life easier.
Q. This is an evaluation for a race seat in 2011, so are you happy with your first day's work for Virgin?
JDA: Yes. I'm going to take things session by session without looking too much at the times. I'm happy with today. It was important to stay on the track and to be reasonably quick in the end, and that's what I did.
Q. Given the circumstances of being thrown into a car that you didn't know on a track that you didn't know, were you at all nervous beforehand?
JDA: The thing is, you don't know what to expect because I've never been out in a proper F1 car or in a Virgin. I'd never driven the track, I'd never driven in a night event, it's a street circuit and bumpy with the wet conditions so I just built up through the sessions.
Q. You are the first Belgian to drive on an F1 weekend since Bas Leinders was third driver for Minardi in 2004 and it has been 16 years since the last time a Belgian started a grand prix - does that mean much to you?
JDA: You can see that my helmet is in the colours of Belgium so it is something special for me. I really hope that I can get a race drive for next year but first I have to focus on what I am doing now. But for Belgium, it would be something amazing.

Branson confirms Virgin backing for '11
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 30th 2010, 15:58 GMT
Richard Branson has confirmed that he will continue to support the Virgin Racing team in 2011 - and is ready to accept less branding on the car so the outfit can give more space to other sponsors.
The entrepreneur began his tie-up with the outfit from the start of this season, having entered Formula 1 as a sponsor of the title-winning Brawn GP team in 2009.
And although Branson has previously been reluctant to state that he will definitely remain a part of Virgin Racing in the future, especially during the team's early season troubles, he has now made it clear that he is wholly committed for 2011.
"Yes, for sure," he said when asked whether Virgin would continue its support of the team.
"It's been a fun season and we've still got to beat Lotus, and have a few more races to do it. Nick Wirth [technical director] is back in the factory working on the car for next season, and I think we've made a good start anyway."
Branson revealed that he would be happy for his Virgin companies to get less exposure on the car in 2011 if space was needed to attract other sponsors and partners.
"I suspect these guys seem to be doing quite well on sponsorship for next year and if they do that, then more space will be taken up by outside sponsors," he said. "But that is a positive thing.
"We obviously hope to be able to keep Virgin on the back of the car but ultimately it is up to these guys how many sponsors they get."
Although Virgin Racing is still behind Lotus in the battle of the new teams, Branson is happy with how the campaign has panned out.
"As I said at the beginning of the season, we knew we were going to be the underdogs again, and we went into it with our eyes open and it is fun building a new team from scratch," he said.
"I think the team are delivering what they have promised on reliability and so on. The amount of money this team is spending is maybe £20 million less than Lotus. So to be almost matching them car for car is great, and our reliability has been better."
And even though Virgin is not achieving the levels of success it enjoyed with Brawn GP last year, Branson still thinks he is getting good value exposure with his current venture
"We didn't spend much money last year and we haven't spent much money this year," he said. "The Virgin brand is strong and it attracts other sponsors, so people want to be involved with the Virgin cars. It has worked well for us both years.
"Obviously the coverage was more when you are winning, but we were just ridiculously lucky last year and don't get many of those in a lifetime."

Branson backs call to remove blue flags
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Monday, October 4th 2010, 10:32 GMT
Richard Branson has backed the call from Lotus boss Tony Fernandes to get rid of blue flags in grand prix racing.
Fernandes, whose team has made its Formula 1 debut this year, said earlier this season that he believed the sport would benefit from not having blue flags.
"Drivers are paid to overtake, whether they are back markers or at the front," said Fernandes back in May. "I think it would be good for the sport to get rid of blue flags. In the days of Ken Tyrrell, he would never let any car pass.
"If it's really hard for a world champion to get past a backmarker then I think it's a sad day for racing. I think racing is all about getting past people and overtaking and adding a little bit of 'je ne sais quoi'.
"You've got a driver saying it's ridiculous that he's lapping someone four times, so why should he be complaining about overtaking a guy that he's lapping four times?"
Branson, the main backer of newcomer Virgin Racing, agreed with Fernandes, as he reckons the sport would be more entertaining without them.
"It would be a lot more fun if they didn't have blue flags," said Branson. "I am sure some of the more established teams would not like it, but it is a racing track and they should not have to be told to pull over.
"If that is what Tony is saying, I definitely agree with him. It doesn't sound like racing - and it makes a bit of a mockery of the sport."
Virgin Racing's CEO Graeme Lowdon reckons blue flags hurt smaller teams too much, as they lose big amounts of time letting the leading drivers through.
"We get a blue flag three seconds before someone approaches us, and at the moment three seconds is almost a lap and you have to let them by within four corners," he said. "So we have situations where our guys are pulling to one side and the car behind cannot catch up.
"It's a massive compromise over the whole of a race. We do this graph of time against distance, and you look at the graph and you immediately see where the blue flags start because up to a point of the race we are there or thereabouts in terms of pace, but then it drops away.
"The issue is that you get the flags so early - and three seconds is quite a long time. And you have to tell your driver to let the guy past but you cannot speed the car up behind. It has ruined a lot of racing for us."

Di Grassi to miss race after big crash
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, October 10th 2010, 05:50 GMT
Lucas di Grassi will not take part at the Japanese Grand Prix after crashing out heavily during his warm-up lap ahead of the race.
The Brazilian, who had outqualified team-mate Timo Glock for the second time this season, lost control of his car on his first lap on the way to grid at the 130R corner.
The Virgin car went off track as di Grassi ran wide onto the artificial grass, crashing heavily against the barriers.
Although the rookie was able to walk away from the crash, he will be unable to take the start of the race, as his car was destroyed.
The team said it was looking into the cause of the accident.

Virgin says 2011 car progressing well
By Dieter Rencken and Richard Simpson Thursday, October 14th 2010, 14:35 GMT
Preparations are in full swing for the 2011 season, according to Virgin Racing F1 CEO Graeme Lowdon.
The team has opted to shift the majority of its focus to the development of the 2011 car, with technical director Nick Wirth no longer travelling to races in order to concentrate on the VR-02.
"Nick was already heavily into the 2011 car and trying to do the races as well and as the build was progressing it became more and more important that he was back at base with the car," said Lowdon.
"It's very well on, there's a lot of things getting machined, manufactured and delivered. It's a huge job building the car in the first place but it certainly needs Nick's full attention."
Despite having more than an eye on next year, the team still hopes to take aerodynamic upgrades to the remaining three flyaway races this year.
"I think what you'll see from our team is, because it's not expensive to do, every time we see an upgrade through the CFD programme we will make the bits," added Lowdon.
"That said, there are less guys working on running stuff on the current configurations and there is more work being done on the 2011 car. There is a lot more resource there then there was a year ago.
"We had to design the current car in such a short space of time from a standing start. There is an awful lot of extra knowledge that's gone into next year. It already looks different I can tell you that."
The team also insisted it is set to retain the services of lead driver Timo Glock for next season.
"We have a contract with Timo for next year. We have an option with Lucas who is doing a really good job with the team. There is a lot of competition for seats because there aren't that many around so we are in a good place.
"The key thing for the team point of view is just to make sure we have the right mix and the right level of technical feedback moving forward. We'll see how things go over the next few weeks."
Virgin will continue to evaluate rookie driver Jerome d'Ambrosio, with the young Belgian likely to see more action on Fridays, according to Lowdon: "I think he has done a fantastic job in both sessions. Certainly we will keep working with him. We will do another couple of sessions and we have half a day with him [at the young driver test] at Abu Dhabi."
The team will also field development driver Luiz Razia in the test next month, with the young Brazilian GP2 driver set to get a full days running.

Buemi apologises for taking out Glock
By Matt Beer Sunday, October 24th 2010, 10:05 GMT
Sebastien Buemi accepted the blame for the tangle with Timo Glock that ended both their races in Korea.
The Toro Rosso driver caused one of the event's multitude of safety car periods when he slithered into the Virgin at the end of the circuit's long straight, ripping a wheel from his car and coming to rest on the edge of the run-off area.
Buemi was trying to make up ground having made an early change to intermediate tyres, and was confident he was on course to earn points, having been racing with the Saubers - which both scored - when he crashed.
"I am disappointed with my race as I think there was plenty of potential for me this afternoon," said Buemi.
"I was running as high as seventh before the accident as everyone had stopped to change tyres. My pace was good and I was able to pass [Kamui] Kobayashi, [Nick] Heidfeld and the Lotus and Virgins and it was going really well. We lost the chance to score some real points today."
He admitted he had just lost control when trying to pass Glock.
"I braked late and locked the front wheels, so I could not turn and ended up going straight on and hitting Timo. I am sorry for him," said Buemi, who had also sent Heikki Kovalainen spinning in an earlier clash.
Toro Rosso then lost out on a single point late on when Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg passed Buemi's team-mate Jaime Alguersuari for 10th on the final lap.
"We missed out on a good opportunity to score points today, so I am very disappointed, because just getting to the finish was an achievement given how many cars did not manage to do that," said Alguersuari.
"I obviously lost out most during the pitstop, when a technical problem meant I went into the pits in ninth place and came out in 15th place.
"Throughout the race, I lacked speed down the long straights and that is why it was hard to move back up the order, then at the end, when I had finally managed to get into the points, I could do nothing against Hulkenberg, who was faster in a straight line and was on new tyres.
"It is hard to be competitive when you lack the top speed, because it also means we ran less downforce than others in order to make up for that, so it is harder to manage the tyres in this situation."

Glock angry at Buemi over crash
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, October 24th 2010, 11:32 GMT
Timo Glock was critical of Sebastien Buemi after the Swiss crashed into the Virgin racer during the Korean Grand Prix.
Glock was enjoying one of his strongest races of the season until Buemi slithered into the Virgin car at the end of the main straight.
Glock said Buemi "was all over the place".
"This was a very disappointing race, especially after having been in a strong position to achieve a good result," said Glock.
"The restart was okay and the track was starting to improve. We had quite good pace in the first part of the race and were clearly the quickest of the new teams.
"It's just a huge shame that we couldn't finish the race and all because of the mistake made by Buemi. It just seemed that he was all over the place.
"We now head to Brazil for the penultimate race of the season where I hope we can expect more luck than we found here in Korea."
Team-mate Lucas di Grassi completed a poor day for the Virgin Racing team after crashing out when trying to overtake Sakon Yamamoto's HRT.
"A very frustrating day here in Korea," he said. "We had made the correct call by switching to the Intermediate tyre very early in the race and on lap 15 I went out trying to avoid a crash with Yamamoto, who was ahead of me but much slower.
"Again I was in a good position for a strong result as I was running together with both Saubers and a Toro Rosso after the last safety car period ended. The next stop is my home race in Brazil, so we hope for better things there in two weeks' time."

Russian car maker takes stake in Virgin
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 11th 2010, 07:46 GMT
Virgin Racing has secured its long-term future after selling a major shareholding to Russian sportscar manufacturer Marussia Motors.
The team will become known as Marussia Virgin Racing, with the company already having been a partner of the team since its launch in 2009.
Virgin says the deal will not result in any significant changes to its organisational structure.
"Our first year in Formula 1 was always going to be tough - even more so as we were launching in the midst of a worldwide recession," said Virgin chief Richard Branson.
"Virgin is delighted to have secured a partner which shares our vision and spirit for challenging the establishment and we look forward to working together to move the team up the F1 grid."
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth says the deal with Marussia is important for the outfit, as it has provided it with a solid financial platform to go forward.
"It is massive," he explained. "We had security anyway, but it allows us to be a bit more ambitious in our planning. On the technical side there are lots of exciting things happening. It won't happen immediately but it will happen as the year goes on."
Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Virgin Racing, said: "This announcement cements our place on the F1 grid and is testimony to the hard work and dedication of every single member of our team."

Virgin: CFD boost will set F1 benchmark
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 11th 2010, 09:51 GMT
Virgin Racing is to ramp up its computer simulation capabilities next year in a move that will set a new benchmark in Formula 1, the team has revealed.
On the back of a tie-up with Russian sportscar maker Marussia, Virgin's technical chief Nick Wirth has revealed plans for a major expansion of its CFD (computational fluid dynamics) facility - making it the biggest in Formula 1 and third in the world in terms of processing power.
"We are putting a gigantic installation in," said Wirth at the announcement of its tie-up with Marussia in Abu Dhabi. "Our CFD partners say the new installation will be the third largest in the world. It is unbelievably exciting for us."
The new facility in Banbury, which will cover 70,000 square feet and provide the team 3.3 terabytes of information per day, is due to be finished in January.
Although that means it will not have any impact on the design of the 2011 contender, Wirth is hopeful that its data will help with the first update package for the new car.
"At the moment we are still using resources similar to the ones we have got this year, albeit much more efficiently, but hopefully the new installation will be good for the first update kit when we come to Europe," he said.
Although there remain cynics in the pitlane about Virgin's use of CFD, rather than wind tunnel work, Wirth is convinced it is the right way to go.
"The bottom line is that we are just learning about this," he said. "We have put updates on the car, which have made it faster - end of story. We haven't put enough on because, guess what, we haven't had the money - and also we spent so much time on reliability.
"That is why this Marussia financial stabilisation is so important. It has been a real battle this year, financially, and from my side, we know we are going to get paid so we can get on with the job. It is so exciting."
Virgin's new car is scheduled to run for the first time at the second of the pre-season tests in February, with the outfit undecided yet on whether or not it will run its 2010 contender in the first test.
"In the one sense you want to be gathering tyre data but on the other hand we could be there under umbrellas and rain coat," said Wirth. "I think we will probably be focused on building the new car."
The team will continue to build its own gearbox casing next year, with Xtrac internals, despite talks with other teams about providing customer transmissions.
Wirth has also confirmed that the outfit will not be running KERS.
"We are not going to have KERS and I know lots of people are panicking about KERS and the fact that they think their car will be overweight to start with," he said.
"I think KERS, in terms of net laptime, the most people talk about is two to three tenths per lap. We are looking for two to three seconds."

Virgin: No hurry to sign second driver
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 11th 2010, 10:12 GMT
Virgin Racing is in no rush to finalise who will drive alongside Timo Glock next season, as the outfit continues to weigh up its options.
Although talks have been held with Jerome d'Ambrosio and Giedo van der Garde, while retaining Lucas di Grassi also remains an option, team principal John Booth says a decision may still be several weeks away.
"We are not in a hurry," Booth said. "The sooner it happens the better, as it will settle everyone down, but we are in no particular hurry. I would certainly think before Christmas we will have something to say."
Virgin's new partnership with Russian sportscar manufacturer Marussia has prompted speculation that the team could look to a Russian driver, but Booth thinks such a move is still some time away.
"There is nothing on the horizon for a Russian driver at the moment, but they have come on in leaps and bounds over the last five years," he said. "We have [Vitaly] Petrov in F1 and [Mikhail] Aleshin in World Series, so Russian drivers are going from strength to strength."

Razia to join young driver test line-up
By Steven English Sunday, November 14th 2010, 17:51 GMT
Virgin Racing test driver Liuz Razia will join Jerome D'Ambrosio and Rio Haryanto in driving for the team in the young driver test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The team had already announced that D'Ambrosio - who drove in practice sessions for Virgin at Singapore, Japan, Korea and Brazil - and Manor GP3 racer Haryanto would take part in the test, and today confirmed that Razia will also be in action.
"I am very excited about driving the VR-01 in a proper test at last," Razia said. "I drove it earlier in the year at the filming day in Jerez, and I also drove a Super-Aguri at Estoril a few weeks ago, but a full day's testing is something different.
"I've been practising on the simulator for the whole season and it will be fantastic to get a feel for the real thing. It's been a great year working with the team and this is undoubtedly the best bit."
D'Ambrosio added: "Although I have driven the car at four grands prix, this is still a very important test for me. We will have the opportunity to try different things that we can't normally do in a race weekend, as then we are working to a fixed programme.
"It's been a fantastic experience for me so far and I'm looking forward to learning even more. I'd like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity.
Haryanto will get his seat time as a prize for being the top driver in Manor's GP3 line-up this year.
"The idea to give the best Manor Racing GP3 driver a test in an F1 car was absolutely fantastic, and I want to thank the team's management for that," he said. "I was so pleased to win this opportunity and I'm really looking forward to driving the car.
"I've driven it on the simulator and felt I was putting in some good times, so I'm looking forward to repeating that on track."

D'Ambrosio hopeful of Virgin race seat
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Thursday, November 18th 2010, 17:10 GMT
Virgin Formula 1 aspirant Jerome D'Ambrosio hopes he has now done enough to prove to his potential 2011 employer that he is worthy of a race seat next year after his performances in both Friday practice and the rookie tests.
GP2 frontrunner D'Ambrosio drove for Virgin in Friday practice in Singapore, Japan, Korea and Brazil, and again in Tuesday's rookie test, and then switched to Renault for Wednesday.
The latter outing was a reward for being the most impressive of Renault's junior drivers during the 2010 season, which saw D'Ambrosio take his maiden GP2 win, although he was only 12th in the championship and was briefly dropped by his DAMS team in favour of Romain Grosjean.
With D'Ambrosio believed to be vying for the Virgin seat with incumbent Lucas di Grassi and GP2 rival Giedo van der Garde, who AUTOSPORT understands could bring substantial sponsorship funding, the Belgian says he hopes that his performances in the car for Virgin have spoken for themselves.
"There are many things going on, but what is important for me is to do the job in the car," he said. "After that, time will tell."
He was second-fastest with Renault in the Wednesday test, but was not sure how significant a factor that would be in his chances of getting on the grid with Virgin next year.
"I don't know about the end result, time and everything," D'Ambrosio said. "It's good to be in that position because the times were pretty good, but the most important thing for me was to satisfy the team to see how I worked, the speed and everything.
"They were pretty happy, so that's good. Hopefully I'll be able to transform this into a race seat in 2011."
D'Ambrosio said it would be unfair to compare the Virgin and Renault cars, but felt that his grounding with Virgin had helped him impress when he got his hands on the much faster Renault.
"It's not fair to compare the two cars and the two teams. The only thing that I can say is that it was a great day today [with Renault]," he said.
"I learned that Virgin taught me a lot of things over the Fridays and yesterday and it contributed to the fact that today went pretty well as well.
"In terms of car performance, you cannot compare it. You cannot compare Renault, who have years and years of F1 and Virgin, which is a rookie team. They have done massively well compared to the other rookies and I've enjoyed being with them. Today was something exceptional as well. Renault is a top team and driving the car was fantastic."

Q & A with Jerome D'Ambrosio
Thursday, November 18th 2010, 17:16 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio is very much in contention for a Virgin Racing Formula 1 seat for 2011, having impressed the team in four Friday practice outings at recent grands prix, and also tested for it on the first day of the Abu Dhabi rookie sessions.
But while the sight of D'Ambrosio in Virgin colours has become very familiar, he is also a Renault junior driver, and it was the latter team that ran him on day two at Yas Marina. Afterwards AUTOSPORT heard the Belgian's thoughts on his two teams and his 2011 prospects.
Q. How does the Renault compare to the Virgin?
Jerome D'Ambrosio: "It's not fair to compare the two cars and the two teams. The only thing that I can say is that it was a great day today. I learned that Virgin taught me a lot of things over the Fridays and yesterday and it contributed to the fact that today went pretty well as well.
"In terms of car performance, you cannot compare it. You cannot compare Renault, who have years and years of F1 and Virgin, which is a rookie team. They have done massively well compared to the other rookies and I've enjoyed being with them. Today was something exceptional as well. Renault is a top team and driving the car was fantastic."
Q. What was your programme today - you did a quick lap towards the end?
JD: "I think it was pretty similar for everyone. You do aero testing in the morning and then basic testing in the afternoon and in the end we went for a fast run."
Q. Was that qualifying-spec with low fuel?
JD: "I'm not 100 per cent sure what the fuel was, they just told me new tyres and let's go. But obviously it was quite quick so it was not far from it."
Q. From the Virgin that you knew well to the Renault, how much adapting did you need?
JD: "It's fairly natural. Obviously the car has much more downforce, but it's quite natural. You need some laps to adapt, but because the car is so efficient, it comes quite naturally."
Q. Do today's results improve your chances of finding a seat for next year?
JD: "I don't know about the end result, time and everything. It's good to be in that position because the times were pretty good, but the most important thing for me was to satisfy the team to see how I worked, the speed and everything. They were pretty happy, so that's good. Hopefully I'll be able to transform this into a race seat in 2011."
Q. You had a brief spin earlier in the day, so how easy was it to be able to attack in an unfamiliar car?
JD: "I think it's part of the driver, to be able to make a reset of your brain. I had to analyse why I did it after and not make the mistake again - I ran a bit wide on the kerb. You have to analyse that but once you understand that you press the reset button and start all over again. It's not just over a mistake, but over a bad weekend as
well."
Q. Virgin has been positive about your performances. How close are you to securing a drive?
JD: "There are many things going on, but what is important for me is to do the job in the car. After that, time will tell."

Glock says he is not going anywhere
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, December 3rd 2010, 09:51 GMT
Timo Glock insists there are absolutely no doubts that he will be racing with the Virgin team in the 2011 season.
Glock has a contract with the team for next year, but there has been speculation that he would move elsewhere following a difficult maiden season for Virgin.
The German was not included on the official entry list published by the FIA earlier this week, but he made it clear it is 100 per cent certain he will remain with Virgin.
Glock said he is looking forward to 2011, when he expects the team to perform more strongly.
"I'm excited. And yes I am definitely driving for Virgin Racing," Glock said on Virgin's website. "There has been a lot of speculation about me wanting to leave the team, but it is not about leaving a team, it is about wanting to do better and keep moving forward.
"It is not just 99.9% certain that I will stay, as has been reported - it is 100% certain that I am staying! Since the beginning I have had a long-term contract with the team and I said then that I was doing this to help build a team for the future.
"It would not be possible to do that in one year from nothing. Plus I think with everything we have learned this year we can take a very good step up next season.
"This is a great team of people who have given blood, sweat and tears to our first season. Some people haven't seen that with their own eyes, like I have, so it's easy to criticise or be cynical."
Glock supported the team's decision to delay announcing who his team-mate will be next year, although he is hoping it will happen this month.
"Well, I am already confirmed so there is nothing new to announce about me. But I understand that the team wants to announce the line-up together when the second seat is confirmed.
"I think it is right to take our time and make sure we have the best combination of youth and experience, plus make sure we have the best information going back into the team at testing and races to ensure we can develop as quickly as we want to and keep moving forward.
"I don't think we will have to wait too much longer for that news - hopefully before Christmas!"
The German admitted the season had been very difficult and frustrating, but was also very proud of what the team had achieved.
"Extremely challenging and very hard work - for the whole team," he added. "2010 was a tough test for us all, but we survived and it was ultimately very rewarding for me.
"There were frustrations along the way and when things don't go well, as a driver who is ambitious, I admit it was sometimes difficult, but I joined Virgin Racing knowing there would be difficult times ahead so it wasn't really a surprise to me. We were building something from zero - no team, no factory, no previous year's car to develop from and no data.
"Everything we have we have built ourselves in the space of less than a year. We should also remember that we were also taking a pretty revolutionary design approach to the VR-01. If you look at our season from that perspective, we have achieved something pretty incredible."

D'Ambrosio secures Virgin race seat
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 21st 2010, 10:04 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio has secured the second race seat at Virgin Racing for 2011, the team announced on Tuesday.
The Belgian conducted third-driver duties for the team in Friday practice sessions towards the end of last season and had been one of the favourites to race alongside Timo Glock next year.
And after weeks of negotiations, as the team weighed up other options including retaining Lucas di Grassi or signing Giedo van der Garde, Virgin has finally decided to commit to D'Ambrosio.
Speaking about the deal, which now gives him plenty of time to get ready ahead of the first running of Virgin's 2011 car, D'Ambrosio said: "I'm thrilled to have achieved my goal of a Formula 1 race seat with Marussia Virgin Racing.
"When I came to the team in September this year it was everything I could hope for. I had a tough test to complete because there was a lot of competition for this seat, but at the same time I got on well with the team and felt that I had found my home.
"I feel very comfortable with them - they are extremely professional and ambitious people and it is exciting to think that I can be a part of shaping the team's future."
Virgin team principal John Booth said that the team's decision on signing D'Ambrosio was made very easy after it saw how good he was in the Friday sessions he did with the outfit.
"Jerome had been on our radar for quite some time as a driver we should seriously consider for a 2011 race seat. We had followed his progress in GP2 closely and it was clear he was 'one to watch', but when we put him in the car for the four race weekends and the Abu Dhabi test he surpassed even our own expectations.
"He slotted into the team perfectly and everyone took a shine to him, including our partners and the media. Apart from his obvious skill at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, he is an immensely personable young guy who is a pleasure to have around.
"He has secured this seat absolutely on merit and I think coupled with Timo we have the perfect blend of youth, experience, speed and potential and we can't wait to see what they can achieve together next season.
"Timo has done an excellent job for us in our debut season, in often challenging circumstances. There is no doubt that he has helped us to establish a strong foundation from which to develop the team and the package. We look forward to being in a much stronger position to deliver the car he deserves in 2011.
"Finally, I must thank Lucas di Grassi for the important role that he also played in establishing the team. He contributed a great deal to our development and we wish him every success in his future career, which we have no doubt will be an exciting one."
D'Ambrosio is part of the Gravity Sport Management programme that is headed by Renault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez and its team principal Eric Boullier.
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Chapter 3: 2011 - Year 2 - Marussia Virgin Racing

Virgin predicts 'very big' step forward
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, January 13th 2011, 12:47 GMT
Virgin Racing is predicting a 'very big' step forward from its 2011 car as it ramps up preparations for its second season in Formula 1.
Having made solid progress during 2010 from a far from easy start to its time in F1, thanks to front wing and fuel tank issues, the team is upbeat that it will do much better this time around.
As AUTOSPORT first revealed, Virgin Racing confirmed on Thursday that it is doubling its CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) capacity for 2011 after strengthening its relationship with IT services company CSC.
And technical director Nick Wirth reckons the knowledge gained during its debut season, allied to the extra computing power, will pay dividends this year.
"We see gain upon gain coming," he said on the main stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show on Thursday. "The increased productivity and throughput is amazing - and the new car is a very big step forward from the 2010 car.
"We are excited about putting these new things to use on the car, and we have tried to learn from all our lessons last year to bring it all together.
"I think it is going to be a very interesting season. We have new tyres, new rules, and a moveable rear wing. No-one knows how that [the wing] will work on the racing, but it will have an enormous effect on how the engines are used.
"There are a whole range of things that will be different this year, and we want to make a step forward up the grid to show what we can do."
With the new CFD facility due for completion in the next few weeks, Wirth believes his team will be unmatched in terms of how much it uses computer simulation to design its 2011 car.
"With the way F1 is governed, there is a limit to how much you can do [of either wind tunnel work or CFD]," he said.
"Teams like McLaren and Red Bull Racing will use a wind tunnel and a bit of CFD, but when we understood our [CFD] quota we realised we needed to make a huge step forward and use all of our possible aerodynamic development [allowance].
"We formed a fantastic relationship with CSC, which has helped us install a new computer system in our technology centre in Banbury, and it means we will be the first team to go to the limit of aero testing only in CFD. In 2011 we will be doing more CFD than any other team on the grid - and I can say that because I know that if we did one day of wind tunnel testing then we would be breaking the rules."
Virgin Racing's CEO Graeme Lowdon added: "It's great to no longer to be a new team, as we are going into our second season now.
"2010 was very much about getting established in a very short time, to get the team put in place, and we are very excited about 2011.
"We follow a different path to the other teams. We're focused on new technology and using the processes Nick has pioneered. We're very excited about moving into 2011 and making use of that."

Wirth backs D'Ambrosio to shine
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, January 13th 2011, 13:04 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio will do himself and Virgin Racing proud in 2011 as he embarks on his debut season in Formula 1.
That is the view of the team's technical director Nick Wirth, who reckons that the Belgian has all the tools he needs to make a good impression this year.
"Of all the teams, and certainly the 'old' new teams coming in, he has chosen a good one," Wirth said on the main stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.
"He has moved to Oxford so he can use our simulator as often as he likes - and that means he can pound around and learn all the circuits. We will give him a good platform - and we are excited about the new car.
"He has an ideal opportunity to show the world what he can do - and he will do himself and his team proud."
D'Ambrosio himself is eager to get on with the season, and believes one of the key things for him in 2011 will be learning as much as he can off experienced team-mate Timo Glock.
"I can learn a lot of things from Timo," he said. "He is a very open guy, and that is very important for me because we get along well. He has had front rows in qualifying, he has finished on the podium, so I have to get down to work and I will try to reach a very good level as quickly as I can."

Di Grassi eyes F1 return in 2012
By Edd Straw Wednesday, January 19th 2011, 13:27 GMT
Virgin refugee Lucas di Grassi is focusing on securing a racing return to Formula 1 in 2012, with few race seats remaining for the coming season.
The Brazilian, who had been in contention to retain his Virgin drive but could not raise the required backing, is keen to land a test and reserve driver role but stresses that he is keen for it to offer the opportunity of a promotion to a race drive for the following season.
Although he struggled to make a big impact in F1 during his rookie season, di Grassi impressed the team with his performances in often difficult circumstances and his time as a Renault tester means that he is would attract interest from teams looking for an experienced third driver.
"The plan is to stay in F1 this year and I am talking to some teams to try and find the best solution," he told AUTOSPORT. "It's not just for 2011, but I need an opportunity to come back into a race seat in 2012.
"The best strategy is to talk to the teams that I would have a chance of racing for next year. I don't just want to be in F1 in 2011 and then find myself with the same problem next year."
Di Grassi is keen to secure a role that includes some track time in 2011 to stay sharp, he admits that it will be difficult to do so.
"It's a problem to go for year without driving and it's not very good for the technical aspect of being an F1 driver, so if you can, it is good to be in the position to drive at some point in the year or keep using a simulator," he said.
"Then that will help me to come back in 2012. The ideal would be to have a third driver role that allows me to stay active so that I have the best chance to perform when I come back."
He also has not ruled out remaining involved with Virgin, where he is held in high regard by team principal John Booth, for a second season, but insists that it would have to be with a view to a race seat in 2012.
"I won't say no," said di Grassi of the possibility of continuing with Virgin in a non-racing capacity. "The problem with Virgin was purely commercial for the race seat and the teams knows that I was a valuable asset in developing the car.
"But I need to be able to come back in 2012 in a good position. It would be a pleasure to work with Virgin again, but if it's another team, I have no problem with."
Di Grassi is currently in Europe working on possible deals for the 2011 season and is hoping to finalise an F1 role ahead of the start of the season.

Virgin reveals new car launch date
Friday, January 21st 2011, 11:48 GMT
The Virgin Racing team will unveil its new car in London in February, the outfit announced on Friday.
Virgin said the new MVR-02 will be unveiled to the media in London on 7 February, meaning the team is set to run with its old car in the first testing session at Valencia.
Testing kicks off in Spain on 1 February.

Glock: Virgin will be stronger in '11
By Jonathan Noble and Adam Cooper Monday, January 24th 2011, 17:09 GMT
Timo Glock is adamant that Virgin Racing can enjoy a 'much stronger' campaign in 2011, after saying that any concerns he had about the outfit's potential have been laid to rest.
The German publicly expressed doubts about his future commitment to the team last year, on the back of a sometimes troubled debut campaign for the outfit.
But following end-of-season discussions with senior management to talk through frustrations and map out the future, Glock says he is fired up about the team's potential for 2011.
"We had a good sit together in the last couple of races. John Booth and [CEO] Graeme Lowdon and myself spent quite a lot of time together, talking about the next year," Glock told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview.
"They had some quite positive things, which I think calmed the situation down a little bit, and made life a bit easier for everyone. So in the end there was no real discussion.
"The team is moving in the right direction and we've got some good sponsors on board. Marussia is a big partner now. I think they are quite straightforward and they want some success in the future, and that's good. That's what the team needs, and in the end we have to find out how quickly we can move up."
Glock believes that changes to the staffing structure, and the experience gained throughout 2010, will pay dividends.
"The team has made a lot of changes in terms of the structure, people moving around, putting them in different positions, which I think has helped quite a lot already," he said.
"We're much better, much stronger, than the same time last year. But in the end you need a car which is quick to move forward, and that's what we have to prove this year.
"You can't gain three seconds over the winter, that's not possible, and we have to be realistic about what we have, and the budget we have. We have to try and find a way to move closer to Toro Rosso and all these guys and try to stay with Lotus, or whatever the team is called now! That has to be the target."

Virgin to launch at BBC TV Centre
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, January 27th 2011, 17:42 GMT
Virgin Racing has announced that it will unveil its new Formula 1 car at BBC Television Centre on February 7.
The team had pencilled in a launch for London on that date, but it has now confirmed the location as the famous television studios.
Virgin has stuck to its original plan to use an interim car for the first test in Valencia, with the MVR-02 scheduled to run for the first time at Jerez on February 10.

Virgin appoints Ian Phillips as COO
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, February 2nd 2011, 09:58 GMT
Virgin Racing has undertaken a management reshuffle ahead of the 2011 season, which will see the return to Formula 1 of former Jordan, Midland and Force India commercial chief Ian Phillips.
With Virgin due to unveil its new car in London next week, the team has appointed Phillips - who left Force India before the start of last season – as its new chief operating officer. He is already present with the team at this week's Valencia test.
Graeme Lowdon, who was Virgin's chief executive officer, will move to new role as team president – where he will focus on enhancing the team's position in the sport as its representative at the Formula 1 Commission and within the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA).
Replacing him as CEO will be Andy Webb, who is the UK managing director of Virgin's title sponsor Marussia Motors. Nikolay Fomenko, president of Marussia Motors, has been appointed as engineering director.
John Booth will remain in his role as team principal and director of racing.
Virgin Racing's chairman Darryl Eales said: "The board of directors has reviewed and
examined all aspects of the team’s commercial and racing operations during its debut F1 season in order to ascertain what is required to move the team forward quickly and prudently.
"The changes announced today, together with Marussia's wealth of knowledge and experience, provide us with a solid foundation as we enter our second season. I believe we are very fortunate to have such depth of commercial and racing leadership as we embark on the next step in our ambitious plans for the team.
"Moreover, Marussia's firm commitment will continue to enable us to put in place the right people, resources and infrastructure to ensure the team advances significantly over the next two seasons and beyond. I have no doubt the team can look forward to exciting and rewarding times ahead."

Glock happy to be back in action
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, February 2nd 2011, 16:56 GMT
Timo Glock was happy to be back in action following his first day of work at the wheel of the Virgin Racing car at Valencia.
The German had not driven the car since the end of the 2010 season, but was back today after taking over from team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio.
Although he admitted he was hoping for more running, Glock was happy to be back on track.
"It was good to be in the car again after a winter preparing myself for a new season which I am really looking forward to," said Glock.
"These first tests are going to be useful as we continue getting to grips with the new Pirelli tyres.
"Despite not being able to complete as many laps as we would have liked, it has been a very interesting day for me and the team and I can't wait to jump in the car again tomorrow and carry on working hard in preparation for the new season ahead."
Glock managed just 34 laps today after spending a lot time in his garage due to hydraulic problems. He finished as eighth fastest.

Virgin launches its new MVR-02
By Matt Beer Monday, February 7th 2011, 11:17 GMT
Virgin Racing has launched its second Formula 1 car, the MVR-02, in an event at BBC Television Centre in London.
The team ran an interim car at Valencia last week to give itself extra time to work on the new design, which will make its track debut when testing resumes at Jerez on Thursday.
The car features a slightly lower nose than many of those unveiled so far in 2011, and tighter packaging at the rear end than its predecessor.
The change from 'VR' to 'MVR' in the chassis designation reflects the team's new partnership with Russian sportscar firm Marussia Motors - which has also led to a slightly revised livery for 2011.
Virgin finished at the foot of the constructors' championship table in its maiden F1 season, with early-season reliability issues costing it crucial ground in the battle against fellow newcomers Lotus and Hispania.
The Nick Wirth-led design team have stuck with the unique all-computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach for the MVR-02, a car they hope will elevate Virgin to a position where it can threaten the established midfield teams for points.
Timo Glock stays on as lead driver, with Jerome d'Ambrosio promoted to the second seat in place of Lucas di Grassi after impressing in several Friday practice appearances in late-2010 grands prix.

Wirth: MVR-02 'better in every way'
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Monday, February 7th 2011, 12:26 GMT
Virgin Racing designer Nick Wirth has promised that the new MVR-02 is 'better in every way' than its predecessor.
The team took the wraps off its 2011 car in a launch event at BBC Television Centre in London this morning, and Wirth said a substantial step forward was guaranteed with the new design.
"Since the middle of year we worked on process, we calibrated how fast we had to improve and what did we have to work on," he said.
"We have done a huge amount of development of physics and what we are doing to catch up with everyone."
He is confident that his team has come up with a very good solution to the revised rear end technical rules, which include the banning of double diffusers.
"The back of car is heavily regulated from last year, and we managed to take this car and not only catch up where we were, but go above it in terms of aero efficiency - in every single way this car is faster and better than last year."
Virgin remains the only team to totally eschew windtunnel work in favour of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). But while the team finished last in the constructors' championship in 2010, Wirth is confident that its shortcomings were not due to its CFD approach - and that it has eliminated its weak points for 2011.
"Last year that [CFD] side of the whole equation worked very well," said Wirth. "We hit the numbers we thought we were going to do, which were a logical progression from our championship-winning sportscar programme.
"What caught us out, and other new teams to some extent, was reliability with hydraulics and gearbox, so that has been a focus for 2011.
"We have a dual track approach, apply what we are good at in aero to the gearbox - so more analysis and development on the oil system in the gearbox than we did in sportscars.
"We ran the new hydraulics of new car in Abu Dhabi and in testing. We are just much better prepared for this season."
The MVR-02 will not feature KERS this year, with Wirth saying the gains available from the energy recovery device were not large enough to justify spending time on it at this stage in the team's development.
"KERS is an interesting subject, great and relevant technology, linking to hybrid road cars like the Prius," said Wirth.
"It is extremely expensive and extremely heavy – it is worth about three tenths of a second. We are after three seconds.
"We don't want to promise Timo [Glock] we have found three seconds, but we have found a lot. It's more important to focus on aero."

Virgin targeting established teams
By Jonathan Noble and Steven English Monday, February 7th 2011, 13:16 GMT
Virgin Racing can go into its second Formula 1 season expecting to compete against the more established teams on a more equal footing this year, believes team CEO Graeme Lowdon.
Speaking at the unveiling of MVR-02 in London today, Lowdon explained that with a season of experience under its belt and a significant investment from title sponsor Marussia, Virgin is well placed to challenge teams such as Force India and Toro Rosso.
"We put together a really good team of people and we are no longer a new team now," Lowdon said. "We're going into our second season as fully-fledged F1 team, that
is our mentality, that is our approach."
Lowdon added that the team learned lessons from its debut season and says its deal with Marussia will provide the resources to take Virgin forward.
"There were some aspects we didn't know what to expect, so none of that could be a surprise -it was F1, it was supposed to be difficult," he said. "It's not meant to be easy, but the secret of my grey hair is I am a Newcastle United fan and I have an inbuilt optimism. That is what got me through.
"Marussia were there at launch in 2009 and were a sponsor through year. They had good chance to see how we worked, they shared the ups and downs - and there were some downs. After that, they still have the commitment to take significant investment in the team.
"As a new team, there's no point in trying to come in with the same business model as Ferrari, McLaren or Mercedes - they have been doing it a long time. We needed to take a different approach."

Glock sets sights on early season points
By Jonathan Noble and Steven English Monday, February 7th 2011, 13:33 GMT
Timo Glock says Virgin Racing is aiming to score points from the beginning of the season, following the launch of the MVR-02 in London today.
The 28-year-old German admits the team cannot close the gap to the top 10 on pace alone in just one off-season, but says Virgin still has to target scoring early in the year.
"We want to grab points in first races and then work from there," he said. "We are much more sorted out, more structured, we have one year experience so we should be on a good way.
"But we have to realistic, we were 3-4 seconds off the pace last year and you never catch 3-4 seconds in winter time, so we have to make some improvement and then move up.
"I am hoping for a realistic step. I am happy to do a proper step over the winter with the team together and be strong in first races. When you see back to lots of crashes and technical problems - that is where we struggled last year and that is where we have to be strong."
Glock added that he is happy to be back with Virgin this season, despite some difficult times last year.
"I just want to be part of it," he said. "Sure, we had some time especially in the first couple of races where we were walking past each other.
"But it was clear you never come into F1 and you are in top three, if that happens then the rest are doing something wrong. In the end, we are a team and we came out much stronger, and we should be better in the second year."
Team principal John Booth added that his primary aim is for the team to reach the second stage of qualifying: "Our first target is regular spots in Q2, that's a good platform to move from. We want to be there as much as possible."

Booth: Virgin commitment never waned
By Jonathan Noble Monday, February 7th 2011, 16:28 GMT
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth insists he never once thought about giving up on the challenge of Formula 1, despite the difficulties his outfit faced at the start of last season.
Openly admitting now that he and his team were naive about the difficulties of entering F1, Booth said that despite wing failures, hydraulics issues and a fuel tank drama, he never contemplated throwing the towel in.
"It looked impossible, didn't it?" Booth said at the launch of his team's 2011 challenger in London on Monday.
"But once you start a fight, you can't stop, can you? You have to keep going. Politically, we handled it quite well. We put our heads down and just grafted - and I think by Valencia we saw a bit of light.
"Certainly by Singapore I walked out the back of the garage and that was the first time I looked up and realised where we are - we are here, we are in F1 and we feel pretty proud."
Booth says the dramas of early 2011 delivered countless lessons about what it takes to be successful in F1 – but the one thing he is sure his outfit got right last year is forging a strong, united staff.
"This time last year we were naive," he said. "We thought F1 was achievable the way we were doing it, and we thought it was a wonderful thing. But you soon get the wake up call, don't you?
"The lessons were endless, absolutely endless. The one thing we did get right from the start was that we put a good group of people together, and I think with a couple of exceptions the same team is there for this year.
"I am very proud how those people bonded and gelled as the year went on, and got more and more professional. So that was a big plus. As far as learning, you cannot even start to list the lessons learned."
Booth is not a man who has much time for the glamour side of F1 – happily shunning the jet-set lifestyle in favour of getting his hands dirty with the team in the garage.
"Most of the other team bosses became team bosses under very different times," he said. "There is a lot of money in F1 but there was an obscene amount in the previous 10 years.
"But different people get enjoyment from different things. I enjoy spending time with the guys and working with them as much as possible. I am sure I get in the way and under their feet, but that is what I enjoy about it.
"F1 was massive for me. I have always enjoyed motorsport and it would have been a shame to go out of F1 after a year and not to have enjoyed it. I am not saying we were going to go out, as we are here for a long time, but it was really important to start enjoying it."
Although the new MVR-02 has not yet run on the track, Booth says the aim for the season ahead is to mix it with the more established teams – and that means regularly breaking through into Q2.
"We want to be in Q2 on a fairly regular basis and challenging for it," he said. "There was a gap last year with the six [new] cars. With the other guy who dropped out of Q1, he was still a big step away from all six of us, so we want to be there.
"And even if we are not getting to Q2 on a regular basis, if we are missing it by a tenth it will be great. There aren't any new teams any more, and is it not good enough to be top of that little pile. You need to start challenging for Q2."
Booth also reckons that driver Timo Glock is fighting fit too – having overcome reservations he had about the state of the team in the middle of last year.
"Timo is a racer, but one thing about Timo is that he pushes himself incredibly hard," said Booth. "He pushes me hard, he pushes the whole team hard and it has contributed massively to the team we have become. He is in such good spirits at the moment – he is fired up and ready to go."

Glock: First test crucial for Virgin
By Jonathan Noble and Steven English Monday, February 7th 2011, 18:07 GMT
Timo Glock says this week's test at Jerez will be crucial for Virgin Racing's attempt to move up the Formula 1 grid this season.
The team unveiled its 2011 car, the MVR-02, in London today and it will hit the track for the first time at Jerez on Thursday.
Glock says Virgin needs to get a handle on the new machine as soon as possible to avoid last year's situation of arriving at the first race with problems outstanding.
"At the first test I just want to hit the track and drive, drive, drive," Glock said. "We need to see where the bad points are on the car to sort this out before the first race. If you come to the first race with a list of problems, you are in trouble and you start on the back foot. That's what we shouldn't do."
He says that, despite the struggles of 2010, he has seen enough from Virgin to believe it can move forwards to challenge the established teams this year.
"At first it was quite a hard time, but we thought about all the mistakes we made, started to restructure in the middle of the year, tried to get the car more reliable, quicker," Glock said.
"I had some thoughts about 'bloody hell, what am I doing here?' fighting all weekend and after 10 laps a radio call to say 'Timo, you have to come back to the pits'. It was quite hard.
"The last couple of races we realised we could be in better shape for 2011. Good shape is moving forward, a step closer to the midfield teams. Then in Korea we sorted everything out, I was quick in the wet conditions and just unlucky that I was taken out by Sebastien Buemi, that's just how racing is."
Glock reckons Virgin's target this year is to mix it with the midfield teams, but accepts that progress will not be any faster than that.
"An acceptable level for us would be close to teams like Sauber, Toro Rosso, Force India," he said. "Realistically, we should be 2-2.5s behind the top teams, then close to the midfield teams.
"If Lotus is pulling away from us then they did a fantastic job over the winter. I think they have different possibilities to us, a different budget. But our car looks quite a good step forward so I hope we are ahead of Lotus."

Wirth keen to take on established teams
By Jonathan Noble Monday, February 7th 2011, 18:28 GMT
Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth wants his outfit to stretch its ambitions beyond just beating fellow 'new teams' in 2011, as he sets sights on making the step to challenge more established outfits.
After an intense season-long battle with Lotus Racing and HRT in 2010, as the three teams fought it out for 10th place in the constructors' championship, Wirth is eager for more widespread competition in the season ahead.
That means not just beating Lotus and HRT - but in making the step to becoming regular Q2 qualifiers, which should put Virgin on course to score its first world championship points.
"Our first and foremost thing is to beat the people who joined us last year, but we want to go beyond that," he said at the launch of the team's 2011 car in London on Monday.
"We thought we were between one and two seconds off, in terms of pure speed, of being able to get into Q2, and that is what we have tried to find this winter so that we can give our drivers a chance to fight their way into Q2 on a regular basis.
"With drivers of the quality we have, with good team work, once you are in that position, history tells you then you have a really good chance of picking up your first point at some point, without an absolute fluke. And that is when things get interesting."
Wirth believes a more developed aerodynamic package for the MVR-02, plus the team's first use of a blown diffuser, will help deliver it a good step forward this season.
"We did not have a blown diffuser last year, which was one of the key technologies that people were talking about last year, as well as the F-duct.
"The blown diffuser has been very interesting and certainly there are some interesting solutions out there already, as we've seen a Renault with a rear engine and a front exhaust and there are lots of interesting solutions.
"We have one which we focused a lot of effort on and we hope proves effective, and it certainly seems to be like that in the wind tunnel [simulation]."
Wirth says the priority at the start of the 2011 season is to ensure reliability - so the team can capitalise and try and score its first points while others have a greater chance of hitting trouble.
That is why the team is planning to hold back on any major development update until the start of the European season at Istanbul.
"The next time you will really notice anything on our car will be Turkey as I am sure us, along with anybody else, will be holding back a major update until then for logistical reasons really," he said.
"Our aim for the first four flyaway races is to be reliable – that is first and foremost important. You have all those KERS cars out there, which may or may not go wrong, and I am not sure people will be really happy driving cars with 800 volt electrics in the pouring rain in Malaysia.
"So you have that drama to deal with, and we hope to learn the lessons of last year which is where we fell behind our rival new teams. We were hopelessly unreliable in the first flyaway races and they had a modicum of reliability in the first races and that allowed them to pick up this 13th place – which set them on the course to be ahead of us in the championship despite our better performance at the end of the year."
When asked if he felt any personal pressure about the need for Virgin Racing to take a good step forward in 2011, Wirth said: "I just love it – I love the pressure.
"There were some things that went wrong last year that were outside of our control, but I took it on the chin and took one for the team, but there were things that we really, really did not get right – the lubrication systems in the gearbox in particular which were absolutely down to us and we want to right those wrongs.
"The pressure doesn't worry me; it is the excitement of achieving things which is what I look forward to."

Virgin evaluated forward exhausts
By Jonathan Noble Monday, February 7th 2011, 18:36 GMT
Virgin Racing did evaluate whether to incorporate a Renault-style forward-facing exhaust system on its 2011 challenger, but in the end opted to stick with its own, more traditional, blown diffuser solution.
Renault has delivered one of the major technical innovations of 2011 with its exhaust exits coming out at the leading edge of the sidepods on its R31 - to optimise gas flow underneath the car.
Wirth is well aware of the importance of getting an effective blown diffuser, and recently tried out tests of the forward exhausts to see if it was a concept his team needed to feature on its new MVR-02.
"We had heard about it towards the end of last year, we heard rumours about it, and it is very cost-effective and easy for us to check other solutions out," Wirth said at the launch of his team's 2011 challenger.
"I can confirm that we have tried a solution very similar to what you see on the other car – and it gives results that are very different from ours.
"We actually went so far as getting our drivers to test it on a simulator to see whether it would be an advantage. We could see why they [Renault] have done it, but it takes a team of the financial, human and technical resources of Renault to make that happen. I think if you are fighting where they are, you might be interested in doing it but we are happy with the solution we have got."
Wirth reckons there are clear benefits to the forward exhaust idea, but did not believe Virgin Racing would gain enough, considering the huge resource needed to get it fitted on its car.
"We didn't think of it, don't get me wrong, but having seen it now - and having tested what it could do - I don't think we will be rushing to that solution any time soon," he said.
"It is a massive, massive undertaking what they have done – getting high temperature exhaust gases past a fuel system, past wiring, past hydraulics, past a cooling system, and most important – getting it past the side-impact structures, which are not normally tested at anything other than room temperature - so they have to satisfy the FIA that it is legal even when it is hot.
"That is just a massive job and hats off to them for having the bravery to do something like that."
When asked if he believed it would be difficult for other front-running teams to adopt Renault's idea, Wirth said: "I think it will be very easy for teams with massive, unlimited financial resources to do it – it won't be a problem."

Symonds takes on Virgin role
By Adam Cooper and Jonathan Noble Friday, February 11th 2011, 18:44 GMT
Pat Symonds is to return to Formula 1 in a consultancy role after agreeing a deal to help out the Virgin Racing team.
The former Renault technical director has been out of the sport since he left the Enstone-based outfit in the wake of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix race-fixing controversy.
He has spent his time since then involved in numerous other engineering and motorsport projects for his own consultancy business Neutrino Dynamics.
Although that had not included any current F1 teams up until now, last year he did help out one of the candidates that was pushing for a new entry for 2011.
Virgin Racing president Graeme Lowdon has confirmed that Symonds is now helping out his team - and that he believed his input would be useful.
"Pat is retained by one of our shareholders as an advisor, and he's advising the team," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "He's allowed to do consultancy work through his company. Quite a few people in the team have worked with him in the past and all the technical guys are really, really excited. I can see only positive things."
As part of a deal Symonds agreed with the FIA he cannot work full-time for a team until 2013, but he is allowed to work on a consultancy basis.
Speaking at the AUTOSPORT International Show earlier this year, Symonds expressed his hope that he would return to an F1 role in the near future.
"There are still lots of things I want to do," he said. "I am working as a consultant now and I am doing a lot of work in racing as well as in other areas. I still have a love of F1 because of the engineering. I absolutely have a passion for racing - you cannot keep me away."

Virgin sure 2010 issues now resolved
By Matt Beer Sunday, February 13th 2011, 16:49 GMT
Virgin technical director Nick Wirth says the MVR-02's first week of testing has confirmed hopes that it is a big step forward over the team's 2010 car - and that most of the reliability issues that compromised Virgin's rookie season have been resolved.
Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio's times at Jerez this week indicated that Virgin had closed the gap on the rest of the field, with Glock able to get up to eighth on Saturday with a time within 1.8 seconds of the pace.
Although D'Ambrosio lost mileage to an engine issue today, Wirth felt reliability had been very encouraging overall.
"Overall, I am delighted with this positive first test for the MVR-02," he said.
"Many of the systems that caused us problems last year have performed faultlessly and we've learned a lot.
"The team has gathered lots of basic aero data, pressures and loads, and conducted tests with the blown diffuser and moving rear wing and the data correlates well with our aero predictions.
"As with every new car, the test has revealed a number of small issues which we'll address quickly, but the main thing is that the basic package seems reliable, which was our first priority.
"We're still missing some parts, which has limited our basic set-up and a bit of performance, but we'll have these for Barcelona. The car is a good step forward from last year, which is what we wanted."

Kolles: HRT 'will catch' Lotus, Virgin
By Adam Cooper and Matt Beer Tuesday, February 22nd 2011, 18:00 GMT
HRT team boss Colin Kolles sees no reason why his squad cannot overhaul fellow 2010 newcomers Lotus and Virgin in the future, and believes its new F111 will bring up to date with contemporary Formula 1 design after its poor debut year.
The 2010 HRT - which was originally created by Dallara before the relationship between the Italian constructor and the team broke down - was the slowest car in the field throughout last season.
But Hispania is close to finishing an all-new 2011 car, the design of which has been led by former Williams, BAR/Honda and Red Bull man Geoff Willis.
"There are experienced people working on the car. For sure we had no optimum winter, but we have a completely new car, and we will work on it and try to improve it," said Kolles in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT.
"The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car. We'll see where we are - I cannot tell you at the moment. I think we'll be better in performance than last year, and this is what the indications are at this stage.
"We have to face reality. It's not just having a new car, we have to see what we do with the new car in the future. I think that we will have a good CFD programme in place, a very strong one, and then we'll see where we will be. You have to have an efficient development programme.
"For me one of the surprises last year was that we were running the same car, but the gap was getting smaller and not bigger. I cannot explain it. Maybe our drivers got better! This is a fact, you can see that the percentage that we were slower got smaller.
"I think that if we have the time and if we have our programmes in place, Lotus is not going to be an issue for us. And also Virgin. Because I trust in the people we have, and also the quality of the people I have. I'm not scared at all..."
Despite regular rumours about HRT's financial health last year, Kolles believes there are other teams in worse positions than his.
"People said you are not going to make it Bahrain, we made it," he said. "Then they said you are not going to end the season, and we ended the season. They said you are not going to be in the Abu Dhabi test, and we were in the Abu Dhabi test. Then they said you are not going to be at the Valencia test, and we were.
"What shall I say? Of course we need sponsors, of course we need investors, and of course we need partners. Like everybody else. I have been criticised for having a lot of test drivers in the past. I mean, what are the others doing, with third class drivers? I'm very sorry, but people have to face reality, and see the facts.
"I think that other teams are in deeper trouble than we are, that's number one. I don't know why we are always asked the same question. I repeat myself, I think that in terms of budget and in terms of budget requirements and in terms of debts and so on, we are in very good shape compared to others.
"Our main strategy is to be long term in F1. How you reach this point, we know there are maybe different ways, but this is the goal. Maybe others have different goals. I cannot judge on this."

Virgin continues Manor GP3 prize test
Saturday, February 26th 2011, 12:16 GMT
Virgin Racing will again offer a Formula 1 test to the most successful driver from the affiliated Manor Racing GP3 squad's line-up this year, the teams have confirmed.
As part of a talent development system that will also see Virgin Racing back new karting category Formula KGP, the top scoring driver from Manor's three-car GP3 team will drive for Virgin in the winter young driver F1 sessions.
Last year this prize saw Indonesian teenager Rio Haryanto get his first taste of F1 with Virgin in the Abu Dhabi tests, having taken fifth in the GP3 standings for Manor.
Haryanto stays on for a second year of GP3 with Manor this year, along with his 2010 team-mate Adrian Quaife-Hobbs. Finland's Matias Laine moves over from the Formula 3 Euro Series to drive Manor's third car.
Both Virgin and Manor are run by Manor founder John Booth, with the GP3 cars sporting the F1 team's Marussia Virgin livery.

Glock set to miss Barcelona test
By Edd Straw Tuesday, March 1st 2011, 11:48 GMT
Timo Glock is set to miss next week's Barcelona test after having surgery to remove his appendix, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
The 28-year-old Virgin driver has had routine keyhole surgery to remove the appendix in Switzerland yesterday morning after being taken ill overnight.
The operation was declared a success and there are no doubts that Glock will be fit for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at the end of the month.
Virgin team principal John Booth will make a final decision on whether Glock will drive in Barcelona next week, with the German believed to be keen to drive, although it is likely team-mate Jerome d'Ambrosio will run on all four days.
"Timo had an operation yesterday to remove his appendix after a sudden case of appendicitis," said Booth.
"The procedure was routine and Timo is recovering well in hospital in Switzerland, where he is likely to remain for a further 24 hours.
"To ensure a swift recovery, it is unlikely that he will take part in next week's test in Barcelona and that Jerome will run on all four days instead.
"We will make a final decision early next week. We look forward to having Timo back with us very soon."

Glock already recovering at home
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, March 3rd 2011, 10:52 GMT
Timo Glock has been released from hospital and is now recovering at home following the operation to have his appendix removed.
Although the German is likely to miss next week's final pre-season test at Barcelona, Glock will be back to full fitness for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix later this month.
Glock has suffered no complications and has even cheekily suggested that he will be quicker as the result of his operation.
"I'm very happy about how the operation went, and about my quick recovery," he said. "It's a shame that I'll probably miss the tests in Barcelona.
"But the guys in Australia are going to have to watch out: without an appendix I'm certain to be faster - I mean, it must have weighed a few grams at least!"

Glock: Virgin set to miss early targets
By Matt Beer Monday, March 14th 2011, 17:14 GMT
Timo Glock fears that Virgin has not improved enough to join the established midfield runners at the start of the season.
The team was optimistic that it would be able to fight for Q2 places and start scoring points in its second year in the sport, but Glock doubts this will be possible with the package Virgin will take to Melbourne.
"At the moment, looking at the tests, that will be difficult in the first couple of races," he told Reuters.
"I think we will have to wait for the bigger upgrade which comes to Turkey, where everyone will bring an update."
The German, who missed the final pre-season test at Barcelona following appendix surgery, feels the main problem is that last year's midfield squads have raised the bar with their winter improvements.
"As far as I see it at the tests, we are still away from the midfield teams and Q2 will be difficult," Glock said.
"Especially Toro Rosso picked up quite a lot of speed over the winter and they look very strong. Sauber as well.
"They were all the teams where I thought we could catch up a bit more but they made quite a big step and we still have to make a big one.
"It looks like we are a bit behind the target at the moment."

Yamamoto joins Virgin as reserve
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, March 23rd 2011, 08:57 GMT
Sakon Yamamoto will be Virgin Racing's reserve driver for the first three races of the 2011 season, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Japanese, who last raced in Formula 1 last year with the Hispania team, is not expected to get behind the wheel unless he has to replace one of the racing drivers during the Australian, Malaysia or Chinese Grands Prix.
"I am pleased to work with Marussia Virgin Racing in Australia," said Yamamoto. "I really appreciate them giving me a chance to be here.
"The team has made a big step forward this year and I believe that I can contribute to their car development through my experience.
"As everyone is aware it is a very difficult time in Japan right now and any good news is much welcomed. I hope the people back home will feel positive about my latest F1 role as I would like to do everything possible to help them."
Team boss John Booth added: "We are delighted to welcome Sakon Yamamoto to Virgin Racing as our reserve driver for the first three race weekends. Sakon will spend the weekends observing the race drivers and attending all engineering meetings to ensure he is up to speed should there be an occasion where a last minute substitution is required.
"In keeping with our commitment to nurturing young talent, our reserve driver strategy is to help a number of drivers gain hard to come by track time and so we will be operating a roster featuring a number of racers that we are interested in evaluating during the forthcoming season."

Glock hopes Virgin can still qualify
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Friday, March 25th 2011, 08:37 GMT
Timo Glock thinks Virgin should still be able to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix despite being a long way off the pace in practice, but admits that the team is not in good shape going into the season-opener.
With the return of the 107 per cent qualifying cut-off this year, any car outside that margin in Q1 will not be permitted to start the race. The 107 per cent time for practice this afternoon would have been 1m31.864s - and the Virgins only managed 1m32.1s.
"It's disappointing. We're not where we should be and it's quite easy to see that we are not quick enough at the moment," Glock told AUTOSPORT.
He fears that Virgin's chances of qualifying might depend on how seriously the quick teams take Q1 performance.
"The only chance we have is that the top guys in Q1 run the hard tyre and we run softs and then we don't have a problem to get within 107 per cent," he suggested. "It's disappointing and not great that the car is not on the pace."
But Glock also pointed out that Virgin had not shown its absolute maximum pace in practice and could go quicker on lower fuel.
"We were three tenths off the 107 per cent today and I did the laptime as part of the long run," he explained. "If we drop the fuel and I do a good lap, then we should be in.
"But the target is not to fight for the 107 per cent, the target was to be up there with Lotus and that's definitely still the target."
The German said the car's main shortcoming is a lack of "overall downforce", and does not expect the situation to improve until an update arrives for the Turkish Grand Prix.
"I hope that the guys who are behind the new package for the car know what they are doing and the numbers are right because at the moment we are clearly not where we had our targets," said Glock. "I hope that the new upgrade for Turkey puts us on target."

Q & A: Glock on Virgin's plight
By Edd Straw Friday, March 25th 2011, 08:38 GMT
Virgin had a tough start to the 2011 season in Melbourne practice, with both cars a long way off the pace.
AUTOSPORT spoke exclusively to lead driver Timo Glock after the sessions.
Q. It's looking like the Virgins are marginal to make the 107 per cent qualifying cut-off. How do you see it?
Timo Glock: It's disappointing. We're not where we should be and it's quite easy to see that we are not quick enough at the moment.
Q. The car seems a little less competitive than it appeared in testing. Is there something about this track that you are struggling with?
TG: It's difficult to say. Part of it could be the temperature here, but I have to say that it felt okay on the soft tyres and it felt okay in terms of warm-up. The only chance we have is that the top guys in Q1 run the hard tyre and we run softs and then we don't have a problem to get within 107 per cent. It's disappointing and not great that the car is not on the pace.
Q. The difference between prime and options on a single flying lap is around seven tenths. Is that enough to tip the balance in your favour?
TG: We were three tenths off the 107 per cent today and I did the laptime as part of the long run. If we drop the fuel and I do a good lap, then we should be in. But the target is not to fight for the 107 per cent, the target was to be up there with Lotus and that's definitely still the target.
Q. What are the shortcomings of the car - is it purely a lack of downforce?
TG: For my part, it's overall downforce that we are missing.
Q. So this form is likely to hold in Malaysia and China because there's not much you can do to improve the car?
TG: At the moment, yes. I hope that the guys who are behind the new package for the car know what they are doing and the numbers are right because at the moment we are clearly not where we had our targets. I hope that the new upgrade for Turkey puts us on target.
Q. Is the car producing less downforce than was anticipated or is it just a question that the other teams are faster than expected?
TG: I think that we just didn't develop strongly enough over the winter and the others made a bigger step. The top guys show their cards and that's the reason why we are so far behind.
Q. What do you make of the tyre degradation?
TG: On the long runs it was very consistent, I think I did my quickest laptime at the end of a long run. The picture has completely turned around with no degradation and the tyre felt okay. No problems.
Q. Is that a big surprise to you?
TG: Yes, definitely. When we put up the programme and said we were doing a long run I thought that it would be very hard work at the end, but it was just consistent.
Q. The one strength that you can have is reliability this weekend because if you finish there's a chance of a decent result. How confident are you on that score?
TG: We had no problems today and testing looked okay, so that's the only target that we can have – to finish the race.
Q. Were you able to judge the effectiveness of the adjustable wing either from overtaking or being overtaken?
TG: It will be difficult, because the run down to Turn 1 is a bit short.

Glock hopeful of Virgin progress
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, March 26th 2011, 08:21 GMT
Timo Glock is hopeful his Virgin Racing team can make progress this season following a disappointing start to the campaign in Australia.
Despite being optimistic of a step forward during the winter, Glock and his team have found themselves far from the leading times and fighting to make the grid under the 107 per cent rule.
Glock qualified in 21st position, and was over 2.5 seconds off the time needed to go into Q2.
But the German is confident his team has the strength to move forward as the season progresses.
"The first weekend of the new season has been a tough test for us and today we got the chance to see where we stand and how we need to move forward," he said. "At the end of the day though, fighting for a time within 107% of the leaders is not what we're here for and we can see now where we are and what we need to do to progress.
"We are a really strong team and now we have to bring the car up to where we need it to be.
"As for tomorrow, the opening race of the season, we will be focusing on staying reliable and bringing both cars to the finish as the reward for everyone's hard work."
Team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio qualified in 22nd, a second behind Glock, but was pleased with his efforts in his first ever qualifying session.
"I'm very happy with the progress made this weekend and this has ensured we can look forward to the race tomorrow," he said. "On a personal level this was my first qualifying session and I was able to see exactly what was required and where I have to improve.
"I will use all the information - good and bad – to see what I need to work on so I can keep improving. But for now I am happy that things went our way today and I hope I can have a positive experience in my first Formula 1 race tomorrow."

D'Ambrosio happy to make grid
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Saturday, March 26th 2011, 11:41 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio admitted he is very happy to be able to race in the Australian Grand Prix after making the grid in his first outing.
The Belgian rookie qualified a second behind Virgin team-mate Timo Glock, and only around half a second within the 107 per cent time in 22nd position.
D'Ambrosio admitted the pressure was on during qualifying given Virgin's lack of pace during practice.
"I knew that it was going to be fairly close, so it was interesting," D'Ambrosio told AUTOSPORT. "But in the end all I can do is the best that I can in the car. It is not easy because it's all new for me to qualify in F1 and there are many things to learn - even more than in GP2 with the speed differences between the cars and everything.
"This is something that I have to look at. If I look at my qualifying there were some really positives points, the fact that we were within 107%, we're going to race tomorrow, the team has made great progress but now I have to look at it again and say it's a starting point.
"I need to get better all the time and what I take from this qualifying is in Malaysia to focus on getting proper laps in without being in traffic. This is something that I have to work on with my engineer because on my first set I had a proper lap, but on my second set I didn't have a chance to put a lap together.
"It's all new for me and I'm really happy to be in the race."
He added: "I'm really happy about being on the grid tomorrow. I have been picturing myself for the last 10 or 15 years watching the first grand prix of the year on TV. I'm really looking forward to the race."
Despite the lack of competitiveness, D'Ambrosio insisted he was happy with the progress made since testing.
"Obviously it's not easy to drive because it's an F1 car and they are not easy! But we have made progress compared to Barcelona and this is really important for us.
"In our situation, the important thing is that every time we hit the track we get better whether it's by two-tenths, five-tenths or a second. This is what we have done all winter. Our starting point is not where we wanted it to be – no one denies that – but after that we kept on working and we are here and within 107%."

Glock worried about Virgin's form
By Dieter Rencken and James Gent Wednesday, March 30th 2011, 12:45 GMT
Timo Glock believes Virgin Racing risks failing to qualify for forthcoming grand prix events this year unless significant improvements are made to the performance of their cars.
Virgin was optimistic during pre-season testing that its performance had improved after a difficult debut season in Formula 1. Yet both Glock and new team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio could only qualify on the back row for the Australian Grand Prix after struggling badly for pace.
Although the Virgin team was better prepared for the race this year - having brought a fuel tank too small to last a full race distance in 2010 - the German believes its speed has fallen away.
"We went forward in terms of the whole structure of the team", said Glock, "the work from the mechanics and engineering side is much better than last year. But performance wise, in my opinion, we moved backwards.
"The others just made massive steps. We are just not able to make these big steps. We didn't believe it in Barcelona [testing] but now it's quite obvious that we are not where we should be. The team has to think about certain things and make changes to get us closer. We cannot continue like this. It's not possible."
Virgin Racing came close to joining the HRT cars of Vitantonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan below the newly re-introduced 107 per cent qualifying limit in Melbourne, and Glock is worried this could be repeated in Malaysia.
"Definitely. At one point we were 105 [per cent] off, I think, so we had a bit of a margin. But if the other guys put soft tyres on and really go for it in Q1, we will be massively in trouble.
"The balance of the car is not that bad. Simply, we just have not enough downforce, and the people in the team have to realise that."
When asked if the Virgin team's high-profile use of Computational Fluid Dynamics rather than wind tunnel testing when designing their car was a factor, the former-Toyota pilot admitted this may have hurt development.
"Could be. We have to think about these things now. Other teams are using CFD but mixed with the wind tunnel, so we have to come to the point and rethink about this."

Glock says fitness no issue for Sepang
By Dieter Rencken and James Gent Wednesday, March 30th 2011, 14:18 GMT
Virgin Racing's Timo Glock is unconcerned that the recent surgical operation to remove his appendix could harm his preparation ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Although Glock competed at the Australian Grand Prix without discomfort, suggestions in the paddock that the high speeds and stifling humidity indicative of the sweeping Sepang International Circuit could pose higher risks.
The German was confident, however, that a few aches and pains wouldn't slow him down.
"It's all okay. I just feel I couldn't do a proper workout in the last three weeks. But it's nothing critical. My muscles just realise that they have to wake up again!
"It's not so bad that I would go to Malaysia and would be worried about my fitness. The lower muscles are just a bit...unused, and that's it. Malaysia shouldn't be a problem."

D'Ambrosio regrets lack of running
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, April 8th 2011, 09:11 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio was left lamenting his lack of running in practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix after succumbing to a mechanical problem.
The Virgin driver suffered a suspension problem at the end of the morning session, with the wheel flailing on its tether and the Belgian ending up in the gravel during the incident.
The damage caused by the problem meant the team had to work hard to try to get the car ready in time for second practice, but the Belgian failed to get out.
"The day started well and we were able to get out on track quickly," said D'Ambrosio. "Unfortunately we had a problem with the front right suspension at the end of the morning session, and the resulting damage meant that I couldn't take part in the afternoon session.
"It's very hot but I'm coping well with the heat, and to drive a Formula One car on this track is great. I really enjoy driving here. We hope for a better day tomorrow."
Team-mate Timo Glock had a better day, the German finishing as 19th quickest well inside the 107 per cent limit.
"It's difficult to gauge everything that was going on up and down the pitlane today, but I think we had a reasonable day," he said. "It's a shame we couldn't get Jerome's car out in the second session, because it would have been good for tyre evaluation.
"In general I'm happy with how the car is working here, but it's all about the tyres; they are fine for one lap but then drop off and it's all about keeping them alive over a distance. The team did a good job. We were a little late going out in FP2 but overall everything went well. Let's see what tomorrow brings."

Glock: Virgin needs experienced staff
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, April 16th 2011, 03:06 GMT
Virgin Racing must make use of more people with solid Formula 1 experience if it is to turn around its current disappointing form, reckons Timo Glock.
On the back of a troubled start to the campaign, with the new MVR-02 having failed to make the step forward in pace that the team had hoped, Virgin is now evaluating what it needs to do to improve its situation.
Glock believes the team needs to do more than just bring updates to its car - because that is unlikely to bring it closer to the cars ahead – and reckons that a more fundamental shake-up is needed.
"Everyone was hoping that pace wise we would be better," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "But clearly we are not where we should be and we hope we have a better performance in Turkey, when we get an upgrade.
"However, everyone else gets an upgrade as well so it will be not that big. In general it is not perfect. It is not a good situation for the team, and we have to put the facts on the table and just sort certain things out and try to move forward."
Glock suggests that getting more input from men like former Renault technical director Pat Symonds, who is a consultant for the team, is now a priority.
"We are building up the infrastructure at the moment, and that takes a bit of time. We need more experienced people. We are on the case to change to that, and make things better for the future."
When asked if Symonds should have more of an input because of his extensive F1 knowledge, Glock said: "I hope he can give us a bit of input, and can help us and direct us a bit. That takes time. It does not happen in two months or a couple of weeks, it just needs a bit of time."
Glock says that there are no major vices with the Virgin car – it is just simply lacking downforce.
"I am not an aerodynamics specialist, so at the moment I can just say that we have not enough downforce and Nick [Wirth] and his crew have to work on it.
"The basic concept of it is not that bad. It is driveable, it is not out of balance, there just isn't enough grip. It's quite easy – it's the downforce we don't have."

D'Ambrosio delighted with performance
By Simon Strang Saturday, April 16th 2011, 08:51 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio expressed delight at having out-qualified his more experienced Virgin team-mate Timo Glock in China.
The Belgian, competing in his third career grand prix in Shanghai this weekend, will line up 21st on the grid after outpacing the German by nearly half a second, but said that he still had plenty more to come from himself.
"I'm very happy," said D'Ambrosio. "What I take away from today is that I continue to improve, and although I still have a lot to learn, I'm going in the right direction.
"That's the most important thing for me. It's still the beginning and I have a lot to do, but the way I'm working - and how everyone in the team is working – is good and the results are showing that the direction we are following is the right one. It was a good Saturday."
Glock remains downbeat about Virgin's progress having struggled to get any heat into his Pirelli tyres.
"Overall a better day than yesterday because we were at least able to complete our programme, but we were not able to get the best result in qualifying which is disappointing," said Glock. "I had some warm-up issues on the first run and the tyres were not working really at all on the second, so I have to think the changes we made between free practice and qualifying were not for the better.
"I think overall we went a little too conservative, but who knows? That might help us in the race. We'll have a good look at the data now and see what that tells us, then look to a good strategy for tomorrow and aim for the chequered flag."

Symonds undertaking review of Virgin
By Jonathan Noble Friday, April 22nd 2011, 10:18 GMT
Virgin Racing has asked former Renault technical director Pat Symonds to undertake a full review of its operation in a bid to help turn around its disappointing start to the 2011 campaign, AUTOSPORT has learned.
With the team's MVR-02 having not delivered the step forward in pace that had been hoped for, the outfit is now looking for answers as to why progress has fallen short of expectations.
And although there are high hopes that a major aerodynamic upgrade planned for the Turkish Grand Prix will help lift its form, Virgin has called on Symonds to look deeper into the reasons why the start of the campaign has been a struggle.
Symonds, who cannot return to a full-time Formula 1 role until 2013, has been acting as a consultant for the team for several weeks now. However, the scope of his role has been ramped up on the back of the performance of the team in the first races of the season.
In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Virgin team principal John Booth said: "I think it is fair to say that Pat, who has only been working for us for two months, is undertaking an overview of the team.
"He works with the engineers daily, but his main job at the moment is to take an overview of where we are. I am sure within a month or two he will give us some conclusions and pointers."
Booth added that as well as pointing the team in areas that it needed to improve, Symonds was helpful in letting it know where it was doing things right too.
"There are two areas - one that he does give us great optimism for the future. He has been there before, done it several times and knows it inside out. The other thing is that when you have a conversation or a meeting, then Pat works with the engineers and he gives a rubber stamp to the way the engineers have been setting the meetings up, the way they have been working, the way they deal with the drivers.
"It gives you a great deal of confidence that you know they have been doing it right for the last eight months or so – as that is always a question in your mind. When someone like Pat gives you a rubber stamp, it gives you a real boost of confidence."
Virgin Racing openly admits that its new MVR-02 has not produced the downforce levels that had been hoped for – with pressure now on technical director Nick Wirth to improve the situation.
Booth said: "We have stagnated, we haven't moved on – and that is the most disappointing thing.
"But hopefully we have recognised some of the problems, and the upgrade in Turkey will put a lot of that right. But that will only put us where we should have started in Australia."
He added: "We are lacking downforce. There is no question about that. It is a matter of just rolling our sleeves up and getting it sorted."
The Turkey upgrade will include new exhausts, a new floor, a new front wing, improved brakes and a tweaked diffusers.
Virgin Racing chiefs are also ready to consider putting their car through some windtunnel tests – even though the outfit had famously championed itself as only using CFD.
Last year, the team evaluated its inaugural challenger in a German windtunnel at Stuttgart University, and sources suggest the current car could be evaluated at the Mercedes GP facility in Brackley – in order to give it comparison figures to ensure its CFD direction is working.
When asked about the possibility of some windtunnel testing, Virgin Racing president Graeme Lowdon said: "From my point of view, I don't care if it is windtunnel, dowsing with coat-hangers or whatever the technology is – as long as it fits a commercial profile and works."
Booth added: "I don't think windtunnel testing is quite the inefficient, cash-guzzling beast it was four years ago. I think with the wind-on restrictions, the people within F1 operating windtunnels have become much cuter and I think they are 20 times more efficient than they were four or five years ago."

HRT aims to catch Virgin in Turkey
By Jonathan Noble Monday, May 2nd 2011, 08:39 GMT
HRT has set its sights on overhauling nearest competitor Virgin Racing at this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix on the back of a series of updates planned for its car.
Technical chief Geoff Willis has been working hard on delivering improvements to the F111, which the team plans to verify in Friday practice at Istanbul.
Team principal Colin Kolles said the updates - to both the aerodynamic and mechanical aspects of the car – gave him hope of a good showing.
"I believe that the Turkish Grand Prix should see Hispania Racing take the next step," he said. "Istanbul Park is a track that, due to its nature, should be favourable for us. Add to that the fact that we have aerodynamic and mechanical updates for this race and I think that, if the data is confirmed on track, we should be able to beat our closest rivals.
"Our aim for the weekend is to close the gap with respect to our closest competitors in qualifying and fight for positions in the race, hopefully getting both cars over the finish line. Hispania Racing has made significant progress since the start of the season, we are working very hard to improve and definitely will improve.
"I think that, due to the tyre situation, we should see a very close race, anything is possible. In terms of speed, Red Bull is ahead but you never know what will happen."
Vitantonio Liuzzi added: "I think we should be in much better shape due to the updates arriving here in Turkey and after the time out on the track in the last few races. Every minute on the track is important for us.
"Our target for Turkey is to verify that our updates are working as per plan, closing the gap on the leader and obviously finishing the race ahead of our direct competitors. If everything goes to plan, I think Hispania Racing can surprise a lot of people by closing the gap considerably with respect to other teams, thereby showing how serious our intentions of growing are."

Virgin aims to 'turn corner' in Turkey
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, May 4th 2011, 09:07 GMT
Virgin Racing boss John Booth is hopeful the upgrades to be introduced by his team in the Turkish Grand Prix will help the squad turn the corner following a poor start to the season.
The team will have a major aerodynamic upgrade for this weekend's race, having admitted that the MVR-02 has not produced the downforce levels it was hoping for.
Booth says this weekend will see the culmination of months of hard work to rectify the situation, and he is hoping the upgrades will get the team back on track.
"By our own admission it's been a difficult start to the year, but we actually started doing something about that when we realised back in testing that we had not met our targets," said Booth.
"We've been working hard behind the scenes since the middle of February and this weekend sees the culmination of all those efforts when we will be able to see just how much we can progress now.
"The extent of our upgrade package for the start of the European season is significant to say the least. Aerodynamically it's a new direction for us and we're hopeful that it will help us start to turn the corner, although with such a major step it may take us some time to tune it to the race track.
"We are of course mindful of the fact that everyone should have taken a step forward ready for Europe, so we will have to see how we've fared versus the rest of the field."
Booth said only Timo Glock will get the full upgrade package in Turkey, with team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio having to wait until the Spanish Grand Prix.

Virgin needs more time with updates
By Simon Strang Friday, May 6th 2011, 15:59 GMT
Virgin says it will take time to know the extent of the advance it has made with the major aerodynamic upgrade package the team has brought to Turkey, after effective running with it was cut short to just one session because of the poor weather.
Timo Glock - running the entire package – ended the day 21st fastest, 4.7s off the pace of Jenson Button, while the German's team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio was 0.2s faster using only elements of it.
But Glock said that it was too early to judge the impact the changes have made until Virgin has had an opportunity to process the data it gathered on Friday.
"This morning it was very tricky for everyone as there was a lot of standing water everywhere," he said. "In the second session we got a better chance to start evaluating the new package, which was really the priority for today because we knew there would be a lot of work to do.
"There have been some issues we have had to deal with, especially with the exhausts, and once we work through those we will be better off. Overall we need to look at the data we have gathered now to see what we can learn about the new package because, as we predicted, it's not easy getting something so new to work straight out of the box."
Team principal John Booth echoed his driver's comments: "The elements of the upgrade package that we fitted to Jerome's car have performed well today, so we're pleased with the progress there.
"Timo's car, with the full package, was always going to be a bigger 'ask' because of the complexity of the car at the rear with the new blown-exhaust system. It is always difficult coming straight into a race weekend with such a new and complicated package and with no testing to optimise it.
"As we predicted there have been a few issues to contend with, particularly with the management of the heat from the exhausts.
"Generally we've made a good start on Jerome's side but we have yet to realise the full performance potential of the wider package with Timo. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of data to look through to see how we can extract more from the package."

D'Ambrosio receives grid penalty
By Jonathan Noble Friday, May 6th 2011, 17:46 GMT
Jerome d'Ambrosio has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the Turkish Grand Prix after ignoring yellow flags in second practice.
The Virgin Racing driver was deemed not to have slowed down when Pastor Maldonado spun his car at the exit of Turn 8.
The stewards studied the video evidence of the incident and deemed that d'Ambrosio was in breach of the regulations.
The penalty will almost certainly mean that d'Ambrosio will start from the back of the grid, with the Belgian having yet to make it out of Q1 so far this season.

Glock concerned about Virgin's form
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, May 11th 2011, 10:41 GMT
Timo Glock fears his Virgin Racing team will struggle to qualify for races this season if it does not manage to get its latest upgrades working properly.
The team introduced several new components in the Turkish Grand Prix in the hope of turning its season around following a disappointing start to the campaign.
Glock, however, endured a difficult grand prix and admitted he had not been happy during the whole weekend. He was also forced to remove some of the updates because of problems with them.
The German driver reckons it is vital for Virgin to get the updates working if it is to avoid trouble qualifying for the races.
"If we carry on like this, it will be quite difficult to qualify for the races," said Glock. "If we cannot make updates work then we will be quite in trouble. But it is too early to say - I am behind the team, there are a lot of good people here and we just have to sort out some stuff for the future and change certain things."
He added: "We went to the full package on my car and it was not slow or anything it was just quite difficult to drive. In terms of driveability from the exhaust system which was difficult to get under control and everyone else in the paddock has the same problem.
"When you run it the first time it takes some time and it didn't work perfect for us, so we made a decision to go back and I had to go to the old floor and old exhaust system."
Glock also said the team needs to make changes to its structure to secure a stronger future.
AUTOSPORT understands Virgin is preparing to overhaul its technical department, in a move that could lead to a change of technical director Nick Wirth's responsibilities.
"We have to make changes for the future. Everyone knows where we are and the situation we are in, and we have a team where we, together, have to make changes for the future.
"We have to find a direction and find a way to make updates work – that is all I can say."
Glock said there was no point in feeling frustrated about the team having failed to take a step forward this year, as he reckons it has to focus on finding solutions on how to improve.
"Frustrating is maybe the wrong word. Everyone expected that we would make a step forward and we couldn't do it.
"In general, it doesn't make any sense for the team to be frustrated. We have to get on top of the problems and we have to make changes for the future to make it better."

Virgin to run aero test in Spain
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, May 12th 2011, 10:13 GMT
The Virgin Racing team will use Adrian Quaife-Hobbs to carry out straight-line testing in Spain next Sunday.
The team will conduct 300km of testing to evaluate aerodynamic components at the Idiada test circuit.
It will be the first time that GP3 racer Quaife-Hobbs has driven a Formula 1 car.
"I'm very much looking forward to driving an F1 car for the first time and must thank the Marussia Virgin Racing team for the faith they have shown in me in allowing me to carry out aerodynamic testing in their new car," he said.
"It's a great opportunity to get the chance to drive an F1 car as the team carries out computerised design testing with the new car.
"We'll be testing lots of aero parts and I'm really proud to be playing a part in it. Doing aero testing there is no pressure to perform but it will give me a great opportunity to see how the F1 team works."

Quaife-Hobbs pleased with Virgin run
By Matt Beer Monday, May 16th 2011, 09:16 GMT
GP3 driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs made his Formula 1 debut yesterday when he carried out a straightline aero test for Virgin at Idiada in Spain.
The 20-year-old Briton, who drives for Virgin's GP3 arm Manor Racing, completed 146 kilometres of trouble-free running.
"It has been an incredibly special day for me," said Quaife-Hobbs. "Driving a Formula 1 car is what you always dream of from the moment you start karting, so it has been fantastic to finally experience that. I completed a lot of runs for the team and helped them to collect a lot of data.
"I can't thank Marussia Virgin Racing enough for this amazing opportunity, as it really allows me to gain experience and see how a Formula 1 team works. Experiences like this only make you hungry for more and it's exciting to get a taste of what the future could hold."
Team boss John Booth said the test had also given Virgin a chance to tackle some of the issues with its latest upgrade that held it back in Turkey.
"Overall it has been a very productive test for us, with the Idiada proving ground providing us with excellent conditions with which to test the updated package that we introduced at the last race," said Booth.
"As we might have expected in its debut outing, we experienced a few teething problems in Istanbul and this test has provided us with the opportunity to understand more of the potential of the developments. We're looking forward to seeing further signs of progress in Spain next week."

Virgin parts company with Wirth
By Edd Straw Wednesday, June 1st 2011, 21:03 GMT
Virgin has parted company with technical director Nick Wirth following its disappointing start to the season.
The team had targeted reaching Q2 on a regular basis this year, but has failed to start any higher than the tenth row during the first six races of the season. As a result, Wirth Research is no longer a part of the operation.
Former Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds has overseen the review of Virgin, and is understood to be heading up plans for its 2012 car in his capacity as a consultant.
"The decision has been taken that the team will take greater control of its own destiny," said Marussia Virgin CEO Andy Webb in a statement to AUTOSPORT.
"Accordingly, having consulted with our existing technical partner during the course of the past few weeks, we have been obliged to terminate our relationship with them.
"I believe that the steps we are taking in terms of our technical leadership and operational excellence will provide us with the robust foundation required to go on and achieve our performance objectives in the years ahead. These are bold but positive steps that will enable us to move forward with confidence."
Despite the change in technical direction, the team already has a raft of upgrades and developments that have been signed off by Wirth Research that it plans to introduce in the coming months. It is hoped that these will allow it to close the gap to Team Lotus.
But there is also desire to trial run new development directions with the current Virgin MVR-02 in the latter stages of the season. This could lead to major revisions later in the campaign.
"At this time of year it is commonplace for all teams to start looking ahead to the following racing year, whilst continuing to develop the existing car for the remaining races of the current season," said Webb.
"The upgrades we have planned for the summer races are now passing from the design phase to the production stage and more and more of our focus is turning to 2012.
"In light of our long-term plans we will continue to aggressively pursue this strategy, but as next year's regulations contain few changes we hope that some of the development work aimed at the MVR-03 may also find its way onto the current car."
AUTOSPORT understands that the team is well-advanced with plans to establish its own technical base, with the ex-Arrows and Super Aguri facility at Leafield among the facilities it has evaluated.
There have also been reports that Virgin is seeking a technical partner, with McLaren among the options. This would likely lead to a partnership along similar lines to the one that helped to propel Force India from the back of the grid into regular points scorers over the past two-and-a-half years.
The team would not comment in detail on its new technical structure, but confirmed that these changes have been in the pipeline since emerging Russian sportscar manufacturer Marussia Motors bought into the team last year.
"In November 2010, sports car manufacturer Marussia Motors acquired a significant shareholding in the Marussia Virgin Racing F1 Team, securing the Team's future and underlining the marque's long-term commitment to Formula One," said Webb.
"Over the past six months, Marussia and the Board of Directors have undertaken a comprehensive review in order to ensure that Marussia Virgin Racing has the strongest platform, team of people and resources in place to achieve its long-term ambitions.
"Integral to this review has been an evaluation of the technical direction of Marussia Virgin Racing. Marussia's goal remains to be in a position to be able to challenge for a podium finish at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix in Sochi 2014.
"With this in mind, it is readily apparent that the team must take major steps in order to accelerate its rate of improvement.
"Looking ahead, we will now be pursuing an alternative technical path and look forward to announcing our plans in more detail over the coming weeks."
Virgin is also set to drop its all-CFD development strategy, which was key to it being able to afford to move into F1 in the first place. Now an established team in its second season, it is expected to start a windtunnel testing programme alongside ongoing CFD work.
"At this stage I would like to underline our continued commitment to a cost-efficient commercial model," said Webb. "We maintain our absolute belief in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) as a technology, especially since it continues to become more cost-effective with every year.
"Naturally, we will continue to use every means at our disposal to improve the aerodynamics of our car with immediate effect."

Wickens joins Virgin as reserve
By Jamie O'Leary Friday, June 3rd 2011, 16:39 GMT
Formula Renault 3.5 front-runner Robert Wickens has joined Virgin as a Formula 1 reserve driver.
The 22-year-old Canadian, whose Carlin FR3.5 car has carried backing from Virgin sponsor Marussia Motors this year, joins Sakon Yamamoto on the team's reserve roster.
"I am delighted to be confirmed as a reserve driver with Virgin Racing. It's an exciting time for me and Canadian motorsport," said Wickens.
"The support of Marussia Motors and the Marussia Virgin Racing team has been fantastic, and I am dedicated to repaying that faith in me by contributing everything I can to assist the team's objectives in Formula One this year."
Wickens, who was formerly part of the Red Bull Junior programme, was the runner-up in GP3 last year with Status Grand Prix and in Formula 2 in 2009. He is currently second in the FR3.5 points.
No announcement has been made on whether Wickens will take part in any Friday free practice sessions during the F1 season.

Glock: Virgin right to split with Wirth
By Edd Straw Friday, June 10th 2011, 09:44 GMT
Timo Glock has backed the Virgin team's decision to part company with Wirth Research.
The ex-Toyota driver, who has raced for Virgin since it came into Formula 1 in 2010 but has not finished higher than 14th in his 25 races driving for it, believes that the end of the partnership with former technical director Nick Wirth after the Monaco Grand Prix will allow the team to progress in the long term.
"It is the right move," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "We all want to move forward and the team wasn't happy with the performance of the car so they made the decision.
"A change like this is never the easiest, but to move on in the long-term it is very positive."
Virgin is currently working on a plan to create its own design and development base, a process being overseen by consultant Pat Symonds.
While the team is some way off establishing such a base, during the coming races car upgrades signed off by Wirth will be introduced. Glock believes that the team must now prioritise development work for the 2012 car, using the rest of this season to work on ideas for the MVR-03 where possible.
"Next year is the main target," said Glock. "We know that we cannot find three seconds in a couple of months, then it becomes the changeover point for 2012. We have to try to get a bit out of this year and put all of our focus onto next year.
"The rest of the season will be fine for us. We managed through such difficult times last year and at the beginning of this year. That proved we can deal with them. We have a good plan, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Glock is hopeful that the new technical structure will allow the race team to have a bigger influence in the development direction of the car. Previously, Wirth Research was responsible for the design of the car and delivering upgrades.
The German regards the racing side of the Virgin operation as one of the team's biggest strengths and thinks giving it more input into the car will accelerate the rate of progress.
"I think it will be much easier for us," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "We can make even quicker decisions in terms of development for the future. The engineers on the track know what the car needs so if they can do it directly it's good.
"The team has what it needs for the future, but it just takes time. We did everything right from last year to this year in terms of the structure of the race team, making the right changes and putting the right people in the right places. That has paid off.
"We can still improve, but this is one of the strengths of the team."

D'Ambrosio forced to use spare chassis
By Edd Straw Friday, June 10th 2011, 21:26 GMT
Virgin is building up a new car for Jerome d'Ambrosio around a spare chassis after he crashed during Friday afternoon's free practice session ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Belgian lost it in the middle of the right/left combination at Turn 4, slamming into the outside wall and prompting a second red flag of the 90-minute session.
The impact broke the nose mountings of his chassis, forcing the team to call the spare into service.
F1 regulations prohibit complete spare cars, but teams are allowed to build a new car around a spare chassis and he will return to the track for tomorrow morning's third free practice session.
"The day was going pretty well today. I had a good feeling with the car and I really enjoy driving here. But then I made a mistake in turn 3, which pushed me wide on to the kerb at Turn 4," said the Belgian.
"I couldn't turn in and so I ended up hitting the wall. It's a shame to finish the day like this but I was happy how the car was behaving on the circuit so I'm sure we can bounce back tomorrow, I'm just very sorry for the team as the guys now have a lot of work to do tonight."

Virgin to shift focus after Silverstone
By Edd Straw Saturday, June 11th 2011, 15:41 GMT
Virgin will introduce its final major upgrade package of the 2011 season at next month's British Grand Prix as it switches its focus onto next year's car.
The team parted company with technical director Nick Wirth after the Monaco Grand Prix, and is currently working on establishing a new design and development base.
The Silverstone package was signed off by Wirth before he stopped working for the team, and the package is currently in the production phase. By opting against further major upgrades, the team can pour all of its resources into its new technical hub and the 2012 Virgin MVR-03.
"Up to Silverstone and that will probably be it," said team boss John Booth when asked by AUTOSPORT what upgrades are in the pipeline. "There will be small things after that, but nothing major.
"We want to race this year and we want to qualify for every race. We want to do the best we can, but it's difficult for a team with our resources to have two programmes going at once. Even the big teams struggle with that and have a cut-off point.
"Of course, we have the technical working group next week with the decision on the blown diffuser and we may have to take a view on our development programme when that decision has been made."
Booth confirmed that the team has no plans to appoint a new technical director "in the immediate future" but that the new design and development base must be up and running soon.
Former Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds, who is a consultant to the team, is currently overseeing the establishment of the new facility.
"We need to establish it within a month," said Booth. "It will be in England, but it's unclear at the moment. The Silverstone area may be a possibility because it's fairly central for attracting people from a wide area."
Booth confirmed that the decision to part with Wirth was down to the team's disappointing level of performance this year.
Virgin had targeted appearances in Q2, but Timo Glock and Jerome d'Ambrosio have yet to threaten to make it out of the bottom seven during qualifying and have only been able to outpace the HRTs.
Although a plan whereby Wirth could continue to be involved in the team as CFD provider was among the courses of action evaluated, it was decided that a clean break would give the team the best chance to achieve its competitive goals in 2012.
"The decision was made because what we have now was not working," Booth told AUTOSPORT. "We have made no secret of the fact that we expected to be much more competitive this year than we were last year and this has not been the case.
"We are in exactly the same place as last year and you could argue that we are slightly worse. Now is the time of year when we have to commit ourselves to the 2012 car because there didn't seem to be any point in doing the same again.
"We spent months deliberating and looking at every possibility. It wasn't a decision that we arrive at overnight. All options were looked at."

Branson still committed to Formula 1
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, June 11th 2011, 16:39 GMT
Richard Branson says he is still fully committed to his involvement in Formula 1, despite Virgin Racing's difficult start to the season.
With the outfit having not made the step forward in pace that it expected this season, and parting company with technical chief Nick Wirth after the Monaco Grand Prix, there had been speculation that Branson could scale back his involvement to leave the way clear for a takeover by Marussia.
However, speaking in Montreal, Branson made it clear that F1 was still an important part of his Virgin company's portfolio.
When asked by AUTOSPORT if he was as committed as ever to being in F1, Branson said: "Yes, I thoroughly enjoy Virgin's involvement with the team and the sport, and hope it will be for a while.
"This isn't my team, we're effectively a sponsor, but for as long as we're helpful to Marussia and the team then we will stay involved."
He added: "We're not an auto builder, but having Virgin on the car is great for all the Virgin companies. I watched the Monaco Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago and we were getting great coverage, so we're still very happy."
Branson welcomed the fact that Virgin Racing had shown it willingness to react to its performance situation by splitting with Wirth, and said he was excited by future technical plans that Pat Symonds is putting in place.
"Reliability has been much better [this season], but everybody accepts that performance needs to improve. The team have made tough decisions, and they've one or two quite exciting things they've told me about - which I can't talk about - but will hopefully see them go up the grid over the next year or two.
"Marussia are fantastic owners, they've the kind of deep pockets the team need, and they're very committed to it. I think going forward, there's only one direction they can go."
Speaking about the decision to part company with Wirth, Branson said: "I think when we first got involved there was talk of the FIA getting rid of wind tunnelling and getting costs right down. I think a lot of that push to get costs down seems to have gone by the wayside somewhat.
"So, I think one of the tough decisions our new chief executive has had to make is on the technical side. I think it was the right decision and from what he has confidentially told me he has some exciting plans ahead on that front. If something is not working it cannot carry on indefinitely."

D'Ambrosio allowed to race on Sunday
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, June 11th 2011, 19:13 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio will be allowed to start tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix despite having failed to set a time within the 107 per cent in qualifying.
The Virgin driver set at best time of 1m19.414s, with the 107 per cent time being 1m18.989s.
Despite not being fast enough in qualifying, the stewards decided to allow the Belgian to race, having taken into consideration the fact that he was using a new chassis today.
D'Ambrosio crashed heavily during second practice yesterday, forcing his team to build a new car around the spare chassis, as the rules don't allow for drivers to use the full spare car.

Virgin to screen Senna film
By Jonathan Noble Monday, June 20th 2011, 12:29 GMT
Virgin Racing is offering Formula 1 fans the chance to attend an exclusive screening of the Senna film, during part of its British Grand Prix activities.
The Senna movie has been a hit since it opened in UK cinemas, and Virgin Racing has now tied up with the film's backers to offer a showing on the evening after the race.
As well as the screening, the Senna movie's writer Manish Pandey will be on hand to offer his insight into the creation of the film.
Pandey said: "We worked together with a private viewing in Monaco earlier this year which was really well received and I know it will be an incredibly receptive audience at Silverstone in a truly magical setting."
The Senna screening will wrap up a weekend of activities that Virgin Racing is putting on as part of its Marussia Virgin Racing weekend. Further details can be found on the team's official website.

Timo Glock promises to stay motivated despite Virgin stopping 2011 development
By Edd Straw Sunday, June 26th 2011, 09:27 GMT
Timo Glock insists that Virgin's decision to switch its focus to its 2012 car in the wake of parting company with technical director Nick Wirth will not affect his motivation.
Virgin came into this season hoping to reach Q2 on a regular basis, but the team has not managed to do better than 20th in qualifying so far this year. Despite knowing that he could face a second consecutive year without any points finishes as development tails off in the second half of the year, Glock claims he will have no difficulty maintaining focus.
"I never lose my motivation," said Glock. "My motivation is still to keep the gap to Lotus as small as possible and just to get the best out of qualifying and the race every time.
"That's what I am doing and I can't do any more."
Glock will line up 21st on the grid for today's European Grand Prix at a Valencia circuit where he holds the lap record, set during his second year with Toyota in 2009.
He comfortably outqualified lead HRT driver Vitantonio Liuzzi after the Spanish team sprung a surprise in the last race in Canada by beating Virgin. Glock believes that the battle between the teams, which are currently occupying the bottom two places in the constructors' championship, could swing depending on the circuit characteristics.
"We have to see how tracks like Silverstone, which has a completely different characteristic to Valencia, will affect us or HRT," said Glock. "It will be track dependent.
"This weekend has gone well so far. We were consistently quicker than them and closer to Lotus, for some reason, which is positive for the team, but at the moment it is quite a big gap."
Team principal John Booth put Virgin's lack of pace in Canada down to a lack of a low-downforce set-up, something that did not hinder the team so much during the race.
He added that the performance of this year's car at different circuits corresponds to the pattern seen last year.
"This is a totally new car to last year, but oddly enough the circuits where we were comfortable last year are the ones where we are comfortable this year," said Booth. "And the circuits where we struggled last year, like Barcelona and Canada, we have struggled again this year.
"We haven't quite got to the bottom of it, although we didn't have a low-downforce set-up for Canada, which compromised qualifying there. But it almost paid dividends in the [wet] race."

Virgin enters into technical partnership with McLaren
By Jonathan Noble Monday, July 4th 2011, 09:03 GMT
Virgin Racing has announced a technical tie-up with McLaren in a bid to help it improve its form in Formula 1.
Just weeks after the team parted company with its technical director Nick Wirth, Virgin Racing revealed on Monday that it had concluded a deal that will see it receive assistance from McLaren, as revealed by AUTOSPORT.
As part of the deal, Virgin Racing will have access to McLaren's facilities - such a test rigs, simulators and computer technology - plus its wind tunnel. Furthermore staff from McLaren will be placed within the Virgin Racing group.
As well as the McLaren tie-up, Virgin Racing has also purchased the business of Wirth Racing Technologies and its facilities in Banbury to provide a technical base for its future. The team will continue to use Cosworth engines.
Andy Webb, CEO of Virgin Racing, said: "When we undertook our detailed review of the team in the first half of 2011, it was clear that our bold ambitions for the future would need to be matched with some equally bold steps towards achieving them.
"I am delighted that in a relatively short space of time we are now in the fantastic position of being able to make these two very important announcements, which will enable us to make some dramatic strides forward with immediate effect.
"Our technical partnership with McLaren is very exciting indeed. McLaren is one of the most prestigious and successful marquees in grand prix racing history, with an enviable record of success over many years.
"We can benefit enormously from McLaren's far-reaching techniques and capabilities and I have no doubt that this partnership will see us take the technical steps necessary to make a significant leap forwards.
"In addition, our acquisition of the WRT Formula 1 business ensures continuity of technical infrastructure for the period ahead, which means that the transition to working with our new technical partner can begin immediately and is not frustrated by logistical considerations.
"Our three-centre operation has served us well in our formative years but our ambitions for the future will rely on the full might of the team coming together under one roof."
The technical changes at Virgin Racing come after an in-depth analysis of the team's situation by Pat Symonds, who has acted as a consultant for the team since the start of this year.
Symonds will continue assisting the team, even though he still cannot officially return to a full-time role in F1 as a legacy of the punishment he received for his involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix race fix controversy.
Speaking about the tie-up with Virgin Racing, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "Under the terms of this technical partnership, Marussia Virgin Racing will be able to access McLaren's wind tunnel, simulator, rigs, and fitness and well being programmes.
"These properties are state-of-the-art, and we confidently therefore expect Marussia Virgin Racing to derive significant benefits from them.
"During the period in which we were agreeing this deal, our experience of dealing with Andy and his team was extremely positive and we recognise that he and his colleagues are very serious about making developments that will lift the competitiveness of their cars over the coming months and years."
McLaren already has an existing technical partnership in place with the Force India team.

Virgin's Graeme Lowdon says McLaren tie-up a statement of intent
By Jonathan Noble and Sam Tremayne Thursday, July 7th 2011, 15:21 GMT
Virgin Racing's sporting director Graeme Lowdon has hailed his team's technical tie-in with McLaren as a statement of intent over its long-term ambitions in the sport.
As revealed by AUTOSPORT, Virgin Racing announced on Monday that it had concluded a deal giving it access to McLaren's facilities - such as test rigs, simulators and computer technology - plus its wind tunnel.
Lowdon said the deal has given his team a welcome boost ahead of Silverstone, but predicts its effect will only be fully realised for the 2012 season.
"This is a real statement of intent that we want to be in the pack as quickly as possible, and get to a situation where we are really challenging in races," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"The prime focus is going to be the 2012 car, as it is for most teams in the paddock now, but we think that there will be some benefits for the 2011 car – kind of by osmosis as opposed to a specific focus.
"It's not a case of just forgetting what's happening in 2011. We certainly want to improve where we're at with the 2011 car, but the main realisation will be from 2012 onwards.
"We've always had a great team spirit, and nobody lost any faith in the long term picture of what we wanted to do. I think people know this is actually a pretty good team, it's just not reflected on the track up to now.
"If we can bring that, that's the missing piece of the jigsaw."

Timo Glock has re-signed with Virgin on a new three-year deal
By Simon Strang Sunday, July 24th 2011, 08:20 GMT
Timo Glock will remain with Virgin Racing until 2014 after the German signed a new three year deal with the team.
The 29-year-old joined Virgin at the beginning of last season, following Toyota's withdrawal from Formula 1 at the end of 2009.
"I am very happy to confirm that Marussia Virgin Racing will be my home for the next few years of my F1 career," said Glock. "I'm especially pleased to be able to announce this news ahead of my home grand prix in Germany today, where my career began.
"The past 18 months of racing have been quite tough, although this was always to be expected. As a driver I knew I would have to go back a few steps in order to move forward."
Glock expressed his frustration early in 2011 having felt the team had not made enough progress over the winter break.
But a series of big changes, including Virgin Racing's technical tie-up with McLaren and its purchase of the Wirth Racing Technologies business earlier this month, have shown the team has ambition to move forward.
"Now we have tasted the difficult times together I can't wait to be with the team when we start to enjoy the good times," he said. "And I know they are coming.
"I've seen tremendous belief from Marussia and hard work and commitment across the whole team.
"With the additional steps we have taken - the technical partnership with McLaren and bringing the whole team together - I believe we can achieve our goals together. This year we've demonstrated that we know how to build a reliable car, and with the resources we now have we should be able to add to that a high-performing car. After that it's all about gradual but significant steps forward."
Virgin Racing's CEO Andy Webb added that securing Glock's services for the long-term was important to the continued development of the team.
"We are delighted to have agreed a new long-term contract with Timo, which represents another significant step in our plans for Marussia Virgin Racing," he said. "Timo's contribution to the team over the past 18 months has been immeasurable and he has certainly lived up to his commitment to help build a team from within.
"It has been a tough climb at times, and for a driver of his unquestionable record it must have proved frustrating at times.
"Both he and the team are fortunate to be faced with the opportunities we have now created for ourselves when we are still very much in our infancy. Timo is vastly experienced whilst still bringing youth and great spirit to the team. We are looking forward to seeing what we can do together to extract the maximum from our resources, particularly the promising technical partnership with McLaren."
Glock first raced in Formula 1 for Jordan in 2004, where he completed four grands prix, but became a regular in 2008 with Toyota having won the 2007 GP2 Series following a spell in the Champ Car World Series.

Timo Glock says sticking with Virgin Racing long-term was an 'easy' choice
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, July 24th 2011, 08:52 GMT
Timo Glock says it was an 'easy' decision for him to commit himself to Virgin Racing for the next three years, despite the team's early struggles in Formula 1.
The German announced ahead of the German Grand Prix that he has signed a long-term deal to remain at his current team, with AUTOSPORT understanding that the contract runs through until the end of 2014.
And although the length of his commitment rules him out of contention for prize seats elsewhere, Glock says he never thought of anything else but making a success of his decision to join Virgin.
"The possibilities we have now are quite positive," Glock said, referring to the recent technical partnership that Virgin has struck up with McLaren. "For me the decision was quite easy and I want to have some good times with the team.
"We have to find a way to be in the midfield next year, and regular points maybe. That is what we have to have for next year - and it will be hard work."
Glock has conceded that things have not always been rosy at Virgin Racing, especially with its car having not been as competitive as it hoped, but he insists he never lost faith in the project.
"I was frustrated, as was everyone else at the team, at certain moments last year," he explained. "But for me that takes two to three hours to subside and then I reset my head again for the next weekend.
"For some reason everyone has asked me this weekend how I can still be motivated fighting for P20 at the moment. For me I jump in the car and I just enjoy what I'm doing, F1 was my goal and I am just enjoying every time I jump in there and fighting as hard as possible until the last lap.
"It doesn't matter whether I'm fighting for a podium or P20. That's how I was motivated last year and this year. I set my target for a weekend, and I just want to get more than 100% out of the package we have at the moment, and that's what I am doing."

Virgin in no hurry to complete its 2012 Formula 1 line-up after extending Timo Glock's contract
By Jonathan Noble and Grace Roberts Wednesday, July 27th 2011, 11:12 GMT
Virgin is in no hurry to complete its 2012 Formula 1 driver line-up, having announced a three-year contract extension for Timo Glock last weekend.
The team's CEO Graeme Lowdon said that retaining Glock means that there is no reason to rush a decision on whether Jerome D'Ambrosio will continue as his team-mate next year.
When asked whether driver negotiations would be left until the end of the season, Lowdon said: "I would think so, certainly after the break, probably on a similar time scale to what we had last year."
Lowdon said that D'Ambrosio has impressed him during the Belgian driver's rookie season in Formula 1 and that he was one of the men in contention for the second seat.
"Jerome's doing a really great job, I think he's surprised a lot of people with his maturity in the races as well," he added.
"You see with other drivers coming in for the first time, it’s not an easy formula to adapt to because of everything that's around it, and you can’t really talk too highly about Jerome's performance so far.
"So again in terms of just straightforward contractual time then it will be more towards the back end of the season."

Ricciardo aims to beat Liuzzi and the Virgin drivers as season progresses
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, August 4th 2011, 12:50 GMT
Daniel Ricciardo believes he can aim to beat HRT team-mate Tonio Liuzzi and the Virgin drivers by the end of the 2011 season.
The 22-year-old Australian made his grand prix debut at the British Grand Prix, replacing Narain Karthikeyan at the Spanish squad.
The Australian finished in 18th position in the last race in Hungary, having been 19th in the previous two races.
Ricciardo reckons he needs more time in the car before he can set bigger targets for himself.
"The target is to continue learning. I think that will come with time in the car," said Ricciardo. "If I could manage to sneak out a personal best result or edge out Tonio and the Virgins in a few races that would be a strong result.
"I have to aim high because it is only going to help me for the future. I think that for the last few races of the year I can really start to push and aim for it."
Ricciardo also believes it will not be easy to outperform Liuzzi, and even harder to beat the Italian's season-best result of 13th in the Canadian Grand Prix.
"I think the result in Canada was really good, Tonio has proved he is a very capable driver and I think he will be tough to beat," he said. "In Silverstone I was quite off his pace. I knew it would take a bit of time but you always want a bit more. But it was very clear to me that I have a strong team-mate.
"It is going to take my best efforts to really try and get in front of him and to push for a personal best result for the team. I don't think it is going to come through luck; it's just going to be hard work for now.
"I really have to soak in as much information as I can to try and become the driver I want to be and, hopefully, the one who maybe gets a personal best result for HRT one day."

Virgin's Lowdon says only fans will judge the success of the BBC/Sky deal
By Pablo Elizalde and Jonathan Noble Friday, August 5th 2011, 13:09 GMT
Virgin Racing CEO Graeme Lowdon believes it will be the fans who will determine if the BBC/Sky deal will be good for Formula 1 next year.
The BBC announced last month that it would share Formula 1 broadcasting from 2012, in an agreement that means only half the races will be broadcast live and on free-to-air TV next year in Britain.
Fans who wish to watch all races live will have to adopt Sky's pay-to-view model.
Although some of the sport's figures have welcome the deal, Lowdon reckons it will up to the fans to judge it.
"I think we are yet to see quite a lot of the detail and the detail is important," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "I read in the Sky report that they are planning a fabulous experience for the fans and you have to welcome that kind of thing.
"But I think they also said that's good news for the fans, and I think, with the greatest respect, that is up to the fans to determine. We wouldn't say whether is great for the fans. We have to wait for the fans to respond on that, and I'm sure they will in this day and age.
"From the point of view of the commercial model there are potential mismatches between a broadcasting that maximises viewers and one that maximises revenue.
"Obviously that kind of thing needs to be addressed, but I'm sure it hasn't escaped those who are in involved. What's really important is to see what the fans think."
Lowdon also suggested that teams like his, with a big dependency on sponsorship revenue, may find it hard to secure new deals if the Formula 1 viewership decreases as a result of the deal.
"We are yet to see what it will actually mean, but the vast majority of our revenue - some 90 per cent of our revenue - comes from sponsors and partners, and they are very interested in ensuring that the fans enjoy the sport and are watching in maximum numbers.
"So it's really quite clear. Other teams don't have that kind of split, but everything develops in Formula 1 and I think it's pretty key to listen to what the fans want to see. We really have to see how it pans out."

D'Ambrosio not distracted by future talk, focused on doing the best possible job
By Pablo Elizalde and Edd Straw Wednesday, August 10th 2011, 10:28 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio says he is focusing on doing the best possible job this year rather than worrying about his future in Formula 1.
Virgin Racing announced last month that Timo Glock would stay with the team at least until the 2014 season, but said it was in no hurry to name its second driver.
D'Ambrosio, who has a contract until the end of the year, says he is not worrying too much about that at the moment, and that he is in talks with Virgin about a possible new deal.
"Obviously we are speaking, but at the moment I am still highly focussed on what I do now," D'Ambrosio told AUTOSPORT, "and if anything [manager] Eric Boullier and Gravity are working on that."
The Belgian, making his debut this year with Virgin, said he was pleased with how he has progressed during the season, despite the team's difficult campaign so far.
"I'm happy with the progress," he said. "With these conditions obviously, a bit of experience maybe, but quite happy with how things are going.
"As you can imagine as a rookie you take up a lot of information in a short period of time with non-stop races, so it would be good to have these weeks to just back off a little bit, process everything and then come back fresh and ready for Spa."
Virgin CEO Graeme Lowdon praised D'Ambrosio's work this year, but insisted no decision is likely to be made until the end of the season.
"Jerome's doing a really great job, I think he's surprised a lot of people with his maturity in the races as well," he said last month.
"You see with other drivers coming in for the first time, it’s not an easy formula to adapt to because of everything that's around it, and you can’t really talk too highly about Jerome's performance so far.
"So again in terms of just straightforward contractual time then it will be more towards the back end of the season."

Virgin is planning a major rear-end overhaul for the Italian Grand Prix
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 1st 2011, 12:02 GMT
Virgin Racing is planning to introduce a major update to the rear end of its car for next weekend's Italian Grand Prix, on the back of a ramping up of efforts to improve its technical operation.
The revisions to the car, which had originally been pencilled in for the British Grand Prix but were dropped in the wake of its operational reshuffle, have been rescheduled for Monza because technical consultant Pat Symonds believes they will deliver a good step forward in pace.
Team principal John Booth told AUTOSPORT: "We had an update in the pipeline for Silverstone, and we sidelined it because we did not think it was worth the effort at the time.
"But as Pat got to grips with the CFD evaluation of it, and looked into it a bit deeper, he thought it was well worth doing, so he pressed the button on that. We will have it, all being well, for Monza."
Speaking about the extent of the revisions, Booth said: "It is engine cover, sidepods, exhaust, and rear floor. Obviously there will be a Monza wing as well, but this bodywork package will be on for the rest of the year. It will pull the whole back of the car in much tighter.
"That has not really interrupted our 2012 progress because much of the design work was done; it was just a question of tidying it up and accommodating it."
Virgin Racing has spent recent months focusing on an overhaul of its operation, with plans for a factory move from its current Dinnington base in Yorkshire to its new Banbury facility now pencilled in for late November.
"Things have been pretty hectic," explained Booth. "As you can imagine, first of all we had to make a decision about where we were going to base ourselves. We took the decision for it to be Banbury for the forthcoming years.
"It was not up to spec as a Formula 1 facility, so we had to get the architects in and get ready to accept the race team, and update our new facility.
"But it was the obvious thing to do as we could keep our design team running without any interruption. The design team have got a nice new office down there; all the CAD stations are there, so it has been good to keep them running totally uninterrupted at a critical time. So we have designed the rest of the factory around them.
"The commercial team office is now finished, and they are moving this week. Then the race team will move in on the return from the Brazilian Grand Prix, so that makes it nice and clean - going straight to the new place."

Wickens completes Vairano test for Virgin Racing
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, September 14th 2011, 09:04 GMT
Robert Wickens made his testing debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car on Tuesday when he drove for the Virgin Racing team at Vairano.
The Canadian, who had joined the team as a reserve driver earlier this year, completed a straight-line testing programme for the outfit at the Italian circuit.
Wickens, who had previously driven F1 machinery when he completed a demo run for Renault, covered 210 km in the MVR-02 car.
"It was great to work with the team in this way," he said. "Driving the car is obviously a natural step in my progression and education as a Reserve Driver with Marussia Virgin Racing.
"Like all drivers I'm eager for seat time and the work we did today undoubtedly plays an important role for the team in its aerodynamic development program.
"It was a good day and I was happy to sample the car for myself, albeit in a straight line, having watched Timo and Jerome behind the wheel for the past couple of months!"
Team principal John Booth added: "It was a slow start to the day due to an issue with the engine, however the Cosworth technicians working with the team did a good job to solve the problem as quickly as possible. From that point on, the day ran pretty much to plan and we have been able to collect a huge amount of data to analyse.
"Robert also did a great job in his F1 testing debut. It was his first time in the MVR-02 car and he adapted very quickly to the controls and steering wheel. It has been a very positive experience for him which he has handled very well."

Teams fall foul of Formula 1 curfew rules
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 24th 2011, 11:51 GMT
Red Bull Racing, Virgin and Mercedes GP fell foul of Formula 1's curfew regulations on Friday night after marketing personnel from the teams entered the Singapore track.
F1's rules state that no 'team personnel who are associated in any way with the operation of the cars are permitted within the confines of the circuit' for a set period during the overnight hours.
In Singapore, because of the night race timetable, this period ran from 9.30am on Saturday morning to 4pm - three hours before the start of final practice.
However, the FIA said that marketing personnel from the three outfits – which it says were 'associated with the operation of the car' – were in the circuit during the exclusion period.
Teams are allowed four exceptions to the curfew over the course of the season, and while this was Mercedes GP's first breach and Virgin Racing's second, Red Bull Racing has now used up three of its curfews – with five races remaining.
Scuderia Toro Rosso broke the curfew ahead of Friday practice after team principal Franz Tost arrived in the paddock too early.

FIA returns Mercedes and Virgin's curfew extensions as well
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, September 25th 2011, 09:47 GMT
Mercedes GP and Virgin Racing have also won back one of their four allowed curfew exemptions, after the FIA decided that the staff who entered the track early on Saturday were not involved directly with the car.
Marketing staff from the two teams, plus Red Bull Racing, were found to have entered the track before the 4pm cut-off point - which is a breach of the new-for-2011 curfew restrictions.
The decision had left the teams unhappy because they all believed that the marketing staff in question had no direct involvement with the cars.
Now, after discussions with both teams about who the staff were who entered the track, the FIA has decided that Mercedes GP and Virgin Racing can also get back one of their curfews.
A statement issued by the FIA said: "Having spoken to the Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team and Marussia Virgin Racing team in more details, it is apparent that the team personnel concerned with the breach of the curfew were not involved in the operation of the car."

Glock predicts set-up gambles for Korean Grand Prix qualifying
By Edd Straw Friday, October 14th 2011, 09:16 GMT
Timo Glock expects teams to have to take a gamble on set-up tomorrow after Friday practice was hit by rain.
Drivers will have at the most one hour of dry running in the morning before heading into qualifying, which will lock their set-ups for the race, meaning that there is little time to recover if the morning set-up is incorrect.
"It's not a perfect situation for everyone, but at least we are all in the same boat," said Glock. "It's a gamble for tomorrow to see how the car is in dry conditions.
"Set-up wise you can't do much for dry conditions [in the wet] but in general if the car is okay to drive in wet conditions it should be okay in the dry as well."
The Virgin driver, who ended the day 21st fastest, is downbeat about the chances of the wet weather continuing on Saturday and Sunday.
Wet conditions would likely suit Glock, who ran as high as eighth in last year's race in wet conditions before being crashed into by Sebastien Buemi.
"It was pretty good last year and it opens up some possibilities," said Glock. "But it's pretty clear that it will be dry tomorrow and Sunday so there are no big hopes for us in that direction.
"It felt like there was quite a lot of grip compared to other tracks in wet conditions, but it is challenging. The trouble is that the white lines and the kerbs are quite slippery."

D'Ambrosio baffled by lack of pace after finishing 1.4 seconds behind Glock
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Saturday, October 15th 2011, 11:33 GMT
Jerome D'Ambrosio admitted he was mystified by his lack of pace during qualifying for the Korean Grand Prix.
The Virgin driver finished in 22nd position nearly 1.5 seconds off the pace of team-mate Timo Glock as he struggled with a lack of grip.
D'Ambrosio said he could not understand the reason for his car's poor speed.
"At the moment none of us really understand. The pace is not there, but it's not like one sector or like I'm losing somewhere. It's everywhere," D'Ambrosio told AUTOSPORT.
"I think we have to get down to the bottom of this looking at the data, trying to understand. There's a feeling that there is something going massively wrong. My feeling is a lack of grip everywhere and that's it.
"But I don't want to go crazy on this. I think I just continue to do my job as best as I as can tomorrow and then we'll see. I'm sure we can improve and get to the bottom of it. Bad days happen and the most important thing is to understand where it's coming from."
He added: "The car balance was not the best I've had but not to explain 1.4 seconds. So it's very difficult to understand. This is the thing I can't explain at the moment. There are a couple of things we are looking at the moment and hopefully we can sort them out."
The Belgian said he will still give his all to try to have a good race on Sunday.
"Tomorrow I'll drive my heart out. It's a race and I'm a racing driver. Tomorrow is a new day and I will do everything I can to have a good race like in Suzuka, Singapore and Spa. That's my goal. To get in the car and drive my heart out."

Virgin applies for name change to become Marussia
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, November 1st 2011, 13:15 GMT
Virgin Racing has become the third team to apply for a name change next season, after officially lodging a request to revise its chassis name to Marussia.
With Team Lotus and Renault both looking to change their titles next year, Virgin Racing has now lodged a request with the Formula One Commission to switch its name to its Russian sportscar partner.
Marussia joined the outfit as a sponsor last season, but for this year took on a much larger role with the outfit - as well as title sponsorship.
Keen to enhance its relationship further, Virgin Racing now wants to become known simply as Marussia. The change requires the support from 18 members of the 26-strong F1 Commission.
Despite the Virgin name no longer being part of the official team name, the company will still remain a partner for the foreseeable future.
AUTOSPORT understands that the Virgin logos will still feature prominently on the car, and Richard Branson's group of companies will continue to work with the outfit on future projects.
Team Lotus has applied to change its name to Caterham, while Renault plans to become known as Lotus.

Formula 1 chiefs approve name changes for Lotus, Renault and Virgin
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 3rd 2011, 17:34 GMT
Formula 1 chiefs have approved the name change requests that were put forward at today's F1 Commission meeting in Geneva - bringing an end to the long-running row over the Lotus moniker.
Following a lengthy meeting in Geneva on Thursday, sources confirmed that Team Lotus, Renault and Virgin Racing all received the necessary support to be allowed to change their titles for the start of next season.
It means from 2012, Team Lotus will become known as Caterham, Renault will switch to Lotus and Virgin Racing will switch to Marussia.
The changes still need to go through the FIA's World Motor Sport Council before becoming official, but this is believed to be a formality - especially because FIA president Jean Todt is a member of the F1 Commission.
There is not expected to be any public statements about the matter from any of the teams involved until after the WMSC meeting - which takes place on 7 December.
The decision to approve the name changes means that confusion over the Lotus name in F1 will be brought to an end, following a long-running dispute between Team Lotus and the road car company Group Lotus.
In a bid to clean up the matter after lengthy court proceedings, an agreement was reached which means that the Enstone-based Renault team will now be the only outfit running the Lotus name.
Team Lotus will make full use of the Caterham brand, less than one year after the outfit's owner Tony Fernandes bought the sportscar manufacturer.

Robert Wickens gets Virgin run in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice
By Matt Beer Friday, November 4th 2011, 18:16 GMT
Formula Renault 3.5 champion Robert Wickens will drive for Virgin Racing in Friday morning practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend.
Wickens has been the team's reserve driver and is backed by its title sponsor Marussia. He narrowly beat Carlin team-mate and Toro Rosso third driver Jean-Eric Vergne to the FR3.5 title after a season-long battle, and made his debut for Virgin in an aero test at Vairano recently.
"I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to test with the team in a race weekend context and at a track like Abu Dhabi," said Wickens. "This year just keeps getting better and better and I can't thank Marussia enough for their continued support.
"The Vairano test was a good grounding for me but the opportunity to kick things up a gear in a free practice session is obviously the next big step in my career and I hope my feedback will have a positive benefit on the team's performance there."
Jerome D'Ambrosio will stand aside for the session in favour of Wickens.
Team boss John Booth said Wickens' practice run underlined Virgin's commitment to nurturing young drivers.
"Robert has had a fantastic season in Formula Renault 3.5 and was the deserving victor of a hard-fought championship," said Booth.
"One of the founding principles of our young driver programme was that we would reward success with important seat time to aid the progression of our rising stars through the ranks.
"Abu Dhabi is a track at which Jerome has good experience as he ran there in the same Friday morning practice session a year ago and then in the young driver test the following week. The Yas Marina circuit therefore presents a better opportunity to provide this reward to Robert as there will be less impact on our engineering programme."
Wickens is also set to run for Renault in the young driver tests as his prize for claiming the FR3.5 title.

FIA formally confirms that Renault, Lotus and Virgin can change names
Sunday, November 6th 2011, 17:14 GMT
The FIA has officially confirmed that Renault, Team Lotus and Virgin will be allowed to change their chassis names for 2012.
Agreement was reached during Thursday's meeting of the Formula One Commission, and has now been formally announced by the governing body.
The decision means the end of the Lotus name spat, as the ex-works Renault team fully renames after its title sponsor Group Lotus, and Tony Fernandes' outfit switches from its current Team Lotus branding to Caterham, having bought the British sportscar constructor earlier this year.
Virgin Racing also switches identity to become Marussia, the Russian car-maker having become a major backer of the squad last year.

Charles Pic joins Virgin for Abu Dhabi test
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, November 11th 2011, 11:13 GMT
Frenchman Charles Pic will make his Formula 1 debut next week when he joins Virgin Racing for the Abu Dhabi test.
Pic, 21, will be joined by Robert Wickens and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs during the three days of the test.
"I'd like to thank Marussia Virgin Racing for this opportunity to test a Formula 1 car for the first time," said Pic, who finished in fourth place in this year's GP2 Series.
"It's going to be a very special moment for me, one I have been waiting for my whole racing career! Formula 1 is my goal so I will be putting everything I have into the test and look forward to the experience of working with the team and learning as much as I can from them."
Quaife-Hobbs, who had already carried out straightline testing duties for Virgin will be the man in charge of driving on the morning of the opening day (Tuesday), with Pic taking over in the afternoon and then completing a full day of work on Wednesday.
Wickens will drive on Thursday.
"We're delighted to be able to offer Adrian, Charles and our Reserve Driver Robert Wickens seat time in the MVR-02 next week and in return we look forward to some convincing performances from all of them," said team principal John Booth.
"The Young Driver Test is a fantastic opportunity to see the cream of the next generation of talent in action for the various teams and to enable them to demonstrate that they have what it takes to progress to the highest level of motorsport.
"In the meantime of course, we've also had Robert in the car for Free Practice 1 today and it's been very rewarding to see him in action. We'll be keeping a close eye on all of them during the week ahead."

Charles Pic set to race with Virgin in 2012
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, November 15th 2011, 08:55 GMT
Charles Pic is set to graduate to Formula 1 with Virgin Racing next season, as he prepares for his first test with the team in Abu Dhabi this week.
The Frenchman is understood to have agreed terms with the Virgin team for a race deal in 2012, and if a final contract can be sorted then an announcement confirming his step-up to F1 could be made as soon as the season-closing Brazilian GP.
Speculation that Pic has finalised a deal with Virgin Racing heightened on Monday when he cancelled a planned test with Team Lotus in Abu Dhabi this week.
Pic is a successful karter, who has won races in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2. This year he finished fourth overall in the GP2 standings.
If his move is confirmed, it will mean that Virgin's current driver Jerome d'Ambrosio will need to look for another drive for next season - although very few seats are now remaining.
Renault team principal Eric Boullier, who is head of the Gravity driver management company that looks after d'Ambrosio, admitted last weekend in Abu Dhabi that he was currently sorting out the Belgian's F1 future.
When asked if he was a contender for a race seat Renault, Boullier said: "He could be, but I am trying to build another plan for him. He is on the list, though. He is part of the family."
Pic is due to drive the Virgin car on Tuesday afternoon and for a full day on Wednesday.

Adrian Quaife-Hobbs believes test with Virgin will help him in the future
By Edd Straw Tuesday, November 15th 2011, 10:37 GMT
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs believes that his morning of running with Virgin Racing in the Abu Dhabi young driver test will make him better prepared for any future Formula 1 opportunities.
The 20-year-old, who has previously only driven the Virgin during two straightline test, was having his first serious experience of F1 as a reward for being the best-placed Manor Racing driver at the end of the GP3 season, completing 32 laps before handing the car over to Charles Pic for the afternoon.
But despite having only half-a-day in the car, he is happy that he has banked plenty of experience.
"It's definitely going to help," he told AUTOSPORT. "Thirty laps is better than not having any when you next get into a car. It gives you an idea to expect when you come back again. In terms of brakes, cornering, everything, it's just that level higher.
"Even the way you use the tyres is different. You leave the pit-lane with warm tyres whereas normally that first lap is about warming them up before attacking. But this time you already have that temperature. It's just a slightly different approach everywhere."
Quaife-Hobbs added that he found it easy to build up confidence in the car.
This is despite being relatively unfamiliar with the Yas Marina circuit after having previously only driven here during a GP2 test last year.
"I've not driven any other F1 cars but I was happy that the balance was very good, so that gave me the confidence to attack and push hard," he said. "The laptime is not quite there when you look at the Red Bull, but if you look relatively at the gap between the cars, it was quite good.
"The track was a bit of a challenge. The last time I drove here in GP2 I only did two days in testing and I haven't driven it this year. But it came back okay and I gradually picked up the pace lap by lap as I got used to the car and the circuit."

Charles Pic 'crossing fingers' to be in Formula 1 in 2012
By Edd Straw Tuesday, November 15th 2011, 16:10 GMT
Charles Pic is hopeful of driving for Virgin Racing in Formula 1 despite refusing to confirm reports that he has agreed a deal with the team.
Pic is set to drive for Virgin next year, but insists that he will not allow such talk to distract him from his day-and-a-half of running with the team.
"I hope so," said Pic when asked by AUTOSPORT if he would race for Virgin next year. "I hope to be in Formula 1 next year and that is my objective.
"But for the moment, I'm really focused on this test because this is my job for tomorrow. After that, we will see.
"Of course, I am crossing my fingers and hope that I will be in F1 next year."
Pic returns for a full day with Virgin tomorrow and approached his first half-day in the car, during which he completed 30 laps and focused on acclimatisation, as preparation for that.
He is confident that he has adapted to grand prix machinery and is looking forward to Wednesday.
"The goal of this afternoon was to learn the car and also to improve my driving because there is a step between GP2 and F1," he said.
"Tomorrow, it will be a big day with tyre testing so many different tyres and I think it's a great opportunity for me to try to get further experience of these new sets and also to understand how they react.
"The first time I went out, the grid was really surprising. The second thing [I noticed] was all of the information and things that you have to do on one lap and still be focused.
"There were a lot of new things and new information to understand and to put into application. But it was a great feeling and a great experience."

Charles Pic will race for Marussia F1 team in 2012
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, November 27th 2011, 21:09 GMT
Charles Pic will race for the Marussia team in the 2012 Formula 1 season, Virgin Racing confirmed on Sunday.
The Frenchman was strongly linked to the drive after having run with the team during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.
Pic, who has spent the last two years racing in GP2, will replace Jerome D'Ambrosio at the team, which will be renamed Marussia next year.
He will race alongside Timo Glock.
"I'm very happy to be making the step up to Formula 1 with Marussia Virgin Racing," said Pic. "As a driver you always feel you are ready for the next opportunity but in Abu Dhabi last week it was a tough test.
"The team gave me some fantastic opportunities to learn new things but I also knew that I had to impress them and show them I was ready to do a good job.
"I was pleased with my performance, and obviously the team were too, so a very good start but this is just the beginning and I know that a lot of hard work is ahead of me to reward this chance.
"I like the team a lot; we worked well together in the test and I feel very comfortable. They want to do things the right way and I can see that there is a lot of determination to succeed, so it is very special for me to be part of that. I'm looking forward to working hard in every area over the winter to ensure I am ready for the start of testing and my first Grand Prix."
Team boss John Booth added: "I'm very pleased to welcome Charles to Marussia Virgin Racing as Timo's team-mate for 2012. We naturally keep a close eye on the junior formulae and Charles is certainly someone we have been watching over the past few years.
"The real barometer however was our Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last week, where we put him through a series of tough tests to thoroughly evaluate his potential. This was his first time in a Formula 1 car so it should have been quite daunting, however Charles was extremely focused on what needed to be done and absolutely rose to the challenge. He continued to improve in every area but his race simulation work particularly caught our eye.
"Winter testing will be upon us before we know it, so it is actually a relatively short space of time ahead with a lot for Charles to get used to, but he is an extremely determined young guy and he worked very well with the team last week. He has an extremely mature head on young shoulders, so I have no doubt that he will be working very hard over the winter to prepare for his debut season."
Booth was also thankful to D'Ambrosio, who made his grand prix debut with the team this year.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jerome D'Ambrosio for his hard work and important contribution to our team over the past 12 months or more. He has an exciting future to look forward to I'm sure and we wish him every success."

Charles Pic believes move to F1 is made harder by prospect of just six days pre-season testing
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 6th 2011, 19:51 GMT
Virgin Racing's new recruit Charles Pic has admitted he faces a tough challenge to get himself prepared for Formula 1 before the first race of 2012, with just six days of testing pencilled in for him prior to his grand prix debut.
The Frenchman had his first outing in an F1 car during the recent young driver test at Abu Dhabi and, with only 12 days of running available for his team before Melbourne, he will have to split the time equally with team-mate Timo Glock.
But although he is ready to knuckle down, and make the most of simulator work to help him get up to speed, he knows he faces a difficult winter to try and get in the best shape possible.
"I am not worried about it, but I need to be aware of it," said Pic, during a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, about having just six days of running before Melbourne.
"It means I need to set up a timetable to make sure I can learn things in a different way. Six days of testing is a very short period of time, and not quite enough to be ready for Melbourne. So we need to set up a good programme so that the two months in winter can be used for the best."
He added: "I am not afraid of anything, but I am fully aware it is going to be tough, and I will have to work hard. But I am not concerned - I want to do the best job possible."
Pic will travel to Virgin Racing's factory on Wednesday, and is set to get his first simulator run later this week. The GP2 front runner will also be helped in his task of learning about the challenges of F1 by former grand prix race winner Olivier Panis, who is acting as an advisor for the youngster.
Panis appeared at the Paris press conference and reckoned he would be able to give the rookie some valuable advice.
"Of course you need time," said Panis, who famously won the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix. "F1 is not easy. It is complicated and seven days for tests is not normal, but the partnership with McLaren and the simulator will help him a great deal, so that will have to be put to good use before the first race.
"He was outstanding in how he adapted in Abu Dhabi, and we are lucky to have him here. I won’t need to teach him to drive because he does it very well, but I will help with his approach and what F1 requires - with the media, promotion, and being a member of the team.
"My job will be to help him, maybe not give him comfort – but advise about F1, the politics of it, and make sure he has the right mind set and get better and better all the time."
Speaking about the assistance from Panis, Pic said: "He gives me a lot. He has a long experience in F1, a long career, so I am fortunate to have him nearby.
"He will help me develop and progress further and, of course, some of the errors I might make will be avoided. He will help me get on board and start this new adventure."
Pic also believes that his task of getting up to speed in F1 will be helped by working alongside the experienced Timo Glock.
"I think that is a real opportunity," he explained. "It is an opportunity to have him as a team-mate, because he is a great driver with a great deal of experience.
"It gives me an opportunity to learn things at the beginning of the year – and I will try and learn as much as I can so I can move ahead as quickly as possible early in the season."

Virgin Racing team principal John Booth is upbeat about the progress his outfit can make in 2012
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 6th 2011, 20:12 GMT
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth is hopeful that his outfit will finally be able to make a move up the grid in 2012, on the back of the technical overhaul it undertook this year.
As well as signing a partnership deal with McLaren, which includes use of the team's wind tunnel and simulator facilities, the outfit is now being guided by experienced engineer Pat Symonds.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, Booth said that the involvement of Symonds and McLaren were key to allowing him to believe that the outfit could make good gains in 2012.
"Obviously our goal is to move further up the grid," he said. "We fulfilled part of our expectation this year, when we were much more reliable with the operational side of the team.
"That area improved a tremendous amount, and it was plain to see that we did not move up the grid as we hoped and expected. So for 2012 that is our challenge.
"The first parts of the new car are coming through. The design is headed up by Pat Symonds and other areas are in partnership with McLaren. So we are excited and hopeful we will move forward. I am very confident."
Booth said the team, which famously launched with a car that had been created wholly in CFD, had already been into McLaren's wind tunnel facilities twice with its 2012 challenger.
Speaking about new recruit Charles Pic, Booth conceded that the early part of the season would be a challenge for the Frenchman because of the limited track running he will get in the build-up to the campaign.
"We are very hopeful for the future with Charles," he said. "He did a wonderful job in Abu Dhabi [at the young driver test] and we pushed him pretty hard there.
"We had a few problems with the car, so he had to show a lot of patience and determination - but his race simulation was fantastic and his feedback was first class.
"That is one day in F1 and he has a lifetime of F1 in front of him. But it will be particularly difficult for him in 2012 because there are only three tests before the season, so that is six days for Charles and six for Timo [Glock].
"When Charles comes to the grid, he will have had a total of seven days testing: so he has to be prepared to make the most of that running."
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Chapter 4: 2012 - Year 3 - Marussia F1 Team

Marussia planning to run new F1 car in second test at Barcelona
By Simon Strang and Jonathan Noble Friday, January 20th 2012, 16:50 GMT
Marussia is planning to run its 2012 car at the second pre-season test at Barcelona, with technical consultant Pat Symonds revealing it will be virtually an all-new design from last year's chassis.
With Symonds having taken over the technical direction of the outfit following the departure of Nick Wirth, the team has been making the most of a tie-up with McLaren to produce a car that will deliver a good step forward.
In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Symonds says that the outfit will use its old car at the first test in Jerez - to give rookie Charles Pic some valuable mileage – before unveiling its 2012 challenger at Barcelona.
"We are aiming for the second [test]," explained Symonds. "We are going to be at the first test anyway because I think it's important for Charles [Pic] to get some miles under his belt and it shakes some of the cobwebs off of the team."
Speaking about the design evolution of the car, Symonds said that there was very little carry over from the Virgin Racing car that raced last season.
"You always carry over something, but I think we have probably carried over less than normal," he said. "The whole of the suspension design is different, even the pedal assemblies are different. There is probably a smaller amount of carry over on this car than almost any car I have worked on."
However, despite the all-new design, Symonds says that the team is not being radical with its design.
"I don't think it is the time for us to be innovative," he said. "When you are that far off the front it's the time to really just do your job properly and to make sure that what you are doing you are doing well. So no real innovation, it's much more about looking at each area and trying to improve each one."

Pat Symonds reckons 2011 Virgin was a much better car than it seemed
By Simon Strang and Matt Beer Sunday, January 22nd 2012, 19:09 GMT
Marussia Racing consultant Pat Symonds believes that the team's 2011 car had very good potential in some areas but was badly hamstrung by poor aerodynamics.
After relying solely on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for its first two designs, the ex-Virgin team is embracing windtunnel technology as part of its design restructuring, which has also seen the exit of former partner Wirth Research and the announcement of a new collaboration with McLaren.
Former Renault technical chief Symonds said it was only poor aero that was holding the 2011 Virgin back.
"I think it's true to say we do a lot of competitor analysis, a lot of analysis of where we are, and I think mechanically the car was much better than a back-of-the-grid car," he told AUTOSPORT.
"The performance in the slow corners was much closer to the norm than it was in the fast corners. The car responded to changes pretty well, it used its tyres pretty well, it wasn't a difficult car to drive, so I think our low-speed performance was reasonable. The high-speed performance wasn't good - and then of course you look at aerodynamics.
"Let's face it, most of the performance from an F1 car now comes from aerodynamics, that's where we were lacking and that's where it put us back."
Symonds added that Marussia also had a fine asset in lead driver Timo Glock, who has stayed on for a third season.
"He's good. He's very communicative, and he pushes hard," said Symonds of Glock. "He's a good yardstick for the team. I am very, very pleased we have got him.
"I think when you are trying to develop a car and develop a team, if you don't have a yardstick, some continuity, it can get pretty difficult. Timo is a very important part of our progress forward."

Marussia F1 team revises testing plans, aims for third test for new car
By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, January 24th 2012, 17:13 GMT
The Marussia F1 team has revised its pre-season plans and will not attend the first test at Jerez in order to concentrate on the development of the new car.
The team was expected to run last year's car in the opening test on February 7-10 to give new driver Charles Pic some track time ahead of his grand prix debut this year.
Team consultant Pat Symonds told AUTOSPORT last week that the outfit was aiming to have its new car ready for the second test at Barcelona.
Marussia, however, has now decided to skip the first test altogether and is now aiming to run the new MR01 in the third test at Barcelona on 1 March.
The team will use last year's car in the second test, also at Barcelona, when it will kick off its on-track preparations.
Team boss John Booth believes the extra time to work on the new car will allow Marussia to be better prepared when it hits the track.
"We have taken the decision today that we will not attend the first test in Jerez, taking place from 7-10 February," Booth told AUTOSPORT.
"We had been looking to take part in that test with the 2011 MVR-02 for the purpose of providing Charles with some valuable running to assist with the preparation for his debut season. This was with a view to introducing the new car, the MR01, at Barcelona two weeks later.
"As our Technical Consultant Pat Symonds has stated publicly, the MR01 will be almost entirely 'new', with very little carryover from 2011. The new car also has some interesting and complex mechanical concepts and it is taking time for us to get to grips with these.
"Unfortunately our programme has slipped and there seems little point in fielding the new car before we can optimise the run plan for it.
"For that reason we have decided to commence our on-track testing by attending the second test in Barcelona with the MVR-02. We then aim to introduce the MR01 at the third test in Barcelona on 1 March.
"Whilst this is not ideal, and not the timescale we had intended to work to, we will at least get some important running with the new car ahead of Australia and hopefully gain more constructive track time than we might otherwise have achieved had we rushed the car out for the second test."

Marussia will not run KERS during 2012 F1 season
By Jonathan Noble Friday, January 27th 2012, 12:08 GMT
Marussia has decided against having KERS on its car for the 2012 Formula 1 season, AUTOSPORT has learned.
As the outfit bids to make the most of a major restructuring and design overhaul under the guidance of technical chief Pat Symonds, it believes its progress could be hampered if it adds KERS to its workload for the season ahead.
Although the decision means that it will suffer a laptime deficit compared to its KERS-running rivals, with the energy recovery systems worth a few tenths of a second per lap, the team believes that not having to expend efforts into getting the complicated technology working will be more beneficial in the long run.
Marussia team principal John Booth said that the call on KERS came about because the outfit is so eager to ensure that it makes a big step this season.
"With the strides we are looking to make from this year, our focus has to be on aerodynamics first and foremost - as this will yield the greater gains," Booth told AUTOSPORT. "We are looking for seconds rather than tenths."
Booth also suggested that as well as the performance reasons behind the decision, there were also cost implications - because the Marussia outfit has always been mindful of keeping its budget in check.
"Our wider view of KERS is that whilst we are supportive of the concept of regenerative braking as an environmental initiative, the current technology is incredibly expensive," he said. "It would represent a significant proportion of our operating cost, which is not in keeping with our original manifesto as a low-cost F1 team in an era of resource restriction."
Last year, Team Lotus made a similar decision not to race with KERS because it felt that the outfit would be better off focusing its effort on other areas of car performance.
That gamble paid off because the team secured the 10th place in the Constructors' Championship that it needed to secure a bigger prize money pay out from commercial rights income.
Marussia's 2012 car will appear for the first time at the final pre-season F1 test, which takes place at Barcelona from March 1.

Marussia forced to delay new Formula 1 car launch after failing final mandatory crash test
By Jonathan Noble Monday, February 27th 2012, 21:09 GMT
Marussia has been forced to scrap plans to run its new Formula 1 car at this week's Barcelona test after failing its final mandatory crash test.
The outfit had hoped to give the new MR01 its first track action from Thursday this week, but it cannot go ahead after its car did not pass the last of the 18 crash tests that are required in the regulations.
For the first time this year, F1 teams have had to pass the crash tests before they are allowed to run their cars at an official test. Previously, teams only had to pass the tests before the first race of the season.
In a statement issued by Marussia on Monday night, it said its efforts now would be focused on trying to pass the final crash test.
"All cars are required to pass 18 FIA-observed tests for homologation to be granted. Despite the fact that the MR01 has passed all 17 of the preceding tests, the regulations require the car to have completed all of the tests before running commences," said the statement.
"The team will now not take part in the final pre-season test in Barcelona later this week (1-4 March) and will instead focus its efforts on repeating the crash test at the end of the week."
Marussia is the last of the teams to complete its crash tests, with HRT having passed all its tests in the last few days, and hoping to get its new car ready in time for some running in Barcelona this week.
The news of the failed test for Marussia means the outfit is unlikely to be able to test its car properly prior to the first race of the season in Australia on March 18.

HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala says Marussia failure no advantage for his team
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, February 29th 2012, 21:06 GMT
HRT team principal Luis Perez-Sala says his outfit has taken no satisfaction from seeing rivals Marussia fail its final crash test.
With both outfits facing a race-against-time to get their cars ready for the start of the season, Perez-Sala does not believe that his outfit now has the edge over its rivals because it has completed all the mandatory checks.
"We have been able to pass the crash tests, but it does not mean we are leaving any teams behind," Perez-Sala said at the FOTA Fans' Forum event in Barcelona on Wednesday.
"We are a humble team, and we have to go day-by-day. Our car is not ready yet, so we will see if we can test on the final day at Barcelona (on Sunday) or maybe on Monday with a filming day. If not, we will go to Melbourne."
Although admitting that passing the crash tests was a fraught experience, Perez-Sala paid tribute to the safety benefits of them.
"We passed the crash tests and that was a nightmare!" he explained. "I was not familiar with them, so I went to Cranfield which is where we passed them.
"There are almost 20 tests and it really deserves having a close look, because after seeing these tests and seeing what the chassis have to withstand, you understand why certain accidents we have watched in the past did not have any consequences."

Marussia unveils its 2012 challenger
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, March 5th 2012, 10:48 GMT
Marussia has unveiled its new Formula 1 car - the MR01 - after it made its on-track debut at Silverstone on Monday.
The Anglo-Russian team is running the car for the first time at the British track after it had failed the mandatory crash tests last week and was therefore unable to join its rival in Barcelona for the final test.
"We are very pleased to be running the new MR01 for the first time this morning," said team boss John Booth. "It has been a long and frustrating wait for everyone in the team but we can now get back on track - literally - and start working towards the first race of the season in Australia next weekend.
"Today is the first of two promotional events, so while the drivers will be able to get a feel for the car, they won't be able to draw any real conclusions until we start running in anger in Melbourne. Nevertheless, this is an important day for us and we'll enjoy every minute on track with the new car."
The team said the MR01 is the result of a ground-up re-evaluation of the way it designs its racing cars after having used only CFD technology for its previous challengers.
The Cosworth-powered car has been designed by a team lead by technical consultant Pat Symonds.
The car, however, is yet to pass the official FIA crash test it failed last week, with Symonds saying it has only passed an 'unobserved' one.
Marussia said the technical partnership agreed with McLaren Applied Technologies last year has been influential in the design process.
The MR01 is the only other F1 car to not feature a platypus-style nose together with McLaren's challenger.
Marussia said Timo Glock and Charles Pic will share driving duties at Silverstone today and tomorrow.

Marussia MR01 passes final crash test and cleared to race in Formula 1 opener
Tuesday, March 6th 2012, 16:13 GMT
Marussia has announced that it has passed the final FIA crash test, clearing its MR01 to race in the Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix in just under a fortnight.
The team had failed the last of the 18 mandatory crash tests required before it could start testing, meaning its only pre-season running came in a 'filming' day at Silverstone on Monday.
By that time the car had passed an 'unobserved' test, but the test needed to be seen by an FIA observer before it could be signed off - which has now taken place.
Marussia's technical consultant Pat Symonds said only minor alterations were required to get the car through the test.
"After a challenging few weeks for the team, we are pleased to have overcome the last hurdle of the final FIA-observed crash test, which we passed today," he said. "The component in question actually passed an 'unobserved' crash test but has been performing inconsistently in the observed tests.
"The previous fail was only marginal so we needed to have a slightly more robust solution in place. A few minor adjustments to the original concept of the component was all that was required.
"We were all thrilled to see the new car out on track over the past two days and whilst we have a lot of catching up to do, we take heart from the fact that everything is back on a more positive trajectory. We now look forward to the challenge of the season-opener in Melbourne next weekend."

Maria de Villota joins Marussia F1 team as test driver for the 2012 season
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, March 7th 2012, 16:11 GMT
Maria de Villota has joined the Marussia Formula 1 team as a test driver for the 2012 season.
The Spaniard, who has raced in several series including Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, and Superleague Formula Championship, first drove a Formula 1 car last year when she tested a Renault R29 at Paul Ricard.
She was the first female driver to test for a contemporary Formula 1 team since Katherine Legge in 2005.
De Villota will test for the team during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi later this year.
"I am very happy to be joining the Marussia F1 Team test driver programme," she said.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with a Formula 1 team and gain important experience to help me progress my career, including the chance to drive the new car later in the year at the Abu Dhabi test.
"I will be joining the team trackside so I'm looking forward to working alongside them at the first race next weekend and this can only help my future ambition to step up to Formula 1 racing."
Team boss John Booth added: "We are pleased to welcome Maria to our test driver programme, which will enable her to be integrated into a Formula 1 team environment and gain a vast amount of experience that will be useful to her career progression.
"We will also provide Maria with the opportunity to sample F1 machinery later in the year, further adding to her racing credentials."

Timo Glock focused on improving Marussia's situation
By Jonathan Noble Monday, March 12th 2012, 08:58 GMT
Timo Glock says there is no point getting depressed about Marussia's off-track troubles this year - and that he has tried to do everything he can to help improve the team's situation.
Marussia was unable to join any of the official pre-season tests because its MR01 failed its final crash test shortly before the last opportunity at Barcelona - so it’s only running was on two 'filming' days at Silverstone last week.
Despite the difficult situation, Glock says he has knuckled down to keep doing all he can to at least ensure Marussia has the opportunity to move forward in 2012.
"It has been a frustrating winter for sure, but you have two choices and the only thing to do was to focus on everything we could be doing off-track to make sure we were as prepared as possible for when we did run the car," he said in a team preview on Monday.
"I've done a lot of work in the simulator and with the team in Banbury and in terms of my personal fitness I have been training harder than ever before. Melbourne will be a bit of a voyage into the unknown but we have nothing to lose and I'm even more excited than usual to see how the car feels in Friday's first free practice.
"Albert Park is a great track and I love going there for the first race of the season. I would rather be going there with more preparation but we will do the best we can and see where we are."
Team principal John Booth believes the difficult circumstances of the winter have proved to be a test of character for its team, which is heading into its third year in F1.
"It has been a tough time for everyone but it is situations like this that really test the mettle of a team," he said. "The early years were always going to be tough for us but I have never had any doubts about the ability of our people to ride whatever storm comes our way. It is that faith rewarded that sees us heading out to Melbourne in a rather more orderly fashion than you might expect."

Marussia keen to prove car's pace in early rounds
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, March 13th 2012, 17:09 GMT
Marussia believes flashes of speed from its new MR01 over the Australian Grand Prix weekend will be enough for it to feel its season is back on track, as it bids to put the troubles of the past few weeks behind it.
With the outfit having missed its chance to join pre-season testing because of a failed crash test, it openly admits that it will face an uphill battle to get on top of reliability issues in the opening flyaway races.
However, with hopes high that the new MR01 is a big step forward over its 2011 car, team chiefs are seeking immediate confirmation that it could be on course for its best season in F1
Graeme Lowdon, Marussia's sporting director, told AUTOSPORT in Melbourne ahead of the first race of the season: "This is a really crucial weekend for us. We came here last year knowing our car did not have peak performance but we knew it was going to be reliable, and if we had a steady race then we could pick up a good result. And we were on track for that last year, until we had a pitstop problem.
"This year, I think it will be a real challenge to finish these early races because it is a step into the unknown in terms of reliability. But if we see some idea of performance in the sessions at the back end of this week, that will be a massive boost. It is a long season after that!"
Lowdon says that the approach of the team, which raced under the Virgin banner for the past two seasons, is totally different as it heads into 2012.
"We are looking at the longer game now," he said. "There was a lot of complicated surgery taking place at the back end of last year with building up the technical structure, so I think as far as these first flyaways are concerned it is more a case of us understanding the car and seeing where things are at. Without any questions last year, when we knew we were going to be in for a difficult year, it was so important that we tried to pick up any opportunity from the early races we could.
"But there is a different mindset now. We are looking at the bigger picture. We are looking much more at making sure we have the platform to build performance wise."
Team principal John Booth reckons that the outfit should be targeting getting its car in to Q2 later in the campaign - especially when its first ever windtunnel updates come through for the start of the European season.
"I will still maintain that Q2 has to be goal," he said. "It is tough, and we are not underestimating how tough it is. That is the first step, and the first recognisable step for any of the three [newest] teams."

Marussia bosses back idea of reviving budget cap for Formula 1
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, March 13th 2012, 17:13 GMT
Marussia chiefs have backed Bernie Ecclestone's idea of returning to the concept of a budget cap in Formula 1 - but they think a move to customer cars would be a step too far.
With the then Virgin team having originally entered F1 under budget cap rules, it has found its chances of making progress hampered by the high costs still so prevalent in the sport.
However, with Ecclestone now suggesting that teams may need to be saved from themselves by a budget cap, Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon thinks such a move would be great for every team - not just his own.
"The attraction for us as a team coming into F1, was that if the rules had not changed and the resources you can employ are limited, then there should be some reward for ingenuity and being clever," he told AUTOSPORT.
"But if this is the international championship of spending, then most teams are not equipped to excel in that field, and it is not clever – nor very relevant to the business world our sponsors live in. So anything that promotes cost control is a good thing."
Team principal John Booth backed the cost control move – but is sceptical over whether move to customer cars would be sensible.
"Cost control and a fairer distribution of the wealth will be a much better way of closing the field up and making the race exciting than the other idea that has been put forward of buying one-year old [customer] cars," he explained. "It sounds like a great idea but it has not been thought well through very well.
"If we went out and bought a Red Bull from last year – then that will be quicker than eight or 10 cars on the grid. Your Toro Rossos or Force Indias – who have done a great job with their cars – will suddenly find themselves shuffled down the grid. So unless there are 24 Red Bulls, it will not work."

Charles Pic optimistic he will qualify for the Australian Grand Prix
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Friday, March 16th 2012, 09:41 GMT
Charles Pic is optimistic he will be able to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix despite the lack of significant running on Friday.
The Marussia driver, making his grand prix debut this weekend, finished nearly 13 seconds off the pace in the morning and over 5.5 in the afternoon.
The cut-off time is expected to be around 1m31s on Saturday if qualifying is dry.
Today's damp conditions limited Pic's running, but the Frenchman believes team-mate Timo Glock's time shows qualifying will be possible.
"I think what we saw is positive," said Pic, whose team was unable to run its 2012 car in any of the official pre-season tests.
"The time that Timo made is quite good so we have to wait for tomorrow for some dry conditions and to see, but I think it will be positive."
Despite the lack of running, Pic was positive about his first day of work, although he conceded he needed more track time in order to learn the circuit properly.
"It was a good day, no big problems on the car and the car is very reliable so that is very positive," said Pic. "On the negative points, the weather was not very good today and we got some rain so it was difficult to get some laps.
"But overall I think it was a good day and tomorrow it will be sunny and bright so we will be able to make some more laps before the qualy."
He added: "For the moment it is very difficult for me because I still don't know very well the track, and I made a few laps today but not enough to know really well yet with my driving so it important to come back tomorrow and make some more laps and fix it."

Marussia eyes more progress at Malaysian Grand Prix
By Simon Strang Wednesday, March 21st 2012, 10:34 GMT
Marussia is taking this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix as another opportunity to gain valuable data and mileage on its under-developed MR01 chassis.
The team failed to get the car successfully through the FIA's mandatory crash tests in time to make pre-season testing, but followed up a 100km systems check at Silverstone with a trouble-free weekend in Melbourne that witnessed both cars make the finish.
And while Marussia accepts that its car arrives in Sepang largely unchanged from the specification in which it competed at Albert Park, the team sees the race as another opportunity to understand the chassis more fully before adding development parts to it.
"The team and the car faced a tough test in Australia last weekend and both passed with flying colours," said team boss John Booth. "However we are under no illusions that we'll have to work very hard to ensure things continue to go our way this season.
"Our mileage last weekend enabled us to gather plenty of data which has been carefully evaluated over the last few days back at our operational base in Banbury. This will enable us to pinpoint any underlying issues that fortunately did not surface in Melbourne.
"Every new car has its gremlins so we want to get to those as quickly as we can as last year one of our key strengths was our reliability. Once you have a good mechanical baseline - which we have - and a reliable car, that's when you can really start to turn your mind towards development - and we have plenty of that to focus on.
"There won't be any significant changes to the car for this weekend," he added, "given the tight turnaround, but we'll be able to look at optimising the set-up for this circuit."
Marussia's rookie driver Charles Pic is also hoping to continue the trend of gathering extensive mileage.
"I was happy with how things had gone in my first race but there is no time to think about that as we have so much work to do to look ahead for the rest of the season," said the Frenchman. "I learned so much about the new car in such a short space of time and I want to maintain the momentum, so it's good that I don't have to wait two weeks to get back in the car.
"I know this can be a tough race but I'm ready for it and arriving early means I started acclimatising straight away. We will be in a much better position with the car this weekend as we understand more about it."

Marussia asks FIA to investigate possible Concorde Agreement breach by Team Lotus
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, March 25th 2012, 08:35 GMT
Marussia has asked the FIA to investigate whether or not the former Team Lotus outfit breached the Concorde Agreement by using parts that rival outfit Force India owned the copyright to.
In the wake of a British Court ruling that Lotus - now competing as Caterham – had misused a small number of parts in its 2010 car, Marussia has notified the FIA that it would like the governing body to look into the matter.
This comes after Force India made it clear last week that it too plans to approach the FIA about the situation.
In the court ruling that related to the dispute between Force India and Lotus/Aerolab, the judge stated: "In my judgment the Aerolab/FondTech CAD files do reproduce a substantial part of the corresponding Force India CAD files for the following parts: the vortex generator, rear brake duct lower element and rear view mirror. It follows that the copyright claim succeeds to that extent, but not otherwise."
Under Schedule 3 of the Concorde Agreement, the document by which Formula 1 is run, teams are not allowed to use certain parts of the cars that they do not own the Intellectual Property rights to.
Although it is not clear whether the parts at the centre of the dispute were actually raced, Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon has revealed that his team is in discussions with the FIA over the matter.
"We are in communication with the FIA, and wish to make no further comment on that at the moment," he said. "But we are happy that the suitable processes are being followed."
AUTOSPORT understands that the FIA is aware of the situation, but is planning to await the outcome of legal action that is underway between Force India and Aerolab/Lotus in Italy before deciding whether a breach of the regulations has taken place.

Marussia investigating front wing issue following Timo Glock's accident
By Jonathan Noble Friday, April 13th 2012, 10:50 GMT
Marussia is still investigating the cause of Timo Glock's accident in practice to work out if his front wing failed before he went off the track.
Television footage of the incident at Turn 1 in second practice showed the front wing was off his car before he hit the barriers - but neither the team nor driver are sure if the wing came off after he had gone off the track.
The team was still looking into the data on Friday evening to try and work out what happened, while Glock said he was unsure about the case.
"I just know that the car went straight," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about the incident. "When the front wing dropped off I have no idea. I didn't see any video footage so far, so we are looking into it.
"We have a bit of a direction and we just have to wait until we have the whole analysing done and see what the problem was."
Although Glock said over the team radio that he had hurt his hand in the crash, he made it clear that the matter was not serious.
"In the first moment it felt like I had hurt it. I was so slow in the end [of the crash], and I thought I would just touch the tyre barrier, so I kept my hands on the steering wheel," he explained.
"I didn't have much speed, but it felt like I ran against a wall and not a tyre barrier. We pulled 8G, and I got a bit of a hit on my hand. But it is all okay now."

Marussia's Charles Pic keen to build on impressive start to his Formula 1 career
By Edd Straw Sunday, May 13th 2012, 08:50 GMT
Charles Pic is confident that there is a lot more to come from him this season despite an impressive start to his rookie Formula 1 campaign.
The Frenchman outqualified Marussia team-mate Timo Glock for the second race in a row in Spain. He has also shown strong race pace, impressing the team with his speed on high fuel-loads in particular, despite having no significant experience of the 2012 Marussia before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
"It's only my fifth race so I still have many things to learn," Pic told AUTOSPORT. "But even though I feel better and better with each race, I still have many areas to work on and improve on.
"I think that we can be better in qualifying. Our race pace has been good, especially in Bahrain, so we will have to see how we will be [in Spain]."
Despite the fact that Marussia's lack of competitiveness means that his performances largely go unnoticed, Pic is confident that the team has recognised his progress.
The Frenchman has won races in every category he has competed regularly in prior to F1 but despite being used to victories in GP2, Formula Renault 3.5, Formula Renault and Formula Campus he is not struggling to adapt to live at the back of the grid.
"You try to optimise the car you have and give your best," said Pic. "This is no different to other categories in that regard.
"The difference is that there is a much bigger gap between the cars in Formula 1 so even if on some weekends you are doing a very good job, it maybe isn't shown by the result. But the team can see it, which is the most important thing for me.
"I know that my engineer is pretty happy and team is happy, even though I still need to improve. But overall what I've done in the first races is positive."

Fernando Alonso frustrated with Charles Pic after Spanish Grand Prix blocking incident
By Pablo Elizalde and Jonathan Noble Sunday, May 13th 2012, 14:42 GMT
Fernando Alonso believes Charles Pic could potentially have cost him a shot at victory in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix after ignoring blue flags during the race.
The Marussia driver was given a penalty for having not let Alonso through quickly enough, the Spaniard losing valuable time in his fight for the lead with Pastor Maldonado.
Alonso finished the race three seconds behind the Williams driver and admitted he was unimpressed with Pic. Although he acknowledged that Maldonado and Williams were ultimately faster, he hoped Pic's penalty would act as a warning to backmarkers.
"We were a little bit unlucky," said Alonso. "We had a Marussia that got a penalty, which is obviously not a solution now, but hopefully people will start to understand that they need to respect the rules and today they didn't and they got a penalty, but maybe not enough for the penalty which could have cost us a victory."
The Ferrari driver, whose team had big hopes of taking a step forward in Spain thanks to the upgrades introduced, admitted he was surprised to be so strong all weekend.
Alonso now shares the championship lead with Sebastian Vettel, and believes that he has flattered his car so far.
"Definitely we are a little bit surprised by the quantity of the points we have and surprised by the weekend result," Alonso said. "We were confident to improve the car, we were hoping for some signs of improvement here in Barcelona and in Bahrain we were out of Q3 and in race, P9 one minute behind the leaders.
"So we arrived here with optimism about the upgrades but the overall weekend pace has been better than expected because we were quick in qualifying and quick in the race.
"But this, how I feel after the weekend, I still don't know where we are. We need to wait for more races for the championship to stabilise a bit. I think we overperform for the car we have and maybe other cars underperform a little. It is very strange, as we saw this weekend."
Despite the strong showing, the two-time champion is refusing to believe Ferrari has a car capable of winning everywhere yet.
"We'll see," he said when asked if Ferrari had turned the corner. "When we are first and second in one qualifying and first and second in the championship then we will have the best car. Consistency and ability to develop is important because two tenths can be six or seven positions.
"But what we can say is we had the most difficult start to the championship with a car that was not competitive at all, and after one quarter of the championship we are leading with Vettel, so we have to be proud of our position. Maybe not so proud of the competitive package we have but we are working on that."

Pedro de la Rosa urges HRT to ignore rival Marussia and focus on improving its own form
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, May 18th 2012, 14:44 GMT
Pedro de la Rosa says his HRT team should focus on itself rather than try to concentrate on closing the gap to rival Marussia.
The Spanish squad has been fighting at the back of the grid after getting its new car ready just before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Marussia has been HRT's closest rival since the start of the year, but rather than focusing on beating the British squad, de la Rosa reckons his team should try to continue to improve step by step.
The Spanish driver is now confident HRT has all the right ingredients to start making proper progress towards the front.
"The target is to improve race by race and forget a bit about Marussia," de la Rosa told reporters during the unveiling of the team's headquarters in Madrid.
"We have to think about ourselves and know where we are starting from, and improve from there without stopping, regardless of what the others are doing.
"The others will continue to move forward too, but I'm confident. We have a bigger team, we are going to grow, but we have the tools to fight. It's going to take time. It's not a matter of having a base and you can tell right away on track. But in the middle-term you can say that the Caja Magica will make us faster."
He added: "We are very far and we have to focus on ourselves. We have to forget about the others because nowadays in Formula 1 you can say there is no midfield, because anybody can win.
"And that puts us further away from our closest rivals, but it also makes us realise that we need to forget about them and focus on ourselves because we have enough on our plate. Then when we are more competitive we will aim for bigger things, which is why we are always calling for patience."
De la Rosa, however, reckons HRT has been meeting the targets set for the start of the season despite its struggles.
"I think we are on target. We are meeting our goals and we now depend on ourselves to keep this direction," he said. "We have to keep going forward, keep improving. Each tenth is going to be harder to get because you have to be smarter and spend more hours in the windtunnel, etc, to make the car faster."
The team introduced several updates at its home race in Spain last weekend and de la Rosa says it will have some new bits for the upcoming events too.
"Our policy is not to say we'll have an update for a specific race like other teams can have," he added. "We are trying to bring small things race by race. We have some updates for Monaco and for Canada too. The idea is to invent new things for the next grand prix."
And he feels the new headquarters, where the design team will start working in the upcoming weeks, will help HRT make its car faster eventually.
"It's a fundamental tool for any Formula 1 team, and we finally have it here. It was very important. We are starting and we still have a long way to go, but now we have the base for what a strong team needs.
"It will be a lot easier now we have everybody under the same roof. You have to keep in mind where we are coming from, and people have to understand we are a small team, because 75 people in Formula 1 means basically everybody is going to all the grands prix, and we are fighting against people with 600 or more people, so we have to start from there.
"We are new, but the ambition has no limits. We are going to grow and we have the base to grow properly, which is a basic thing."

HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala says his F1 squad has little immediate chance of leapfrogging Marussia
By Pablo Elizalde and Matt Beer Sunday, May 20th 2012, 11:22 GMT
HRT team boss Luis Perez-Sala reckons his squad has little chance of leapfrogging rival Marussia in Formula 1's backmarker battle in the short term.
The Spanish squad has kept Marussia in sight so far this season despite being in the middle of a major restructure that includes establishing a new headquarters in Madrid.
HRT driver Pedro de la Rosa suggested on Friday that his team would be better off focusing on its own improvement rather than making beating Marussia a specific target, and Perez-Sala believes John Booth's team is likely to remain a step ahead for now.
"Hope is the last thing to die, and I hope we can finish ahead of them in a race, but we have to be realistic," Perez-Sala told AUTOSPORT.
"They are more competitive than us. They have done a good job and I think short term we have many things to focus on in the building of the team.
"So I don't believe we can be consistently more competitive than them in the short term."
Perez-Sala believes that moving into the new Madrid base, which was unveiled this week, shows that HRT's transformation is making good progress.
"It's a big, important step for us," he said. "Being in Formula 1 is a luxury. We have changed a lot of things since last year. Eighty-five per cent of the team is new.
"The first step was to arrive with the car in Australia, something that I had doubts about during the pre-season, and we made it. We didn't qualify, but then the next step was to be within the 107 per cent and we have achieved that.
"Then another obstacle we overcame was getting the reliability to finish races. And the final one we just overcame is having a headquarters where we can all work under the same roof to optimise our resources. But it's still an obstacle race and we have only jumped the first ones.
"We have the racing team more or less done. We have to grow a bit in the financial, logistical and administrative areas. We are 75 people and I would like to be able to reach 110. Then we want to bring the design section, at least the chief designer, here [to Madrid]."

Minnow teams looking to snatch points in attritional Monaco
By Edd Straw Thursday, May 24th 2012, 08:21 GMT
The Monaco Grand Prix will give Formula 1's three minnow teams their best chance to break their points duck so far this year.
Caterham, HRT and Marussia have all failed to score since joining the grid at the start of the 2010 season, but given the great potential for driver errors and attrition at Monaco, they have a bigger chance of doing so here than at any other track.
Although Caterham driver Heikki Kovalainen stopped short of predicting points, he believes that if his team can get its cars to the finish there is hope.
"I'm not really thinking about points yet," said Kovalainen when asked by AUTOSPORT if he was optimistic. "This is an unusual race and something is more likely to happen here than on a normal race weekend. Making the finish is the priority for us.
"Because the track is shorter, the gaps between the cars might be shorter but I would still expect us to be in the same position as previously. I don't think we'll gain positions because of the nature of the circuit, but it's more about circumstances.
"It might be difficult for everyone to do the optimum and that gives us a better opportunity."
HRT's Pedro de la Rosa is optimistic that his team will be more competitive in Monaco because of the slow track configuration.
"It's a race of opportunities and that is why, when you are not in a competitive team, you look forward to coming to Monaco," de la Rosa told AUTOSPORT. "If you drive well and work on the suspension and achieve a good balance, you can be more competitive than elsewhere.
"After Barcelona, we know what type of corners are hurting us most [higher-speed ones]. And there are not so many of them in Monaco."
Charles Pic, whose Marussia outfit is the best-placed of the three teams in the constructors' championship, is also optimistic.
The Frenchman, a winner on the streets of Monaco in both Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2, is anticipating a more competitive showing as he continues to impress in his rookie campaign.
"Monaco is a little bit special because it doesn't allow any mistakes from the drivers, so I think it can be a really interesting weekend for us," said Pic.
"It's interesting to see our pace on a type of circuit like that. It is quite different to other circuits."

Unwell Glock to miss qualifying for the European Grand Prix
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, June 23rd 2012, 11:49 GMT
Timo Glock will not take part in qualifying for the European Grand Prix after feeling unwell due to a stomach bug.
The Marussia driver had been ill since Thursday but felt well enough to take part in the practice sessions.
After Saturday morning's final practice, however, the German fell unwell again and it has been decided he will not qualify.
"Timo has been fighting a stomach bug since Thursday," said the team in a statement. "He felt well enough to take part in yesterday's free practice sessions and had seemed to be improving.
"This morning, after free practice three, he started to feel unwell again. It is clear that at this time, he is not sufficiently well to take part in a demanding qualifying session and needs to recuperate further."
Marussia said no decision has been made about Sunday's race.
"Timo and the team will now seek further medical guidance this afternoon. Until such time as this guidance has been received, no decisions will be reached regarding tomorrow's race. A further statement will be issued on Sunday morning."
The team has Maria de Villota as test driver, but she has not driven the car yet.

Glock allowed to race by European GP stewards, but awaits medical clearance
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, June 23rd 2012, 17:14 GMT
Timo Glock will be allowed to start the European Grand Prix if he is passed fit by Formula 1 medical delegate on Sunday morning, despite not taking part in qualifying.
The Marussia driver has suffered from a stomach bug over the Valencia weekend but, after appearing to be on the road to recovery, he suffered relapse on Saturday that forced him to abandon efforts to take part in Q1.
Although his absence meant that Glock was unable to set a time within the mandatory 107 per cent of pole position, the stewards will allow him to start because he set an acceptable time during free practice, and has also shown himself to be quick enough over the season so far.
The stewards made it clear however that "the permission is subject to the driver being cleared to race by the FIA Medical Delegate."

Timo Glock withdrawn from European Grand Prix because of intestinal infection
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, June 24th 2012, 07:58 GMT
Timo Glock will not take part in the European Grand Prix, after doctors advised him that he should rest further to help him recover from his illness.
The German has suffered from an intestinal infection over the Valencia weekend, and that forced him to skip qualifying on Saturday so he could try and get his fitness back for the race.
However, following further medical examinations the Marussia driver has been told that he needs to rest more - which means he will not take up his final slot on the grid.
A statement issued by his team said: "Further to the medical problem which prevented Timo Glock from participating in yesterday's qualifying session for the European Grand Prix in Valencia, the Marussia F1 team can confirm that Timo is unable to compete in today's race.
"Timo received medical guidance yesterday afternoon and his symptoms suggest that he is suffering from an intestinal infection. He has been advised that it would be unwise for him to race given the severity of the complaint and that he should focus instead on recuperating.
"Timo spent the evening resting at his hotel in Valencia and is in good spirits. He will return home later today."

Timo Glock will be fit for the British Grand Prix after missing Valencia through illness
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, June 28th 2012, 09:46 GMT
Timo Glock will be fit to return to action for Marussia at the British Grand Prix, after he was forced to withdraw from the European GP on medical grounds last weekend.
The German driver suffered from an intestinal infection in Valencia and, after skipping qualifying to try and help him get fit for the race, he had to miss the grand prix too.
After returning home to recuperate, Glock is hoping to be able to resume full training later this week - and will be ready to drive again at next month's British Grand Prix.
"Generally I am feeling well again," said Glock, in a statement issued by his management team. "I still feel a bit weak at the knees, but otherwise I am okay.
"It was obviously a pity that I was forced to miss the race in Valencia, but that is the way it goes sometimes. You cannot just ignore such physical signs. I am on my way to a full recovery, and although it will be a few more days before I am allowed to train again."
He added: "I am now looking forward to the upcoming weeks. Included on the programme is my home race with my Marussia F1 Team, which means it will be a busy and demanding period with lots of events and activities. However, by then I should be totally fit again."

Marussia to bring first major upgrade to British Grand Prix
Friday, June 29th 2012, 16:27 GMT
Marussia is optimistic that it will be able to deliver an immediate upturn in performance in next weekend's British Grand Prix when it introduces what it describes as its first proper upgrade package since adopting windtunnel technology.
Team boss John Booth said he was pleased both that the car was likely to get more competitive, and that Marussia was proving it could deliver substantial updates.
Last year the team split with original design partner Wirth Research and commenced a new technical collaboration with McLaren, and ended its all-CFD approach and began to use windtunnels for the first time. The upgrades will be tested in a straightline session at Duxford airfield before Silverstone.
"We have a fairly significant upgrade for this race, comprising a new rear wing, exhausts, floor and sidepods," said Booth.
"I would have to describe this as our first proper windtunnel generated upgrade of the season.
"We've had some smaller parts in Malaysia and China, and a few small iterations recently, but this is the first fully developed package that is not just a modification of existing elements.
"That is a big result in itself, aside from the performance step we hope it will bring us, as it means we have caught up with ourselves in terms of the diligent way in which we have approached and developed our technical partnership.
"We look forward to seeing what this brings, both at Silverstone and at Duxford Airfield beforehand, when we will be integrating the developments into our correlation programme."
The Duxford test will also be Marussia test driver Maria de Villota's first outing for the team.
"She has been waiting patiently all year for this date to come around, so we look forward to seeing her in the car for the first time," said Booth.

Marussia test driver Maria de Villota hospitalised after Formula 1 test accident
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, July 3rd 2012, 09:46 GMT
Marussia Formula 1 test driver Maria de Villota has been taken to hospital after a crash during a straightline test at Duxford airfield on Tuesday.
The Spaniard was scheduled to begin two days of straightline work for the team as part of her test driver role with the outfit.
Marussia has confirmed that she was involved in an accident and collided with a stationary vehicle.
"At approximately 09.15hrs BST this morning, the Marussia F1 Team's test driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team's MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time," said a team statement. "The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team's support truck.
"Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued."
A statement from local constabulary Cambridge Police said: "We were called by the ambulance service at 0925am with reports that a racing car had been in collision with a lorry at low speed at Duxford Airfield. We have since discovered that the driver has a serious injury. We have notified the health and safety executive because the incident was on private land."
De Villota's Duxford outing was her first test for Marussia. She was set to give the major upgrade package that the team is introducing for the British Grand Prix its first run.
The 32-year-old is a former World Touring Car Championship and Superleague Formula driver, and daughter of ex-Formula 1 racer Emilio de Villota.
Her first taste of F1 machinery came at Paul Ricard in 2011, when she tested a Renault R29.

Maria de Villota's F1 test accident injuries 'life-threatening'
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, July 3rd 2012, 10:26 GMT
Marussia Formula 1 test driver Maria de Villota suffered 'life-threatening injuries' in her accident that took place at Duxford airfield on Tuesday, according to the local ambulance service.
The Spaniard collided with the back of a team transporter as she returned to the pits following her first straight-line run.
Medical personnel were called to the airfield to attend to de Villota, who was swiftly transported to a nearby hospital by road.
A statement issued by the East of England Ambulance Service said it received an emergency call at 9.17am, and dispatched an ambulance and specialist medical crew to the scene.
Spokesman Gary Sanderson said: "A woman has sustained life threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrookes Hospital for further care."
The Magpas air ambulance charity, which attended the accident, said after returning from the hospital that de Villota was in a "stable" condition having suffered injuries to her head and face.
Marussia has said that it will release a further statement about de Villota's medical condition once details are known.

Maria de Villota conscious in hospital after Marussia test crash
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, July 3rd 2012, 14:27 GMT
Maria de Villota is conscious and undergoing further medical assessment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge following her testing crash on Tuesday morning.
The Marussia Formula 1 test driver was rushed to hospital earlier in the day following an accident shortly after her first run for the team at a straightline aerodynamic test at Duxford Airfield.
According to eyewitness reports, after slowing down as she prepared to return to the temporary pit awning, de Villota's car lurched towards the rear of a team transporter, and collided with a tail-lift at the rear of the truck.
Emergency services were called immediately and, after being extracted from the car, she was transferred with what the ambulance service called "life-threatening injuries" to hospital, where she arrived in a stable condition.
Marussia issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon indicating that her life was not in danger, but saying that it was too early to assess the extent of her injuries.
"Since Maria's arrival at the hospital at approximately 10.45am this morning, she has been receiving the best medical attention possible at the hospital, which is the region's major trauma centre," said the statement.
"Maria is conscious and medical assessments are ongoing. The team will await the outcome of these assessments before providing further comment. The team's first priority at this time is Maria and her family."
The F1 community has sent its best wishes to de Villota, whose only previous experience of grand prix machinery was when she tested a 2009 Renault last year.
Fernando Alonso wrote on Twitter: "I just got home and found out [about] Maria's accident, we called the family and hopefully we will know more soon! All my energy with you!"
Jenson Button also wrote: "Terrible accident for Maria de Villota, Marussia F1 team test driver. My thoughts are with Maria and her family at this very difficult time."

Maria de Villota loses right eye in accident, remains in critical but stable condition
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, July 4th 2012, 15:06 GMT
Marussia test driver Maria de Villota has lost her right eye and remains in critical but stable condition following her crash on Tuesday.
Marussia said a surgical team at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge "embarked on a lengthy procedure to address the serious head and facial injuries sustained" in the accident.
The team said the operation began yesterday afternoon and she was in theatre until this morning.
Team boss John Booth said de Villota has lost her right eye as a consequence of the accident.
"We are grateful for the medical attention that Maria has been receiving and her family would like to thank the Neurological and Plastics surgical teams," said Booth in a statement.
"However it is with great sadness that I must report that, due to the injuries she sustained, Maria has lost her right eye.
"Maria's care and the well-being of her family remain our priority at this time. Her family are at the hospital and we are doing everything possible to support them.
"We ask for everyone's patience and understanding with regard to updates on Maria's condition. We will provide further information when it is appropriate to do so and with consideration for her family.
"In the meantime, we would all like to take this opportunity to praise the emergency services at Duxford Airfield, who were on stand-by yesterday, as is usual procedure for a Formula One test.
"With regard to the accident, we have embarked on a very comprehensive analysis of what happened and this work continues for the moment.
"Finally, we have been overwhelmed by messages of support for Maria, her family and the team and we would like to express our sincere gratitude for those."

De la Rosa says Formula 1 must analyse Maria de Villota's crash to learn lessons
By Edd Straw Thursday, July 5th 2012, 16:22 GMT
Formula 1 must learn from the straightline testing crash that cost Marussia test driver Maria de Villota her right eye and left her in a critical condition, according to GPDA chairman Pedro de la Rosa.
Aerodynamic testing is only permitted at FIA-approved venues, so safety standards are already high, but de la Rosa is adamant that lessons can be learned from what happened.
"We will put the facts on the table to see if there is anything we need to change to improve," said de la Rosa when asked whether the GPDA will be looking into the crash.
"When an accident happens, it means that something didn't work properly. We need to make sure between the FIA, the teams and the GPDA that we make changes for the future because it's not good enough."
De la Rosa stressed that he has not yet received any information on the crash, so is unwilling to draw any conclusions.
But he said the need for the sport to ensure that there is no repeat of such an accident.
"The first thing we need to do is understand what happened, what safety measures were taken and how the airfield was prepared for Formula 1 testing," said de la Rosa.
"We know the sole objective of making sure nothing like that happens again. But first we need to know the facts and we have no information whatsoever at the moment."

Maria de Villota still critical but stable, says family
By Pablo Elizalde and Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 5th 2012, 19:24 GMT
Maria de Villota remains in critical but stable condition two days after her dramatic accident, her family said on Thursday.
In a statement issued by the Marussia team in behalf of her sister Isabel, the family said it took some encouragement from the fact that de Villota remained stable after Wednesday's surgery.
De Villota lost her right eye in the accident and had to undergo extensive surgery in a Cambridge hospital.
"Maria remains in a critical but stable condition here at Addenbrooke's Hospital," Isabel de Villota wrote in the statement.
"While there is no further news than that at present, we have at least been able to take encouragement from the fact that Maria has remained stable throughout since the accident, particularly during the first night following such a lengthy surgical procedure as she experienced yesterday.
"We, the family, are supporting each other here at Maria's side and we take great comfort from the remarkable medical care she has been receiving.
"We remain positive and this is due, in no small part, to the overwhelming expression of love and support for Maria from every corner of the world. We would also wish to thank everyone at the Marussia F1 team for all the care and attention they have shown us over the past few days."
De Villota's situation has touched a number of drivers in the paddock, and Felipe Massa - who himself recovered from a head injury – said he hoped the FIA would get involved in seeing if lessons can be learned from what happened.
"She has 100 per cent of my support because I was in a similar condition," said the Brazilian at Silverstone on Thursday. "Thank God nothing happened to me, but we saw that a hard thing has happened to her and she may have lost one of her eyes. This is for sure a very big thing.
"I hope everything will be okay for her to live her life in the best way she deserves. Actually it is very difficult to say what has happened, I don't know yet what has happened to her. The only thing I know is that she was driving at an airfield, and she had a problem with a truck, and it is not normal in F1 to have this kind of accident.
"In my case I had something flying on the track and it hit me, but it was from another car, it is a completely different thing. We need to understand what has happened, that is the most important thing - and the FIA needs to understand as well to put all the tests and everything in place, and all the conditions for the maximum safety that we need to have."

De Villota undergoes successful further surgery, condition improves to serious but stable
Friday, July 6th 2012, 19:14 GMT
Maria de Villota has undergone further surgery for her facial injuries after doctors were sufficiently happy with her progress to permit the operation.
Since the operation, her condition has improved and she is now serious but stable.
A Marussia team statement released on Friday night said the next phase of surgery on her injuries was successfully and promptly completed.
"Earlier today, Maria underwent further surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. This was a planned procedure that would depend upon the continued stability of Maria's head injuries, and this morning the medical team were sufficiently happy with her progress to allow the operation to go ahead," the statement said.
"Earlier today, the surgeons successfully completed the next phase of surgery required to address Maria's facial injuries. After the lengthy initial procedure, which commenced on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday, today's secondary operation took significantly less time.
"Since the operation today, Maria's condition in relation to the head trauma she received has further improved, to the extent that she is now 'serious but stable'.
"Whilst Maria remains acutely ill, this confirms that she has been responding well to the treatment she has received since her accident. Coupled with the significant progress that has been made with regard to her facial injuries, we feel sufficiently comfortable to proceed with a further update.
"On a more personal note, we have taken a great deal of encouragement from today's developments and the rather more positive signs for Maria's family."

Gearbox-change penalty for Charles Pic in the British Grand Prix
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, July 7th 2012, 12:44 GMT
Charles Pic will take a five-place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix after his gearbox was changed before qualifying.
The Frenchman, who ended up last overall in the rain-hit qualifying session, needed to have a replacement gearbox fitted following the problems that he encountered on Saturday morning.
Pic's penalty is unlikely to make any difference to his starting position.

Marussia confirms Max Chilton and Rio Haryanto for young driver test at Silverstone
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, July 10th 2012, 12:13 GMT
Marussia has confirmed that Max Chilton and Rio Haryanto will drive its car at this week's young driver test at Silverstone.
With three teams electing to take part in the post-British GP test that takes place on Thursday and Friday - Williams and HRT are also running – the test is going to be divided between a day on the grand prix track and a day on the International circuit.
Chilton has previous F1 experience with Force India from last year’s young driver test in Abu Dhabi, while Haryanto did half a day for the then Virgin team back in 2010.
Marussia will run Chilton on the first morning and the final afternoon, with Haryanto driving on the Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
Williams will run its test driver Valtteri Bottas for both days, while HRT will hand a first F1 chance to Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua.

Maria de Villota out of sedation and talking to her family; recovery 'remarkable' says team
Thursday, July 12th 2012, 08:43 GMT
Maria de Villota is out of sedation and talking to her family, the Marussia team said on Wednesday evening.
The team said that, despite the injuries she suffered eight days ago in her testing accident, her recovery has been "remarkable".
"Following two successful surgical procedures in the days following the accident, last Saturday the medical team at Addenbrooke's Hospital began to gradually reduce the level of Maria's sedation," Marussia said in a statement.
"By Sunday morning, Maria was awake and able to speak to her family, which provided a very important - albeit early - indication that there were positive signs for Maria's recovery.
"Since that time, Maria has been making small but significant steps.
She was moved out of the Neurological Critical Care Unit on Monday and is no longer receiving sedation. Her family remain by her side and she is communicating freely with them and the medical team. Medical assessments are ongoing to monitor Maria's improving condition."
De Villota was involved in a freak accident while carrying out straight-line testing for the team at Duxford airfield on July 3rd.
She lost her right eye in the accident.

Marussia rules out car failure in Maria de Villota's accident
By Jonathan Noble Monday, July 16th 2012, 10:19 GMT
Marussia has ruled out a problem with its car as the cause of Maria de Villota's recent testing accident, after concluding its own investigation into what happened.
De Villota lost her right eye and suffered facial and head injuries in the incident at Duxford, when she crashed at slow speed in to the back of a truck as she conducted straight-line aerodynamic work.
Alongside an investigation being conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and another commissioned by Marussia for an independent forensic body, the team has also completed its own in-depth look at what happened.
And although the specifics of what caused the accident have not been confirmed yet, Marussia issued a statement on Monday revealing that the crash was not caused by a failure on the car.
Team principal John Booth said: "We are satisfied that the findings of our internal investigation exclude the car as a factor in the accident. We have shared and discussed our findings with the HSE for their consideration as part of their ongoing investigation.
"This has been a necessarily thorough process in order to understand the cause of the accident. We have now concluded our investigatory work and can again focus on the priority, which continues to be Maria's wellbeing. In that regard, we continue to support Maria and the De Villota family in any way we can."
De Villota is now out of sedation in hospital and able to talk to her family as she continues her recovery.

Maria de Villota returns to Spain to continue recovery after Marussia test crash
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Saturday, July 21st 2012, 09:22 GMT
Maria de Villota has returned home to Spain to continue her recovery from her testing accident at Duxford just over a fortnight ago.
De Villota suffered severe head and facial injuries, including the loss of her right eye, when her Marussia came into contact with the tail section of a truck at the end of the shakedown run for what was set to be her debut straightline test with the team.
The Spaniard has been in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge undergoing treatment since the incident on 3 July. She was flown back to Spain on Friday.
A Marussia team statement said being back in Spain was the best option for the next stage of de Villota's treatment.
"Over the course of the past two weeks, Maria has made significant progress," it said. "More comfortable and familiar surroundings, plus the support of her wider family and friends, will undoubtedly provide a more conducive environment in which Maria can commence the next phase of her recovery.
"The Marussia F1 team have remained in close contact with the medical team at Addenbrooke's Hospital since Maria's admittance and would like to express their gratitude for the remarkable care and attention that she has received there.
"The Marussia F1 team - the staff, race drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic, and all those associated with the team - wish Maria well with the next stage of her recovery. The management team will continue to liaise closely with Maria and her family and provide any assistance possible during the coming months."
Marussia issued a statement on July 16 revealing that an internal investigation had ruled out a car problem as the cause of the accident.
At Hockenheim on Friday, team principal John Booth confirmed that the investigations related to the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing. He added that further checks carried after the British Grand Prix two weeks ago supported the conclusions of the team's internal report.
"We established that [the car was not the cause] but then revisited our findings straight after Silverstone and now we are confident that the car was not to blame in the slightest," said Booth.
"As for the wider investigation, that is ongoing and will be a very long process, as it has to be in England because it's taken very seriously there.
"It will be some time before we know the final outcome."

Maria de Villota leaves hospital following Marussia F1 test accident that cost her an eye
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, July 26th 2012, 08:57 GMT
Maria de Villota has been released from hospital following the Marussia Formula 1 testing accident in which she lost her right eye.
The Spaniard was admitted to the La Paz hospital in Madrid on July 20 after undergoing surgery at Addenbrooke's hospital following her crash at Duxford Airfield in England.
A statement on her behalf said de Villota, 32, had not suffered any neurological injuries.
"The patient's general conditions are good, which allowed us to release her yesterday," read the statement.
"In these six days, she has been treated by specialists of the plastic and neurological surgery services, and the ophthalmology department, who will continue to follow her, as she will need to undergo periodical checks and treatments.
"As communicated previously, the patient has lost her right eye, as a consequence of the serious trauma suffered, and she will be closely followed by the ophthalmology service. The specialists of the plastic surgery service will be responsible for following the serious injuries to her face and correcting the effects of those."

Marussia to use Williams KERS in 2013 F1 season
By Matt Beer Wednesday, August 29th 2012, 10:08 GMT
Marussia will use the Williams Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) when it adds the device to its car for the first time in 2013.
The decision was revealed by Marussia consultant Pat Symonds in a interview released by the team, in which Symonds also confirmed that Marussia would continue with Cosworth engines for a fourth season.
"Yes we will be using KERS next year," said Symonds.
"We plan to adopt the system that has been developed by Williams, which was used by them with the Cosworth engine last year and is currently with their Renault-engine car. Our 2013 unit is a development of this.
"We've been very impressed with the engineering, the efficiency and the weight. Williams are also a pleasure to work with both technically and commercially."
Marussia is one of only two teams in the 2012 Formula 1 field not using KERS, along with HRT.
Although other former Cosworth users such as Williams and Caterham have moved away from the unit in favour of Renault power in recent years, Symonds said he still thought Marussia could make progress with the British firm's V8s.
"We are happy with the work we are doing with them and I think that we are working together to try and improve the areas that we are able to under the regulations," he said.
"We are concentrating on improving the driveability of the engine and enhancing its performance as a unit with the car."
Marussia brought the first windtunnel-derived developments to its car this season after previously relying on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for its design process. Symonds said although the transition had been tough, he was now confident Marussia was edging forwards.
"We can certainly say that the start of the season was very difficult for us and from that we have experienced a lot of new heights - getting our windtunnel programme working, delivering performance to the car in a cost-effective way, improving our procedures," he said.
"It is important to remember that we're a very new team, and therefore there is an awful lot to be addressed.
"But I think rather than a single highlight there is just a continual improvement - a slow march forward towards the leaders and our direct competitors. Those are the things that give us some confidence in where we are heading."

Belgian Grand Prix: Marussia to press ahead with upgrade despite loss of Friday running
By Simon Strang Friday, August 31st 2012, 17:49 GMT
Marussia will run a significant upgrade to its MR01 for the rest of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend despite being unable to gather any data during Friday's two wet free practice sessions at Spa.
The team brought a big package to Belgium, consisting of several new parts including new bridge wings, bodywork and tea tray, exhausts, flick-ups on the rear brake hubs, and a completely new concept rear wing.
It is the second big upgrade Marussia has been able to produce this year using McLaren's windtunnel, as part of its technical agreement with the Woking outfit, and the team hopes it could be worth as much as half a second in race trim.
But Marussia decided not to run some elements of the upgrade during Friday's sessions, including the rear wings, given the lack of information it was likely to gather and the potential for damage.
"It's all part of a package, so unless it's all on the car we're not learning much," team principal John Booth told AUTOSPORT.
"We will definitely run it all tomorrow now. There's no point in not doing so.
"It was a shame we couldn't find out more about them today, and see whether the aero data from the track correlates with what we expect from the upgrade, but hopefully we can find out more in P3."
Marussia's chief race engineer Dave Greenwood added that the latest upgrade was part of a deeper programme of improvement that he expected to pay dividends through the rest of the year.
"I think it's easy sometimes to look at the classification sheet and see the gaps and the positions at the end of the race and not think that there are improvements being made but that's not the case," he said. "But if you look at the underlying pace that's getting a lot better.
"We started the season around 4.5 per cent off the leaders in the race and it's somewhere around 2-2.5 per cent now, so that's a good improvement and going forward that will look even better when we have these upgrades and at the end of the year the gaps will be significantly less."

Belgian GP: Marussia rues Timo Glock's tangle with Pastor Maldonado
By Matt Beer Sunday, September 2nd 2012, 16:56 GMT
Marussia reckons Timo Glock would have had a shot at beating Caterham in the Belgian Grand Prix had he not been hit by Pastor Maldonado at the safety car restart.
Williams driver Maldonado was given a five-place grid penalty for the Italian GP as a punishment for the clash with Glock, which ended Maldonado's race and put the German to the tail of the field.
Glock recovered to finish 15th, half a minute behind Caterham's Vitaly Petrov, but he was adamant that the gap would have been smaller but for the incident with Maldonado.
"We knew we could be stronger in the race and we were; we could have been stronger still but for the problem with Maldonado which lost me time earlier in the race and created a bigger gap to Petrov at the end than might otherwise have been the case," said Glock.
Team boss John Booth also rued the clash with the Williams.
"The incident between Maldonado and Timo left him right at the back of the field behind the HRTs, which was less than ideal in terms of our objective of taking the fight to Caterham after the safety car restart," Booth said.
"We opted to switch Timo to a two-stop strategy to allow him the free air he needed to achieve our pace potential in the middle stint in order to close the gap. This worked well and Timo did a great job to respond to the switch."
He added: "Despite his pace, the gap created as a consequence of earlier incidents meant there was no hope of him catching up to Petrov."
Although frustrated with the collision, Booth was very satisfied with Marussia's pace at Spa.
The team had introduced a major upgrade package for this weekend's race.
"For large portions of the race, the substantial upgrade we introduced here allowed our drivers to match the pace of our immediate competitors, so we can be pleased overall that the margins are reducing and also we only saw a few blue flags and quite late on in the race," said Booth.
"These incremental upgrades will bring the additional pace that will significantly aid our ability to race on the lead lap and minimise our blue flag time loss towards the end of the race."

Tio Ellinas gets Marussia young driver role
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, September 13th 2012, 16:40 GMT
Tio Ellinas will drive for the Marussia team in the 2013 young driver test, the outfit announced on Thursday.
The test comes as a reward for being the most successful Marussia Manor driver in the GP3 series this year.
Ellinas, who finished the GP3 championship in eighth position, will be the first Cypriot to drive F1 machinery.
"Our young driver programme is a significant component of our team and has been since our inception," said team boss John Booth.
"It is very important to us to not only provide opportunities for the current crop of drivers, but also to nurture the next generation of rising stars.
"Whilst we are incredibly focused on the operations of the Marussia F1 Team at Grands Prix, it is second nature to us to watch with interest the very exciting and encouraging performances we see in the support formulae.
"Tio has done a superb job all season and thoroughly deserves the opportunity of an F1 Test."
Ellinas added: "It was fantastic to win my first race last weekend at Monza. It has been a tough season, but I have learned a lot and it culminated in the success of the weekend at an amazing circuit.
"It doesn't quite seem real that I'm going to get my first F1 test; it is something I have always dreamed of since I was a child.
"The test should come after the season next year, so I will be well prepared for it. I have got a lot of work to do before then though, so I will keep my head down over the winter and work hard to prepare for the 2013 season.
"I really want to thank the Marussia F1 team for this amazing opportunity."

Max Chilton appointed reserve driver by Marussia F1 team
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 20th 2012, 08:42 GMT
Max Chilton has been appointed as Marussia's reserve driver for the remainder of the season.
The GP2 frontrunner will start work with the team from the next race in Japan, with the final race of his campaign taking place in Singapore this weekend.
Chilton already has experience of the Marussia car, having driven for the team at the Young Driver Test at Silverstone earlier this year.
Speaking about his new role, Chilton said: "I'm delighted to be given this fantastic opportunity to be part of the Marussia F1 Team for the remainder of the 2012 season.
"My experience with the team at Silverstone for the Young Driver Test was a great taste of how F1 operates, and I'm so excited to be able to extend that into a proper working relationship as Reserve Driver at the remaining F1 events this year.
"I feel like my racing has really matured this season and to now be able to combine that with real insight into the engineering activities of an F1 team, and the level of preparation required of an F1 driver, really moves my career onto the next level. I'd like to thank the team once again for this opportunity."

Max Chilton hopes for Friday practice outings this year with Marussia
By Jonathan Noble Friday, September 21st 2012, 10:04 GMT
Max Chilton is in the frame to get some Friday free practice outings this year as part of his reserve driver role at Marussia.
The Briton, who takes on his new role from the next race in Japan, is hoping to get at least one run at a grand prix this year.
"There is no agreement as such, but I think there is a strong possibility I can have a go this year," Chilton told AUTOSPORT, amid speculation his first chance could come in Abu Dhabi.
"I've driven Abu Dhabi in an F1 car and that is the one I would love to do. I have done a lot of GP2 running there too, so that is the one where I would feel most comfortable, so hopefully I will get the chance. But nothing is agreed as yet."
Chilton is hoping that the experience he gains with Marussia this year, allied to his race-winning success in GP2, puts him in good stead for the step up to an F1 race seat in 2013.
"I think I am ready," he said. "This year I have really worked on everything.
"I have shown I have now improved my qualifying form, my race pace strategy has come on, so I think I am ready to race. It is now whether I get the chance to race."
Chilton says if a race chance was not possible he would be satisfied to take on a reserve role for a season.
"Being a reserve driver would not do me any harm, but as a racer I would like to get behind the wheel.
"I think there is a great feeling behind Marussia. They are a new team and they have got the biggest chance of progression. They now have some really good people behind the scenes but they also have the backing from the Russians, so there is definitely a chance they can get up there because the car next year sounds brilliant."

Singapore GP: Marussia says it can now match Caterham
By Edd Straw Saturday, September 22nd 2012, 08:15 GMT
Marussia team principal John Booth is certain that his outfit has a car capable of taking the fight to Caterham after a strong showing in Friday practice in Singapore.
Timo Glock has outpaced lead Caterham driver Heikki Kovalainen so far this weekend, lapping over three tenths of a second faster in Friday's second session.
Although Marussia has not introduced any upgrades this weekend, except for additional brake cooling and a 'monkey wing' to suit the high-downforce circuit, Booth believes that the major package introduced by the team at Spa is now showing its full potential.
"We can race Caterham," Booth told AUTOSPORT. "Although to be fair to Heikki Kovalainen, he had a lap spoiled on his first run on option tyres, so he'll have another couple or three tenths.
"We felt that we made a step forward at Spa and Monza, but those tracks were the least advantageous configuration for us as they are low downforce.
"But we were still very encouraged by both of those showings. We hoped that it would leapfrog us up once we got to a higher downforce circuit.
"Since introducing the package, we have been optimising that aero set-up and everything pointed towards it being a step forward."
Booth added that the strength of his driver line-up also gives him confidence for Singapore.
Glock finished second in Singapore in his final start for Toyota in 2009, having been fourth a year earlier, and Booth was also impressed with Charles Pic's performance.
The Frenchman ended up just over six tenths behind Glock in Friday's second session.
Asked if having a Singapore specialist like Glock in the car was a boost, Booth replied: "It is. But Charles did an amazing job to get so close to Timo having never seen the circuit before.
"I think we'll have two challengers again. It does make life easier if we have two challengers. If something happens to one, the other is there."

Singapore GP: Charles Pic handed time penalty for the race after practice incident
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 22nd 2012, 13:03 GMT
Charles Pic has been handed a 20-second time penalty for the Singapore Grand Prix, plus must serve one day's Community Service for the FIA, for overtaking a car under red flags in final practice.
The Marussia driver was deemed to have moved past another car after passing four sets of red flags that had been brought out following Vitaly Petrov's accident late in the session.
A statement issued by the FIA race stewards said that it had decided a: "Penalty of 20 seconds to be added to the driver's race time and in addition the driver and his team engineer to perform 1 day's Community Service for FIA Action for Road Safety campaign at the instruction of the FIA President."

Singapore GP: Charles Pic accepts 'community service' penalty is fair
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, September 22nd 2012, 17:21 GMT
Charles Pic says he accepts the penalty he got for his incident during final practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Marussia driver was handed a 20-second time penalty for Sunday's race - as well as one day's Community Service for the FIA - after overtaking a car under red flags in the third and final practice session.
The Frenchman said he agreed fully with the stewards' decision.
"I have seen the information and I would like to say that I completely agree with it. It was a mistake on my part and I will use the experience wisely," said Pic.
Pic qualified for the race in 22nd position, right behind team-mate Timo Glock.

Singapore GP: Timo Glock optimistic Marussia can now fend off Caterham in championship
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, September 23rd 2012, 16:44 GMT
Timo Glock is hopeful Marussia will be able to hold on to 10th place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship after what he labelled as an incredible Singapore Grand Prix.
The German and his team put on their strongest performance of the season so far to finish in 12th position, a result that moved Marussia ahead of Caterham in the standings and into a crucial 10th place.
Glock said Sunday's result was a reward for the team's hard work to close in on its rivals after a difficult start to the season.
"An incredible race for us," said Glock. "In general I knew that, with our strategy, we could really do something if we stayed close to [Heikki] Kovalainen in the first stint and that's what I tried to do - to get everything out of the car.
"We do of course need to hold on to 10th place until the end of the season still and I hope we can.
"Over the last four months we have really closed that gap to Caterham and this is a very nice reward to everyone in the team because it has not been easy. We'll enjoy the moment but keep pushing now for the next race and beyond."
Team-mate Charles Pic completed a strong weekend for the team by finishing in 15th position, although the Frenchman dropped to 16th following his practice penalty.
"Today's team result is very important for everyone and it is a very nice reward for all the incredible hard work at the track and back at the factory this year," said Pic.
"Overall, it has been a strong weekend and I am pleased with my performance from FP1 to qualifying at what has perhaps been the more challenging of the new tracks I have tackled for the first time this season. And there are a few more yet to come!
"Overall though, racing here in Singapore has been an incredible experience and one I look forward to repeating."

Marussia not taking 10th position in the constructors' championship for granted
By Jonathan Noble Monday, September 24th 2012, 10:27 GMT
Marussia believes it will have to fight to hang on to 10th place in the constructors' championship following its best-ever finish in the Singapore Grand Prix.
Timo Glock's 12th place at the Marina Bay circuit was enough to lift the outfit ahead of Caterham.
Marussia is now on for a potential leap in income if it can keep tenth until the end of the season. However, the team knows it can take nothing for granted with six races remaining.
President and sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "We are well aware, like everyone else, that we still have to fight at every race from now until the end of the season.
"There can easily be carnage somewhere and it would be desperately disappointing if we are not at the front of the battle if that happens.
"None of the new teams have finished higher than 12th [since joining the grid in 2010], so statistically this is a mega result. But we cannot sit back and think that is it. We have to keep pushing."
Marussia's step forward in form over recent races is the result of an upgrade package that was introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix.
And although historically finishing top ten in the standings has had significant commercial benefits, Lowdon says it is too early to judge what lift in income his outfit could expect to get if it holds onto the position.
"Because there is a new Concorde [Agreement] period, it is unclear," he said when asked if there was any idea of how much his team could stand to earn from finishing 10th.
"There are a lot of strange things in F1, but you would hope that finishing tenth is better [financially] than finishing 12th.
"I think the key focus for us is to finish as high as we can and hopefully everything else will come out in the wash.
"Historically there has been a massively large difference, so we should not underestimate the potential value."

Japanese GP: Charles Pic reprimanded over FP3 incident
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, October 6th 2012, 05:50 GMT
Charles Pic has been reprimanded, and his Marussia team fined 5,000 Euro, after his near miss with Lewis Hamilton in final free practice for the Japanese GP.
Hamilton was left angry after he encountered Pic's slow car on the entry to the chicane while he was on a fast lap on Saturday morning.
After taking evasive action to prevent an accident, Hamilton radioed the team to complain about his rival.
Pic was summoned to see the stewards, who decided that he be reprimanded for failing to take into account Hamilton's approaching car.
Marussia was fined for not having informed Pic about the proximity of Hamilton.

Maria de Villota: Marussia driver recalls life-threatening accident
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, October 10th 2012, 09:29 GMT
Maria de Villota has revealed that she remembers everything from the life-threatening Formula 1 testing accident in which she lost her right eye earlier this year.
The Spanish driver was carrying out a straight-line test for Marussia before the British Grand Prix, when she crashed into the back of a team transporter.
De Villota suffered serious injuries in the accident and spent a month in hospital before she was well enough to return home.
Although she was unconscious for a long time, de Villota says she can recall all the details of the crash and its aftermath.
She also says that as well as her eye injuries, she continues to suffer from headaches and has lost her sense of smell and taste.
"I remember everything - even the moment of the impact," di Villota told the Spanish Hola magazine, in her first interview since the crash.
"When I woke up everybody was around me and they didn't even know if I was going to speak, or how I was going to speak. I started speaking in English because I thought I was on an FIA check-up and that the nurse was a trainer.
"Then my dad said 'Please, Maria, speak Spanish, because your mother is missing half the things', and then I became aware of everything: of what had happened, where I was and why."
The 32-year-old says her injuries have made her realise the value of other things in life beyond racing.
"The accident has given me a new perspective about life, about the things that matter," she said. "It has taught me that to achieve what you want you have to educate yourself in sacrifice through effort.
"Now I have just one eye maybe I perceive more things than before. Before this, my life was a race against the clock, and now I see you have to stop and measure things in a different way."
De Villota admitted she was shocked the first time she saw her injuries, but she is sure that the worst is now behind her.
"In the beginning they were covering it [the eye] so I couldn't see it," she added. "The first day I looked at myself in the mirror I had 140 black stitches on my face, and they looked like they had been stitched with a boat rope, and I had lost my right eye. I was terrified.
"I have to undergo more surgery soon, but the worst is now behind."
She added: "I have headaches that they don't know how long will last - maybe years.
"I have to control my efforts a lot because of the cranial pressure. I have also lost smell, and taste, which is linked to smell. Now I like things with a very strong taste."

Maria de Villota: Injured Marussia driver unsure on racing return
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, October 10th 2012, 09:40 GMT
Maria de Villota has not yet decided if she wants to return to racing in the future.
The Spaniard lost her right eye in a Formula 1 testing accident in July, and is currently pondering whether or not to get back in the cockpit.
She is well aware, however, that one of the biggest factors is if motor racing's authorities will allow her to race because of her injury.
"I still don't know, it's about the licence," de Villota told the Spanish Hola magazine in her first interview since the accident. "There are drivers in the United States who have lost an eye and still have a licence.
"What's true is that you lose the sense of depth, because it's both eyes that give you the perspective.
"What I'm wondering now is if my future is being a racing driver or if there's something else I have to do with my life. I still don't know what I need to do."
De Villota says she now wants to have an active role in making sure safety is improved in the kind of tests she had her accident in.
"We all want to see if there are lessons to learn from what happened, so we can avoid accidents like that in the future," she said.
"My intention is to help with a view to the future, improve safety, especially in aero tests, because at the circuits everything is under control, but not in this kind of test."
She admitted she has been overwhelmed by the support she had received since the accident.
"I felt deeply loved, highly respected by my colleagues and everybody in the world of motorsport," de Villota said.
"My new life goes beyond my dreams, because my dream was Formula 1 and I achieved it. I'm a driver, I feel like a driver."

Maria de Villota makes first public appearance since crash
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, October 11th 2012, 12:38 GMT
Maria de Villota has made her first public appearance following her life-threatening testing accident back in July, during a press conference in which she revealed the full extent of her injuries, in Madrid on Thursday.
The Spaniard spent a month in hospital after crashing into an articulated trailer while carrying out a straightline test for Marussia at Duxford Aerodrome.
De Villota, 32, lost her right eye in the accident, as well as the senses of smell and taste and suffered significant damage to her skull.
It was revealed during the press conference attended by AUTOSPORT on Thursday that the she lost cranial mass and that she is to undergo further surgery in the future.
Doctors revealed an image of what her skull looked like after the crash [see image below].
De Villota admitted she has gained a new perspective on life, and said she was reluctant to accept she had lost her eye at first.
"One of the surgeons who had operated on me came up to me and said 'Maria, we saved your life,'" she said. "'I don't know if you remember you had a big accident but you are here with us. It's been hard, but we are happy we saved your life. But we need to tell you you have lost your eye.'
"In that moment, I asked the surgeon: 'Do you need both hands to operate?' and he said yes, and I said "Well, I'm a Formula 1 driver and I need both eyes.'
"And I told the poor man that it was my decision [to remove the eye], as if the poor man had a choice to do something."
"But then you realise it is something unprecedented, that you are feeling fine, and you realise that you see more than before. Because, before the accident, I only saw Formula 1, inside a car, competing, and I didn't see what was really important in life. At that point I wasn't appreciating the biggest thing, which was the person who had saved me.
"So this eye has made me find the way again and I'm seeing it that way. And this new opportunity I'm going to live it at 100 per cent."
De Villota insisted she had been overwhelmed by the messages of support received from all around the world.
"When I saw myself I thought 'Who is going to love me looking like this?' But since then I've realised they have loved more than in a whole life.
"I have enough love to cover this life and the next."
She made it clear she wanted to stay involved in motorsports in one way or another, but said at the moment she is saving her strength to recover as much as possible.
"I'm focusing on the operations I have left, and I want to be 100 percent ready," she said. "I still don't know what I'm going to do."

Korean GP: Pic to get 10-place grid penalty for engine change
By Simon Strang Friday, October 12th 2012, 09:06 GMT
Charles Pic will incur a 10-place grid penalty for the Korean Grand Prix after his Marussia team decided to change his Cosworth engine overnight on Friday.
It is Pic's ninth engine change of the season, with 2012 regulations stating that drivers must only use eight units through the year.
"It is also appropriate at this stage to say that we plan to fit a new engine to Charles' car this evening in the knowledge that, as his ninth engine of the season, we will incur a 10-place grid penalty on Sunday," said team principal Jon Booth.
The Frenchman must now make this engine, along with the existing pre-used eight-engine quota, last for the next four and a half grands prix or accept a further penalty.

Max Chilton gets Abu Dhabi GP practice outing with Marussia
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, October 25th 2012, 06:38 GMT
Max Chilton will take part in opening practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when he drives for the Marussia team.
The Briton, who was signed as a reserve driver for the team earlier this season, will make his debut in a competitive race weekend environment at the Yas Marina circuit next week.
Chilton will replace Charles Pic during the session, the Frenchman returning to the cockpit for second practice.
Chilton drove Marussia's car already in the young driver test at Silverstone in July.
"I feel very proud to be entrusted with this opportunity by the Marussia team," said Chilton. "This is the next step in the process of proving my potential and another important notch for me personally in terms of my ultimate goals.
"As for next Friday, the 90 minutes of FP1 will fly by so quickly that it's a real bonus to be testing the car at a circuit I know well.
"It means I can get up to speed straight away and focus on delivering some proper set-up and aero evaluation data for the Team to help during the rest of the weekend.
"My thanks to everyone at the Marussia F1 team for the faith they have shown in me so far and I will now concentrate my efforts on keeping my excitement in check and ensuring I make the most of this fantastic opportunity!"

Max Chilton insists 2013 Marussia Formula 1 deal not sealed yet
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, November 1st 2012, 13:06 GMT
Max Chilton remains hopeful of securing a seat to race in Formula 1 next year after insisting he has not secured a Marussia drive yet.
The Briton was appointed Marussia's reserve driver earlier this year and has been linked with Charles Pic's seat for the upcoming season.
Chilton will get his first outing on a grand prix weekend on Friday when he replaces Pic during the opening practice session in Abu Dhabi.
The 21-year-old said he is still in talks with Marussia over a possible race seat.
"We are obviously talking to them. I'm a racer and I want to get a race seat," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"There are a few seats but they are waiting for other drivers to see what they are doing. I'd love the chance and hopefully it will come soon.
"At the moment our eyes are on one seat and hopefully that will come off. Nothing is done as yet. If I could get a seat anywhere that would be good, and then work my way up."
Frenchman Pic told a news conference on Thursday that he was still unsure about his plans for the future.
"I don't know," Pic said. "There is still three races so I try and want to focus on these, we are speaking for next year but nothing is done. So we will have to wait."
Chilton said, however, that his performance in Friday's outing will have no impact in his future with the team.
"No, I don't think it will," he added. "Obviously I'd like to do a good job, but it would be a bit silly for an F1 team to try to work out whether you are ready with just one session."
Although Chilton is aware that his practice programme means he is unlikely to set fast laptimes, the British driver feels he can still show his skill to the teams.
"I just want to come out with the feeling that I've done a good job, and that the team is happy with the procedures that I need to do," he said.
"As long as I'm happy and the team is happy with my job that's all that matters."

Abu Dhabi GP: Marussia was 'nervous' as Caterham nearly stole 10th
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, November 4th 2012, 16:57 GMT
Marussia boss John Booth admitted his team was really feeling the pressure during the final stages of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix seeing rival Caterham's position.
The squad moved ahead of Caterham - and into 10th place in the constructors' championship - with a 12th-place finish by Timo Glock in the Singapore GP.
A similar result by Caterham would move the team ahead of Marussia as it has more 13th-place finishes than its rival with two races to go.
Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen was running in 13th place in the final part of the race, meaning another retirement would have been costly for Marussia.
Booth said Sunday's race was a reminder that 10th position is far from guaranteed yet.
"A nailbiting race pretty much from start to finish, although it was in the final 10 laps that we really felt the pressure," admitted Booth.
"We could do little about the retirements ahead of us, so we had to simply concentrate on our own very hard-fought race with Caterham.
"Today has reminded us that P10 is far from 'a given' - we have to keep fighting to keep it."
Glock finished the Yas Marina race in 14th place while team-mate Charles Pic retired on lap 42.

Marussia must beat Caterham on the track - John Booth
By Matt Beer Friday, November 9th 2012, 09:15 GMT
Marussia needs to start beating Caterham on track to ensure it hangs on to 10th place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship, suspects team boss John Booth.
Timo Glock's 12th place for Marussia in Singapore moved his squad into the potentially lucrative final top-10 championship spot on countback of best results.
Marussia appeared to be in danger of losing that position for a while in Abu Dhabi last weekend as Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen ran 12th, before recovering faster cars pushed him back to 13th.
Booth said that acted as a warning that the Marussia/Caterham battle was still wide open.
With both teams needing attrition among the frontrunners to have a shot at top-12 positions, he reiterated that Marussia had to ensure it - not Caterham - was in prime position to capitalise should the final races in America and Brazil prove as dramatic as Abu Dhabi.
"Last weekend's race in Abu Dhabi had us on the edge of our pitwall seats at various points, as it reminded us that to hold on to 10th in the constructors' championship, we cannot control what happens further up the field, ahead of our own private duel with Caterham," said Booth.
"We have to continue closing that gap and find the momentum to get ahead of them on track."
Apart from the Australian GP, when both Caterhams retired, Singapore is the only time this year that Marussia has beaten Caterham in their 'class battle' at the tail of the field.
But Marussia has closed the gap to its rival considerably as the season progressed, and Booth believes his squad's lack of KERS is one of the few areas where it still trails Caterham.
"We've come very close in recent races, despite their KERS-advantage, and we'll remain in dogged pursuit of this objective right up until the chequered flag in Brazil," he said.
Caterham has secured 10th in the standings for the past two years, with Marussia - then known as Virgin - finishing at the foot of the standings for its first two F1 seasons.

Marussia poised for 2013 F1 breakthrough - Graeme Lowdon
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Tuesday, November 13th 2012, 15:03 GMT
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon believes his team is now "on a roll" and poised for a breakthrough 2013 Formula 1 season - especially if it can hang on to 10th in the constructors' championship.
The former Virgin squad has been edging closer to main rival Caterham during the 2012 campaign, and is now ahead in the standings thanks to Timo Glock's 12th place in the Singapore Grand Prix.
Marussia's year got off to a troubled start when delays in passing final crash tests meant its only pre-season running was a short 'filming' outing at Silverstone.
With the team poised to use KERS for the first time in 2013, and with its new technical structure bedding in, Lowdon reckons there are solid reasons why next year will be a far better season.
"The whole team both at Banbury and the track have worked so hard under very, very difficult circumstances [in 2012]," he told AUTOSPORT.
"No testing, everyone knows our budget is way, way less [than most rivals'], but I think we're on a development roll and everyone's more excited about the 2013 prospects.
"The tech regs are staying similar-ish. We're bolting KERS on, we know how many tenths it's going to bring.
"The aero work looks really good for next year's car as well and everyone's really excited about where the team's going."
Providing a Caterham does not finish 12th or higher in either of the season's two remaining grands prix, Marussia will secure 10th in the championship and the financial boost that goes with it.
Lowdon fears the finale in Brazil will be the major threat to Marussia's position, both because of Caterham's KERS advantage and the increased likelihood of a chaotic race.
"The assumption was that Brazil would be the joker that could throw anything up," said Lowdon.
"It's a massive advantage having KERS in Brazil because you're at altitude. So we know they'll have a straightforward advantage in horsepower and plenty of chances to use it."

US GP: Perez reprimanded for blocking Glock during practice
By Jonathan Noble Friday, November 16th 2012, 19:33 GMT
Sergio Perez has been handed a reprimand for having blocked Timo Glock during opening.
The Mexican was deemed by the race stewards to have 'made several weaving manoeuvres' in front of Glock on the entry to Turn 20 towards the end of FP1.
After being summoned to see the stewards following the end of the first session, and having admitted that he made a mistake, Perez was given a reprimand.
It is the second reprimand of the season that Perez has got, having been punished in Abu Dhabi for impeding Bruno Senna during qualifying.
If drivers get three reprimands in a season, of which at least two are for driving infringements, then the driver will be handed a 10-place grid penalty.

United States GP: Perez and Pic escape penalties for clash
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Saturday, November 17th 2012, 17:27 GMT
The United States Grand Prix stewards have decided not to take any action against Sergio Perez or Charles Pic over their collision in final practice.
Pic's Marussia was punted into a spin at Turn 7 when Sauber driver Perez tried to pass down the inside.
Although Perez made his move from a long way back, Pic was on a slow lap at the time and running off the pace. The Marussia suffered minor floor damage in the clash.
A statement from the officials said: "Having heard from both drivers, the stewards are satisfied this was a racing incident."
Had Perez received any censure for the incident, it would have resulted in a grid penalty.
The Mexican had already accrued two reprimands this month, one for impeding Bruno Senna in Abu Dhabi GP qualifying and the other for delaying Pic's team-mate Timo Glock on Friday in America.

United States GP: Kovalainen sure Caterham will beat Marussia
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, November 17th 2012, 20:12 GMT
Heikki Kovalainen is certain that his Caterham team will beat main rival Marussia in the United States Grand Prix despite admitting that it underperformed in qualifying.
The Finn qualified down in 22nd position, while team-mate Vitaly Petrov managed one place better.
Both men, however, qualified behind the Marussias of Timo Glock and Charles Pic for the first time this season.
But Kovalainen insisted this did not mean Marussia was now faster.
"Qualifying today was as expected, struggling to get the tyres working on short runs," he wrote on his Twitter account, "but tomorrow we will beat both Marussias. We are the better team."
The Finn said Caterham's qualifying strategy had not worked.
"We underperformed today, it's really that simple," said Kovalainen. "We went with a plan that didn't work and unfortunately both Vitaly and I weren't able to get enough heat into the tyres to get the best out of them, or manage the traffic well enough to get a clean lap in.
"Tomorrow's another day so now we need to regroup and have a better performance in the race than we did today."
Petrov also blamed traffic issues for failing to achieve a better result, and reckons Narain Karthikeyan's HRT stopping at the end of the session also hurt him.
"Quali obviously didn't go how we wanted it to," he said. "I had traffic issues on every lap and wasn't able to put a clean lap together, but even without that we've struggled with the tyres here all weekend and that showed today.
"It was bad timing for us that the HRT stopped on track just when Heikki and I were on our quickest laps and having been stuck behind them, but you can't plan for that so we need to put today behind us and hopefully we'll be better tomorrow."

United States GP: Marussia says it now has edge on Caterham
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, November 17th 2012, 20:56 GMT
Marussia team boss John Booth believes the United States Grand Prix qualifying results show his squad is now faster than rival Caterham.
For the first time this season, both Charles Pic and Timo Glock qualified ahead of Caterham drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov.
Kovalainen said after qualifying that he was convinced Caterham was the better team and that it will beat Marussia on Sunday.
Booth, however, feels the result is the reward for his team's development push since the halfway point of the season.
"Today is an important day for the whole team as it represents the culmination of the aggressive development programme we have undertaken since the mid-season," said Booth.
"We have demonstrated that we are now faster than the Caterhams after both cars achieved the objective of outqualifying them."
Glock was the quickest of the Marussia drivers in 19th position, finishing nearly a second ahead of the fastest Caterham.
The German was delighted with his day.
"We are almost 0.8 seconds ahead of the Caterhams and we have to be very pleased with that," he said.
"This is great development from the team and although it seems like we remind everyone every race just now, we've managed all that without the advantage of KERS and that is a significant point.
"I'm very excited for the race and I hope we can continue the good work."

United States GP: Marussia wanted penalty for Perez over Pic clash
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Saturday, November 17th 2012, 22:57 GMT
Marussia's sporting director Graeme Lowdon was surprised Sergio Perez got away without a penalty following his clash with Charles Pic during final practice at Austin.
Perez made contact with the Marussia driver some 20 minutes into the session, spearing the Frenchman's car at Turn 7 after leaving his braking too late.
The crash, which the stewards deemed was a racing incident, damaged the floor of Pic's car.
Lowdon believes it was clear that Perez was at fault.
"It looked to me like a guy driving into one of our cars," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "Our car was in front, you could clearly see it. It's a big enough track and he was in full control of his car.
"So it's a bit of a surprise they ended having a collision."
Lowdon revealed the damage to Pic's car was more severe than initially thought, and said the mechanics had to work flat out to get the car ready for qualifying.
He also believes the incident had compromised Pic's work.
"It was really unfortunate for Charles, because it pretty much ruins what we can learn on the car from that session, because the floor was completely ruined," he said.
"It was a real tight job to get that car back in qualifying condition for qualifying. It could have ruined his qualifying as well. The mechanics had to an amazing job making sure it was put back together.
"There was a huge amount of damage. It didn't look like it when we finished the session and it compromised Charles's weekend.
"I only saw the replay once but it's surprising to see. That said, the stewards have access to all that stuff and they made the decision, and that's what it is."
Despite the problem, Pic qualified in 20th position, behind team-mate Timo Glock but ahead of both the Caterhams.

United States GP: No action over Heikki Kovalainen/Timo Glock clash
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, November 18th 2012, 23:06 GMT
The United States Grand Prix stewards have deemed no action was necessary following an incident involving Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock during the race.
The Finnish Caterham driver overtook his Marussia rival by making contact at Turn 15 when battling for 18th position near the end of the event.
After the race, the stewards labelled it as a racing incident and said no further action was needed.
Kovalainen finished in 18th, with Glock in 19th.
"Late in the race I was able to get past Heikki in Turn 12 but in Turn 15 he dived in again and retook position, pushing me off the track a bit," said Glock.

Caterham signs Marussia's Charles Pic for 2013 Formula 1 season
By Matt Beer Friday, November 23rd 2012, 11:11 GMT
Charles Pic will move from Marussia to Caterham for the 2013 Formula 1 season, having signed a multi-year deal.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has earned recognition for his performances relative to experienced team-mate Timo Glock at Marussia this season. His best results to date are 15th places in Melbourne and Valencia.
Caterham team boss Cyril Abiteboul said Pic had impressed him while challenging his cars with the Marussia.
"We are thrilled that Charles has decided to join us for his second season in F1 and beyond," said Abiteboul.
"We are all looking forward to working with a young driver who has clearly shown in his first season in F1 that he has the pace, racecraft and demeanour to help us achieve our goals.
"Throughout the 2012 season we have been monitoring the progress that Charles has made, challenging us on several occasions in qualifying, and it is clear that he is a special talent.
"As the year has progressed he has performed extremely well against a very experienced team-mate and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further within the environment we will provide in 2013 and beyond."
Although Marussia is now ahead of Caterham in the constructors' championship and has closed on the Anglo-Malaysian team on-track in late-2012, Pic is still confident his new squad has the better long-term potential.
"It is clear that the team has great ambitions for the future," he said. "The investments already made and the decisions taken in the last few months show how committed the shareholders are to succeed and demonstrates their willingness to keep going forward."
Pic added: "I am very excited about starting my second year in F1 with a team that has so much potential. Caterham F1 team has everything in place to help it move into a position to fight with a number of teams ahead.
"I know how determined the team is to keep progressing and I am looking forward to playing my part in helping them move up the grid."
Both Caterham's current race drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov face uncertain futures, with the Finn admitting in Brazil on Thursday that his chances of a 2013 F1 seat now appeared slender.
Pic was promoted from the Marussia reserve role to a race seat this season, having previously been a race-winner in GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5. Current Marussia test driver Max Chilton is expected to take Pic's current drive next year.
AUTOSPORT SAYS
F1 editor Edd Straw
Superficially, Charles Pic's debut season in Formula 1 has been nothing special, with a best qualifying performance of 19th in Abu Dhabi and a best result of 15th in Valencia. But the reality is that he has made a very impressive start in what has very much been an off-the-radar year, in much the same way that his lack of junior titles belied the quality he showed on his rise through the ranks
It's never easy starting out at a back-of-the-grid team, but Pic has outqualified Glock six times and his race pace has compared extremely well to that of a driver who has twice finished second in a grand prix.
During the European phase of the season, in particular, he has shown very well. At familiar tracks, he has excelled, with his performances at Hockenheim and the Hungaroring in particular catching the eye.
Any rookie driver cannot be expected to join the dots of such performance peaks, but were he up against Glock for a second season he would have had the chance of emerging as the team's lead driver.
While he owes his place at Caterham to the financial package he can offer, it's the ultimate win-win scenario for his new team. The 22-year-old has a bright F1 future ahead of him and arguably deserves a berth at a better team than Caterham.
Although Marussia is likely to beat Caterham in the constructors' championship, Pic will see this as a step forward. The question is whether the outfit will be able to give him the machinery capable of challenging for points regularly. If it does, there's no question that Pic will be able to do justice to such a car.

Brazilian GP: Marussia devastated to lose 10th in Formula 1 points
By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, November 25th 2012, 20:29 GMT
Marussia boss John Booth described losing 10th place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship to Caterham in the Brazilian Grand Prix as a huge emotional blow for his team.
Marussia had moved ahead of Caterham after Timo Glock finished 12th in the Singapore GP.
A thrilling Interlagos race gave both teams the chance to get their best result of the year, and Caterham's Vitaly Petrov passed Charles Pic for 12th position near the end of the race.
The result, which turned into 11th after Paul di Resta crashed out, moved Caterham back into the crucial 10th position that will mean a financial boost for the team.
Booth admitted it was a devastating moment for Marussia.
"Today is an emotional day for everyone involved with the Marussia team. Tenth place has eluded us after such a long fight and, naturally, 'disappointed' doesn't even come close," said Booth.
"We made all the right calls and our strategy worked out perfectly, but in the end we lost out due to factors beyond our control. Here's to 2013, the advantage of KERS and some very encouraging signs that things can only get better for us."
The team boss was nonetheless encouraged by the progress made by Marussia during the 2012 season.
"Much has been made of closing the gap to Caterham, but at the same time we have reduced the delta to the midfield and the front of the field," he added.
"For example, in Australia the gap between our own fastest lap and the winner's fastest lap was 4.5 per cent, whilst in the closing stages of the season we have reduced that to 2.5 per cent - again, without KERS. So if we reflect on our big picture, it is even more encouraging than may have been apparent."
Pic, who will move from Marussia to Caterham next year, believes he put on one of his strongest performances of the year.
"Although the outcome is disappointing, I think today was one of my best races for the team," he said. "Our strategy was the right one and I pushed very hard the whole race. The conditions were not easy; it was very slippery but the car was quite well-balanced and we put up the best possible fight.
"In the end, we just lost out unfortunately. My thanks to everyone in the team for a fantastic debut season in F1. We have fought so hard all year and I wish the team the very best next season."

Marussia blames Vergne for losing 10th place in the standings
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Monday, November 26th 2012, 13:36 GMT
Marussia blames Jean-Eric Vergne for costing it 10th in the 2012 Formula 1 constructors' championship.
The Frenchman collided with Marussia's Timo Glock early in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Although it was Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov's late pass on Marussia's Charles Pic for what became 11th place that technically allowed Caterham to vault its main rival to claim the lucrative 10th spot in the teams' standings, Glock was running strongly before his incident with Vergne.
The Toro Rosso driver made contact with Glock, who was running 12th, as they prepared for the safety car restart on lap 29.
Marussia team principal Graeme Lowdon has no doubt that his squad would have stayed clear of Caterham in the points but for this incident.
"That's what destroyed our race," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"He just ran straight into the back of Timo and smashed Timo's car, certainly damaged the aero at the back, and gave him a puncture, but it wasn't obvious enough to come straight in so he had to do a whole lap on it.
"We were a country mile ahead of Caterham at that point.
"Through the first pitstops we got everything right. We got Timo a long way ahead in time before that safety car. That lost Timo the advantage, but he had still had a few cars between him and Petrov.
"And he clearly had the pace, because we were just driving away from them.
"It's not the first time we've been run into by a Toro Rosso, but this time it's ended up being incredibly costly."
Lowdon said the blow to morale was a greater wound than the loss of constructors' prize money.
"It's less financial, it's more the fact that everyone's worked really, really hard and got themselves into that position," he said.
"We're going into an uncertain period - there is no Concorde Agreement, so you want to be as high up as you possibly can as we want to make sure that we're treated the same way all the other teams are treated.
"But for all the people on the team and back at Banbury who've worked so hard, it's frustrating when you can't deliver the result that you think everyone deserves.
"If we'd messed up, got the wrong strategy, if the drivers had made a mistake then you could hold your hands up. But we did absolutely everything that we could.
"It seemed to be totally avoidable. You're not meant to hit another car when you're under safety car conditions. It's as simple as that."
Marussia still looked set to retain its position until Pic was overtaken by Petrov. Lowdon dismissed any suggestion that Caterham-bound Pic had made life easy for his 2013 employer.
"I'm sure he didn't," Lowdon insisted. "Nothing worse for him than going there after being overtaken by one of their drivers. He's got his professional pride to look after."

Maria de Villota undergoes cranial and ocular reconstruction surgery
By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, November 28th 2012, 17:18 GMT
Maria de Villota underwent further surgery last week following her dramatic accident during testing for the Marussia team.
The Spanish driver, who lost her right eye as a consequence of the crash, had her first operation since appearing in public for the first time in October.
De Villota underwent surgery for more than seven hours at the La Paz hospital in Madrid, in an operation aimed at the cranial and ocular reconstruction.
New plaques were added to her skull and the doctors said the operation had been a success.
De Villota left the intensive care unit today and will continue with the recovery process, which is not expected to be too long, according to the doctors.
She has one, less critical, operation left.
"Maria has to start her recovery process again but she still has that vital strength that we are used to and she is improving all the times," said her father Emilio de Villota.
"We have been able to talk to her these days and she even followed the final race of the season."

Maria de Villota released from hospital following latest operation
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, December 3rd 2012, 18:07 GMT
Maria de Villota has been released from hospital following her latest operation at the end of last month.
De Villota underwent a seven-hour operation in Madrid in late November.
It is expected to be the penultimate time she has surgery after her dramatic accident earlier this year.
The final operation will take place once she has recovered from her latest procedure.
On Monday, de Villota was named 'Driver of the Year' by Car & Driver magazine. Her family collected the award on her behalf.

Marussia's 2013 car on schedule to make first pre-season F1 test
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Friday, December 7th 2012, 11:11 GMT
Marussia's 2013 Formula 1 car is on schedule to make the first pre-season test according to team principal Graeme Lowdon.
Marussia used its 2011 car for the first tests of 2012, and the new MVR-02 only made its track debut in the final session at Barcelona before the first race of the season in Australia.
The team's plans were delayed by its failure to pass some of the mandatory crash tests.
Lowdon is adamant, however, that Marussia is now well on schedule with the MVR-03 thanks to the new technical structure put in place after the exit of Nick Wirth.
The first test of 2013 takes place at Jerez on February 5.
"It's on target at the moment, and in fact some bits are ahead," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "We've got a high degree of confidence. We've got a totally different structure now.
"This will be our first car that's truly our car in terms of the new people involved. The car we've just finished with was a full CFD car when we hit the first race."
Marussia finished in 11th position in this year's constructors' championship despite holding 10th place following the Singapore Grand Prix.
Heartbreakingly for the team, however, Caterham re-took 10th in the final race of the season in Brazil.
Despite losing out to its rival, Lowdon is convinced Marussia is a top 10 squad.
"I definitely think this is a top 10 team. We didn't have a top 10 car, and that's something that takes time and money," he said.
"Look at Brazil, Timo's fastest stop was faster than all the stops McLaren did. People don't notice that kind of thing, but we've now got a very, very good team. A really good structure, very tight-knit and a very low cost base.
"If we have a car that's capable of quicker laptimes, which is the other piece of the jigsaw - and everything I've seen is that next year's car is going to be a really good car - then you can't write this team off.
"I'm perfectly happy to call this team a top 10 team even if the results don't show it. I'm looking forward to Melbourne."

Timo Glock believes bigger budget key for Marussia's F1 progress
By Dieter Rencken and Pablo Elizalde Monday, December 10th 2012, 15:32 GMT
Timo Glock believes a bigger budget is key for Marussia if the team is to make a significant step forward in the Formula 1 field.
Marussia made its grand prix debut as Virgin in 2010 and finished last in the standings in its first two seasons before moving up to 11th in 2012.
The team looked set to finish ahead of Caterham for the vital 10th spot, but it lost out in the final race of the season in Brazil, where Vitaly Petrov gave Caterham in best F1 result with 11th place.
Glock, who will stay on for a fourth season with the team, is aware that only with more money will Marussia be able to escape the back of the grid.
"More budget, that's the key point," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "We all know that if you want to make a big step, you need more money to do it.
"We develop in terms of our possibilities, but everyone else develops and they can develop faster with more money. Our main goal is to have more budget, that's what the guys are working on, and then we can make a step."
Glock reckons his team has been hurt by the lack of development in the windtunnel, having used CFD exclusively during its first two seasons.
This year's car made its track debut in the final test of the pre-season, and the team ran without KERS all year, unlike rival Caterham.
"I'm pretty sure we would have looked much stronger with proper testing at the beginning of the year and if we had started earlier in the windtunnel," he said.
"KERS too, but mainly if we had been able to shift everything with the windtunnel a bit earlier, we could have been closer to Caterham and maybe even beat them.
"That's where we're working for next year."

Marussia expects to catch Formula 1 midfield in 2013
By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, December 13th 2012, 17:52 GMT
Marussia boss Graeme Lowdon expects his team to eliminate the gap to Formula 1's midfield next season.
Lowdon is certain that rules stability, the addition of KERS, and early indications from Marussia's 2013 design mean it can leapfrog habitual rival Caterham and challenge the teams ahead.
"The gap will definitely be gone, I'm absolutely convinced of it," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"Everyone's obviously going to improve over the winter, but the law of physics says the improvement is only going to be so much. The question is, are we predicting fairly major improvements, and yes we are. I'm looking forward to it.
"We just want to be in the mix and racing and I really honestly believe that that's where we'll be next year. We've got a lot to do over the winter but everything's on track. We're genuinely looking forward to Melbourne."
Marussia finished its third season in F1 in 11th position after being beaten by Caterham in the final race of the year in Brazil.
The team was far from the midfield all season long, however, with 18th as its best qualifying result and two 12th-place finishes its best achievements in the races.
Unlike Caterham, Marussia did not run KERS in 2012, and Lowdon reckons it will make a big difference when it uses the system next year.
"It's like a turn-key system. I'm no big fan of KERS personally, I think it was a missed opportunity marketing-wise and an expense the pitlane could've done without," Lowdon said.
"We very nearly beat a team that has it, and we didn't have it. With KERS and with the aero projections that we've got, we can hopefully surprise some people next year.
"Certainly our immediate competitors have been running KERS all year, so they're going to have to develop a pretty good car to defend that gap, let alone improve.
"From what we can see, the gap [to the midfield] should be closed next year. And that's good for us and it's good for the sport."

Max Chilton seals 2013 Marussia Formula 1 drive
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, December 18th 2012, 11:04 GMT
Max Chilton will make his Formula 1 debut next year after securing the second race seat at Marussia.
As predicted by AUTOSPORT back in September, Chilton has been given the nod to line up alongside Timo Glock in 2013 after being promoted from the reserve driver role he held at the end of this season.
Speaking about his F1 opportunity, Chilton said the six races where he worked with Marussia had proved invaluable in helping him prepare for next year.
"It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling today, with the announcement that I will be racing for the Marussia F1 team in 2013," said Chilton, who took part in Friday practice for the outfit in Abu Dhabi.
"It comes at the end of what has been a fantastic year for me, and those steps - my GP2 pole positions and wins, my performances in the F1 young driver test and in FP1 at Abu Dhabi - have given everyone the confidence in my ability to compete at the highest level of motor sport.
"I am very fortunate to have spent the last six races with the Marussia F1 team as reserve driver, which means that instead of a standing start, I am already up to speed and at ease with the people, the culture, the systems and of course, the 2012 package."
Chilton's graduation to F1 comes after he emerged as a frontrunner in GP2 in 2012, winning the feature races in Hungary and Singapore. He had also been a race winner in British Formula 3.
Marussia team principal John Booth said that the team was convinced by Chilton's potential ever since it promoted him to the reserve driver role in September.
"We have spent a significant amount of time evaluating his performances during 2012, both in our own car in a testing situation and also from the pitwall as we monitored his progress alongside the other members of our junior talent pool during grand prix support races," explained Booth.
"We felt confident enough in his ability and potential to appoint him to the role of reserve driver in September and since that time his development has been rapid in all aspects.
"First and foremost, he has shown himself to be extremely capable in the car."
Chilton's promotion to F1 means there will be four British drivers on the grid next year - with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta also competing.
AUTOSPORT SAYS
Edd Straw, F1 editor
Inevitably, the long-expected confirmation that Max Chilton would step up from GP2 to Formula 1 with Marussia will re-open the debate about pay drivers.
Earlier this season, Chilton was asked about the perception of him as a pay driver and he gave a very sensible response.
"I like to ignore it, but you can't because it gets brought up," he said. "But that's the way motor racing is. Not many people on the F1 grid would have started racing if they didn't have a wealthy backer to start with."
He's absolutely right, so let's take it as a given that, like many other drivers, he needed funds to secure the seat. There's no disgrace in that as it is the way of the world.
Given that pay driver is used as a pejorative term, it's important to note that Chilton is far from underqualified to race an F1 car.
He did, after all, finish fourth in GP2 last year, albeit in a year that has to be considered as one of the weaker in the category's short history in terms of depth of driver ability. But we can dismiss the idea that he's unworthy of sitting in a grand prix car immediately.
During his 2012 season, he won GP2 feature races (i.e. - the non-reversed grid ones) in both Hungary and Singapore and showed dramatically improved racecraft from his previous two campaigns. There have been plenty of drivers with patchier GP2 careers who have done a decent job when they stepped up.
That is firm evidence that he's a driver capable of improving and learning. At just 21, he still has time on his side. He's also level-headed and did a tidy job in test outings for Force India and Marussia, so he's clearly not overawed by F1 as some so-called pay drivers have unquestionably been in the past.
There are certainly some rising stars who have made a bigger impression in the junior ranks who you could argue merit a shot ahead of Chilton - Robin Frijns to name one – but that doesn't have to mean that Marussia's new driver is to be dismissed.
He comes into F1 with six years of single-seater racing under his belt having started out in British F3 at the age of 16. He has won in F3 and GP2. Just because he's had to bring a budget and, right now, wouldn't be considered one of the best 24 drivers in the world doesn't mean that he is incapable of doing a solid job in his first season.
Now that he does have an F1 drive, what he now deserves is the chance to prove himself either way.
2013 Formula 1 line-up so far:

Red Bull Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber
Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa
McLaren Jenson Button Sergio Perez
Lotus Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
Sauber Nico Hulkenberg Esteban Gutierrez
Force India Paul di Resta seat still available
Williams Pastor Maldonado Valtteri Bottas
Toro Rosso Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Eric Vergne
Caterham Charles Pic seat still available
Marussia Timo Glock Max Chilton

Symonds' return to the paddock a boost for Marussia, says Glock
By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Friday, December 21st 2012, 12:53 GMT
Timo Glock expects Pat Symonds' clearance to return to the Formula 1 paddock in 2013 to be a major boost to Marussia.
Symonds was banned from F1 in the wake of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, in which he was one of those held responsible for Nelson Piquet being asked to deliberately crash his Renault to trigger a safety car that would help team-mate Fernando Alonso win.
Although not permitted to attend grands prix in that period, Symonds was given clearance to work as a consultant to F1 teams - a role he has performed for Marussia.
Symonds played a key role in Benetton and Renault's championships with Michael Schumacher and Alonso, and Glock cannot wait to have his expertise on hand in the pitlane.
"We know that we have to improve on-track as well," Glock told AUTOSPORT.
"I think there is a lot of stuff where we need to be better. On the engineering side we need to be better everywhere. It doesn't mean we are bad at the moment, but to move on you need to improve.
"To have Pat at the races will definitely help because he has so much experience, can step back and have a look from the outside, and he's won championships.
"He can just get into it and we can improve it together. I hope he'll be at as many [races] as possible."
Glock added that he was already enjoying working with Symonds.
"We have a very good relationship. He's good fun, he knows what he's talking about and we've got the right people together," he said.
The German believes Marussia has plenty of cause for optimism going into 2013.
"The new car looks not too bad," said Glock. "It's all on target, which is great. And it's had more windtunnel time. We are flat-out on it."

Timo Glock says McLaren windtunnel work gives Marussia big '13 hope
By Dieter Rencken and Jamie O'Leary Monday, December 31st 2012, 11:10 GMT
Timo Glock believes that Marussia's McLaren windtunnel programme can give the team a huge amount of optimism for the 2013 season.
Delays meant that the British team was unable to test its MR01 properly before the start of the season, and resulted in Glock qualifying 2.6 seconds behind Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
But since signing a technical agreement with McLaren in 2011 that includes use of the Woking team's windtunnel, and revising its technical structure to include consultancy from Pat Symonds, Marussia has consistently closed the gap on its chief rival.
Glock believes that the gains made during the past season mean a promising future for John Booth's squad, which will use KERS for the first time in 2013.
"I think the windtunnel work paid off since we went to McLaren, and that looks very positive for the future," he said.
"It was a difficult year in 2012 with a very difficult start; going to Australia with no testing.
"But I think since then we've improved the car quite a lot.
"I didn't think that we would close the gap again because we were 1.5s off Caterham [on race pace] and then closed the gap very quickly over the second half of the season, which is great."
Glock said that the highlight of his year was his 12th placed finish at the Singapore Grand Prix, the best result for the team that began life as Virgin in 2010.
His former team-mate Charles Pic later equalled that finish in Brazil.
"We absolutely got it right at that race and took some risks," Glock, a three-time F1 podium finisher, said.
"Korea was also good as I could really challenge the Caterhams, and Austin was good as well because we had a very good qualifying.
"It was a shame that in the race we dropped behind the Caterhams again because the KERS factor was just too big. But that was a very strong race for myself."
Glock will be partnered by British driver Max Chilton in 2013, the GP2 graduate having signed to replace Caterham-bound Pic in early December.
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Chapter 5: 2013 - Year 4 - Marussia F1 Team

Marussia sure 2014 Formula 1 rule change costs can be contained
By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Tuesday, January 8th 2013, 12:31 GMT
Marussia believes Formula 1's major regulation changes for 2014 need not price smaller teams out of the market if decisions are made wisely.
F1 will switch to V6 turbos next year. The cost of producing the new engines has led to fears of unsustainable budget increases for the world championship's smallest teams.
But Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT he was certain that costs could still be contained.
"There are plenty of tools available to be able to do that. It's important," he said.
"What the fans want is close competition, not a spending competition.
"It's certainly a potential challenge to everyone in 'pitlane PLC', if you like, because we want to ensure the fans still get a show and that is the most important thing.
"That can only happen if a number of boxes are ticked, one of which is that the economics have got to make sense for all the teams, not just some of the teams."
With the demise of HRT, Marussia is now Cosworth's last remaining customer in F1. Lowdon said it was too soon to say what his team might do for a 2014 engine supply.
"I think we're talking to all the same engine manufacturers that everyone else is," he said.
"The regulations aren't finalised yet and therefore that makes it quite tricky to go beyond initial discussions.
"We're eagerly awaiting some indication of what the commercial and technical proposal for the new powertrain is going to look like."
He played down the chances of an equalisation formula allowing the current V8s to be retained.
"I guess theoretically that could be done. It's safe to say our team's not pushing the long term agenda of engines in Formula 1," said Lowdon.
"As far as we're concerned, it's got to be a highly-technical device, it's got to be loud, it's got to be powerful and above all it's got to be affordable."

Timo Glock's future with Marussia F1 team in doubt
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, January 20th 2013, 20:46 GMT
Timo Glock's future with the Marussia Formula 1 team has been thrown into doubt after the German was quoted on Sunday as saying he was leaving the outfit.
A report on the website of the German Sport Bild newspaper stated that Glock and Marussia had agreed to part terms by mutual consent, and that an announcement would be made on Monday.
It quoted Glock as saying: "I have had three great years at the Marussia F1 team. We part on amicable terms. I want to find new challenges for myself and continue my journey in motorsports."
No one at Marussia was available for comment on Sunday night to confirm or deny the report.
Glock joined Marussia at the start of its F1 adventure in 2010. Despite early frustrations with the competitiveness of the outfit, he signed a three-year deal in the middle of 2011 to remain on board.
That was supposed to have kept him at the team until the end of 2014, and he told AUTOSPORT last year that committing for such a length of time was essential for keeping morale high at the outfit.
"Signing up showed everyone that I was behind the team, and trying to move forward," he said.
"Don't be negative, just try to be as positive as possible - which is not easy. With a 22nd qualifying position, five seconds behind the top guys, you can't tell people this is positive. And that's sometimes difficult."
Marussia has signed rookie Max Chilton for this season and, if Glock leaves, it would most likely need to find a more experienced team-mate to work alongside him.

Marussia confirms Timo Glock's departure
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, January 21st 2013, 09:24 GMT
Marussia has confirmed German driver Timo Glock is leaving the team ahead of the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season.
Marussia said they had agreed to part company by mutual consent.
Glock had joined the team when it made its F1 debut at the start of the 2010 season, and he had extended his contract until the end of 2014.
The team has failed to score a point in F1 and lost the vital 10th place in the constructors' championship to Caterham in the final race of 2012 season in Brazil.
The news means Marussia will need to find another driver to race alongside rookie Max Chilton.
The team said it will announce its final line-up in due time.

Marussia hints at 'commercial' factors for Glock's exit
By Jonathan Noble Monday, January 21st 2013, 09:40 GMT
Marussia hinted that 'commercial' factors had forced a change a plans after the announcement that Timo Glock is leaving the team.
A statement issued by the Banbury-based outfit on Monday morning suggested that the tough economic conditions that Formula 1 teams were experiencing at the moment meant it could no longer afford the luxury of paying an experienced driver.
Team principal John Booth said: "Timo has made a very significant contribution to our team over the past three seasons, helping us to develop our package to the point where, for a large proportion of the 2012 season, we were holding 10th place in the constructors' championship.
"Timo is a fantastic driver and he has been a very popular member of the team.
"Our team was founded on the principle of benefiting from proven experience whilst also providing opportunities for young emerging talent to progress to the pinnacle of motorsport. Thus far, this philosophy has also been reflected in our commercial model.
"The ongoing challenges facing the industry mean that we have had to take steps to secure our long-term future. Tough economic conditions prevail and the commercial landscape is difficult for everyone, Formula 1 teams included.
"We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract, and also for the contribution he has made to our team.
"We wish him all the best for his future and I would like to congratulate the next team acquiring the services of such a competitive, professional and experienced racer.
"We will provide an update regarding the completion of our driver line-up in due course."
Marussia had looked set for a commercial boost when it grabbed 10th place in the constructors' championship off Caterham at the Singapore Grand Prix.
However, it lost that position in the final race of the season when Vitaly Petrov took 11th place at Interlagos for its Leafield-based rival.
Amid an increasingly tough commercial background, Marussia is now likely to seek out a well-sponsored driver for its second seat alongside Max Chilton.
A number of names have already been linked with the outfit, including Petrov, Bruno Senna, Luiz Razia and Sebastien Buemi.
Glock's chances of staying in F1 appear limited, with Force India the only outfit that seems able to provide a seat without the need for a driver to bring commercial support.
A more likely future for Glock is in the DTM, where he could link up with BMW.
Speaking about the situation, Glock said: "I have had three excellent years with the Marussia F1 team, during which I had the chance to actively participate in building and developing the team in its endeavours to succeed within the Formula 1 world championship.
"I would like to wish the team good luck in navigating this next period and thank everyone for the great times we shared and the support I have received.
"Although it is not the path I expected to be taking, I am in fact very excited about what the future holds in terms of my own career and I hope to comment on that very soon."
2013 Formula 1 line-up so far:

Red Bull Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber
Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa
McLaren Jenson Button Sergio Perez
Lotus Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
Sauber Nico Hulkenberg Esteban Gutierrez
Force India Paul di Resta seat still available
Williams Pastor Maldonado Valtteri Bottas
Toro Rosso Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Eric Vergne
Caterham Charles Pic seat still available
Marussia Max Chilton seat still available

Marussia remains positive for 2013 despite Timo Glock's exit
By Jonathan Noble Friday, January 25th 2013, 17:09 GMT
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon says his outfit can still look forward to the new Formula 1 season with some confidence, despite having had to take the tough decision to end its contract with Timo Glock.
Financial considerations at the team meant it risked money problems if it continued to keep on the paid Glock, rather than boost its coffers with the arrival of a pay-driver.
And although that decision was a tough one to take, Lowdon believes it was the right thing to do because it has guaranteed Marussia's future for now.
"It is difficult decisions like this that secure the future of the team," he told AUTOSPORT.
"Everyone at Banbury has worked really hard for quite some time now on the 2013 car, and we think it is going to be a big step forward.
"Everyone is still pretty excited about the coming season. The key thing is that we cannot wait to get testing and see how the car performs - and I think everyone is keen to see how we are going to do this season because we have worked really hard.
"It is a team game, everyone has put a lot of effort in, and we are quite hopeful about it."
Although Marussia has not announced the launch date of its new car, the team is still on course to run at the first test that takes place in Jerez from February 5.
Glock has now switched to the DTM with BMW.

Marussia reveals MR02 launch date
By Matt Beer Thursday, January 31st 2013, 16:55 GMT
Marussia has become the final Formula 1 team to announce its 2013 launch date, as it confirmed the covers will come off the MR02 on the morning of the opening test day.
The unveiling will take place in the Jerez pitlane on the morning of Tuesday February 5.
Caterham is set to launch its new car at the same time.
Marussia has hailed its 2013 car as the start of a new era, as it will be the first car designed completely under its new technical structure, featuring Pat Symonds as a consultant and using windtunnel technology for the first time.
But rookie Max Chilton is the only driver currently signed by Marussia, as it released Timo Glock last week in order to hire a funded driver.
GP2 runner-up Luiz Razia has been strongly linked to the vacant seat.

New Marussia MR02 Formula 1 car unveiled at Jerez
By Matt Beer Tuesday, February 5th 2013, 07:22 GMT
Marussia unveiled its latest Formula 1 car, the MR02, on the Jerez pits straight on the morning of the first winter test of the season.
The car is the first true product of the team's revamped technical structure, following its mid-2011 decision to split with Wirth Research and the all-CFD philosophy and to take design in-house using more traditional windtunnel techniques.
Former Benetton/Renault technical chief Pat Symonds also came on board as a consultant.
Those changes, plus the 2012 progress that took Marussia to the brink of beating Caterham to 10th place in the constructors' championship, meant plenty of optimism at the team going into the new campaign.
But on the eve of the first tests the team had to release lead driver Timo Glock for financial reasons. GP2 graduate Max Chilton is the only driver signed so far, with fellow rookie Luiz Razia heading the queue for the currently vacant second seat.
No deal has yet been done, though, and the team remains non-committal about who will drive at the test after Chilton's initial two-day stint.

Marussia MR02 a 'massive' step forward, according to John Booth
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Tuesday, February 5th 2013, 08:02 GMT
Marussia's new MR02 Formula 1 car is a "massive" technical step forward, according to team boss John Booth, but the squad is trying to keep its expectations in check.
The 2013 design is the first created completely under Marussia's revised technical structure, under which it has taken its technical programme entirely in-house using the facilities of its former partner Wirth Research.
As part of this change, it also began using windtunnel technology, eschewing its formative all-CFD philosophy.
"I think it is our first real baby," Booth told AUTOSPORT as the MR02 was unveiled.
"In my '400 years' of motorsport I've learned to not have too many expectations.
"Technically it is a massive step forward, performance wise we will just have to wait and see."
Pat Symonds is now able to move fully into the role of Marussia technical chief, having previously served as a consultant during his ban from F1 for his involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix Renault crash scandal.
"We have our technical director at the circuit now which is a good step for us as well," said Booth. "It is three years since Pat has been at a circuit but it is like he has never been away."
Booth admitted that even with its new technical approach, Marussia is still firmly an underdog, but he hopes the team can start progressing up the grid this season.
"We are not kidding ourselves, F1 is pretty tricky and we've turned this car out with 165 people - and we should be really proud of that," he said.
"But we shouldn't put our expectations against Red Bull, who have 500 people and four times the budget.
"It's same as I have said for three years. The target is to get into Q2 on merit, and then you can really start playing from there - and going for points."
He also denied that potentially having an all-rookie driver line-up would be a problem following Timo Glock's departure.
Luiz Razia is favourite to join fellow GP2 graduate Max Chilton, though no deal has been completed so far.
"It is not as it was 10 or 15 years ago," said Booth. "The young drivers start when they are six years old in karting, and [Chilton] has had two years of GP2, three or four years of F3. He is a novice to F1 but not a novice driver."

Marussia insists it is in best ever financial shape for F1 2013
By Dieter Rencken and Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 5th 2013, 09:19 GMT
Marussia boss Graeme Lowdon says his team is financially "more comfortable than ever" ahead of the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season.
Although the Banbury-based outfit lost the crucial 10th position in the constructors' championship to Caterham in the final race of the 2012 season, Lowdon says there are sponsorship deals in place that are making the team's future secure.
Last month, Marussia parted company with Timo Glock despite having a contract for the season ahead, suggesting that commercial factors had forced it to let the German go.
Marussia unveiled its 2013 challenger on Tuesday, and despite the lack of sponsors on the car, Lowdon insisted the team is in good shape.
"The worry would be if it was all filled with the same name," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT regarding the lack of sponsors.
"Certainly you'll see some names coming on the car over the next few weeks and onto the season as well.
"We are more comfortable now than we have ever been, both on the technical side and the commercial side.
"If you remember, we didn't do pre-season testing with the new car last year, so it's quite nice to be a bit further ahead this year."
Lowdon also suggested that losing 10th place in the standings has not have a huge impact on the team.
"If you look at the revenue mix for our team it has always been dominated by sponsorship, and the percentage we get from the commercial rights holder is relatively small," he said.
"There's no Concorde [Agreement] at the moment so we don't know what the commercial terms are going to be. It's a smaller part of the stream. We are yet to see what will unfold this year."
The Marussia boss confirmed his team is also yet to receive an offer for a new Concorde Agreement, but said it was still in discussions that could lead to one.
"We don't have a bilateral agreement in place. I understand the other teams do. We currently don't have one, but we are in discussions about the new commercial agreement.
"We are in a discussion with the commercial rights holder, and my guess is it could end up in a Concorde Agreement as opposed to a bilateral agreement. It wouldn't make too much difference to how we proceed in pre-season testing or anything like that."

Jerez F1 test: Marussia makes changes after Max Chilton's crash
By Edd Straw Tuesday, February 5th 2013, 20:44 GMT
Marussia will be able to continue its pre-season testing programme at Jerez on Wednesday despite suffering a suspension failure that caused Max Chilton's crash.
The Formula 1 rookie encountered the failure when flat out on the approach to Dry Sack corner during the afternoon.
The team confirmed to AUTOSPORT that it will run on Wednesday after some modifications are made to the rear suspension overnight to prevent a repeat of the problem.
However, it is likely that Marussia will not be able to take to the track until late morning while the car is adapted.
"Something gave way, but the team are looking at it and trying to see a cure," said Chilton of the accident.
"I was literally just about to hit the brakes and it gave way.
"I'd recovered it once and it was out of control.
"It was the first real pushing run, so it was testing the car to its maximum and something wasn't quite right."
Despite his high-speed off, Chilton has no doubts that the car will be safe when he is cleared to return to action.
"Pat [Symonds] and the team are very experienced and I'm sure they will find a cure," he said.
"I'll just have to trust their judgement as they've been here a lot of years.
"There's not much else I can do as a driver but just trust them.
"As soon as I put that helmet on, I've just got to see how it is, build it up and hopefully we'll have fixed the problem."
The GP2 race-winner added that he was happy with the performance of the car until the accident.
He completed 29 laps and ended the day slowest, 5.315 seconds off the pace.
"Testing was going well until that point," said Chilton.
"I was getting some laps in and the car was performing well but I guess that's what early days of testing are for with a new car.
"I did do some pushing laps before that, but not fully.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out and to do a good test."

Marussia signs Luiz Razia for second 2013 Formula 1 seat
By Matt Beer Wednesday, February 6th 2013, 07:08 GMT
Luiz Razia has secured the Marussia Formula 1 seat left vacant by Timo Glock's pre-season departure from the team.
Brazilian 23-year-old Razia joins fellow GP2 graduate Max Chilton in an all-rookie line-up at the squad.
Razia will drive the new Marussia in Wednesday's Jerez test session, although the team will start the day late following Chilton's crash due to suspension failure on Tuesday.
"The past two seasons in GP2 have been all about proving that I have what it takes and that I'm ready," said Razia.
"This coming season will be all about rewarding the faith the team have shown in me.
"This is an important year for the Marussia F1 team in terms of maintaining the momentum from a very positive 2012 season. I look forward to making a valuable contribution to that."
Razia became a GP2 title contender last year in his fourth season in the series, eventually finishing runner-up to Davide Valsecchi.
Team boss John Booth said he had always expected Razia to blossom after initially hiring him as reserve driver for the then Virgin branded F1 team in 2010.
"We had every expectation that he would progress to the extent that he has," said Booth.
"He is a very quick and tenacious driver who battled hard to the runner-up spot last year.
"Together with Max, we are fielding a young but incredibly ambitious pairing and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve."
Marussia's announcement means that the only vacancy remaining on the 2013 F1 grid is the second Force India seat.
In addition to his 2010 run with Virgin/Marussia (pictured), Razia has also tested F1 cars with Toro Rosso, Force India and Caterham.
AUTOSPORT says
Edd Straw - F1 editor
Nobody could make a compelling argument that replacing Timo Glock with Luiz Razia is anything but a step down in every area except budget. But Razia is no mug, as his runner-up spot to Davide Valsecchi in GP2 last year proves.
To that, we must add the caveat that three-quarters of his wins in 2012 were assisted by the reversed grid, with just one Saturday win in Malaysia. It's fair to say that qualifying was not his biggest strength despite his more accomplished race performances.
But without setting the world alight, Razia has proved to be perfectly capable in test outings for several teams and falls into the category of drivers who neither would have made it onto a 22-car grid on pure merit, nor is an idiot who has no business in being in F1.
Like team-mate Max Chilton, the Brazilian has seemed a slow-burner given that he made it to GP2 level pretty early.
Despite an early victory during the 2009 season, maturity was a problem and progress has been stop/start.
Last year, however, he did emerge as a dependable performer.
The battle with team-mate Chilton will be fascinating, especially as it's so rare to have two complete rookies paired. Razia finished two places clear of his team-mate in the final GP2 standings last year, but Chilton shaded him in races without reversed-grid assistance.
Life is going to be harder for Marussia without Glock, but with Razia and Chilton it has a couple of perfectly competent grand prix drivers with room to improve, even though neither of them has shown anything approaching the potential needed to emerge as a top-liner.
2013 Formula 1 line-up so far:

Red Bull Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber
Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa
McLaren Jenson Button Sergio Perez
Lotus Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
Sauber Nico Hulkenberg Esteban Gutierrez
Force India Paul di Resta seat still available
Williams Pastor Maldonado Valtteri Bottas
Toro Rosso Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Eric Vergne
Caterham Charles Pic Giedo van der Garde
Marussia Max Chilton Luiz Razia

Luiz Razia insists rookie F1 line-up no handicap for Marussia
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Wednesday, February 6th 2013, 17:16 GMT
Luiz Razia insists Marussia will not be penalised for signing him and fellow rookie Max Chilton for the 2013 Formula 1 season.
Marussia dropped the experienced Timo Glock shortly before the start of testing for financial reasons.
It will begin the year as the only team with two F1 novices in its cockpits.
The Brazilian acknowledged that he and Chilton faced a tough task, but did not think Marussia would suffer for its choice.
"I would say we are going to have some tough times but no problems," he told reporters at Jerez.
"For the team, it was a tough decision.
"I think we just need to get there together and work through all the difficulties we have and eventually we'll come up with good stuff.
"There are some circuits we don't know and a lot of stuff is new to us so we need to get into the rhythm.
"GP2 drivers get into the rhythm quite quickly."
Razia is determined to prove that he is worthy of an F1 place, but admits the last-minute nature of his deal could be an initial handicap.
"I've been pushing all my life to this point and eventually I got the opportunity," he said.
"It's a great opportunity to show and to prove - to me before anybody else - that I belong in this place.
"First of all I need to work hard because it's quite late that I got into the team.
"I need to catch up with everybody and move through all the things I can do in the car."

Jerez F1 test: Max Chilton believes Marussia has fixed 2012 issues
By George East Friday, February 8th 2013, 11:42 GMT
Max Chilton is encouraged by the performance of his Marussia team's new Formula 1 car, despite limited running in Jerez.
The young Briton was only able to set his personal best time in the last 40 minutes of his programme on Thursday amid an interrupted session.
But he remains confident that the team's 2013 design has addressed issue with last year's.
"Until the afternoon we didn't really know [if the car was a step forward] because we've either had an issue or a red flag," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"After doing some mileage we could actually see how the car was handling. I know it shows some potential and the team knew too, so when I came back [to the pits], we had smiles all around."
Chilton believes front-end grip is a particular improvement.
"I think as a team we struggled with the front end last year, and being in the debriefs last year with Timo [Glock] and Charles [Pic] last year I knew the limits and factors with it [the car]" he said.
"But when I pushed, I noticed in the long runs there was an improvement in that area, and that was definitely more positive."

Glock believes Marussia will struggle this year with rookie line-up
By Jamie O'Leary Wednesday, February 13th 2013, 09:39 GMT
Timo Glock believes that his former team Marussia faces a tough task to move up the Formula 1 order with an all-rookie line-up this year.
The 30-year-old German raced for the squad from 2010-12, but was released from his contract a year early last month because the team's financial situation required it to sign a second pay-driver to partner Max Chilton.
While Glock has subsequently secured a DTM race seat with BMW, his Marussia drive has been taken by last year's GP2 Series runner-up Luiz Razia.
"It's definitely not going to be easy for them, especially in testing, where you need to be able to make the right decisions in pinpointing the weaknesses of the car," Glock told AUTOSPORT.
"That's something that only comes from experience.
"There's a lot of pressure on Luiz and Max to get up to speed with the car quickly.
"That's the critical part; knowing that perhaps the simulation you have brought to a track isn't quite accurate and being able to make a forward step from there."
Glock understands the need for Marussia to find a more secure financial footing as it attempts to score its first world championship point and improve on the 11th spot it took in last year's constructors' standings.
He believes this is crucial if the British outfit, which competed under the Virgin banner in 2010, is to achieve its potential.
"Generally they just need to find a way of getting more financial support so that they can move forwards and develop," Glock said.
"The bigger teams won't stop developing and that's what makes it so hard for the smaller teams to catch up. The bigger teams bring updates to every race while the smaller teams have updates maybe every five or six races.
"At least they've definitely moved forward with the car. It's quicker this year. It's all about developing, about how they get on with KERS."

Marussia seeking new engine supplier for 2014 to replace Cosworth
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, February 27th 2013, 18:32 GMT
Marussia has confirmed that it is on the lookout for a new engine partner for next year, after revealing that it expects Cosworth to pull out of Formula 1 at the end of 2013.
The Banbury-based outfit is the only Cosworth representative on the grid, and there had been questions about whether or not its Northamptonshire-based engine partner would prepare a power unit for the new 2014 regulations.
Speaking at the FOTA Fans' Forum in Barcelona on Wednesday night, Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon said he believed that Cosworth would not be building a V6 turbo.
"My understanding is that Cosworth won't be making a 2014 engine," said Lowdon.
"Obviously I don't work for Cosworth, but that is my understanding. The three suppliers will be Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari."
Marussia is not the only team that faces an uncertain engine future, with a number of teams - including Sauber and Force India - not yet confirming who their engine partners will be.
Toro Rosso is expected to switch to Renault, even though earlier this week the French car manufacturer's engine chief Jean-Michel Jalinier mooted a reduction in its customer list.
"To me, five should be really a max and, if we go back from four to three, I will be happy," he said.
"We were very comfortable with three [teams] in terms of assistance and doing our job properly."

Max Chilton: uncertainty over Marussia F1 team-mate an advantage
By Jamie O'Leary Friday, March 1st 2013, 11:31 GMT
Formula 1 rookie Max Chilton says the uncertainty surrounding the identity of his Marussia team-mate has been a big advantage as it has increased the amount of track time available to him during pre-season.
The 21-year-old Briton, who is stepping up from GP2 this year, drove the MR02 on the opening day of F1's final test on Thursday, and went ninth fastest.
With Timo Glock having been released from his contract in January, and Luiz Razia's future with the team now in doubt, Chilton has now completed seven of the nine days of testing this year; more than any other driver.
He believes that this has been of huge benefit to both himself and the team as he acclimatises to life in grand prix racing.
"It's perfect for me," he said. "For the team, if you have the same driver every day, you get constant feedback. It's going really well.
"I'm happy with my progress and I've really started to learn things.
"We had quite a bit of rain on Thursday and even that was a help, because I wouldn't want to go into a wet race without having driven on the intermediates and the wets.
"Now I've done plenty of laps on both those kinds of tyres, so it wasn't a wasted day. It doesn't help the team, because we need to do more dry set-up work, but for me it's not a problem at all."
Marussia has not revealed whether Razia will drive at the final Barcelona test.

Jules Bianchi to replace Luiz Razia in Marussia Formula 1 team
By Edd Straw Friday, March 1st 2013, 17:42 GMT
Jules Bianchi will race for Marussia this season after the team was forced to terminate Luiz Razia's contract, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
The Frenchman will test for the team at Barcelona on Saturday and then complete half a day of running on Sunday.
Although the deal is not believed to have been signed yet, Bianchi will make his debut in the Australian Grand Prix later this month.
Bianchi is known to be able to bring some money to Marussia, although he will struggle to match the starting price being quoted by the team, believed to be just over the £5 million mark.
Razia was announced as a race driver during the first pre-season Formula 1 test at Jerez after his backer made an initial payment for the seat.
AUTOSPORT understands that second scheduled payment deadline was missed, which led to the team pulling Razia from the car in last week's Barcelona test and running team-mate Max Chilton for all four days.
Marussia allowed extra time for the agreed backing to appear and held off on making a decision until the Friday of the final test, but has now been forced to take the decision to drop Razia.
Chilton continued to drive on the first two days of the current Barcelona test, but the team was keen to ensure that a deal for a replacement was agreed in time for Bianchi to test before Melbourne.
It was in talks with alternative drivers, including ex-HRT racer Narain Karthikeyan, until today before choosing Bianchi.
Ferrari, which has nurtured Bianchi's career, was known to be keen on him racing this year.
He missed out on the second Force India seat to Adrian Sutil earlier this week. Bianchi's management then began pushing in earnest for the Marussia chance.
Marussia would not comment on the situation, although an announcement is expected soon.

Marussia says Luiz Razia release needed to secure financial future
By Matt Beer Friday, March 1st 2013, 18:11 GMT
Marussia team boss John Booth said the squad had to drop Luiz Razia having previously released Timo Glock in order to secure its financial future.
AUTOSPORT revealed earlier on Friday that Jules Bianchi would replace Razia for the 2013 Formula 1 season as the Brazilian's backers had missed the deadline for a second payment.
The team had parted with the salaried Glock in January because it needed drivers who could bring funding this season.
"We have found ourselves in a situation where we have had to terminate our contract with Luiz Razia," said Booth.
"Having made clear the basis on which we must operate in 2013, and given the steps we had taken to put that new structure in place, we had no alternative but to remain true to the principles which we had identified as being key to securing our long-term future."
Booth added that he was delighted to be able to secure a replacement of Ferrari protégé and 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 runner-up Bianchi.
"Jules is a proven talent who is highly regarded within the paddock," said Booth.
"He has been on a clear trajectory towards Formula 1 and has achieved some impressive performances through the various feeder formulas, notably his 2012 season in Formula Renault 3.5 when he was also reserve driver for Force India.
"He is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and his obvious pedigree put him on the radar for a number of teams over the winter as a driver ready to step up to Formula 1."
Bianchi was in a head to head with Adrian Sutil for the second Force India driver until the team opted for the German this week.

Jules Bianchi a boost for Marussia - AUTOSPORT analysis
By Edd Straw Friday, March 1st 2013, 18:31 GMT
Losing a contracted driver on the eve of the season is never a good thing, but by landing Jules Bianchi, Marussia has ended up with a stronger line-up, in terms of on-track performance if not financial clout.
Luiz Razia, as GP2 runner-up, is a worthy enough driver to have a crack at the top level and it's impossible not to feel sympathy for a likeable character whose dream has been so cruelly snatched from him.
But those that have worked with the Frenchman (including personnel at Force India, who have also had the chance to run Razia in testing) recognise that Bianchi is the driver with the greater potential even though there are a few weaknesses that he has to overcome.
Since winning the Formula 3 Euro Series for the all-conquering ART team in 2009, things haven't gone quite as hoped for Bianchi, who was hotly-tipped in GP2 but managed only to finish third in the standings twice and then narrowly missed out on the Formula Renault 3.5 crown last year.
But while the results aren't as spectacular as they might have been, there have been plenty of signs of his class.
Why else would Ferrari have kept him on as a promising talent and been so keen to ensure that he landed a race seat in 2013? Especially as the Scuderia still regards him as a potential future race driver.
Bianchi's biggest weakness has been under pressure, with unforced errors creeping into his driving at inopportune moments.
For that reason, having his first campaign in the lower reaches of the grid with minimal expectations should allow him to ease his way in without the vast pressure that he would have in a team like Force India.
That's a positive for Bianchi and therefore also for Marussia, which heads into the season having had to sacrifice the talismanic Timo Glock for financial reasons.
Bianchi will be light on experience of the car, but at least having driven the Force India already this year he will be sharp enough to hit the ground running even if the relative lack of downforce of the Marussia will likely be a shock to the system.
The downside is that there will inevitably financial implications given that the Bianchi deal is not worth as much as the Razia one was intended to be.
Marussia at least has the satisfaction of having received some money from Razia, the Brazilian's two test days at Jerez being perhaps the worst F1 value on record.

Luiz Razia vows to get back to F1 after losing Marussia seat
By Jonathan Noble Friday, March 1st 2013, 20:43 GMT
A 'shocked' Luiz Razia told AUTOSPORT he will not give up on securing his Formula 1 dream, despite losing his Marussia drive because of a sponsor problem.
Less than a month after he was announced by the team for 2013, Razia had his contract with the Banbury-based team terminated on Friday after a sponsor failed to keep up with its payment schedule.
Razia did everything he could to try and keep his deal alive but in the end events conspired against him, with Marussia opting to sign Jules Bianchi instead.
In his first interview since finding out that he was being replaced at Marussia, Razia said the late disappointment was gutting but ultimately made him even more determined to secure his place on the grid.
"I'm in a kind of shock, because you expect to be in F1, you are there, announced, testing, and then you are out - and not because of a driver fault," he told AUTOSPORT.
"I did everything right in what I could do, but it was really just a circumstantial thing that happened, and that was it.
"But I still am here. My career is still shining and I can overcome this difficult situation. It is just something that has happened to me. Sometimes life does this to you.
"My main goal is to be in F1, so all my effort is there. I am now without any grounds, but I will go with my family, and we will be sad for a while, but I will get back to the category.
"I was there two weeks ago, and I didn't feel I shouldn't be there for this season."
No anger towards Marussia
Razia said he was not upset with Marussia over what happened as he fully understands the difficulties the outfit would have faced if it did not secure much-needed sponsorship funds.
"I could be angry. I could be very selfish, but I am not. I am really tolerant with these things.
"I understand the position of Marussia and I like the team. They treated me very nicely there and, to be honest, they were trying to sort out the situation for me.
"They chose me because they wanted me there in the first place, so there are no hard feelings.
"It is also fair to say that Bianchi had a difficult situation and, to be honest, he deserved the drive."
Razia believes there will be opportunities for him in the future and he has not ruled out securing a role with an F1 team for 2013.
"I don't want to lose this opportunity, as I hate losing more than I love winning," he said.
"I need to find a situation where I am going to be feel competitive, where I can overcome this and get back in the car as soon as possible.
"I will see what is best for me now and put together what I need to be in F1. For now, I just need to regroup my thoughts."

Marussia insists Bianchi deal not connected to Ferrari engines
By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Saturday, March 2nd 2013, 08:37 GMT
Marussia's deal with Jules Bianchi has no connection with any talks over a Ferrari engine supply for the 2014 Formula 1 season, insists team chief Graeme Lowdon.
Ferrari protégé Bianchi sealed the second Marussia seat on Friday when the team had to drop Luiz Razia due to sponsorship issues.
Marussia admitted earlier this week that it was seeking a new engine partner for next season as it did not expect Cosworth to continue.
But Lowdon said hiring Bianchi was purely about choosing the best available driver.
"Discussions on engines are taking place in our team like every team, but with every supplier," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"This is very much an opportunity to put a young driver in who we think has got a good future."
He acknowledged that developing a link with Ferrari via Bianchi could be a useful avenue.
Ferrari is keen to maintain its customer engine rota and is set to lose Toro Rosso to Renault next year.
Asked if he felt the Bianchi deal could ultimately boost Marussia's chances of a Ferrari tie-up, Lowdon replied: "You would assume it can't hinder them, but it's not central to the thinking behind putting him in the car."
Bianchi was in contention for a race seat at Force India, where he was third driver last year, until Adrian Sutil got the nod on Thursday.
Lowdon said Bianchi's Ferrari background and Force India role meant the lateness of his Marussia deal would be no issue.
The Frenchman will only get one and a half days of testing in his new car before the season-opener in Melbourne.
"It's attractive that he's got a structured background like that," said Lowdon.
"He's clearly quick but also well prepared. Although the season starts pretty soon, I don't think that's going to faze him at all.
"It's useful that he's had some very recent seat time."

Marussia says it would welcome Luiz Razia back in the future
By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Saturday, March 2nd 2013, 14:21 GMT
Luiz Razia would be welcome back at Marussia in the future, says team boss Graeme Lowdon, despite the sponsor issues that led to the Brazilian being dropped before his Formula 1 debut.
Jules Bianchi replaced Razia in the Marussia driver line-up on Friday, just two weeks before the start of the 2013 F1 season.
Razia completed two days of testing with Marussia after securing what would have been his first F1 drive, but a sponsorship shortfall then led to him being sidelined.
Lowdon underlined that Marussia still rated Razia highly. He had been part of the team's young driver programme when it made its F1 debut as Virgin in 2010.
"Luiz is a really great guy," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"He drove for the team in the past and I have no issue with Luiz at all.
"He's a very quick driver and I'd certainly hope that we can explore some opportunities with him.
"It would be nice to see him get a good opportunity. We're certainly remaining in contact."
He said the problems with the 2013 deal did not tarnish Marussia's view of Razia.
"All the teams run businesses. You operate through contractual mechanisms. Some things don't work out even though you want them to," Lowdon said.
"That's just life. There are no big issues there. It is what it is."

Bianchi sure his experience with Force India will aid Marussia
By Jamie O'Leary Saturday, March 2nd 2013, 17:49 GMT
Jules Bianchi believes the Formula 1 experience he has gained with Ferrari and Force India over the past 12 months will be a big bonus for his new team Marussia as it attempts to make its way up the grid.
Marussia announced on Friday night that the Frenchman had replaced Luiz Razia as Max Chilton's team-mate for the 2013 season, and then gave Bianchi his maiden run in the MR02 during Saturday's test at Barcelona.
The announcement came just a week after he had tested Force India's 2013 car at the same circuit, only to miss out on the vacant second seat to Adrian Sutil.
"Of course it's helpful for the team because I have experience from not just the test with Force India last week, but also from last year's free practice sessions," he said.
"I didn't do any races but I have F1 experience, sometimes with Ferrari too, so I think that together with Max, we can do a good job here."
Bianchi said that he could notice a significant difference in performance between the Force India and the Marussia.
He believes that the team will be hard-pushed to improve the MR02 ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
"It's easy to compare [where the Marussia is lacking compared to the Force India], but it's not easy to do it [make improvements]," he said.
"Maybe doing it before Melbourne will be a bit tight, but during the season I'm sure we will improve a lot."
Bianchi was 12th fastest on Saturday, the best of his 74 laps being 3.5s slower than that of pacesetter Lewis Hamilton.

Jules Bianchi thinks Marussia made winter strides
By Kevin Turner Monday, March 4th 2013, 18:13 GMT
Marussia's new signing Jules Bianchi believes the team has improved more than most of its Formula 1 rivals over the winter.
Bianchi's MR02 found over a second on the final day of the test, ending up ahead of the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo and matching the pace of Charles Pic's Caterham.
Although the F1 rookie was cautious about reading too much into the times, he believes Marussia - which will have KERS for the first time in 2013 - has made good progress.
"If you look at the lap times, yes, we've improved a lot," said Bianchi when asked by AUTOSPORT if he thought Marussia was one of the winter's top improvers.
"It's a small surprise that we did quite a good improvement and I'm happy with that.
"Even from my side, just from Saturday to Sunday, it is a big improvement. But we don't know what people were doing so it is difficult to say what the [relative] improvement is."
Bianchi still expects the challenge of joining the midfield battle to be tough.
"We have to be realistic - it'll be difficult to beat the cars in the midfield, but we'll try our best," he added. "You never know..."

Marussia still expects best Formula 1 year yet despite tough winter
By Matt Beer Tuesday, March 12th 2013, 11:02 GMT
Marussia starts the 2013 Formula 1 season in its best ever shape, reckons team boss John Booth, despite its turbulent winter of driver shuffling.
Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton will line up for Marussia this season after Timo Glock was released for financial reasons and then his initial replacement Luiz Razia ran into budget.
Spurned Force India candidate Bianchi ultimately took the vacant seat, while Chilton had already been signed to replace Caterham-bound Charles Pic in the other car.
Booth said those distractions have overshadowed the genuine technical progress Marussia has made.
"Although certain aspects of our winter were quite challenging, the overwhelming feeling we take into the Australian Grand Prix is great optimism," he said.
"In many ways we are in our best shape ever as a team and everyone is thriving on that.
"Our new package has performed well in pre-season testing, with encouraging signs in terms of performance and reliability."
Bianchi was also upbeat despite only getting one and a half days of running in the Marussia MR02 before Melbourne.
"So much has happened over the past couple of weeks that it's difficult to get my head around the fact that I am about to begin my Formula 1 racing career in Melbourne," he said.
"Things happen for a reason and I feel confident that we are going to have a very positive season together.
"There is a nice and positive vibe about the team and good signs from the work that has been done with the MR02.
"In the short period of time that I was driving the car in Barcelona last week, I felt very comfortable based on my previous experiences with other F1 cars I have driven, so I'm excited to see what we can achieve in the first few races."
AUTOSPORT SAYS
Matt Beer
Ditching your lead driver then having to replace his replacement, all within the space of just over a month, is not usually the sign of a team in good shape.
Yet the greatest sadness of Marussia's winter driver choice tombola was that it came just as the team appeared to be clawing its way forward.
It had closed the gap on Caterham in 2012 and completed a major technical restructuring that added windtunnel technology, KERS, Pat Symonds and McLaren support.
There were tangible reasons to believe that there was a sunrise on Marussia's horizon after the disappointments and occasional embarrassments of its troubled early years.
All of those technical gains are still real, though. And while there is no sign that Marussia is about to start scaring the likes of Toro Rosso, its car looked far better behaved than nearest rival Caterham in winter testing.
Adding Bianchi also rebalances the driver line-up. While Chilton is clearly fast, Bianchi brings extensive experience of working with Ferrari and Force India, putting him a step ahead of most rookies.
Plus the flaky moments that cost the Frenchman career momentum in GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 tended to come when under pressure of expectation. Adversity can bring out his best. No one is expecting miracles from this last-gasp underdog deal, and that could suit Bianchi very well.

Marussia signs Rodolfo Gonzalez as reserve for 2013 F1 season
By Matt Beer Thursday, March 14th 2013, 05:50 GMT
Marussia has recruited Rodolfo Gonzalez as its reserve driver for the 2013 Formula 1 season.
Gonzalez will drive in a number of Friday practice sessions at grands prix as part of his deal.
"Working closely with the race drivers and engineers at every stage of the race weekend is a fantastic opportunity for me to learn outside of the car and I hope that I can make a significant contribution to the team's progress," said the Venezuelan.
"I would like to thank the team for their trust in me and this fantastic opportunity."
The 26-year-old has previous F1 test experience with Caterham and Force India. He has spent the last three years in GP2, but 21st in the championship in his rookie season with Arden is the highest he has been in the points so far.
Team boss John Booth believes Gonzalez will be ready to deputise for race drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton if required.
"We take encouragement from the fact that he has all the right experience to be able to fulfil the role of reserve driver in the event that he is required to step into a seat," said Booth.
"To further prepare him we look forward to seeing him take part in a number of FP1 sessions throughout the season, when we will also have the opportunity to evaluate his performances for the future."

Australian GP: Marussia buoyed by shrinking gap to midfield
By Edd Straw Saturday, March 16th 2013, 11:00 GMT
Marussia believes that it is possible to get within striking distance of the back of the Formula1 midfield pack this season after showing promising pace during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton qualified 19th and 20th, comfortably ahead of the Caterhams and also within a second of both Williams cars as well as Esteban Gutierrez's Sauber and Adrian Sutil's Force India.
The Marussias had been within a second of the midfield stragglers during Friday practice in dry conditions and with gaps in the race usually narrower than in qualifying, hopes are high for Sunday.
"I think so," Marussia team principal John Booth told AUTOSPORT when asked if he thought it would be possible to keep the back of the midfield pack in sight.
"We expected to be in a hole somewhere between Caterham and the rest.
"To a certain extent, that is true but at least now we have a gap that we can close.
"If it was a second-and-a-half gap, we would have been lost in no man's land, not knowing what to do in respect of how hard to chase this year and how hard to chase 2014.
"But that gap appears at the moment to be closer than we thought it was and it gives us something to close down."
Chilton is hopeful of being within striking distance in Sunday's race.
While he does not believe that the car is quick enough to be ahead on merit, he is hopeful that if some midfield cars hit trouble, the Marussias will be able to trouble them.
"It's a lot nearer than I thought it was going to be," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"Tomorrow, wet or dry, if we play our cards right and do the right strategy we won't be too far away, so we could be challenging [the midfield]."
AUTOSPORT SAYS...
A back-of-the-grid team's rhetoric about troubling the midfield pack seems old hat after years of Caterham flattering to deceive, but Marussia's start to the season is genuinely impressive.
Nobody in the team is arguing that their car is quicker or even as quick as the back of that group, but the limited evidence so far suggests that its race pace will be enough at least to keep the midfield within sight and perhaps even get ahead of any stragglers who hit trouble, which is the limit of its ambitions.
That's not to say that Marussia's form has been transformed as last year, on average, its raw pace was 3.934 per cent off the fastest.
Using Friday afternoon practice as the best available dry weather comparison, it's 4.049 per cent off in Australia.
But while the likes of Red Bull have taken a step forward, the back of the midfield appears to have lost ground, allowing Marussia to be potentially close enough to hang on.
While it is still locked in a largely private battle with Caterham, a battle it is currently winning comfortably, this is at least evidence that the smallest team in F1 is starting to make progress after a difficult start to its existence.

Max Chilton says mastering art of blue flags a priority
By Edd Straw Tuesday, March 19th 2013, 17:08 GMT
Max Chilton believes that learning to minimise the time lost to blue flags is a priority after his Formula 1 debut in the Australian Grand Prix.
The 21-year-old lost time early in the race after a long pit-stop to replace a front wing damaged by clipping the back of Giedo van der Garde's Caterham as it returned from an off-track moment.
This meant that Chilton was being lapped earlier in the race than he might have been, which made it difficult to lap consistently.
The FIA takes a hard line on blue flags, with drivers given drive-through penalties if they fail to cede position to cars that are lapping them.
"The team did say it's a bit of an art and that it would take more than the first race to get used to it," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"I had already started learning towards the end of the race how to do it and how much you can gain by doing it at the right point.
"I'm learning, I'll work on it and see how it is in Malaysia.
"Hopefully we'll not get the blue flags [so early] next time and be able to go from there."
He added that his run to 17th place in Australia was compromised not only by blue flags but also by the amount of time he spent stuck behind van der Garde.
The blue flags and the number of times that the Dutchman could activate the DRS thanks to the faster cars meant that Chilton lost a lot of time battling with him.
He eventually got ahead with nine laps to go and then pulled out over 26s by the chequered flag.
"Every time I caught him, I'd see him go off in the distance again because of the blue flags," said Chilton.
"And whenever I caught him, he'd get the DRS from cars that had just overtaken him, so it took far too long to get past.
"But when we did get past, I pulled away really quickly and the car showed its potential."

Marussia impressed by Jules Bianchi's performances so far
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Friday, March 29th 2013, 11:15 GMT
Marussia believes Jules Bianchi is making the rest of the Formula 1 paddock sit up and take notice with his strong showings in his rookie season so far.
Bianchi landed at Marussia in place of the cash-strapped Luiz Razia just days after losing out to Adrian Sutil in the shoot-out for the second Force India seat.
Despite having little test mileage in the MR02, Bianchi has comfortably led the back of the field pack in the first two grands prix of 2013 and has snapped at the heels of Williams and Toro Rosso at times.
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon said Bianchi was handling himself very well at the moment.
"The engineering team are helping him, making sure he's in the right place on the race track," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"I think he's impressing a lot of people at the minute."
Lowdon is also delighted with Bianchi's lack of errors.
"He's not making any mistakes," said the team chief.
"He had a bit of a wobble on the [wet] formation lap in Malaysia but everybody did. He ran wide but four or five cars did."
Bianchi has so far overshadowed team-mate Max Chilton, outqualifying the Briton by 0.8 seconds in Australia and 1.2s in Malaysia, and finishing around a minute ahead in both races.
Though both are rookies, Bianchi has been part of Ferrari's young driver programme and spent a year as number three at Force India.
Chilton is sure it is this experience gap that is hurting him, but he is sure he can match the Frenchman's performance.
"Obviously the inexperience is playing a part," said Chilton. "I was always a bit behind because he's had more.
"It's no excuse but we've got a bit to work on."

Jules Bianchi says his full potential is still unrealised
By Edd Straw Thursday, April 4th 2013, 13:11 GMT
Jules Bianchi suspects that it will not be until the Spanish Grand Prix that he is able to show his full potential.
Bianchi has made a strong start to his Formula 1 career, finishing in 13th in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
But as he only had a day-and-a-half of testing after securing a last-ditch drive with the team after Luiz Razia hit funding problems, Bianchi suspects there is more to come.
"I don't want to say I will gain one second or anything like that, I'm being realistic," Bianchi told AUTOSPORT.
"In Melbourne, I was 90-95 per cent ready and already feeling really confident with the car.
"In Spain, we will be at 100 per cent, when everything will come together and we bring some new pieces to the car."
Bianchi added that it is only around a tenth of a second that he has still to find.
"My driving is already good but I need to work on it and maybe I will find one-tenth on my side, which would be good," he said.
"It's just confidence in the car as we didn't run much (pre-season)."
Bianchi is confident that Marussia does have the development potential to continue to close the gap to the midfield.
While staying ahead of Caterham is the team's priority, the gap to the back of the midfield is smaller than it has ever been.
"I'm optimistic because every time we bring something, it has always gone better," said Bianchi.
"Now we have to see when we will bring the new parts to the car and if it will give us the possibility to close the gap to the midfield.
"It's an encouraging start."

Ferrari boss Domenicali hails Bianchi's start to 2013 F1 season
By Edd Straw Wednesday, April 17th 2013, 09:08 GMT
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has hailed Marussia driver Jules Bianchi's "great" start to the season.
Bianchi is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and has test experience with the Scuderia stretching back to 2009.
In the first three races of the season, Bianchi has qualified and finished as the leading driver in the battle between Marussia and Caterham.
"I think he is having a great season," said Domenicali of Bianchi.
"The first three races, he has had incredible pace with due respect to the car he has.
"I'm very pleased for him because he has put in a lot of effort to improve and is part of our programme."
Domenicali believes that if Bianchi can keep up his current rate of progress, the Frenchman will have the chance to move to a bigger team in the future.
Bianchi is on a one-year deal with Marussia, meaning that he could emerge as a potential target for bigger teams having missed out on a Force India drive this year to Adrian Sutil.
"I hope he can keep [up] this pace because I'm sure he will show his potential not only with his team, but also in the future with other teams," Domenicali said.
Ferrari continues to monitor Bianchi in his capacity as an FDA member, although he has less direct involvement with the team than he did previously.
"I don't do any simulator work, but I still train sometimes with them at the training camp in Maranello," Bianchi told AUTOSPORT.
"They still look at me because I am a Ferrari driver.
"It's very important for me to do well and show that they made a good choice by trusting me."

Bahrain GP: Rodolfo Gonzalez to drive Marussia in Friday practice
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, April 18th 2013, 08:47 GMT
Rodolfo Gonzalez will make his debut on a grand prix weekend when he drives the Marussia Formula 1 car in first practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Venezuelan, 26, was appointed as Marussia's reserve driver for the 2013 season last month.
Gonzalez, who has previous F1 experience with Caterham and Force India, will replace Frenchman Jules Bianchi in the session.
"I'm really happy with this opportunity to drive in my first FP1 session of the season," he said.
"It will be a nice feeling to be back in a car - especially to drive a Formula 1 car again – and with my previous F1 experience I feel more than comfortable and ready.
"I love this circuit; it will be quite dusty in FP1 but it's also good fun and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve."

Monaco GP: Marussia's Max Chilton gets gearbox-change penalty
By Edd Straw Sunday, May 26th 2013, 10:07 GMT
Max Chilton is set to be relegated to the back of the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix following a gearbox change.
The Marussia driver's gearbox was replaced after qualifying, which contravenes Article 28.6a of the sporting regulations.
This has been referred to the stewards and will certainly lead to him being hit with a five-place grid penalty, which will cost him 20th place on the grid.
Formula 1 regulations force drivers to use gearboxes for five consecutive events, but Chilton's gearbox was in only its first weekend.
Team-mate Jules Bianchi has also been forced to change his Cosworth engine.
This does not carry any penalty, as each driver is allowed to use a pool of eight engines for the season.
However, because the powerplant was removed at this point of the weekend, the team is only allowed to use it in practice sessions in the future.
The team has opted to install one of the engines it has used previously this year, meaning that he will not race with a brand new one.

Monaco GP: Pastor Maldonado and Max Chilton crash red-flags race
By Matt Beer Sunday, May 26th 2013, 13:14 GMT
The Monaco Grand Prix has been red-flagged on lap 46 of 78 to repair damage to the Tabac barriers after a big crash for Pastor Maldonado.
The Williams driver was launched into the air when he made side by side, wheel to wheel contact with Max Chilton's Marussia, which had just cut the chicane in a dice with Esteban Gutierrez.
Maldonado hit and dislodged the air-fence barrier, which was then struck by Chilton's Marussia team-mate Jules Bianchi.
Maldonado got out of the car unhurt. Bianchi was able to continue to the pits.
Nico Rosberg leads the race for Mercedes at present, ahead of Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, and the second Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
The restart is schedule for 15.35 local time.
Felipe Massa has already been taken for medical checks after an earlier heavy crash, when he repeated his qualifying accident at Sainte Devote.
Massa got out unaided but appeared to be in discomfort.

Monaco GP: Pastor Maldonado says Max Chilton was dangerous in crash
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Sunday, May 26th 2013, 13:45 GMT
Pastor Maldonado accused Max Chilton of driving dangerously after the collision that caused the Monaco Grand Prix to be red-flagged on lap 45.
The stoppage was required when contact between the two cars sent Maldonado's Williams into the air and then the barriers at Tabac.
Maldonado was unhurt, but the air-fence was dislodged, clipping the car of Chilton's Marussia team-mate Jules Bianchi.
The race was stopped for 25 minutes while the barrier was reconstructed.
The stewards gave Chilton a drive-through penalty for the incident after the restart.
Speaking before being informed of this, Maldonado said the Briton definitely deserved censure.
"It was scary," said Maldonado. "I didn't expect Chilton to cross my line.
"It is very dangerous and a very quick corner on the track.
"Maybe the stewards need to evaluate very carefully what he did."
Maldonado confirmed that he escaped serious injury.
"I'm OK, I feel OK," he said. "Some contusions but really good."

Monaco GP: Max Chilton apologises for causing Pastor Maldonado crash
By Edd Straw Sunday, May 26th 2013, 18:14 GMT
Max Chilton has apologised to Pastor Maldonado for his part in the collision that led to the Williams driver crashing heavily during the Monaco Grand Prix.
Maldonado's car plunged headfirst into the barrier at Tabac, registering an impact believed to be of around 9g, after Chilton drifted into the Williams on the approach to the corner.
This led to the Venezuelan describing Chilton's driving as "dangerous".
Chilton said he believed he was driving in a straight line, but accepted the decision of the stewards to blame him for the incident and give him a drive-through penalty.
"I've been to see Pastor because I wanted to see that he was OK and he was really nice about it," said Chilton when asked by AUTOSPORT about the incident.
"He said I was coming across on him and I did say if I did, I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional.
"The stewards thought it was my fault and when you are in the car you can't see as much as you can with a camera view.
"That was the incident, we've got to apologise and move on."
Chilton explained that he was slow on the run from the chicane to Tabac after having to cut the corner to avoid the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.
"The incident started when Esteban did a lunge into the chicane," said Chilton.
"If you turn in, it's going to end badly and he was locked up so the best thing to do was to let him go round the corner and then join in behind him.
"I knew there was other cars near and I could see another car to the right and behind, with probably a 10 metre gap [to it] so I stayed in the middle of the road.
"Turn 12 comes up pretty fast so I was fixated on that apex."
Chilton, who finished a career-best 14th in the race, was pleased with his performance despite the incident.
"That was the best race of the year, we had good pace all race compared to the cars around us," said Chilton.

Tio Ellinas to carry out straightline testing with Marussia F1 team
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, June 17th 2013, 09:10 GMT
Tio Ellinas will become the first Cypriot to drive a Formula 1 car when he carries out straightline testing with the Marussia team.
The 21-year-old will take to the wheel of the MR02 car at the Kemble airfield tomorrow to conduct a scheduled straightline aerodynamic evaluation.
Ellinas, currently in his second GP3 season, had already secured the chance to drive a Formula 1 car when he was confirmed for this year's young driver test at Silverstone next month.
"It goes without saying that I am thrilled to get this additional opportunity to drive the MR02 race car," said Ellinas.
"I have been looking forward to the young driver test since last Autumn and the weeks can't pass quickly enough.
"Being able to conduct the straight line test this week will help to bridge the gap until Silverstone and will also mean I can hit the ground running there as I will already be familiar with the car systems and the team's procedures."
Team boss John Booth added: "Tio has done a very impressive job for our GP3 team over one and a half seasons now.
"We were very pleased to welcome him back for a second term and even more delighted when he brought us our first victory of the season in the opening round in Spain.
"He is definitely a star of the future and deserves both of the opportunities that we are putting his way, starting with this week's aero test at Kemble."

Max Chilton eager to stay on at Marussia not chase bigger team seat
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Wednesday, June 26th 2013, 08:49 GMT
Max Chilton says he would be very happy to stay at Marussia for a second season in Formula 1 rather than chasing a seat higher up the field.
The 22-year-old British rookie believes another year in a small team will be the best thing for his development as a driver.
"I love the team and obviously I'd love to stay for another year and to keep learning," said Chilton.
"It's a good place to be. It's what a lot of drivers do, it's where you learn and become the driver you are. You work your way up.
"I'd love to stay with Marussia and work my way up with them because they have the right package and attitude."
Although team-mate Jules Bianchi's performances earned a lot of attention at the start of the season, Chilton is satisfied with how he has fared.
"I don't think I've underperformed," he said.
"The team were over the moon with my race in Monaco, and ecstatic when I made the overtakes, so I know the whole team are behind me."
Ahead of his first home grand prix at Silverstone this weekend, Chilton added that he did not mind being in the shadow of frontrunning compatriots Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta.
"Obviously I'm the newest and the least well known, but I'm fine with that because I'm new," he said. "It might change one day."

German GP: Marussia sure sick Jules Bianchi will race
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Friday, July 5th 2013, 14:49 GMT
Marussia is confident that Jules Bianchi will be fit to complete the German Grand Prix weekend, despite pulling out of Friday practice due to illness.
Test driver Rodolfo Gonzalez was always scheduled to replace Bianchi for practice one, but the Frenchman only managed a handful of laps in the second session.
"He just had a stomach bug overnight," team boss John Booth told AUTOSPORT.
"He is feeling very weak and hasn't eaten anything today so we have gave him two short runs just to get him ready for tomorrow. We did three laps on primes and three laps on options."
Asked if he was worried Bianchi might be ruled out for the weekend, Booth replied: "No. The doctor has been down and he has got no infection."
Booth said Bianchi "would have struggled to drive" in the morning given his condition, so Gonzalez's pre-arranged presence was a relief.
"It was a fortuitous coincidence," he said.

Marussia confirms Tio Ellinas's debut in Silverstone F1 test
By Matt Beer Monday, July 8th 2013, 11:33 GMT
GP3 championship leader Tio Ellinas's Formula 1 test debut with Marussia has been confirmed for day one of the young driver sessions at Silverstone.
The 21-year-old Cypriot earned the chance by being the affiliated Manor team's top scorer in GP3 last year.
Ellinas has grabbed an early edge in the GP3 title chase this year, opening a 19-point lead over Facu Regalia by the championship's halfway point.
Marussia will run its reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez on the remaining two days of the July 17-19 test.
Gonzalez is also driving in Friday practice for Marussia in a handful of grands prix this year, adding last weekend's event in Germany to previous outings in Bahrain and Spain.

Marussia to use Ferrari engines, gearboxes in F1 2014 season
By Edd Straw Tuesday, July 16th 2013, 07:17 GMT
Marussia has confirmed it will use Ferrari engines when the new 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged power units are introduced at the start of next season.
The deal is part of a wider technical partnership, which includes the team being supplied with gearboxes and related systems.
Team CEO Andy Webb stressed the significance of the deal for the team's long-term future.
"The importance of this development to our team cannot be overstated," said Webb.
"Not only will we benefit from a customer supply from the most successful engine manufacturer in F1's history, but this also provides further confirmation, if it were needed, of our commitment to the sport and determination to maintain our progression towards our long-term ambitions.
"The new powertrain regulations being introduced next year represent the most substantial engine development within the sport since the introduction of the V8 formula and are all the more significant for the increased contribution of the energy recovery system.
"We look forward to working with Scuderia Ferrari during this exciting new era of F1 competition."
Marussia has used Cosworth engines since joining the F1 grid at the start of the 2010 season.
Webb paid tribute to the work done by the British engine manufacturer over the past four seasons.
"We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Cosworth, with whom we have partnered since our debut season in 2010," he said.
"We have shared an important part of our team's journey together and Cosworth have been an integral part of our clear progression.
"We will continue to work together during the latter half of the season to ensure we all achieve our combined objectives before Cosworth leave the sport."
Despite this new technical partnership with Ferrari, Marussia will continue to have a similar deal with McLaren.
The McLaren technical partnership involves the use of aerodynamic facilities such as the windtunnel, so will not conflict with the Ferrari powertrain deal.
Marussia has also confirmed that technical consultant Pat Symonds has left the team with immediate effect.
AUTOSPORT understands Symonds is set to move to another team, with a team statement confirming that Pat is "moving on to explore new opportunities."
AUTOSPORT SAYS
F1 editor Edd Straw, @eddstrawF1
Marussia deserves a huge amount of credit for the progress it has made over the past couple of years.
While still a minnow by all measures - be they performance or budgets - this has comfortably been the squad's most impressive season and in qualifying for the German Grand Prix earlier this month Jules Bianchi was closer to the outright pace than the team has ever been before on single-lap speed.
The Ferrari deal is another positive, if obvious, step for Cosworth does not have a 1.6-litre V6 engine to supply Marussia with, but by ensuring it has a fully-integrated drivetrain including gearbox from Ferrari it should minimise the pain caused by the switch of regulations.
Allied to the ongoing McLaren technical partnership, which is particularly helpful in terms of aerodynamic development tools, Marussia is a well-run, compact and efficient F1 team.
None of this guarantees it will climb the order dramatically and with performance potential being broadly correlated to spending, Marussia will remain a minnow F1 team without much financial margin for error.
But it's another positive step for a squad that, after its difficult early days, is doing a very respectable job in a very tough economic climate under John Booth and Graeme Lowdon.
You need only compare Marussia with the two other new teams granted an F1 entry for 2010 at the same time as what was then called Manor Grand Prix - USF1 and Hispania (HRT) - to realise just how much credit the team deserves.

Marussia revises Silverstone F1 test line-up
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, July 16th 2013, 16:00 GMT
Marussia has revised its running plans for this week's young driver test to ensure Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi get some mileage.
With racers now allowed to take part at Silverstone to help evaluate Pirelli's new tyres, Chilton and Bianchi will be doing half a day each.
Chilton is to run in the afternoon on Wednesday, taking over from Tio Ellinas, while Bianchi will run on Friday afternoon once Rodolfo Gonzalez has completed his driving.
Silverstone test line-up as announced by teams so far:
Team Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Red Bull Da Costa/Ricciardo Da Costa/Webber Sainz/Vettel
Ferrari Rigon Rigon Massa/Rigon
Lotus Prost Valsecchi Raikkonen
Force India Calado * Sutil * di Resta *
McLaren Magnussen Turvey Paffett
Toro Rosso Cecotto Sainz/Ricciardo Vergne/Kvyat
Sauber Frijns Frijns/Hulkenberg Sato
Williams Juncadella Maldonado Wolff
Marussia Ellinas/Chilton Gonzalez Gonzalez/Bianchi
Caterham Rossi Stevens van der Garde/Pic
* The driving schedule will be confirmed each morning

Jules Bianchi keen on second season with Marussia F1 team
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Wednesday, August 14th 2013, 12:06 GMT
Ferrari protégé Jules Bianchi believes staying at Marussia for a second season in Formula 1 could be a good option for his career, despite the team still struggling to score.
Bianchi secured a Marussia drive at the last minute this year after Luiz Razia's funding fell through.
He had previously been Force India's third driver, but lost out on a race seat to returnee Adrian Sutil.
Marussia will switch from Cosworth to Ferrari engines next season.
Bianchi believes that move plus the major technical regulations revamp offers a big chance for the British squad.
"I think Marussia will be a good team next year," he said.
"We will have a new engine. All the teams start from zero again [with the rules changes].
"I think we will have a good opportunity. It's a good option to stay here."
He added that he was not frustrated to be at the back of the pack this year as he knew Marussia's limitations and was just focused on its battle with Caterham.
"I'm really happy with what we have done, even if we want a bit more performance. I think we're doing well," said Bianchi.
"It's a different challenge but actually we know what we can do at the maximum so we're trying to get that done all the time.
"For us, a victory is to be in front of my team-mate and Caterham, so that is the only target we have."

Marussia F1 team says there is no rush to replace Pat Symonds
By Edd Straw Thursday, August 15th 2013, 09:04 GMT
Marussia is in no rush to appoint a new technical director to succeed Pat Symonds.
Symonds left his position as Marussia technical consultant last month and will start his new role as Williams technical director on August 19.
But the team is confident it will be able to operate effectively on a technical level until the right replacement becomes available.
"The key thing is that what Pat left in place with us is a very good technical structure and we have always had some very good and really talented people here," team president Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"The current car was a huge step forward from last year and it was the same people and structure that delivered that car who are working on the 2014 car.
"The impact on us is actually reasonably minimal because of that structure.
"There is maybe an argument it might impact the 2015 car, but we have got time to put things in place for that and we are evaluating all sorts of options at the moment."
Team principal John Booth believes that the team needs to decide whether it wants a like-for-like replacement for Symonds or appoint a more 'conceptual' technical director.
Symonds, who has worked in F1 since arriving with the Toleman team (now Lotus) in 1981, is well-regarded as a technical manager but Marussia also has the option of signing someone closer to Adrian Newey's style of getting closely involved with design work.
The work that Symonds has done in perfecting the structure since taking over technical leadership from Nick Wirth in mid-2011 means that Marussia now has a stable platform to build from.
"The first thing we need to do is identify the type of person we are looking for; organisational/managerial-led like Pat or a technical director with a design strength or aero background" Booth told AUTOSPORT.
"It could be an opportunity for us to take the next step from where we are because the structure is in place now.
"The first thing is to make sure there is no interruption to the 2014 car and we are pretty happy with that.
"And we have to get the Ferrari relationship working flat out, which it is now, so we can take a breath and look at where we are going."
Lowdon admitted that it was no surprise Symonds was in demand among other teams.
Because Symonds was engaged as a consultant, his notice period is shorter than that of the typical technical director.
"It was pretty short notice, but as a management team you have to be ready to react to things and have various scenarios in your mind anyway.
"I'm sure a lot of teams would have been interested in Pat's services but he was given an opportunity at Williams that looks very attractive to him and we wish him the best of luck.
"Pat is a racer and is going to take an opportunity like that and see where it gets him so it's up to us to race against him now."

Marussia: switch to Ferrari F1 2014 engines a "huge step forward"
By Edd Straw Wednesday, August 21st 2013, 09:16 GMT
Marussia's switch to Ferrari engines next season represents a "huge step forward", according to sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
The team has raced with Cosworth power since joining the Formula 1 grid as Virgin at the start of 2010, but Lowden believes Ferrari engines will help it to achieve a level playing field with its rivals.
"It will be a huge step forward in terms of degree of parity compared to some of the other teams," Lowden told AUTOSPORT.
"The ideal scenario for us at our stage of development would either be maintaining the current rules or an enormous change and 2014 is the latter.
"We are confident Ferrari has made lots of the right decisions in its powertrain so we are really confident that, married with the car we have already designed, we are in a good position.
"This is the kind of step change we really need and we are quietly optimistic about the performance of the 2014 car."
The Ferrari deal includes a gearbox supply, which will free up more resources within Marussia for working on the car.
While the cost of its engines will be significantly higher in 2014, Marussia will no longer have to devote man hours into working on its gearbox with Xtrac.
"There will be a strong focus on the chassis," said Lowdon.
"At the moment, we do a lot on the gearbox side and unlike some of our immediate competitors we don't currently buy a gearbox in.
"The good side of that is we understand that side of the car very well and that will be a plus point in working with Ferrari.
"Looking at the 2014 powertrains, the various strategies on how you use it will be a key area.
"The fact we understand a big chunk of that already, because we are feeding back into the design of what is effectively our own gearbox, is a useful skill set."

Jules Bianchi will remain with the Marussia Formula 1 team for 2014
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, October 3rd 2013, 01:20 GMT
Jules Bianchi will remain with Marussia for a second season in 2014, the team announced on Thursday morning.
The Frenchman made his debut for the outfit at the start of this year but Ferrari, which has supported his career, was considering moving him to Sauber.
However, Marussia's switch to Ferrari engines and its progress on track has ensured it will retain Bianchi for at least another campaign.
"I couldn't have wished for a more supportive environment in which to make my F1 debut and from the very beginning I have always felt completely at home with the team," said Bianchi, whose best finish is 13th in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"We started the season very well and, while the challenge has increased as the season has developed, we have learned important lessons together that will place us in a much stronger position next year when there are a lot of changes for the sport and the team to get used to.
"I am very excited to be part of the team as we all enter this new era of F1 and I look forward to achieving some rewarding performances together."
Bianchi's decision to remain at Marussia is a huge sign of confidence in the team from both the driver and Ferrari ahead of the challenges posed by new regulations in 2014.
Marussia team principal John Booth welcomed the fact that his team would have stability on the driver front.
"2014 heralds a new era for the sport and continuity and consistency of line-up will be important in helping us to navigate the transition," he said.
Bianchi's team-mate Max Chilton is in negotiations with the team to stay on board as well for 2014, with an announcement about Marussia's second driver plans expected later this season.

Korean GP: Jules Bianchi penalised for blocking Paul di Resta
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, October 5th 2013, 08:41 GMT
Jules Bianchi has been penalised and reprimanded for impeding Paul di Resta during qualifying for the Korean Grand Prix.
Force India driver di Resta expressed his anger over the radio at the end of Q1 after feeling Bianchi had not got out of the way while he was completing his final flying lap.
Despite the incident, di Resta made it to Q2 while Bianchi's Marussia was knocked out.
The stewards deemed Bianchi had obstructed di Resta, however, and handed him a three-place grid penalty and a reprimand.
"The driver of car #22 (on an out-lap) was given a radio warning of the approach of car #14 (on a fast lap) but decided to stay on line to start his own flying lap," said a stewards' statement.
"The stewards consider that car #22 could have safely allowed car #14 to pass before starting his flying lap."
Bianchi, who had qualified in 21st, will now start last.
Di Resta qualified in 15th place and said the incident with Bianchi had also cost him time in Q2.
"He affected my lap and unfortunately I think it cost me a little in Q2 as I didn't have the confidence to put the front wing on that I needed to based on the insight I had with the car before hand," said di Resta.
"At the end of the day we got through, but if it had cost us getting through into Q2 it would have obviously been a downward turn."

Jules Bianchi, Charles Pic to get grid penalties after reprimands
By Edd Straw Sunday, October 6th 2013, 12:07 GMT
Jules Bianchi and Charles Pic will be hit with 10-place grid penalties after both receiving their third reprimands of the season for failing to respond to yellow flags during the Korean Grand Prix.
Marussia driver Bianchi's telemetry did not, according to the stewards panel that includes ex-Benetton and Scuderia Italia Formula 1 racer Emanuele Pirro, "indicate the driver slowed for the yellow flag".
This follows reprimands for impeding Paul di Resta in qualifying on Saturday and missing the weighbridge during qualifying for the British GP.
Pic was found to have been 2km/h faster than he was previously when he passed a yellow flag on lap 53, leading to him also being reprimanded.
He was reprimanded in Yeongam qualifying for missing the weighbridge and had also been picked up for rejoining dangerously in front of Sebastian Vettel during practice at Spa.
The FIA sporting regulations dictate any driver hit with three reprimands during a season be automatically hit with a 10-place grid penalty, provided at least two of the offences were driving-related.
Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde and Marussia's Max Chilton also both received reprimands for failing to stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU under the safety car.
Force India driver Adrian Sutil escaped punishment for colliding with Mark Webber, putting the Red Bull driver out of the race.
Paul di Resta was also investigated for leaving the track while trying to pass Sergio Perez's McLaren, but no action was taken "as no driver was determined to be wholly or predominantly to blame, the stewards decade that no further action should be taken."
No action was taken in the investigation over a clash between Perez and Felipe Massa at Turn 6 either.
REPRIMANDS IN 2013
A total of 12 drivers have been hit with official reprimands during the 2013 season.
Any driver incurring three is automatically hit with a 10-place grid penalty, providing at least two of them were for 'driving' offences.
Mark Webber, 3
Charles Pic, 3
Jules Bianchi, 3
Fernando Alonso, 1
Valtteri Bottas, 1
Romain Grosjean, 1
Lewis Hamilton, 1
Kimi Raikkonen, 1
Nico Rosberg, 1
Adrian Sutil, 1
Giedo van der Garde, 1
Max Chilton, 1

Max Chilton confident he will be on 2014 F1 grid
By Edd Straw Wednesday, October 9th 2013, 12:48 GMT
Max Chilton is confident about his Formula 1 future even though Marussia team-mate Jules Bianchi already has a deal in place for 2014.
The 22-year-old Briton confirmed he is keen to stay at the team but never expected to have a deal finalised this early, meaning Bianchi's contract does not worry him.
"We're in talks and we've got investors and sponsorship things to get in place before we sign a deal," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"It takes a bit longer. I don't think we are behind schedule or that there is anything to worry about.
"They are keen to keep both of us, which is good for me as it's nice to be wanted back by a team.
"Jules's deal has come early for obvious reasons but I wouldn't say I'm late because at this time last year I hadn't even done the young driver test and was nowhere near signing.
"A couple of people have done deals early, but in general everyone is leaving it late."
Chilton believes that continuity will allow him to improve in 2014, citing the step he made in GP2 when he raced for Carlin for a second season in 2012.
So far this season, Chilton has made solid progress, particularly since the August break.
"I like continuity and learned what continuity can do at Carlin in GP2," he said.
"In the first year, we had times where we were quick but not everything was in place and we finished 20th, scoring 10 points.
"The next year, with exactly the same-ish car and everyone knowing everyone, I suddenly got pole positions, wins and finished fourth in the championship.
"It's amazing what continuity does. The car is going to be stronger next year with the Ferrari engine, so I'd like to continue here."
AUTOSPORT SAYS
Edd Straw, F1 editor - @eddstrawF1
It was inevitable that the well-backed Chilton would be criticised when he stepped up to grand prix racing, but as a driver with a pair of GP2 feature race victories to his name in 2012, he was far from the kind of no-hoper pay driver some made him out to be.
The only fair thing to do is to judge Chilton on his own merits. While his season has not been as impressive as that of highly-rated team-mate Jules Bianchi, he has done a credible job.
For rookies, the races that follow the August break are crucial. Chilton has yet to outqualify Bianchi in a straight fight (he did beat him in Monaco, where Bianchi's car broke down as he emerged from the pits in Q1), but he was, fuel-corrected, faster than him at Monza.
Before the August break, the average deficit to Bianchi in qualifying was a massive 0.765 seconds. Even taking into account the Frenchman's slight advantage in F1 experience, that was too much. But Chilton's underlying pace was not that bad.
Since the break, he has shown well. The average qualifying gap has come down to 0.212s. If you eliminate the fuel blunder at Monza, which left him four-tenths down, it comes down to 0.150s.
Considering how deservedly well-regarded Bianchi is, that hardly paints a picture for Chilton of a driver out-of-his-depth in F1 as some would have you believe.

Japanese GP: Jules Bianchi to miss FP2 due to Friday crash damage
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 11th 2013, 03:44 GMT
Jules Bianchi will miss Friday afternoon's second free practice session for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix as the result of chassis damage caused in his morning accident.
The Frenchman crashed head first in to the barriers at Degner 2 early in opening free practice.
After the car was returned to the pits, his Marussia team found that the damage caused to the chassis was too much for it to be repaired in Japan.
AUTOSPORT understands that a side crash structure was the main issue.
Bianchi will therefore have to sit out second practice.
Marussia has begun work on building up its spare chassis so Bianchi can return to action during Saturday morning's final free practice session.
Bianchi has used the now-damaged 02 chassis in every grand prix so far in 2013.

Ex-Formula 1 test driver Maria de Villota found dead in hotel
Friday, October 11th 2013, 06:52 GMT
Maria de Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville.
The Spaniard was 33.
A statement on her Facebook page, signed by her family, read: "Dear friends: Maria has left us.
"She had to go to heaven like all angels. We are thankful to God for the extra year and a half that he left her with us."
De Villota suffered a life-threatening testing accident with the Marussia Formula 1 squad in July last year.
She spent a month in hospital after crashing into an articulated trailer while carrying out a straightline test for Marussia at Duxford Aerodrome.
Although she lost her right eye, she was able to make a full recovery from her other injuries, which included significant skull damage
De Villota was a former World Touring Car Championship and Superleague Formula driver, and daughter of ex-F1 racer Emilio de Villota.

Maria de Villota obituary: 1980-2013
Friday, October 11th 2013, 08:10 GMT
Madrid-born Maria de Villota, who was found dead on Thursday, was the daughter of two-time grand prix starter Emilio.
Having come from a racing family, it was no surprise she pursued a career in racing.
After initially competing in karts, she stepped into single-seater racing in 2000 in the Spanish Formula Toyota series before a part-season in the newly-established Spanish Formula 3 championship for Racing Engineering the following year.
She raced full-time in Spanish F3 from 2002-2004, with a high-point of 11th in the standings in 2002, but after a one-off outing in 2005, her attention turned to roofed categories.
She had already competed in the Daytona 24 Hours in 2005, driving a Ferrari 360 Modena, and for the next three years made appearances in myriad categories, including the European Ferrari Challenge, World Touring Car Championship, Superstars, and Spanish GT.
But it was in the German ADAC Procar series that she enjoyed most success, claiming a victory at the Nurburgring in 2007 and finishing third in the standings driving a Chevrolet Lacetti for Maurer Motorsport.
Her ambition was always to race in single-seaters and in 2008 she made a one-off appearance in Euro 3000 before competing in the UK-based Formula Palmer Audi championship the following year.
But her big break came with the Atletico Madrid team in Superleague Formula, which she joined late in the 2009 season.
While results were few and far between during her 24 races in the category against some tough opposition, she did claim a fourth place at the Nurburgring in 2010.
With her attention turning to Formula 1, de Villota had her first taste of a grand prix car in August 2011, completing two days of running in a 2009-specification Renault R29.
After the test, team principal Eric Boullier paid tribute to the professional job de Villota did in the car.
"Maria did exactly what was expected of her, she took things one step at a time and achieved some very reasonable laptimes, not putting a foot wrong all day," said Boullier.
De Villota landed her first official role in F1 in 2012, joining the Marussia team as a test driver ahead of the season.
After spending time with the team at races, she had her first taste of the car in a straightline test at Duxford airfield on July 3.
Returning to the 'pits' area after her first installation run, de Villota's car struck a team support truck and she suffered life-threatening injuries.
She lost her right eye in the accident, but recovered well enough after a series of operations to make her first public appearance in Madrid three months later.
"Before the accident, I only saw Formula 1, inside a car, competing, and I didn't see what was really important in life," she said.
"[The crash] has made me find the way again and I'm seeing it that way. And this new opportunity I'm going to live it at 100 per cent."
Since her accident, de Villota continued to be active in motor-racing circles, attending this year's Spanish Grand Prix and maintaining her role as an ambassador for the FIA's Women In Motorsport Commission.

F1 praises 'inspirational' Maria de Villota
Friday, October 11th 2013, 09:37 GMT
Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn believes Maria de Villota will leave an inspirational legacy in Formula 1.
The 33-year-old former Marussia test driver was found dead in a hotel room in Seville on Friday.
De Villota was a member of the FIA's Women in Motorsport commission alongside Kaltenborn.
The Spaniard had remained involved in the sport after the horrific test accident in 2012 that resulted in the loss of her right eye as well as massive head injuries.
"When I met her the first time, it was not even that long ago when we were all announced as the FIA ambassadors, and we spent this day and a half in Paris and she was so bubbly, full of life and excited about this test which she was going to do," said Kaltenborn.
"She said 'I can't believe it that I've got this chance,' and things just went so terribly wrong.
"We even saw after the accident an X-ray she showed, what had actually happened to her head. I just couldn't believe how quickly her sister said 'she's going to be back, and she wants to do this and this...'
"From her I think you can only learn to have that much strength in life, because there's no moment of her I remember when she didn't have a smile on her face. No matter what happened, she used to always have a smile on her face.
"Other people would have said they don't want anything to do with motorsport and just get out of it, but she was still so passionate as she was before the accident, and she really wanted to make a difference.
"Even if she didn't drive in Formula 1 the way she dreamt of doing, she still never gave up her passion for that.
"You can only learn and pass it on to the girls out there, that here's someone, who although not in the sport long, has hopefully made a difference."
Formula One Teams' Association chairman and McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh agreed with Kaltenborn that de Villota's recovery had been an incredible story for F1.
"She was an inspiration not just to women in this sport, but also to all those who suffered life-threatening injuries," he said.
"Her story, determination and subsequent inspiration flowed from F1 through sport as a whole, and to see the images of her in Barcelona on the grid earlier this year, surrounded by a throng of jubilant children, told a great story."
De Villota's Marussia team issued a short statement expressing its shock at her death.
"It is with great sadness that we learned a short time ago of the news that Maria de Villota has passed away," it said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Maria's family and friends at this very difficult time."
Spain's leading F1 driver Fernando Alonso added on Twitter: "Today is a very sad day for Spanish sport. A great fighter with a big smile has left us."

Maria de Villota death a consequence of Marussia F1 crash injuries
By Pablo Elizalde and Matt Beer Saturday, October 12th 2013, 07:46 GMT
Maria de Villota died as a consequence of the injuries she suffered in her Marussia Formula 1 test crash, according to her family.
The Spaniard had suffered massive head injuries and lost her right eye when she collided with a team support truck during a straightline test at Duxford Aerodrome in July 2012.
De Villota, who was 33, was found dead in a hotel room in Seville on Friday morning.
She had recovered from her injuries sufficiently to undertake extensive charity work, as part of which she attended this year's Spanish Grand Prix, and was due to launch her autobiography on Monday.
A statement read by de Villota's sister Isabel said the family had been informed that her death was a legacy of her injuries last year.
"Maria left us while she was sleeping, approximately at 6am, as a consequence of the neurological injuries that she suffered in July of 2012, according to what the forensic doctor has told us," said the family statement.
"Maria is gone, but she has left us a very clear message of joy and hope, which is helping the family move on in these moments."
She will be buried in Madrid "in the most strict intimacy."
A former sportscar and touring car racer, de Villota eventually focused on single-seaters. She competed in Superleague Formula and tested a 2009 Renault for Lotus in 2011 before becoming Marussia's test driver last season.

Formula 1 drivers to pay tribute to Maria de Villota at Japanese GP
By Edd Straw Saturday, October 12th 2013, 09:51 GMT
Formula 1 drivers plan to hold a minute's silence for Maria de Villota ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
The former Marussia test driver died on Friday as a result of injuries sustained in a straightline testing accident last year.
The Grand Prix Drivers' Association issued a statement after qualifying paying tribute to de Villota and revealing their intention to remember her ahead of the drivers' parade and to dedicate the podium ceremony to her memory.
"All F1 drivers of the Grand Prix Drivers Association are very saddened to hear of the tragic death of our former member Maria de Villota," said the statement.
"She has been an active member and contributed to driver safety in a very enthusiastic and most professional manner.
"Her positive attitude, maturity and extreme commitment will never be forgotten and are something we have learned from.
"Maria will be missed and always remembered by all of us.
"The F1 drivers will have one minute silence just before the drivers' parade tomorrow and the podium will be dedicated to Maria.
"In this incredibly difficult time the F1 drivers would like to extend to her family and friends their most sincere condolences."

Caterham 'needs luck' to beat Marussia in 2013 Formula 1 standings
By Edd Straw Wednesday, October 16th 2013, 11:39 GMT
Giedo van der Garde believes luck will be the key to Caterham overhauling Marussia in the 2013 Formula 1 constructors' championship.
While Caterham has had the more competitive car since June's British Grand Prix, it needs a 13th place to move back into 10th in the standings.
Marussia had the edge in the first half of the season, finishing ahead in five of the first seven races, but in the last eight races Caterham has been more competitive.
With both teams still falling short of competing in the midfield, Caterham is relying on cars ahead hitting trouble to finish high enough up the order.
"We need to have luck," van der Garde told AUTOSPORT. "Of course, we can try different strategies or have rain in a bit of the race, which will help us a lot because those conditions suit the car, but other than that it is pure luck.
"We were so close in Hungary, so close in Korea where we were 14th, but every time it has been one place short.
"All we can do is keep finishing ahead of them and wait.
"An opportunity will come between now and the end of the championship because guys are fighting hard and a lot of people can make mistakes.
"So we have to stay calm, not make errors and see where we end up."
The Dutchman believes Caterham deserves to beat Marussia having made so much progress since a difficult start to the year.
"To be honest, we deserve to be in 10th," he said.
"In the beginning, they had a better car but after a few races, especially Silverstone, we have been faster all the time."
THE BATTLE FOR 10th
Neither Caterham nor Marussia has scored points, so their final championship positions are set to be decided on a countback to best result.
As Caterham already has three 14th places, a single 13th place for either van der Garde or Charles Pic will be enough to move it into 10th.
2013 results tally so far:
Caterham
13th - 0
14th – 3
15th – 5
16th – 4
17th – 4
18th – 7
19th – 1
20th - 0
21st - 1
Marussia
13th – 1
14th – 1
15th – 2
16th – 4
17th – 7
18th – 3
19th – 7
20th - 2

Marussia secures its Formula 1 future with Bernie Ecclestone deal
By Dieter Rencken and Jonathan Noble Friday, October 25th 2013, 08:25 GMT
Marussia has secured its future in Formula 1 after becoming the final team to sign a commercial deal with Bernie Ecclestone, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
The Banbury-based outfit had been left out of seven-year deals that Ecclestone put in place with other teams on the grid as he edged closer to finalising a Concorde Agreement.
However, following the successful conclusion of talks that began shortly before the summer break, Ecclestone and Marussia have now sorted out matters - meaning all 11 teams on the grid are committed to F1 until the end of 2020.
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "I can confirm that we have reached an agreement with the CRH and we have signed a bilateral agreement."
Lowdon said the terms meant he could not reveal the length of his deal, or how it compares to other teams, but said there were no concerns about what was agreed.
"We can't comment on any of the content but what we can say is that we are very happy to reach agreement," he said. "We can move on now as the other teams are."
GUARANTEED EXTRA PAYMENT
One of the elements of the new deal is believed to include a form of extra guaranteed payment in the event that Marussia does not finish in the top 10 constructors' championship position required to qualify for prize money.
It is understood that this 'Column 3' payment, as it has become known, also featured in deals reached with the other teams.
When asked about that specific matter, Lowdon said: "I can't confirm the content of the deal, other than to say that we are happy with the outcome and we are looking forward to the future now."
Ecclestone had long been reluctant to hand Marussia a commercial agreement, and even said last year that he would prefer for there to only be 10 teams in F1.
"I'd rather have 10 [teams]," Ecclestone told the Reuters news agency. "I never wanted 12.
"It's just that 10 is easier to handle, for the promoters, for transport. We'd rather have 10... so long as we don't lose Ferrari."

Abu Dhabi GP: Marussia's Jules Bianchi gets gearbox grid penalty
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, November 2nd 2013, 12:50 GMT
Jules Bianchi is set for a five-place grid penalty at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because of a gearbox change.
The Frenchman glanced the barriers at Turn 2 following a spin in his Marussia during the final free practice session at the Yas Marina circuit.
Although there was not much damage caused in the incident, the crash has forced a gearbox change.
As the new unit is being fitted before his old gearbox has completed the mandatory five race events, Bianchi will be moved back five places on the grid.

Chilton's 2014 Marussia F1 hopes boosted by Magnussen McLaren deal
By Edd Straw Friday, November 15th 2013, 12:44 GMT
Max Chilton is confident of signing a deal to remain with Marussia for the 2014 Formula 1 season now that Kevin Magnussen has been confirmed as a McLaren driver.
The 22-year-old Briton admits he was "a little bit" worried about Marussia's potential interest in Magnussen, who McLaren was also considering placing with another team for next season.
But with McLaren and other teams higher up the grid finalising their driver line-ups, Chilton is keen to secure his future as soon as possible, especially given the diminishing number of seats left for next season.
"There are more drivers going round than there are seats, but I feel like I'm in a good place with a good team," said Chilton.
"Especially now Kevin is done at McLaren, I'm pretty confident I can get it done.
"I had a feeling he was going off to McLaren anyway. I did hear it was only talking [about a potential Marussia drive] and I don't think it was a serious look so I was never too worried."
Chilton, who will bring backing to Marussia for his seat, hinted that he was pushing the team to finalise his deal.
With Jules Bianchi already confirmed at Marussia for 2014, Chilton is confident he will stay on but wary of having to wait too long before signing up.
"The contracts have been done, it's just to get it in front of me and get it signed," he said when asked what would be needed for the deal to be done.
"I would love to be back here with Marussia, they want me back and the car is looking pretty strong for next year.
"I'm not going to say 100 per cent I'll be back as it would be silly to say that because there are a lot of people hanging around with bigger budgets than what I've got, but I'm confident."

US GP: Esteban Gutierrez and Max Chilton get blocking penalties
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, November 16th 2013, 22:10 GMT
Esteban Gutierrez and Max Chilton have been hit with penalties for the United States Grand Prix following their incidents during qualifying.
Sauber driver Gutierrez has been handed a 10-place grid penalty for impeding Williams rival Pastor Maldonado four minutes into the first qualifying segment.
"Car #12 unnecessarily impeded car #16 between Turns 19 and 20 whilst performing manoeuvres that the stewards consider dangerous," said the stewards in a statement.
Gutierrez had qualified in 10th position and will start 20th on Sunday.
Marussia's Chilton was also penalised for impeding Maldonado later in Q1 and then Force India's Adrian Sutil, but the Briton, already starting last, will have to serve a drive-through penalty in the first five laps of the race.
This is the second time a pre-race drive-through penalty has been awarded. The previous instance was at the Japanese Grand Prix this year, when Caterham's Charles Pic was hit with one.

Brazilian GP: Chilton, Gutierrez reprimanded, Marussia fined
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, November 23rd 2013, 20:01 GMT
Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez have been given reprimands for crossing the white line in the pitlane entry during final practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Marussia driver Chilton and Sauber man Gutierrez did not stay to the left of the white line in the pitlane entry as was defined in the event notes by the race director.
The reprimand was the first for Gutierrez and the second for Chilton this year.
Chilton's team has also been handed a 5000 euro fine for having released its cars in front of others while waiting in line at the start of the qualifying session.
The Briton qualified in 22nd place, behind team-mate Jules Bianchi.
REPRIMANDS IN 2013
A total of 12 drivers have been hit with official reprimands during the 2013 season.
Any driver incurring three is automatically hit with a 10-place grid penalty, providing at least two of them were for 'driving' offences.
Driver Reprimands
Mark Webber 3
Charles Pic 3
Jules Bianchi 3
Nico Rosberg 2
Max Chilton 2
Fernando Alonso 1
Valtteri Bottas 1
Romain Grosjean 1
Lewis Hamilton 1
Kimi Raikkonen 1
Adrian Sutil 1
Giedo van der Garde 1
Esteban Gutierrez 1

Marussia feared repeat of 2012 Caterham F1 heartache in Brazil
By Jonathan Noble Monday, November 25th 2013, 17:35 GMT
Marussia says its 11th hour heartache from 2012 meant it could not relax about taking 10th in the constructors' championship until after the chequered flag in Brazil.
The Banbury-based outfit headed to the final race of the season ahead of arch rival Caterham in the fight for tenth spot.
But having been in a similar situation last year only to see it lose out just five laps from home thanks to a chaotic rain-hit race, it knew that there was a risk of a repeat this time out.
In the end, despite the threat of showers, the Brazilian GP passed without much incident and Caterham was unable to get the 13th position it needed to deny Marussia.
Graeme Lowdon, Marussia's sporting director, said it was alert to the dangers in Brazil, but he felt the right team had come out on top.
"It is not necessarily nerves, it is just a question of having appreciation of what can happen because we worked so hard this year, but we also worked hard last year," he told AUTOSPORT.
"Five laps from the end last year we lost it, and that was quite difficult because it meant there was no sporting reward for all of the effort.
"It was great this year for all the guys both here and back at Banbury to finally see the progress."
Lowdon believes that Marussia has shown this year that although it still needs to produce a quicker car, its performance on race weekends is something to be proud of.
"We know that the raw speed was not in the car and it takes time and a lot of money to get there, but we are confident we will get there," he said.
"We have been able to demonstrate that we can run a really good race team and I take my hat off to our guys in terms of their approach to strategy and team work.
"For example, their pit stops were excellent, and we beat a lot of teams who have been in this game a lot longer.
"It all bodes well, and we are happy with the way the 2014 programme is going. That gives us some confidence.
"The key thing to take home from here is progress and that has been elusive up to now.
"There is no change in the amount of work going in, as that has been maximum since we started.
"But now there is a little bit of reward there as well and that is really nice for everyone."

Analysis: Why Marussia must wait for big pay day
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, November 26th 2013, 12:32 GMT
Marussia may be celebrating its 10th place finish in the constructors' championship, but the quirks of Formula 1's commercial rights income structure means it will have to wait another year before a potentially big pay day.
The Banbury-based team staved off the threat from Caterham at the Brazilian Grand Prix to finally break in to the top ten teams.
That breakthrough means that Marussia will earn around $10 million (USD) from what is known as Column 2 prize money for the team that finishes tenth.
However, because of an incentive payment for new Formula 1 teams that was agreed by Bernie Ecclestone from the start of 2010, Marussia would have got $10 million (USD) anyway if it dropped to 11th in Brazil.
Its finances then will face little benefit in the short term from its result this season.
The real incentive for Marussia could come at the end of next season if it manages to finish 10th or better again.
That is because as well as taking the Column 2 payment, Marussia would then qualify for the bigger prize of eligibility to Column 1 money, which is earned by teams that have finished in the top ten for two of the previous three years.
Should Marussia manage that next season, then its financial boost from Column 1 could be as high as $30 million, for it earns the right to take home an equal share of a prize pot that is distributed to the top ten teams.
This is why next season's battle between Caterham and Marussia will have an extra edge, because they will be fighting over tens of millions of dollars.
Marussia president and sporting director Graeme Lowdon would not confirm the specifics of the prize money but welcomed what tenth place meant for the longer term.
"I can't go into the details of the contract as they are confidential," he told AUTOSPORT.
"But it is widely reported that the way the mechanism goes, there are elements related to how we do over a longer period of time and also in the previous season, so this really sets us up in a really good position to build on for the future."
Although the major financial benefits for Marussia have not yet come, there are other reasons to welcome the top-ten finish immediately, because there will be improved travel perks from Formula One Management next season plus a move up the garage order.
Lowdon said: "I guess it will make pit exits a bit more difficult as we won't be the end garage any more.
"But it is progress and if you are not moving forward in F1 you are going backwards. We are really happy to be a team that is moving forwards."

Jules Bianchi believes he made big strides during 2013 F1 season
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, December 5th 2013, 17:37 GMT
Jules Bianchi feels he will be much better prepared for the start of the 2014 Formula 1 season given the progress he made in his rookie year.
Bianchi secured the second seat at Marussia after the team had to terminate Luis Razia's contract just before the start of the season.
The Frenchman went on to win Rookie of the Year honours at the 2013 AUTOSPORT Awards last weekend after helping Marussia secure 10th place in the standings for the first time.
Bianchi, who will race for the team again in 2014, believes he will immediately be much stronger from the start of 2014.
"I have got better and better all through the season," said Bianchi.
"The start of the season was better compared to Caterham because I think the car was quicker, much quicker I think, but then they caught up and became much quicker than us, and at the end of the season I did my best races - like in Sao Paulo and Austin.
"Those races were much better than I did at the beginning of the season. So this is good for me, and good for my confidence now.
"I think I will be much more ready next year than I was this year."
MARUSSIA CAN 'START FROM ZERO'
Bianchi is also optimistic that the new rules coming into play next year will offer his team the chance to close the gap to its rivals.
"It is difficult to know what to expect because I did not drive the simulator, so I don't know what it will be like with the engine," he added.
"For sure we will do a big step forward because we will start from zero again and now the team is a lot better than it was four years ago.
"So we will start a lot closer to the others and this will be really good for us."
Bianchi's best result this year was a 13th-place finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Three-car teams would be detrimental for F1 - Marussia
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Monday, December 9th 2013, 17:25 GMT
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon believes three-car teams would be detrimental for Formula 1, as he reckons smaller outfits are vital for the sport.
Earlier this year fears emerged that the bigger teams were secretly pushing to drive smaller squads out of business in order to introduce customer cars in the future.
Ferrari has been one of the main supporters of three-car teams in recent years, claiming that it would make the field more competitive.
Lowdon, whose team entered Formula 1 in 2010 and is yet to score a point, reckons the sport's fans would not like to see a reduced number of teams even if grid sizes remain unchanged.
"I certainly think F1's future would be richer and brighter for the fans if there is a diversity of teams," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"And a smaller number of teams, or very small number running more cars - without any question I am convinced that would not be such a valuable proposition.
"In terms of the show the fans would lose out.
"It is a team sport, the drivers are the heroes, but it is a team game and [when] you reduce the number of teams you reduce the competition - it is as simple as that.
"It is good to have diversity that we have got. Maybe plus or minus a team or two, but [we] never want to see it go much smaller than it is."
Marussia is known to have held talks with rival Caterham about a possible merger in the past, but the idea never materialised.
Lowdon's squad secured 10th place in the constructors' championship for the first time this year, an achievement that could mean a significant financial boost for 2015.
Lowdon, who says his team has the smallest budget in F1, reckons that beating Caterham shows teams can succeed despite its financial limitations.
"It is comfortable that this season we would have had by far the lowest budget in F1," he said.
"My guess is next year we would have had almost the same again. That is something I have to point out.
"The competition towards the back has been tight and exciting.
"Maybe I haven't really paid that much attention to everything that is happening at the front, but there does seem to be a huge speed disparity [there] and I don't think that necessarily contributes to the level of excitement that there should be.
"Maybe there are lessons that can be learned from mid-grid or front-grid and skill gets rewarded more than financial strength.
"I think we have the lowest budget in F1 and we are not the lowest-placed team now so it shows that you can move forward."
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Chapter 6: 2014 - Year 5 - Marussia F1 Team

Marussia has no concerns over 2014 Formula 1 entry - Graeme Lowdon
By Edd Straw Saturday, January 11th 2014, 11:30 GMT
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon insists he has no concerns about the team's entry for the 2014 Formula 1 season.
The former Virgin squad's place on the grid was listed as "subject to confirmation" in the official FIA entry list released on Friday night.
But although this inevitably raised speculation about the team's future, it is understood that the completion of the entry and requisite payments is a formality.
"That will disappear in the next few days," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"It's purely a timing and administrative thing. No concerns over it at all."
JEREZ DEBUT ANTICIPATED
Marussia is still planning to run its new Ferrari-engined car at the first pre-season test, which kicks off at Jerez on January 28.
Following Lotus's revelation that it would not run at the test, there has been speculation about whether other teams would also skip it, but Marussia is scheduled to be there.
"We plan to be at Jerez," said Lowdon. "There is nothing stopping it at the moment.
"All teams are going to want to do all of the test. Testing is something that's restricted and if it's restricted it generally means that you want to do it so we certainly plan, like most teams, to be there.
"Equally, there are thousands of components and any one can make you rethink or change plans. Your car might still be ready and you want to rethink how you go about something.
"And I am sure every other team is in the same situation. I don't think anyone has a completed car in the garage being dusted down at the moment and if they did it means they weren't using all of the available design time."

Max Chilton retains Marussia seat for 2014 Formula 1 season
By Sam Tremayne and Edd Straw Saturday, January 11th 2014, 12:14 GMT
Max Chilton will line up alongside Jules Bianchi again in 2014, after Marussia confirmed it will retain the Briton for a second Formula 1 season.
The 22-year-old made his grand prix debut with the team last year, taking a best finish of 14th in Monaco.
He set an F1 rookie record by finishing all 19 races, and made it into Q2 for the first time at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Chilton's capture of the second Marussia seat was officially announced at this year's AUTOSPORT International.
"I'm so glad to make the announcement," said Chilton. "I'm really thankful that Marussia believed in me and gave me a second year.
"Continuity for me is absolutely key. I did three years in GP2, the first year I learnt well and the second year we pushed on. We could go for poles and wins and the whole atmosphere changed.
"Hopefully that will happen with Marussia."
MARUSSIA KEEN ON STABILITY
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon said the team had been keen to have stability on the driver front, particularly with such major changes being ushered in for the 2014 season.
"There were two things that we were looking at," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"One is that we have never had continuity of both drivers from one season to another during our stint in F1.
"With the technical rule changes that are coming through, that is important.
"There was [also] real solid improvement from Max last year, particularly from the break onwards.
"We have known Max for a long time. Look at his performance in the lower formulas. He hasn't jumped from formula to formula quickly, he has stayed in a formula and learned.
"You can see that from mid-season onwards there were some really impressive improvements so he pretty much ticked all of the boxes for us to go forward in 2014."
Chilton's appointment means just two seats remain open on the 2014 F1 grid, both at Caterham.
Current 2014 F1 driver line-up:
Red Bull-Renault Sebastian Vettel Daniel Ricciardo
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
Ferrari Fernando Alonso Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus-Renault Romain Grosjean Pastor Maldonado
McLaren-Mercedes Jenson Button Kevin Magnussen
Force India-Mercedes Nico Hulkenberg Sergio Perez
Sauber-Ferrari Adrian Sutil Esteban Gutierrez
Toro Rosso-Renault Jean-Eric Vergne Daniil Kvyat
Williams-Mercedes Felipe Massa Valtteri Bottas
Marussia-Ferrari Jules Bianchi Max Chilton
Caterham-Renault tba tba

Marussia F1 2014 test debut delayed by technical glitch
By Jonathan Noble Monday, January 27th 2014, 19:10 GMT
Marussia's debut of its new Formula 1 car has been delayed because of a last-minute technical glitch, AUTOSPORT has learned.
The Banbury-based outfit had hoped to join the other teams in getting its Ferrari-powered MR03 on track for the start of pre-season testing at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday.
However, it is understood that during the final stages of signing off the car at the factory, an unspecified technical glitch came to light which has delayed its plans.
The team felt that the problem was better addressed back at its base rather than sending its car to Spain and working on it there.
Team principal John Booth told AUTOSPORT: "While our car build ran pretty much according to schedule, we have encountered a small and frustrating teething problem, which we have been working to resolve back at the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury.
"It makes sense to address this while we still have all of the equipment and technical personnel in one place.
"Our aim is to solve this issue as soon as possible and send the MR03 on its way to Jerez, where the team have set up and are awaiting its arrival."
It is unclear how long it will take the team to rectify the problem, but there is still enough time for it to transport the car to Spain and get it running later in the week.
Marussia has switched to Ferrari engines for this season, and retained its 2013 line-up of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi.

Delayed Marussia 2014 Formula 1 car leaves for Jerez test
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, January 28th 2014, 09:18 GMT
Marussia will definitely join the Formula 1 test at Jerez in Spain later this week after the car was dispatched from the factory on Tuesday.
The Banbury-based outfit had originally hoped to be able to join running from today, but a last-minute technical glitch came to light during the final build preparations.
The team decided that it was better to solve the problem back at its base, rather than send the car to Spain and deal with it there.
Following intense efforts over the past 48 hours, the unspecified technical problem has been sorted and the MR03 has now been sent to Jerez.
The journey from Banbury to Jerez means the car is unlikely to arrive before Wednesday, but that should still give Marussia enough time to be able to join the test as early as Thursday.

Marussia unveils its 2014 F1 car, the MR03, at Jerez
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, January 30th 2014, 14:00 GMT
Marussia has become the latest team to unveil its new Formula 1 car after the MR03 broke cover at Jerez on Thursday.
The debut of the Ferrari-powered car had been delayed because of a last-minute technical glitch that was discovered before the car was dispatched from its Banbury factory.
But after curing the issue, Marussia was able to transport its car to Jerez and get it ready to join the penultimate day of action.
The new car has been two years in the creation and is an all-new concept - which features new front and rear suspension designs.
Chief designer John McQuilliam said he was happy with the way the project had come together.
"We have benefitted enormously from the stability of our design teams, with the same personnel beginning - and now concluding - the process over a 24 month period," he said.
"I think we can feel justifiably proud of the way we have responded to such a significant challenge and the quality of car we have arrived at with the MR03.
"The car has been manufactured and finished to a very high standard, whilst achieving our most significant weight-saving targets to date and, importantly, with a crucial eye towards maintaining our excellent record of reliability."
Marussia finished 10th in last year's constructors' championship and it hopes that a switch to Ferrari power for 2014 will allow it to improve its competitiveness this year.
But team principal John Booth admits that the uncertainty created by the new 2014 regulations mean making firm predictions is quite hard.
"We have to temper the fact that there are a great many unknowns this season with the fact that we are, by nature, a highly ambitious team that is always demanding more of itself," he said.
"The target is to keep moving forward and that means being in a position where we no longer have to focus on the threat from behind and, instead, take the fight to the teams ahead.
"It is very early days to be speculating about relative performance though and that is something we can perhaps only speak with confidence about in Australia in 45 days' time."

Lotus and Marussia complete 2014 Formula 1 entry process
By Edd Straw Friday, January 31st 2014, 13:54 GMT
Lotus and Marussia have both paid the necessary entry fees for the 2014 Formula 1 season.
Both teams' places were described as "subject to confirmation" when the FIA released its official entry list last earlier this month.
The FIA has confirmed to AUTOSPORT that both teams' places are now firmed-up, while Marussia team principal John Booth underlined that this is the case for his squad.
Booth blamed the delay on the team managing its cashflow to prioritise the build of its 2014 car, which ran for the first time at Jerez yesterday.
"Yes, it is confirmed," said Booth when asked by AUTOSPORT about his squad's entry.
"We're a small team and we have to manage our cashflow, that's the best way of putting it.
"Sometimes you have to prioritise but we knew it had to be paid and it was paid when we needed it to be."
MARUSSIA CONTENT WITH DEBUT
After Marussia missed the first two days of the Jerez test, Booth was delighted with the early performance of the car following its debut on Thursday.
Max Chilton took the MR03 on track for the first time on Thursday afternoon and Marussia was able to complete four installation laps.
"Having heard some of the cars spluttering around in the morning I was a bit worried about the first installation lap, but it couldn't have gone any smoother," said Booth.
"There are a lot of systems for us to learn, lots of things that are new to us, so we are taking our time and trying to get it right first time if we can."
Booth added that there was the risk that Marussia might have had to skip Jerez entirely, but that it was important to get some running in prior to the Bahrain test, which starts on February 19.
"I suppose there was a threat but we were determined to make it," he said of the possibility of not running at Jerez.
"It's so important to get some laps in this week, so whatever it took to get here, we were prepared to do."

F1 must not lose its 'magic' for fans and sponsors, warns Marussia
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Wednesday, February 5th 2014, 09:42 GMT
Formula 1 must make sure it retains its 'magic' for fans and sponsors at grands prix, as well as television audiences, Marussia chief executive Graeme Lowdon has warned.
There have been concerns that F1 will lose some of its audio impact under this year's switch to quieter turbocharged V6 engines.
Lowdon believes this could have a particular effect on sponsors at grands prix, a group he says F1 can ill-afford to disappoint.
"I think on television the spectacle is set to be absolutely amazing, really truly amazing and I hope that's the case as the TV audience is obviously very large and very important to everyone involved," he said.
"What I hope is that we don't lose the magic that happens in the garage when you take the lucky few people into that environment.
"Where that's really important is that we take decision makers of large international companies who are funding this sport into that environment and you can see on their face that they're visibly moved when a Formula 1 car fires up.
"For a lot of people experiencing that kind of environment for the first time, it's another world. They cannot believe it.
"It's almost like a violent energy inside these cars, they're so powerful.
"I think it's important to have that texture in Formula 1 because it helps demonstrate that Formula 1 is different. We have to make sure that we maintain that somehow."
Lowdon said Jerez testing proved F1 had lost some of its volume.
"It's certainly quieter because you could make a phone call during the test at Jerez," he said. "I've never done that before, so it's certainly different."
He added that the new cars' behaviour on track would make for exciting television viewing.
"The small amount of running I've seen out on the track already suggests that on the TV it's going to be quite spectacular," Lowdon said.
"But, as ever with regulation making, it's a balancing act between making something that's appealing for the TV audience - and by far the greatest number of fans watch Formula 1 on television - and for the promoters to have that unique atmosphere of a grand prix.
"We've said all along that has to be protected."

Marussia sets regular Q2 appearances as 2014 Formula 1 goal
By Edd Straw Tuesday, February 18th 2014, 17:04 GMT
Marussia is targeting reaching Q2 on a regular basis in 2014, according to team principal John Booth.
Since joining the Formula 1 grid as Virgin at the start of 2010, the team has very occasionally made Q2 but only thanks to adverse conditions or problems for faster cars.
But Booth believes the major rule change built around the new 1.6-litre turbocharged engines makes reaching this level an achievable, if difficult, objective.
"We would love to get into Q2 on a regular basis on performance," said Booth.
"That has to be the target, but it's not easy.
"There are some very bright people out there in F1 and some big budgets, so we know it's a difficult task but that's our target.
"We are the smallest team but we have pushed for performance as much as we can. It's time for us to take a step forward.
"We took a big step forward percentage wise to the front last year and now it's time to start making up places as well."
Marussia's focus for the upcoming Bahrain test, which starts on Wednesday, will be achieving reliability.
The Ferrari-engined Marussia MR-03 is set to race in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in a similar specification to the one already seen, although Booth confirmed there are some minor developments in the pipeline.
"We will have a few small changes, but nothing major," said Booth.
"We're only 190 people and it was pretty tough getting to Jerez but there is a windtunnel programme happening at the moment and there will be some modifications before Melbourne.
"Last year was a perfect example of how important it was to be reliable and to hit the ground running.
"But in 2013 we were the most reliable team and car in F1 so we are trying to achieve the same."
DID YOU KNOW...
Marussia (formerly Virgin) has only reached Q2 on four occasions since joining the F1 grid in 2010.
Timo Glock escaped Q1 in Malaysia (pictured) and Belgium in 2010, with both Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton making the cut at Spa last year.

Marussia Bahrain F1 test disrupted by computer virus
By Edd Straw Monday, February 24th 2014, 11:26 GMT
A computer virus that hit on the first day of the Bahrain test put Marussia on the back foot for the rest of its running at the Sakhir circuit.
The ex-Virgin squad completed only 29 laps during the four-day test, fewer than any other team, with the virus that the team spent Wednesday fixing effectively wiping out the day.
"It started off with the first disaster, which was a computer Trojan-type virus in the racks, which cost us the best part of the day," team principal John Booth told AUTOSPORT.
"So that set the tone for the week.
"On the second day, we did 17 laps and it was OK, working through problems, but then on Friday we lost most of the day with an engine issue and it took all day to change.
"The final day was a series of little problems and little problems with these cars take so long to fix.
"In the morning, we had an ERS [warning] light come on, but it turned out to be a false signal, so that was two hours lost.
"Then there was a fuel system problem, which is not a Ferrari problem, it's ours.
"Things like that keep bogging us down, but I don't think we had the same problem twice, which is odd because usually you get recurring problems."
With Marussia having completed only 59 laps with its MR03, Booth concedes that he is concerned about being ready for the season-opening Australian GP.
He is hopeful that during the final four days of running, which start in Bahrain on Thursday, Marussia can get itself into a position where it can be ready for the first race of the season.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried in the slightest," said Booth when asked about readiness for Melbourne.
"It's OK thinking you can sort the problems but you have to prove it. But I am very hopeful.
"We have done nothing on set-up whatsoever, but having said that the drivers report that what they have done they feel pretty confident with.
"The brakes are fine and we improved that over the week, it has come on in leaps and bounds.
"We have only got a few days before the next test then four days of testing and we just have to maximise what we have left."

Australian GP: Lotus and Marussia break curfew on Saturday morning
By Ben Anderson Saturday, March 15th 2014, 03:23 GMT
The Lotus and Marussia Formula 1 teams broke curfew on Saturday morning, as they battled to prepare their cars in time for the final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix.
Lotus endured a fraught Friday in Melbourne with a gearbox leak keeping Romain Grosjean out of FP1, before software problems, turbo issues and a suspension failure disrupted his second session.
Electrical problems ruined team-mate Pastor Maldonado's first session and also kept him out of FP2, while rival squad Marussia encountered electrical problems on Jules Bianchi's car and a series of minor issues that disrupted Max Chilton's day.
"We got pretty limited running again through pretty minor problems that take a little while to change, but most people seemed to have those sorts of issues," said Chilton.
The FIA confirmed on Saturday morning that both teams had decided to continue working beyond the 0500 curfew, thus using up one of six exceptions permitted to each team for the season.
Maldonado's Lotus has also been fitted with a new electronic-kinetic control unit, a new electronic-heat control unit, and a new energy store, thus using up one of five permitted changes of each engine component across the season.
Caterham has installed new CE-K and ES units in Marcus Ericsson's car, and a new ES in team-mate Kamui Kobayashi's car, but did not break curfew as it fought to recover from a disastrous day on Friday.

Barcelona F1 test: Max Chilton quickest on first day
Tuesday, May 13th 2014, 16:35 GMT
Max Chilton's Marussia set the fastest time on day one of this week's two-day Formula 1 test at Barcelona.
The Briton leapt to the top of the times with a late run on Pirelli's supersoft tyre that put him just over two tenths clear of Charles Pic's twin-tusk Lotus, which set its best time on the soft tyre.
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton led the way for most of the day, which began wet on the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya.
The Mercedes driver, who took his fourth straight win of the season at the Spanish GP on Sunday, wound up third fastest, only 0.013s slower than Pic on a set of mediums.
Kimi Raikkonen was fourth quickest after enduring a difficult day for Ferrari.
The Finn stopped after just two laps in the morning due to an engine failure, and brought out the red flags again in the afternoon after finding the Turn 4 gravel trap having briefly toppled Hamilton from the top spot.
Ferrari was forced to replace the car's floor after the incident.
Less than a tenth of a second covered the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne, Nico Hulkenberg's Force India, and the Williams of Felipe Massa, while Jenson Button's McLaren was a further half a second back in eighth.
Kamui Kobayashi's Caterham and Giedo van der Garde's Sauber sandwiched the Red Bull of Sebastien Buemi at the foot of the times, with Kobayashi having crashed at Turn 3 late on.
Buemi's running was curtailed early by the RB10 developing a gearbox problem during the afternoon running.
The test resumes tomorrow with Mercedes set to trial an exhaust update aimed at increasing the noise levels produced by F1's new breed of V6 turbo engines.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m26.434s
2. Charles Pic Lotus-Renault 1m26.661s +0.227s
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m26.674s +0.240s
4. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m26.965s +0.531s
5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m27.724s +1.290s
6. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m27.727s +1.293s
7. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m27.756s +1.322s
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m28.333s +1.899s
9. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1m30.101s +3.667s
10. Sebastien Buemi Red Bull-Renault 1m31.440s +5.006s
11. Giedo van der Garde Sauber-Ferrari 1m31.783s +5.349s

Monaco GP: Jules Bianchi hit with gearbox penalty
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, May 25th 2014, 09:20 GMT
Jules Bianchi will start the Monaco Grand Prix from the back of the grid following a gearbox change on Sunday.
The Marussia driver had qualified 19th, but the team discovered an issue with his gearbox last night.
With the team worried that the problem could cause a retirement, it has elected to change the gearbox - which will give him a five place penalty.
Bianchi will line up 21st on the grid, because Marcus Ericsson has to start from the pit lane after being punished for his involvement in a qualifying crash with Felipe Massa.
Revised 2014 Monaco GP grid:

Pos Driver Team
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
6. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari
7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault
8. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes
9. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault
10. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes
11. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes
12. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes
14. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault
15. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault
16. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes
17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari
18. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari
19. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari
20. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault
21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari
22. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault

Monaco GP: Kimi Raikkonen says Max Chilton destroyed his race
By Ben Anderson Sunday, May 25th 2014, 18:22 GMT
Kimi Raikkonen feels a collision with Max Chilton's Marussia under the second safety car period "destroyed" his Monaco Grand Prix.
The Finn was on course to score his first Formula 1 podium since returning to Ferrari prior to the incident.
Raikkonen jumped from sixth on the grid to fourth at the start and ran third after Sebastian Vettel dropped back with an engine problem in his Red Bull, but was forced to make a second pitstop under the safety car when a collision with Chilton at Mirabeau punctured his rear tyre.
The Briton received a reprimand from the stewards over the incident.
"For some reason he managed to run into my rear tyre and damage it," Raikkonen explained.
"He was unlapping himself, but I don't know how he expected me to go offline in the tight corner as he was going past me.
"I don't know what he was thinking, but obviously it destroyed my race and after that point the race was gone.
"I had a good position, good speed, but again got nothing out of it. But it wasn't really our fault."
The Chilton clash dropped Raikkonen to the rear of the field, but he mounted a recovery into the top eight before tagging Kevin Magnussen's McLaren as he reversed out of a botched passing attempt at Loews hairpin in the late stages.
Raikkonen later received a reprimand for his incident with Magnussen.

Monaco GP: Jules Bianchi says Marussia's first F1 points not luck
By Edd Straw and Jonathan Noble Sunday, May 25th 2014, 19:13 GMT
Jules Bianchi believes Marussia's first Formula 1 points finish in the Monaco Grand Prix was not just down to luck, as he feels the team has made genuine progress.
The Frenchman secured ninth place in Monte Carlo, despite being handed a post-race penalty for improperly serving an earlier punishment for starting grid infringement.
But while a number of leading retirements helped Bianchi's cause, the Frenchman also knows that Marussia has improved its car since the last race in Spain.
"We improved the car a step in the Barcelona test," he explained.
"The car was much more balanced and that's why it made it much better for this race.
"Now, we have to keep our feet on the ground. We scored points, which is good, but without good luck we won't be able to be in the points.
"So we have to calm down a bit after tonight and keep working to improve the car because we still have some improvements to make."
Bianchi thinks his car was a genuine Q2 contender in Monaco, and its pace in the race was a encouraging for the future.
"It's a big boost for everybody," he said. "In qualifying I think I was able to fight for Q2.
"It would have been really on the limit but I would have been within one tenth or something like that.
"In the race it was the same. First it was a bit slower than Sauber and the cars in front, but I was on prime and they were on option.
"Then we switched to the other tyres, I was competitive and my laptimes were good.
"I think it's a really good step forward for the team."

Marussia closes on $30million F1 prize money boost
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 28th 2014, 09:05 GMT
Marussia's points-scoring Monaco Grand Prix could put it on course for a $30million Formula 1 prize money boost later this year.
The breakthrough result has lifted the Banbury-based team to ninth place in the constructors' championship, putting it ahead of Sauber and Caterham.
And the team has long been aware that it only needs to finish 10th this year to elevate itself into the elite prize money status which could provide it with a massive financial boost.
F1's prize money structure is based on a complicated system that rewards long-term competitiveness rather than results over a single season.
Any team that finishes in the top ten during a single year earns what is known as a 'Column 2' payment - which is shared equally and worth around $10million. This is what Marussia earned for finishing 10th last year.
However, if a team finishes in the top ten for two years out of three, it then also receives what is known as a 'Column 1' payment based on its finishing position in the constructors' championship.
Tenth place is worth around $30million extra - and should Marussia hold on to ninth, then its earnings could jump to a massive $50million due to a $40 million Column 1 payment and $10million for Column 2.
But although the team has put itself in a good position for that top ten finish at the end of the campaign, it is taking nothing for granted.
In 2012, it held tenth place from rivals Caterham heading to the final race of the season but lost out during a chaotic race in Brazil.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT that the result in Monaco was hugely welcome, but did not mean that the team could yet relax.
"At the end of the day what counts is the position when the flag drops at the final race," he said.
"We know from Brazil 2012 that everything can change in the last lap.
"We take nothing for granted from that point of view - but it certainly helps. We are just very happy because it is progress. That is the key thing."
CATERHAM UNDER PRESSURE
While the Monaco result could mean a huge boost for Marussia at the end of the season, it could signal bad news for Caterham.
The Leafield-based team could fall out of the Column 1 teams if it does not finish the year in the top ten.
That would result in its earnings dropping from the $30million it received for last year to just $10million, which it would get as the Column 3 payment that it made to teams which do not qualify for Column 1 or Column 2 money.

Marussia F1 team believes its progress is genuine after Monaco GP
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 28th 2014, 10:03 GMT
Marussia is hopeful that its breakthrough points finish in Monaco may not be a flash in the pan, and that further good results could come later this season.
Jules Bianchi starred around the streets of Monte Carlo to take ninth place and earn Marussia its first points since it entered F1 at the start of 2010 (as Virgin).
But although a number of front-running retirements helped it in Monaco, the team has also made big progress with its car since the Spanish Grand Prix, which has lifted confidence for the future.
And it is that progress, rather than the points, that has been the reason for the biggest celebration at Marussia.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "I think that progress is probably why we are really pleased.
"We did a load of really good work in Spain and we learned a lot about the car. I think we have made this car quicker and that is a great feeling really.
"Whether we can have another shot in Canada is another question, because Montreal is quite unique and we don't have the resources for a Canada only car, but I am confident that we are moving forward."
Bianchi thinks that Marussia now has the potential to take the fight to Sauber, which has been struggling this season.
"I don't want to say that we are able to score points every race because it's not real," explained the Frenchman. "I would say that now we are able to fight with Sauber.
"I think we are really close to them. We have to keep working and improving and see if we can beat them."

Chilton thinks Raikkonen clash cost him first F1 points in Monaco
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, June 5th 2014, 21:04 GMT
Max Chilton reckons he could have added to the Marussia Formula 1 team's points tally at the Monaco Grand Prix if not for the clash with Kimi Raikkonen.
Chilton broke his front wing after colliding with Raikkonen's rear wheel as he tried to unlap himself during the first safety car phase in Monaco.
Although the incident was not caught on television, Chilton said there was little he could have done to avoid the incident because he felt the Finn had seen him.
Explaining what happened, Chilton said: "You pass the safety car line twice and normally Charlie [Whiting] gives the message that the cars can now overtake the cars in front.
"I came in to Turn 1 [Sainte Devote] and asked my engineer, 'when are we going to be allowed to overtake the cars in front?
"By the time I got to Casino my engineer said 'OK, now overtake'. So I came out of Casino, following Kimi and I stayed to the right, the whole way down into Mirabeau.
"He was on the left. I didn't lunge him - I just showed my nose. And to me he turned in late. I thought he had seen me and let me go."
The race stewards believed the clash was a normal racing incident, but Chilton reckons that there was little he could have done more to stop the collision once Raikkonen turned in.
"I would do it again [like that]," he said. "I thought it was an open move but Kimi didn't see me. It was slightly frustrating.
"It wasn't a lunge. I saw his onboard, he did his belts up, did a dial change, turned in and then looked in his mirror.
"I have never been in a top team and I don't know if they get a message, but I would have thought they would get a message saying, 'watch out there will be cars'. I would look in my mirror and then turn.
"It was annoying as he was on for a good race and I think we could have been in the top 10."

Canadian GP: Chilton gets Austria grid penalty for Bianchi collision
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, June 8th 2014, 21:51 GMT
Max Chilton has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Austrian Grand Prix following a collision with team-mate Jules Bianchi in Canada.
The Marussia driver clashed wheels with Bianchi at Turn 3 on the opening lap, pitching the Frenchman in to the wall on the outside of the corner.
The race stewards summoned both drivers to explain what happened, and in the end they decided that Chilton had been the guilty party.
Despite the stewards' viewpoint, Chilton himself was adamant that he had given Bianchi enough room to safely get around the corner.
"I got a mega start and was really good into turns one and two," he explained.
"We were side-by-side into turn three and I was half down the inside and I braked at point where I knew I could get around corner.
"He [Bianchi] braked later - and he was only in front of me because he braked so late. There was nothing I could have done.
"I am not going to back off down the inside because he is my team-mate, he should have seen me."

Canadian GP: Marussia's Bianchi and Chilton disagree over clash
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Monday, June 9th 2014, 10:01 GMT
Marussia Formula 1 team-mates Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi disagreed over who was at fault for their first lap collision in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Television pictures showed Chilton arriving at Turn 3 already sideways and then clipping Bianchi's car, sending it heavily into the wall and forcing both to retire.
Chilton was deemed to be at fault and given a three-place grid penalty for the next F1 race in Austria, but he claimed that Bianchi contributed to the accident by braking too late on the outside and turning across him.
Bianchi disagreed with his team-mate's view of the clash, and disputed any suggestion that he had braked too late for the corner.
"We were side by side," the Frenchman told AUTOSPORT.
"I gave him some space on the inside because if you see the images from behind you can see I'm nearly on the white line on the outside.
"I don't think I braked too late. I didn't even lock the wheel.
"I forced myself to not turn in because I knew a car was there. That's why I went wide. The braking point was OK for me."
CHILTON FEELS TV NOT CLEAR
After retiring from a grand prix for the first time in his career, Chilton was adamant that if more footage existed it would reveal that Bianchi instigated the crash.
"The problem is with the world feed it cuts to me having oversteer and it looks like I slide straight into him," Chilton told AUTOSPORT.
"What actually happened was we were side-by-side out of [Turn] 2 into 3.
"I braked late and he braked even later, which was too late in my opinion, and then turned in.
"The only thing I could do at that point to try to avoid it looking like it was my fault was to go to the inside.
"I took the big kerb, still didn't have enough room so I hit the brakes to slow the car down which lost the rear end and that's when it cut to the world feed.
"So it looks like I braked late and lunged [at] him but in fact I had the inside line and I was just trying at all costs to avoid him."
The Briton believes there could be positives to come from his streak of finishing races coming to an end.
"It was a nice record to have but in a weird way it kind of [takes] the pressure off my shoulders and actually, subconsciously, it was probably sometimes making me back out of stuff like that," he said.
"I've been pretty good at staying out of accidents. I know when something's going to happen.
"I was not expecting that car to turn in so then at that point I tried to avoid the accident like I always do."

Marussia F1 pair Chilton and Bianchi resolve Canadian GP crash row
By Ben Anderson Thursday, June 19th 2014, 15:29 GMT
Marussia Formula 1 team-mates Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton have resolved to put the dispute over their Canadian Grand Prix collision behind them.
The incident on lap one of the Montreal race earlier this month put both drivers out and caused extensive damage to Marussia's cars.
Chilton was blamed by stewards for causing the crash and handed a three-place grid penalty for this weekend's Austrian GP, but the Brit believes he was penalised for the outcome of the incident, rather than any particular driving indiscretion.
"I think that's why they gave me three places," Chilton said.
"I think I would have got 10 places if they thought 'Chilton's caused a big shunt here'.
"I think they realised it was a racing incident, but because I was the one who ran into him they gave me a penalty.
"It's frustrating but I just have to move on."
Chilton said he shook hands with his team-mate when they arrived at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday, and said they agreed to put the incident behind them.
"After the race your temper is up and it's not a good time to talk because you're always going to disagree," Chilton added.
"We had a few words but I spoke to him this morning, we shook hands and said let's just move on from it, because it wasn't meant to be like that, it was just a bad outcome."
Bianchi reckoned Chilton's penalty was "fair", but confirmed the two had agreed the matter was closed.
"It was a racing incident, but this time it was someone's fault," Bianchi said.
"The stewards decided to give him a penalty, and for me it is fair, so I think everyone will agree.
"We had different points of view in Montreal, but now we have spoken and everything is fine.
"These things can happen in racing, but now we are in Austria, so we will focus 100 per cent on that and do our best for the team."

American Alexander Rossi joins Marussia F1 team as reserve
By Edd Straw Thursday, July 24th 2014, 15:41 GMT
Alexander Rossi has joined the Marussia Formula 1 team as reserve driver for the rest of the 2014 season.
The 22-year-old parted company with Caterham earlier this month having been its F1 reserve as well as racing for its GP2 squad.
But after landing a one-off seat with Campos Racing in GP2 for last weekend's Hockenheim round of the series, he has now found a new F1 role with Marussia.
"Since my initial discussions with the Marussia F1 team management, I've felt right at home," said Rossi.
"I'm looking forward to working with the team in Hungary and building for the rest of the season.
"The timing of my affiliation with the team is perfect, especially beginning before the summer break."
Rossi also confirmed that there are "plans" for him to appear in Friday morning practice for Marussia later in the season.
Having appeared on Friday morning for Caterham in the United States Grand Prix last year, one of four appearances for the squad, it is likely he will appear on home soil.
But the team has yet to confirm his programme, stating that he will focus initially on working with the engineers.
"He is a proven talent whom we have observed in GP2 and we have also been impressed by his performances during Friday morning free practice sessions over the past two seasons," said team principal John Booth.
"The US is an exciting market for the sport and Alexander has a great deal of support there, so it is nice to develop new links to that audience.
"Alexander will be an integral part of the team, immersing himself in our engineering activity so that he is fully prepared should he ever be required to deputise for one of the race drivers."
Rossi paid tribute to the progress made by Marussia to establish itself in the top 10 in the constructors' championship.
"Marussia is in an exciting place right now and the progress at the team is clear for all to see," he said.
"I'm thrilled that now I have the chance to be part of that journey, to progress and play a useful role in the development of the team."

Max Chilton changes F1 chassis after "balance issues"
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 24th 2014, 15:46 GMT
Max Chilton is hoping a change of chassis for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix will result in a step forward in pace.
The Marussia driver suspects that balance issues with the chassis he has had since the Austrian GP have held him back.
But with his outfit having cured an electrical issue that forced the Red Bull Ring change in the first place, Chilton has reverted to that car in which he felt more comfortable earlier in the campaign.
"My season started off very good, we were pretty even in qualifying and races, but the last few have gone towards Jules [Bianchi]," he said.
"But we had to change chassis for electrical reasons, and we have had balance issues with it.
"The steering has never particularly been straight and it seems to go around lefts better than rights.
"We have managed to switch back here, so I hope this weekend will be a change in speed again and I can get back to where I know I can be."
Chilton said the balance issue with the car he has felt since Austria was noticeable, and has showed up in telemetry data too.
"I definitely felt it, and they can see it in the data," he said. "Hopefully it will change things around."

Jules Bianchi urges Marussia F1 team to be aggressive
By Edd Straw Friday, August 1st 2014, 16:52 GMT
Jules Bianchi believes that Marussia must be aggressive in the second half of the Formula 1 season to stay in the top 10 in the constructors' championship.
The Frenchman's ninth place in the Monaco Grand Prix earned the improving team its first points since entering F1 as Virgin in 2010.
If Marussia can keep one of Sauber and Caterham behind it and secure a top 10 place for the second consecutive season, it will be set for a significant financial windfall of around $30 million.
"The best way to defend is to attack and we always have to attack," Bianchi told AUTOSPORT.
"We just have to do everything we can to be in front all of the time, and I'm sure we will be strong until the end of the season.
"Our target is to remain ahead of Caterham and finish 10th in the championship, which will be a massive boost to the team."
Bianchi admitted that he is a little frustrated that Marussia has been less competitive in recent races after showing well earlier in the season.
In Monaco and Canada, the car was close to making Q2 on merit, but it has not been as strong since even though Bianchi capitalised on problems for Pastor Maldonado and Lewis Hamilton and a strategy error by Ferrari to get through Q1 at the Hungarian GP.
"It is a bit frustrating when you have been regularly close to going into Q2 and it is not the case any more," said Bianchi.
"But that's the reality and you have to deal with that and do the best with what you have. This is what we are doing at the moment.
"The result in Monaco was massively important for this season but I knew it did not mean we would be regularly fighting for points.
"We are not able to do that unless we have a strange set of circumstances around us, but we took the opportunity when it came."

Alexander Rossi says securing Marussia F1 test deal was critical
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Wednesday, August 6th 2014, 15:27 GMT
Alexander Rossi believes swiftly securing a Marussia Formula 1 test deal after his split with Caterham was "critical" for his career.
American driver Rossi was part of the Caterham fold from 2011 until last month, just after the team was sold to an investment group by founder Tony Fernandes.
The 22-year-old had four grand prix Friday practice outings with the team in that period and also made four F1 test appearances, alongside Caterham-backed campaigns in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2.
Rossi admitted he feared he would rapidly vanish from the F1 radar following his Caterham exit before he found a new home at Marussia.
"It was critical. Mainly because I didn't want to be seen as being out of the Formula 1 gang, so to get the deal done so quickly with Marussia before the summer break was critical," he told AUTOSPORT.
"I thought I had everything going for me and if I didn't get this deal done there may have been a loss of interest and loss of faith.
"So the fact this has happened, in my opinion, resets all the negativity, not only over the past few weeks, but the past couple of years.
"It's a new chapter for me and I'm looking forward to getting into the car at Spa and showing what I am capable of.
"I think the future looks very bright at Marussia."
Although his schedule of practice drives with Marussia is not yet determined, Rossi said it will "certainly be more than the two I was due to have with Caterham" and thinks his new deal gives him a better chance of showcasing his ability.
"To be honest, I have not been too pleased with the past two years of my career," he said.
"I feel it could have gone much better, but circumstances prevented us from getting the results that I think I deserved.
"The teams saw the potential in me and saw I was on the market, so it was a relief [to get the Marussia role].
"But until you get that phone call, there is kind of that unknown in your own abilities, so I feel very grateful."

Alexander Rossi replaces Max Chilton at Marussia for Belgian GP
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, August 21st 2014, 14:44 GMT
American Alexander Rossi will make his Formula 1 racing debut with the Marussia team at the Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Max Chilton.
The British team said Rossi, who joined Marussia last month as a reserve driver, would substitute for Chilton "while contractual issues are resolved".
"Although it was not our intention to offer Alexander the possibility to race this season, in light of the circumstances we are pleased to be providing him with the opportunity to make his grand prix debut at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps," said team boss John Booth.
"Naturally we hope to resume normal service with respect to our established race driver line-up as soon as possible, but for now we wish Alexander well for the weekend ahead and we look forward to seeing him in action."
Marussia has declined to specify exactly what the contractual issues are, but they are likely to relate to the non-payment of promised funding from Chilton's backers that secure him the drive.
Rossi joined Marussia from Caterham, where he was a reserve driver and sometime Friday tester before new owners took over the team earlier this year.
The 22-year-old will be the first American to race in F1 since Scott Speed's final appearance for Toro Rosso in the 2007 European Grand Prix.
"It goes without saying that I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to race in Formula 1 for the first time and I cannot thank the Marussia F1 team for the faith they are demonstrating in me," said Rossi.
"It's a very big moment for me and there's a lot to prepare in a short space of time, but on the other hand I have felt ready for this for quite a while now. It is also exciting to be given this opportunity at such a fantastic and historical circuit as Spa-Francorchamps.
"I can't wait to drive the MR03 from tomorrow and I hope to reward the team with a solid race weekend."
The Marussia driver swap is the second change to the F1 line-up for Spa, with the team's arch-rival Caterham having already replaced Kamui Kobayashi with Audi Le Mans star Andre Lotterer.

Max Chilton says he relinquished Marussia F1 seat voluntarily
By Matt Beer Thursday, August 21st 2014, 15:13 GMT
Max Chilton says he relinquished his Marussia Formula 1 race seat to Alexander Rossi for the Belgian Grand Prix voluntarily due to financial issues on the team's side.
Marussia announced on Thursday afternoon at Spa that its recently-signed reserve driver Rossi would replace Chilton alongside Jules Bianchi this weekend.
The team said the move was due to "contractual issues".
Chilton subsequently released a statement through his PR company saying that Marussia was short of funds and he had moved aside so that Rossi could pay for the seat.
"Max Chilton has volunteered to step out of his race seat for this weekend's race in Spa, Belgium, to allow the team to attract much needed funds by selling his seat," read the statement.
"Max will attend the race and be on hand to support the team in any way possible."
The statement indicated that the driver swap was only a temporary measure for Spa.
"Marussia are currently in talks with several new investors and it is expected the situation will be resolved before the next race in the F1 calendar in Monza," it added.
Chilton was in his second full season with Marussia after stepping up from GP2 to F1 with the team last year.
Marussia has declined to specify exactly what the contractual issues are, but they are likely to relate to the non-payment of promised funding from Chilton's backers that secure him the drive.

Max Chilton will race at Belgian Grand Prix after all
By Jonathan Noble Friday, August 22nd 2014, 08:24 GMT
Max Chilton will race for Marussia at the Belgian Grand Prix after all, his team announced on Friday.
On the back of contractual issues between the British driver and his team that came to a head in recent weeks, the outfit announced on Thursday that its reserve driver Alexander Rossi would take his place for the Spa-Francorchamps weekend.
Although the team did not state what those contractual issues were, it is understood they related to the non-payment of promised sponsorship funds from Chilton's backers.
Chilton claimed himself, however, that he had voluntarily stepped aside so that the outfit could sell his seat to secure what he said was a much-needed financial boost.
But despite the suggestion of him offering to vacate the seat, a deal appeared to have been completed overnight that has ensured he will be back racing this weekend.
A team spokesperson confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Chilton would be racing, and that an application had already been lodged with the FIA for him to be back in the car for Friday afternoon's second free practice session.
A statement issued by the FIA said: "The stewards have received a request from Marussia F1 Team to change the nominated driver Alexander Rossi (car #42) back to their previously nominated driver Max Chilton (car #4) for the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix.
"In accordance with Article 19 of the FIA Formula 1 sporting regulations the stewards grant permission for this driver change."

Mystery remains over Chilton return to the Marussia F1 cockpit
By Jonathan Noble Friday, August 22nd 2014, 12:24 GMT
Marussia remained coy on Friday about exactly why Max Chilton had returned to its Formula 1 cockpit at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Chilton had originally been stood down in favour of Alexander Rossi at Spa-Francorchamps because of contractual issues, although the Briton later claimed he had voluntarily stepped aside to help the outfit sell his seat.
However, just before opening free practice on Friday, the team had a change of heart and requested with the stewards that Chilton be reinstated as one of its nominated race drivers.
Although Chilton's return prompted suggestions that the contractual matters - believed to relate to the late payment of sponsorship - had been sorted, the team suggested that the situation was more complicated than that.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the details of the contractual issues because that is confidential between parties involved, so there is nothing we can really say on that.
"This [having Chilton back] is a result of a change in circumstances."
When asked how the team could explain Chilton's stance that he had voluntarily stepped aside to try to help its financial situation, only to be back in the car the next day, Lowdon said: "To be honest, you will have to ask his PR people. I don't know anything about it. You will have to ask them to clarify it."
Despite the ongoing mystery surrounding the Chilton situation, Lowdon said he hoped the issues were now a thing of the past and he could see out the season.
"The assumption and the intention of the team is that this is our driver line-up and that is what it will be for the whole season," he said. "That is certainly what we are working towards.
"We have seen that there are things that can cause hiccups and changes in that - and that is just how things are."
ROSSI IMPRESSED TEAM
Although Rossi suffered the disappointment of losing out on the chance of making his F1 debut, the team made clear it was impressed with the job the American did in FP1.
"I have to say that Alex Rossi acquitted himself incredibly well," said Lowdon. "He has conducted himself really well, and it's great to have him on the team.
"I've huge respect for Alex, he's done a tremendous job, and this is part and parcel of the professional life he leads.
"For Alex, it's not the first time he has been in a Formula 1 car, and it won't be the last I'm sure."

Max Chilton says there's more to Marussia story than many think
By Jonathan Noble Friday, August 22nd 2014, 16:34 GMT
Max Chilton insists that there is more to the story behind his return to the Marussia Formula 1 cockpit at the Belgian Grand Prix that people think.
The Briton had on Thursday been sidelined by the team in favour of Alexander Rossi due to contractual issues, although he later claimed he had voluntarily stepped aside to help the outfit secure funds.
But in a dramatic turnaround on Friday morning, which has not been fully explained, he was put back in the car.
There has been intense speculation that the issue revolves around the non-payment of promised sponsorship money from his backers.
But Chilton said that the situation was very different to what many have suspected.
"It has been a busy 24 hours and lots of things have changed," he said.
"There have been lots of rumours that aren't true. They're the first thing people think of. But there's a lot more going on behind the scenes.
"That's why what happened yesterday was created, but that changed and that's why I got put back in the car."
Although claiming that financial factors were not the reason for events, he declined to elaborate on what the real explanation was.
"I'm not going to comment on anything because the moment I comment on that people will start writing it," he said.
"But I stick to the words that what everyone seems to think has happened isn't the issue."
RUSSIAN OWNERS INVOLVED
Although the Marussia team has also refused to reveal what the change of circumstance was that got Chilton back in the car, there are growing suggestions that the team's Russian majority shareholder Andrey Cheglakov may have influenced the decision.
Chilton himself fuelled those rumours when he confirmed on Friday that his management team had been in personal touch with Cheglakov over the Belgian GP weekend.
"People in my management team have, yes," he said.

Belgian GP: Rossi told after practice he wouldn't race for Marussia
By Jonathan Noble Friday, August 22nd 2014, 17:16 GMT
Alexander Rossi has revealed that he only found out that he was not making his Formula 1 race debut for Marussia at the Belgian Grand Prix after Friday's first practice.
The American had been due to fill in for Max Chilton at Spa-Francorchamps, because at the time Marussia had contractual issues with its regular racer.
But following a change of circumstance at the team, which has not yet been fully explained, Chilton was given the green light to be back in the car on Friday morning.
Speaking at the end of the day, Rossi revealed that he had no idea about the change of plan until he got out of the car following his run in first practice.
"It was after the end of the FP1 session," said Rossi. "Of course it was [a surprise], but at the end of the day there is nothing you can do it about it so there is no point complaining or anything.
"That is the way it goes and I will be back very soon."
Rossi admitted that losing the chance to race was a disappointment, but it was not as gutting as some may have thought.
"I don't think it was as hard as you would expect because it came so quickly and it went away in the same way," he said.
"I don't think it had fully sunk it quite yet that I was racing as it was a Friday morning session - it was nothing new to me obviously.
"But I was quite disappointed, I wanted to race this weekend, but that is the way it goes sometimes. It is the sport we are involved in."
RACE CHANCE A BOOST ANYWAY
But despite not getting the chance to race, Rossi thinks that the uplift in profile he got this weekend - and the fact he was given the nod to race - has been a big boost.
"It not only gave America and the F1 fan base a bit of confidence in the fact that I can make it - but it gave me the confidence too.
"Coming to this team and being here for such a short period of time, the fact that they showed faith in me when necessary went a long way.
"Beyond all this, the biggest emotion I have is the gratefulness I am here and that I am involved with these people."

Italian GP: Max Chilton says his Marussia F1 drive is now safe
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 4th 2014, 12:42 GMT
Max Chilton says the commercial factors that led to him briefly being dropped by Marussia have been sorted, and he will race for the rest of the Formula 1 season.
Marussia announced on the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that Chilton was moving aside for Alexander Rossi, but the decision was reversed at the last minute to get the Briton back in the car.
Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Chilton made clear that things were now fully resolved between him and the team.
When asked if he was now sure to be racing for the rest of 2014, Chilton said: "Yes. It was just a commercial decision and it got changed.
"We are now back to normal and moving on.
"I am definitely in for every single race, although FP1 sessions are open - and that is the team's decision.
"As long as I get informed the week before that I am missing FP1, it is not a problem."
FOCUS ON BEATING SAUBER
Marussia faces an anxious end to the campaign to hold on to its ninth place in the constructors' championship, which would give it a financial lifeline.
Chilton admitted the money situation for the outfit was not ideal, but he reckons that if it can stay out of trouble for the rest of the campaign then the future looks bright.
"It is not easy times at the moment but if we can hold on until the end of the year then it will be a great year," he said.
"The best we can do now is focus on trying to stay ahead of the Saubers."

Ex-Caterham F1 tester Will Stevens gets Marussia FP1 drive in Japan
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, October 2nd 2014, 02:30 GMT
Will Stevens is set to drive for the Marussia Formula 1 team during the opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Briton has previously tested for Caterham, but his appearance at Suzuka will be his first outing during an F1 race weekend.
Stevens' outing in Japan could be part of an expanded role with Marussia that may also open up the chance for further outings later this year.
He is currently sixth in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 standings, having won the opening round at Monza in Italy.
An announcement from the team confirming its plans is expected later on Thursday.

Japanese GP: Will Stevens joins Marussia but misses Suzuka FP1 run
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 3rd 2014, 01:10 GMT
Marussia has announced Will Stevens as part of its Formula 1 reserve roster, although plans to run him in Japanese Grand Prix practice have fallen through at the last minute.
The 23-year-old Briton, who was previously part of the Caterham team's junior driver academy and had twice tested with the squad, is with Marussia at Suzuka this weekend.
It had been hoped that Stevens could have his first run in the Marussia during FP1, but industrial action in Germany meant that completed documentation could not be lodged with F1's contract recognition board in time.
Stevens will still be given further free practice outings over the remainder of the year.
Marussia team boss John Booth said: "Will is a driver we have been watching since he arrived in Formula Renault.
"We have admired his ability to learn quickly and compete in the thick of the action, so we are very pleased to add him to our roster of official reserve drivers, which is now looking very strong indeed."
Stevens has spent this season racing in Formula Renault 3.5, winning the opening round at Monza.

Jules Bianchi taken to hospital after Japanese Grand Prix F1 crash
Sunday, October 5th 2014, 08:32 GMT
Marussia Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi has been taken to hospital unconscious following an accident during the Japanese Grand Prix.
The race was red-flagged with nine laps to go when Bianchi went off at Turn 7, where Adrian Sutil had crashed earlier.
The Sauber was being recovered by a crane when Bianchi went off. It is understood that the Marussia made contact with the recovery vehicle.
"The driver is not conscious, he has been sent to the hospital by ambulance because the helicopter cannot go in these conditions," said FIA press officer Matteo Bonciani.
"Further updates will follow - for the moment we cannot say anything. We will keep you updated as fast as we can."
Sutil said Bianchi had gone off in a similar manner to his own incident.
"I had aquaplaning at this corner and the rain got more and more, the visibility got less and less," Sutil told television crews.
"One lap later with waved yellow flags Jules came around and had the same spin there, and that was it.
"It was more or less the same crash, but the outcome was a bit different.
"[The tractor] came out to rescue my car, and then it all happened.
"It hit him hard. That is all I can say. I have no information about how he is but I really hope for him that it is all OK and my thoughts are with him.
"I was just standing there. We know that it is serious at the moment."
Jenson Button, who finished fifth, said it was clear as drivers passed the scene that the incident was serious.
"The most important thing to say is that we hope Jules is alright. Our thoughts are with Jules," he said.
"A horrible incident. It is an incident you hope it never happens in Formula 1.
"I saw the Marussia behind the crane, and it was very damaged, which was surprising. But that was it.
"I just heard he hit the crane. It's pretty horrible and our thoughts are with him and his family right now."

Jules Bianchi suffered severe head injury in Japanese GP F1 crash
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, October 5th 2014, 11:28 GMT
Jules Bianchi has suffered a severe head injury and has undergone surgery following his crash in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Marussia Formula 1 driver Bianchi crashed on lap 43 of the Suzuka F1 race, going off the track at Turn 7 shortly after Adrian Sutil had spun into the barriers at the same place.
Bianchi's Marussia hit the rear of a recovery vehicle that was being used to recover the stranded Sauber.
After being removed from the car, he was taken to the Suzuka circuit's medical centre before being transported to the Mie General hospital in an ambulance. He was unconscious throughout.
A statement issued by motor racing's governing body on Sunday night said: "The CT scan shows that he has suffered a severe head injury and is currently undergoing surgery.
"Following this, he will be moved to intensive care where he will be monitored.
"Mie General Hospital will issued an update as soon as further information becomes available."
The FIA confirmed that double waved yellow flags had been displayed after Sutil's accident to act as a warning for drivers.

Marussia F1 team asks for patience over Bianchi condition updates
Monday, October 6th 2014, 08:03 GMT
The Marussia Formula 1 team has asked for patience over updates about Jules Bianchi's condition after his Japanese Grand Prix crash.
Bianchi underwent surgery in Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi on Sunday, having sustained when he went off and hit a tractor that was recovering Adrian Sutil's crashed Sauber.
No further information regarding Bianchi's condition has been issued, but he was due to be moved to intensive care after the operation.
A statement from Marussia said "with regard to the communication of information regarding Jules' medical condition, we will respect, and be guided by, the wishes of the Bianchi family.
"Together with Jules' care, they will remain our highest priority.
"Therefore, we would ask for patience and understanding with regard to further medical updates, which will be communicated in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi, where Jules is being treated, when they feel it is appropriate."
Members of both the Marussia team and Ferrari - which has supported Bianchi's career through its driver academy programme - remain at the hospital.

Extent of Jules Bianchi's Japanese GP crash injuries revealed
Tuesday, October 7th 2014, 14:20 GMT
Jules Bianchi's family has revealed the extent of the head injuries he suffered in a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix.
While the 25-year-old Frenchman remains in intensive care at the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi in a critical but stable condition, it has been confirmed that he has suffered a diffuse axonal injury.
Such an injury is usually the consequence of the forces of a rapid acceleration or deceleration of the head and affects the nerves in the brain.
Its severity can vary over a wide range.
"This is a very difficult time for our family, but the messages of support and affection for Jules from all over the world have been a source of great comfort to us," said Bianchi's family in a statement.
"We would like to express our sincere appreciation.
"The hospital will continue to monitor and treat Jules and further medical updates will be provided when appropriate."
The family thanked FIA Medical Commission president Professor Gerard Saillant for his presence at the hospital, and also Professor Alessandro Frati, neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, who has travelled to Japan at Ferrari's request.
"They arrived at the hospital today and met with the medical personnel responsible for Jules' treatment, in order to be fully informed of his clinical status so that they are able to advise the family," the statement added.
"Professors Saillant and Frati acknowledge the excellent care being provided by the Mie General Medical Center and would like to thank their Japanese colleagues."

Marussia F1 team yet to decide if it races with two cars in Russia
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, October 9th 2014, 13:55 GMT
The Marussia Formula 1 team will only decide on Friday morning whether or not it will enter two cars at the Russian Grand Prix.
With Jules Bianchi remaining in a critical condition in hospital in Japan following his crash last weekend, high level sources have indicated that its plans remain open and a decision will only be taken before first free practice.
Although Alexander Rossi has been nominated by the team to race alongside Max Chilton at Sochi and has appeared on the official entry list, the team is still unsure of how it wants to approach the weekend.
With its focus remaining very much on Bianchi and his family, it will only enter a second car with the full support of those closest to the Frenchman.
The team has, however, prepared a new second chassis so is ready to run in the event that it decides to push ahead with two cars.
ENTRY LIST DEADLINE
Formula 1's regulations mean that Marussia had to nominate both its entries for this weekend's race by 4pm on Thursday.
As Rossi is its team's official reserve driver it was logical for the team to nominate the American.
Although teams are contractually obliged to participate with two cars at each grand prix, it is understood that Marussia chiefs have been in close contact with Bernie Ecclestone to clarify that there would be no consequences if it decided to race with just one car - or even pull out of the event entirely.
Marussia team principal John Booth has decided to remain in Japan to be with Bianchi and his family rather than travel to the Russian GP.

Russian GP: Marussia enters one car for Chilton after Bianchi crash
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 10th 2014, 05:44 GMT
The Marussia Formula 1 team will race with only one car at the Russian Grand Prix in tribute to injured driver Jules Bianchi.
Following Bianchi's horrific accident at the Japanese GP, which has left him in a critical condition in hospital, Marussia had been car for this weekend's Sochi F1 race.
Despite building up a new chassis, and nominating reserve driver Alexander Rossi as a potential race entrant, following consultation with Bianchi's family it has elected to run only Max Chilton in Russia.
A statement issued by Marussia said: "The team have written to the stewards of the meeting to inform them that they have withdrawn their second car.
"Notwithstanding the presence in Sochi of Alexander Rossi, the nominated Official reserve driver for the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, the team feels strongly that fielding a single car, that of driver #4, Max Chilton, is the appropriate course of action under the difficult circumstances of the weekend."
The second car will remain in the Marussia garage through the weekend with Bianchi's numbers.
Chilton admitted that Marussia faced a tough weekend in Russia.
"I don't know how to put into words how truly devastated I am by what has happened to Jules," he said.
"The support from the F1 family has been incredible and all we can do is be there to support Jules' family at this difficult time.
"It is going to be a very emotional weekend for the whole team, but we will try to get through it and keep praying for Jules."

Jules Bianchi's Marussia F1 team touched by fan and paddock support
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 10th 2014, 13:40 GMT
Marussia chief Graeme Lowdon says the huge support from fans and the Formula 1 community has been a big help to his team in the wake of Jules Bianchi's accident.
With Bianchi still in a critical condition in hospital following his Japanese Grand Prix crash, Marussia has faced a hugely challenging time over recent days to prepare for this weekend's race in Russia, where it is only running one car.
But with fans and everyone in the sport rallying around to offer their best wishes, Lowdon says the backing has been welcomed.
"It has been a very, very difficult time, but it has also been a time that reminded us of how much support there is for people within this sport," said Marussia's sporting director.
"Jules is an exceptional F1 driver, but he is also an exceptional human being. I don't know a single human being who doesn't like him.
"You wouldn't wish that accident on anybody, but certainly Jules has so many friends that it has hit home really hard to a lot of people.
"John [Booth, team principal] has remained in Japan to offer what support he can.
"None of us are medical people so we cannot help in that area, but we can provide another form of support which we hope helps the really difficult time.
"From a team point of view we want to thank everyone who has provided support - especially the fans."
Lowdon admitted that it was not an easy call to decide to race with just one car at the Russian GP, with Max Chilton the team's sole entrant.
"It was a difficult decision," he said. "The main thing we wanted was to do something useful and be supportive as much as we can for Jules and Jules' family.
"We thought that the right thing to do was to obviously come here, take part in the event, but as a mark of support to Jules and mark of respect to his mum and dad and to Jules' family, we would withdraw the second car."
FERRARI HAS FACED PAINFUL WEEK
Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci, who has got to know Bianchi as part of his team's young driver programme, admitted that events of the last week had hurt.
"It has been and still is an extremely painful week for all of us in F1, but for all of us at Ferrari," he said.
"Jules is a Ferrari driver, is part of the Ferrari family and is one of us. So we are extremely pained at the moment.
"We have been trying to stay as close as we can to the family.
"To go through this weekend we do with a lot of pain, but we are here to race and having Jules in our hearts. That is all I have to say."

F1: FIA reveals details of Jules Bianchi's crash in Japanese GP
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 10th 2014, 16:47 GMT
The FIA has revealed more details about the circumstances that led up to Jules Bianchi's horrific Formula 1 accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
During a media briefing at the Russian GP on Friday, F1 race director Charlie Whiting ran through CCTV footage of the minutes before Bianchi crashed into a recovery vehicle.
The video footage, taken from cameras overlooking Turn 7, showed the cars coming through the long left-hander in the closing stages of the Japanese Grand Prix.
With rain falling, the racing line appears to have less water on it - with worse conditions on the outside of the bend where cars are not running.
The incident begins when Adrian Sutil runs wide onto the outside line of water and spins off.
Whiting said: "There is a dryish line. As the rain has intensified, a little bit of water creeps on to the drier line, and as cars go a little bit wide there, you see that Adrian got onto that and lost control.
"He touches that slightly wetter bit of track, and he is behind Jules at this point.
"When he hits that slightly wetter bit of track, he loses control and spins."
A lap later, with double waved yellow flags being displayed, Bianchi hits the same bit of water.
But unlike Sutil, Bianchi does not spin around. Instead, he attempts to correct the slide but over-corrects and spears straight off the track.
Whiting added: "You can see Jules doing something similar. He hits the same bit of water, but there is a slight difference - he does not spin like Adrian did.
"He corrects and goes off at a slightly different trajectory."
Bianchi's car slides straight off the track and skips across a gravel trap before colliding with the recovery vehicle that is retrieving Sutil's car.
Whiting said that it was not yet possible to judge exactly what speed Bianchi hit the truck at.
"It is a little too early because you don't get any proper data from the car when it is going across gravel," he said.
"GPS data is all you can rely on and you cannot rely on that very much.
"It is not a good idea at this stage until we have proper investigations, really analyse the footage and GPS data to see what the impact speed was.
"It would be too early to throw a figure out there and come back later and say it wasn't quite right."
The trajectory of Bianchi's accident means that even if he had not hit the truck, it would still have been a sizeable accident with the barriers.
"Looking at the first estimates of the speed of the car, I would say it would have been - with three row tyre barrier and guard rail -very similar to Heikki Kovalainen's accident in Barcelona [in 2008]," said Whiting. "But that is a very rough estimate."
Whiting said that initial analysis had ruled out mechanical failure for causing the crash.

Jules Bianchi accident: Key questions answered
By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 10th 2014, 18:36 GMT
Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting's initial report into Jules Bianchi's Japanese Grand Prix crash was supplied to FIA president Jean Todt on Friday.
Just a few hours later, the governing body broke its silence on the details surrounding the horrific accident that has left the French driver fighting for his life.
After days of speculation, a lengthy press conference provided greater clarity about the events at Suzuka and what lessons have been learned.
Here AUTOSPORT picks out the key answers that were given as efforts to improve safety continues.
WAS IT WRONG TO START THE RACE AT 3PM?
Moving forward the start of the Japanese GP from 3pm due to weather fears was discussed, but rejected by race organisers.
Some have linked the start time to contributing to the Bianchi crash, but Whiting does not agree.
Charlie Whiting: "Firstly, the race start time is not really a matter for the FIA.
"I did suggest to the organisers that they might want to consider doing it earlier to get the race in, as the forecast was worse than it turned out to be. They didn't want to do that.
"I warned them that we would not run the race unless it was safe to run it, and there was a high probability that they would not have a race.
"They said no, they wanted to stick with the 3pm start time. But for me, the race start time is totally unconnected to the incident in question."
WHY DID THE FIA NOT BRING OUT THE SAFETY CAR TO DEAL WITH THE RECOVERY OF ADRIAN SUTIL'S CAR?
There have been many claims that the FIA should have brought out the safety car for the retrieval of Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber.
Whiting says that doing so would be a break from normal procedure, and that double waved yellows is standard practice for the type of recovery that was taking place at Suzuka.
Whiting: "We put double waved yellows out because we felt the incident could be dealt with without using the safety car.
"The next stage up is a safety car but, because the car was well away from the track and against the tyres, it is the normal procedure for us to follow under those circumstances. We didn't see any need for a safety car."
DID BIANCHI SLOW DOWN ENOUGH FOR YELLOW FLAGS?
Double waved yellows inform drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop.
The FIA said that Bianchi had reacted and backed off compared to his previous lap, but did not reveal just how much slower he was.
Whiting: "I know what speed he left the track at. We have seen the data from all the cars.
"A lot of cars came through the double waved yellow sector, not everyone slowed down as much.
"There were some that didn't slow down much and some slowed down a lot - and I don't think we need to go into the detail of how much he slowed down relative to the others.
"Suffice to say, we do have that data. He did slow down and it is a matter of degree."
WERE THE MARSHALS RIGHT TO SHOW A GREEN FLAG AFTER THE INCIDENT?
Video footage of the Bianchi crash taken by a fan revealed a green flag being displayed after the accident - as is standard protocol.
There have been stories questioning whether or not this was a mistake, but Whiting says he is wholly happy with what the marshals did once the recovery was taking place behind that marshal post.
Whiting: "It was entirely the correct signal, because it was after the obstruction.
"What you must understand is that the green does not mean you can start racing because you have seen the green, you cannot start racing until you reach the green.
"It is exactly the same as a yellow. If you see a yellow going in to the first corner, you don't have to obey it until you get to it."
WERE THERE DELAYS IN THE FIA UNDERSTANDING HOW SERIOUS BIANCHI'S CRASH WAS?
The nature of the Bianchi crash meant that signals designed to alert race control of a major incident did not get relayed back, as systems on the car had been destroyed.
With television cameras not picking up the crash either, Whiting revealed that he had initially been unaware of how serious the situation was.
Whiting: "Simply the car was not visible
"My first thoughts were looking at the screen, where you saw the tractor recovering the car, 'this is taking a long time, it's taking longer than I expected.'
"Normally the marshals in Suzuka work really, really quickly. Then they said a car has hit the tractor.
"It was the clerk of the course. They got a message back from the post, that a car has hit the tractor. I said, 'what do you mean?' I couldn't see a car hit the tractor.
"It then took a while to get another camera and then we could see there was a car there.
"It was not completely apparent the condition of the driver: is the driver hurt? Is anyone hurt? When we found out we dispatched safety and medical cars."
Whiting estimated the delay was only around 20 seconds.
WHY WAS BIANCHI TAKEN TO HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE?
In serious incidents, drivers are normally flown to hospital by helicopter. The decision to send Bianchi via ambulance was questioned at the time, but the explanation for why the FIA did that is clear.
FIA chief medical officer Jean-Charles Piette: "The main referral hospital, which is Mie General Medical Centre, is 15km from the circuit. The distance by road is supposed to be 25 minutes under normal circumstances.
"When Jules had his accident, the chief medical officer told me at that moment that the helicopter can take off from the circuit but cannot land at the hospital.
"So we decided, as initially thought from the morning, to use a resuscitation ambulance to go to hospital. With a police escort, the duration of the transfer was 32 minutes."
When asked if the extra time affected Bianchi's conditions, medical rescue co-ordinator Ian Roberts said: "The excess time was only seven minutes throughout the whole of the transfer.
"Jules was monitored very closely and he arrived at hospital in exactly the same state physiologically as when we left - so no.
"It was quite stable throughout and made no difference."
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?
As well as the FIA looking at ways to introduce new yellow flag speed limits, a full report on the crash is to be submitted to its Safety Commission, which is headed by Peter Wright.
An expert panel may then be set up to look at lessons that can be learned to ensure that such an accident will never happen again.
FIA president Jean Todt said: "We have to learn from what has happened and we will learn from what has happened, because we cannot be facing such a situation again."

Russian GP: Mercedes says Bianchi tragedy overshadows title
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, October 12th 2014, 17:14 GMT
Mercedes has admitted that the shine has been taken off its Formula 1 constructors' title success by its ongoing concern for the critically ill Jules Bianchi.
With Bianchi remaining in hospital in Japan following his horrifying accident at Suzuka, the Formula 1 paddock has been unified in making it clear that its thoughts are firmly with the French driver and his family.
And although Mercedes celebrated its first ever F1 constructors' championship in Russia, its motorsport boss Toto Wolff said the joy was not quite as much because of recent events.
"We must not forget what happened last week and even if we have celebrations, and even if the boys are very happy with all the hard work, we will not forget what happened to Jules," he explained.
But despite the ongoing concern for Bianchi, Wolff said that it was important Mercedes recognised the effort it had taken to secure title glory.
"I just feel proud to be part of the team, part of the team of which the foundations were built by Ross Brawn," he said.
"He played such an important role in the team, and the step which was done in 2012.
"We constantly ramped our game up, we made the right decisions, and we got the right resources.
"The big boys back at Stuttgart realised what was needed and since then we were on an upward slope and today is the result of all that."
HAMILTON DEDICATES WIN
Hamilton, whose victory was enough to secure Mercedes the constructors' title, dedicated his win to Bianchi and his family afterwards.
"I think all week there has been one person on my mind, and that is Jules," he said.
"I think, of course, there is excitement and happiness for the team and everything.
"But without a doubt every time I got in the car this weekend, coming here and being here, I was just thinking of him and his family - and keeping him in my prayers each day.
"Whether it means anything, it will be great to be able to dedicate this to him and his family.
"Every bit of positive energy, hopefully, will help. I need all of you guys and all of this team to be sending those positive vibes that way - because positive energy is actually real."

Ex-F1 champion Alain Prost "furious" about Jules Bianchi crash
By Jonathan Noble Monday, October 13th 2014, 09:29 GMT
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost says Jules Bianchi's accident at the Japanese Grand Prix left him furious about the way the situation was handled.
While Bianchi continues to fight for his life in a Japanese hospital, Prost believes that the FIA should have acted differently in dealing with the recovery of Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber.
He suggests that although it is standard procedure for double waved yellow flags to be used when retrieving vehicles, the circumstances of the Suzuka race should have resulted in the governing body acting differently to ensure there was no risk of another accident.
"I don't want to make any polemics with the FIA, because I have a lot of respect for what has been done in terms of safety over the past 20 years," said Prost, when asked by AUTOSPORT for his feelings on events in Japan.
"It is cars and tracks [that have been improved] and there was only one thing left: it was this f**king truck on the track."
Prost said he could not believe that the FIA allowed a crane to be allowed trackside of barriers while cars were still driving by at high speed.
"I was furious. I was really shocked by the accident," he said.
"You have the procedure, but the weather conditions were getting worse and worse with more and more water, so visibility was very bad.
"So you cannot have the same decision according to the procedure if the weather was good or bad. That is why I say I am not convinced.
"In this condition, especially with all the experience they have in terms of safety, they should have zero risk."
Prost accepts that Bianchi was unlucky to hit the crane, but he feels it is the governing body's job to ensure that such a thing cannot happen in the first place.
"It was safe in the beginning when it started with the safety car, because it was a difficult decision to stop the race after three/four laps and start again," he said.
"That is why I was shocked, because you take the right decision at one stage.
"It is huge bad luck, but you should not judge the cause of the accident, you should judge the consequence. You don't want to have that.
"If it was my son, I wouldn't want this type of accident with a truck on an F1 track. That is what I cannot accept."

Bianchi remains critical but stable, faces 'challenging' situation
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, October 14th 2014, 15:15 GMT
Jules Bianchi faces a 'challenging' situation as he remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital in Japan, his Marussia Formula 1 team said on Tuesday.
The Frenchman suffered severe head injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, and has been fighting for his life ever since.
In a medical update that was issued by the team, Marussia said that efforts were ongoing to try to improve his condition.
"The past nine days have been extremely difficult for Jules and his family," said the statement.
"As a consequence of the accident at Suzuka, a number of medical challenges have needed to be overcome and the situation remains challenging due to the diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury Jules has sustained.
"Jules remains in a critical but stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit of Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi."
The statement also said that the Bianchi family, which is at his bedside, had been tremendously thankful for the messages of support they had been sent in the days after the crash.
"The Bianchi family continue to be comforted by the thoughts and prayers of Jules' many fans and the motor sport community," added the statement.
"In particular, the many demonstrations of support and affection during the course of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi were of enormous comfort to Jules' parents and the relatives and friends also present at the hospital."

Marussia F1 team 'shocked' by Jules Bianchi crash allegations
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, October 15th 2014, 07:52 GMT
The Marussia Formula 1 team has reacted angrily to upsetting claims made against it and Jules Bianchi over the circumstances behind his Japanese Grand Prix crash.
While the Frenchman remains in a critical condition in hospital, his team said it was "shocked" that some publications had thrown blame towards it and Bianchi over what happened.
Several media outlets reported that Bianchi had not slowed down under double waved yellow flags before his crash, and that the Marussia team had urged him to push hard in a bid to keep ahead of Caterham's Marcus Ericsson.
Both claims have been strongly denied by Marussia - which says that at a time when its efforts were focused on helping Bianchi it should not be forced to respond to inaccuracies.
"The Marussia F1 Team is shocked and angered by these allegations," said the statement.
"At a time when its driver is critically ill in hospital, and the team has made clear that its highest priority is consideration for Jules and his family, it is distressed to have to respond to deeply upsetting rumours and inaccuracies in respect of the circumstances of Jules' accident.
"However, given that these allegations are entirely false, the team has no alternative but to address these."
RADIO TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED
Marussia said that a media briefing given by F1 race director Charlie Whiting at the Russian Grand Prix confirmed that Bianchi had slowed down.
Whiting said: "A lot of cars came through the double waved yellow sector, not everyone slowed down as much.
"There were some that didn't slow down much and some slowed down a lot - and I don't think we need to go into the detail of how much he slowed down relative to the others.
"Suffice to say, we do have that data. He did slow down and it is a matter of degree."
On the issue of the team telling Bianchi to push, the statement said: "An audio copy of the full radio transmission between Jules and the team, and also a written transcript thereof, were provided to the FIA.
"It is quite clear from the transmission and the transcript that at no point during the period leading up to Jules' accident did the team urge Jules to drive faster or make any comments suggesting that he should do so."

Marussia F1 team says it owes it to Jules Bianchi to fight on
By Jonathan Noble Monday, October 20th 2014, 10:28 GMT
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon says his team owes it to Jules Bianchi to do all it can to defend its position in the Formula 1 world championship.
The two points that Bianchi earned for the team at the Monaco Grand Prix have put Marussia in ninth place in the constructors' title chase - and if it secures that spot at the end of the season it could be worth as much as £20 million.
After deciding to run one car at the Russian Grand Prix as a tribute to the injured Bianchi, who remains in a critical condition in hospital, Lowdon says that the best thing it can do now is make sure the Frenchman's brilliant effort is not wasted.
"I really hope that the gesture [in Russia] has helped both Jules and the family," said Lowdon.
"That is what it was designed for and that was the intention.
"We've done the best thing we can do for now, and going forward the best thing for Jules and the family is to try to protect our position in the championship.
"Jules has been instrumental in that - because it was a great drive in Monaco - and it got us something really valuable in sporting terms. So we owe it to him now to defend that.
"There are three races left and double points in Abu Dhabi, which puts extra pressure on, so have to keep pushing until the end of the season."
Lowdon says that no decision has been made yet about its car plans for the remainder of the campaign, and anything it does will only be done with the full support of Bianchi's family and management.
"I can make no comment at the moment as far as the driver line-up is concerned," he said.
"We haven't had time to sit down properly and have a look at all the options.
"There is a little bit of a gap now, so we will use that time to work out what the best thing is.
"It is never straightforward, but we will do whatever is right."

Marussia F1 team set to miss United States Grand Prix as well
Saturday, October 25th 2014, 09:22 GMT
Marussia looks set to join Caterham in missing the United States Grand Prix after Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Saturday neither team would travel to Austin.
Caterham looked set to miss the American race earlier this week after its management stepped back and gave control of the team to administrators, who are now seeking a new buyer to save the squad.
Marussia has also been struggling financially.
"Neither of those two teams are going to go to America," Ecclestone told Reuters.
Marussia raced with just one car in the previous race following Jules Bianchi's accident during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Formula 1 cars are due to be shipped by Formula One Management to Austin today.
With the absence of Marussia and Caterham, the grid will be reduced to 18 cars for the first time since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when the BAR team was banned for two races for a technical infringement.
As revealed by AUTOSPORT on Friday, the FIA will not ask top teams to run a third car this season even with fewer than 20 cars on the grid.
The absence of Caterham and Marussia from the Austin grid comes after months of fruitless talks between F1 chiefs to find ways to reduce costs in the sport.

Marussia F1 team ruled out of United States GP by administrators
By Jonathan Noble Monday, October 27th 2014, 10:33 GMT
Marussia will definitely not compete in this weekend's United States Grand Prix, administrators appointed to oversee the Formula 1 team have confirmed.
FRP Advisory LLP was appointed to administrate Marussia's trading company, Manor Grand Prix Racing Limited, on Monday.
With a lack of funding available to justify continuing racing the firm felt it best Marussia sits out the Austin event.
Geoff Rowley, joint administrator, said: "With the existing shareholder unable to provide the required level of funding, the senior management team has worked tirelessly to bring new investment to the team to secure its long term future.
"But regrettably has been unable to do so within the time available. Therefore, they have been left with no alternative but to place the company into administration."
FRP said that Marussia would continue to operate while it looks at longer term options for the company, and that no redundancies had been made.
The statement added: "Following Austin, there are two further rounds of the 2014 championship remaining, in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi, and the team's participation in those races will depend on the outcome of the administration process and any related negotiations with interested parties in what is a very limited window of opportunity.
"No redundancies have been made following the company's entering into administration and all staff have been paid in full to the end of October. The ongoing staff position will however be dependent on whether the company can secure new investment in the limited time available.
"We remain highly focused on engaging with interested parties."
Marussia's absence from the United States GP means there will be only 18 cars on the grid, with Caterham having also gone into administration last week.
It will be the smallest grid since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when BAR was forced to sit out the weekend as punishment for a rules infringement relating to its fuel tank.

Jules Bianchi remains critical but stable in hospital after crash
Thursday, October 30th 2014, 14:14 GMT
Jules Bianchi's condition remains unchanged, with the French Formula 1 driver remaining critical but stable according to his family.
Bianchi is still in hospital in Japan after his horrific crash during the Japanese Grand Prix nearly four weeks ago.
Although the family admitted there was no new information to offer, a statement issued by the Marussia team said he continued to fight, even if his condition remained critical.
The family stated once again how grateful it was for the support received since the accident.
"It will be four weeks this coming Sunday since Jules' accident and he remains in the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi," said the statement.
"His condition continues to be classified by the medical professionals here as critical but stable.
"Although we have no new information to give, we recognise that there are a huge number of people all around the world who are supporting Jules and willing him on in his fight.
"We owe it to his many fans to acknowledge the continued outpouring of messages, and to provide some information, however brief it may be."
The statement underlined that there were currently no plans for Bianchi to be moved from the hospital in Japan.
"Jules does indeed continue to fight. Although there have been some reports suggestive of plans for Jules' treatment, at this time his fight will continue here in Yokkaichi. We are taking things step by step.
"Once again, we would like to offer our sincere appreciation for the patience and understanding being shown towards our family at this very difficult time.
"We also continue to be comforted by the knowledge that Jules is receiving the best possible care at the Mie General Medical Centre, with the doctors here remaining in constant contact with the neurosurgeons at the University La Sapienza of Rome, and Professor Gerard Saillant, president of the FIA Medical Commission.
"We will provide a further update when it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who continues to keep Jules in their thoughts and prayers."

US GP: Stewards refer Caterham, Marussia F1 teams' absence to FIA
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, October 30th 2014, 21:20 GMT
Caterham and Marussia have been deemed to be in breach of Formula 1 regulations by not participating in the United States Grand Prix, but will escape penalties for now.
Although both teams were said to have had dispensation to miss the Austin event from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA stewards made it clear on Thursday that the teams were not allowed to be absent.
F1's sporting regulations state that teams must race in every event of the championship.
Article 13.2 (f) of the rules states that a team's entry to the championship includes: "An undertaking by the applicant to participate in every event with the number of cars and drivers entered."
With both teams absent and failing to produce cars for scrutineering, the FIA stewards said that the matter would need to be reviewed by president Jean Todt.
Statements relating to the teams said: "Having considered the requirements of article 13 of the 2014 Formula 1 sporting regulations, in particular article 13.2 (f), and the entry form lodged with and accepted by the FIA in accordance with appendix 2 of the sporting regulations, the stewards decide that [the teams are] in breach of the regulations.
"In view of the team's current financial circumstances, the stewards also decide to not impose any penalty.
"Because of the particular nature of the breach, the matter is referred to the attention of the FIA president."
MARUSSIA'S NINTH PLACE COULD BE CHALLENGED
If Marussia is deemed to be in breach of the rules, it could open up the prospect of its ninth place in the constructors' championship being challenged.
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn, whose team could benefit if Marussia loses that spot, said the situation would only become clear at the end of the year.
"First of all have to wait and see what happens at the end of the season," she said.
"There are different provisions we have which would regulate these kind of events.
"But there are two areas you have to look at. One is that when you enter the championship under those rules you have to participate or enter every event which has not been done here.
"I don't know what exactly the consequences will be, that is for the FIA to decide.
"But there are of course financial consequences. That is a different area - although in that regime you are allowed to miss a certain amount of events."

FIA monitors Caterham and Marussia as 2015 F1 entry list released
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, November 6th 2014, 18:58 GMT
The FIA is continuing to monitor developments at Caterham and Marussia to ensure they will be capable of a Formula 1 return, as both appeared on the 2015 entry list.
Motor racing's governing body has published the list of F1 teams for next season, and it includes the currently absent Marussia and Caterham squads.
Marussia's name has been changed to Manor F1 Team, while Caterham's entry is listed under CF1 Caterham F1 Team.
But despite appearing on the list, it is understood that both teams will still have to prove that they are capable of competing satisfactorily for an entire season if they are to secure their places on the grid.
The FIA has the right to ask for guarantees relating to infrastructure, budgets, and personnel in a bid to make sure that the teams are able to take part.
Both teams are missing the United States and Brazilian Grands Prix, but there remains hope they could be back for the final race of the campaign in Abu Dhabi.
2015 F1 ENTRY LIST:
Company Name Team Name Chassis/Engine
Red Bull Racing Ltd Infiniti Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing/Renault
Red Bull Racing Ltd Infiniti Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing/Renault
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd Mercedes AMG Petronas Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd Mercedes AMG Petronas Mercedes
Ferrari SPA Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari
Ferrari SPA Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari
Lotus F1 Team Ltd Lotus F1 Team Lotus/Mercedes
Lotus F1 Team Ltd Lotus F1 Team Lotus/Mercedes
McLaren Racing Ltd McLaren Honda McLaren/Honda
McLaren Racing Ltd McLaren Honda McLaren/Honda
Force India Formula 1 Team Ltd Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India/Mercedes
Force India Formula 1 Team Ltd Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India/Mercedes
Sauber Motorsport AG Sauber F1 Team Sauber/Ferrari
Sauber Motorsport AG Sauber F1 Team Sauber/Ferrari
Scuderia Toro Rosso SPA Scuderia Toro Rosso STR/Renault
Scuderia Toro Rosso SPA Scuderia Toro Rosso STR/Renault
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd Williams Martini Racing Williams/Mercedes
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd Williams Martini Racing Williams/Mercedes
Manor Grand Prix Racing LTD** Manor F1 Team MNR/Ferrari
Manor Grand Prix Racing LTD** Manor F1 Team MNR/Ferrari
1Malaysia Racing Team SDN BHD CF1 Caterham F1 Team Caterham/Renault
1Malaysia Racing Team SDN BHD CF1 Caterham F1 Team Caterham/Renault

** Subject to confirmation

Marussia Formula 1 team closes doors, staff made redundant
By Jonathan Noble Friday, November 7th 2014, 13:14 GMT
Marussia's hopes of making a return to Formula 1 have been dashed, after administrators confirmed the outfit was shutting its doors.
Despite frantic efforts to try to find a buyer for the team over recent weeks, the failure to complete a deal has forced it out of business.
Administrators FRP Advisory LLP said that the Marussia team had ceased trading and the 200 staff had been made redundant.
Geoff Rowley, joint administrator, said: "It goes without saying that it is deeply regrettable that a business with such a great following in British and world motorsport has had to cease trading and close its doors.
"Whilst the team made significant progress during its relatively short period of operation, operating a F1 team requires significant ongoing investment.
"The group was put into administration last month following a shortfall in on-going funding and the administration process provided a moratorium to allow for attempts to secure a long term viable solution for the company within in a very limited time-frame.
"Sadly no solution could be achieved to allow for the business to continue in its current form. We would like to thank all the staff for their support during this difficult process."
He added: "The team will not be participating in the two further rounds of the 2014 championship remaining, in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi.
"The joint administrators will continue with their statutory duties to realise the assets of the business in the best interests of all the creditors."
The news of Marussia's demise comes just a day after the company that owns the entry - Manor F1 Team - appeared on a provisional line-up for the 2015 F1 season.
Marussia originally entered F1 in 2010 as Virgin Racing, before being taken over by Russian businessman Andrey Cheglakov.
It scored its first points at this year's Monaco Grand Prix, which would have helped secure it a hefty boost of commercial rights incomes at the end of the season.
But with the costs of F1 increasing, the team could not secure the budget it needed to finish the campaign - so will forfeit the income.

Jules Bianchi transferred to French hospital as condition improves
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, November 19th 2014, 16:08 GMT
Jules Bianchi has been transferred to a French hospital and is no longer in an induced coma, the injured French Formula 1 driver's family said in a statement on Wednesday.
Seven weeks after Bianchi suffered serious head injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, his family has revealed that there are encouraging signs of progress.
Although he remains unconscious and is still in a "critical" condition, he is now breathing unaided and doctors agreed he was able to be moved from hospital in Yokkaichi to Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice.
The statement said: "Jules is no longer in the artificial coma in which he was placed shortly after the accident, however he is still unconscious.
"He is breathing unaided and his vital signs are stable, but his condition is still classified as 'critical'. His treatment now enters a new phase concerned with the improvement of his brain function.
"Jules' neurological condition remains stable. Although the situation continues to be serious, and may remain so, it was decided that Jules was sufficiently stable to be repatriated to his native France.
"We are relieved, therefore, to confirm that Jules was transferred aeromedically last night from the Mie Prefectural General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, Japan, to Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU), where he arrived just a short time ago.
"Jules is now in the intensive care unit of Professors Raucoules and Ichai, where his care will also be monitored by Professor Paquis, Head of Neurosurgery Service."
Bianchi's family said they were thankful that, after nearly two months in Japan, the next phase of his recovery would be taking place closer to home.
"We are thankful that the next phase of Jules' treatment can continue close to home, where he can be surrounded and supported by his wider family and friends," added the statement.
"We have nothing but praise for the outstanding care provided by the Mie Prefectural General Medical Center since the accident.
"We owe the medical staff there an enormous debt of gratitude for everything they have done for Jules, and also for our family, during what is a very difficult time for us.
"In particular, we would like to extend our thanks to Doctors Kamei and Yamamichi, and also to Mr Ogura, all part of the team of personnel caring for Jules in Japan."

Jules Bianchi crash: Panel recommends new yellow flag speed limits
By Ben Anderson Wednesday, December 3rd 2014, 17:08 GMT
The accident panel charged with investigating Jules Bianchi's Japanese Grand Prix Formula 1 crash has recommended yellow flag speed limits be rolled out across all forms of international circuit racing.
The FIA set up a 10-man panel to review the circumstances of the accident, in which Marussia F1 driver Bianchi suffered severe head injuries.
The panel, which included former Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn, ex-Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, and double world champion driver Emerson Fittipaldi, drew up a 396-page report on the crash.
It recommends yellow flag rules be revised for 2015 so that speed limits are enforced in yellow flag zones.
F1 has already taken steps towards this by trialling a 'virtual safety car' system during the final three races of 2014. Its full introduction for '15 has been approved.
The panel's report into the crash says that Bianchi "did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control" when he crashed while marshals were recovering Adrian Sutil's stranded Sauber in the closing stages of October's wet Suzuka race.
It goes on to say: "if drivers adhere to the requirements of double yellow flags then neither competitors nor officials should be put in immediate or physical danger".
The report also rules out the idea of implementing closed cockpits on F1 cars, or wrapping mobile cranes in skirts.
"It is not feasible to mitigate the injuries Bianchi suffered by either enclosing the driver's cockpit, or fitting skirts to the crane," the report stated.
"Neither approach is practical due to the very large forces involved in the accident between a 700kg car striking a 6500kg crane at a speed of 126km/h.
"There is simply insufficient impact structure on a F1 car to absorb the energy of such an impact without either destroying the driver's survival cell, or generating non-survivable decelerations.
"It is considered fundamentally wrong to try and make an impact between a racing car and a large and heavy vehicle survivable.
"It is imperative to prevent a car ever hitting the crane and/or the marshals working near it."
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The report says all correct safety procedures were followed at the Japanese GP, but suggests a number of other measures to help safeguard against a repeat accident.
The panel recommends mandating that F1 races should not start no later than four hours before sunset - unless the event is a night race - to ensure visibility does not deteriorate unduly.
The panel also recommends reviewing the F1 calendar to avoid races taking place during local rainy seasons.
Although stressing the quality of the rubber made no contribution to the accident, the FIA panel also says the F1 tyre supplier should be granted an annual wet tyre test, to ensure its technology is the best available for any given season, and recommends the guidelines on circuit drainage be reviewed.

Jules Bianchi crash report highlights Marussia brake-by-wire system
By Ben Anderson Wednesday, December 3rd 2014, 17:36 GMT
The brake-by-wire system on Jules Bianchi's Marussia Formula 1 car may have hastened his Japanese Grand Prix crash by preventing him from cutting the engine, according to a report.
A 10-man accident panel was commissioned by the FIA to investigate the accident that hospitalised Bianchi with life threatening head injuries in October. It revealed its findings at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday.
The report disclosed more details of the circumstances surrounding Bianchi's crash in Japan, in which he careered into a mobile crane while it recovered Adrian Sutil's crashed Sauber.
The report reveals that the brake-by-wire system on Bianchi's Marussia was "incompatible" with a fail-safe system on F1 cars, which is designed to cut the engine when the driver applies brakes and throttle at the same time.
It says this "may have affected" the speed at which Bianchi struck the crane.
The report said: "During the two seconds Bianchi's car was leaving the track and traversing the run-off area, he applied both throttle and brake together, using both feet.
"The FailSafe algorithm is designed to over-ride the throttle and cut the engine, but [this] was inhibited by the torque coordinator, which controls the rear brake-by-wire system.
"Bianchi's Marussia has a unique design of BBW, which proved to be incompatible with the FailSafe settings.
"The fact that the FailSafe did not disqualify the engine torque requested by the driver may have affected the impact velocity; it has not been possible to reliably quantify this.
"However, it may be that Bianchi was distracted by what was happening and the fact that his front wheels had locked, and been unable to steer the car such that it missed the crane.
"Bianchi's helmet struck the sloping underside of the crane. The magnitude of the blow and the glancing nature of it caused massive head deceleration and angular acceleration, leading to his severe injuries."
The report also says race director Charlie Whiting was correct not to call for a safety car while marshals dealt with Sutil's initial accident.
"The actions taken following Sutil's accident were consistent with the regulations, and their interpretation following 384 incidents in the preceding eight years," the report added.
"Without the benefit of hindsight, there is no apparent reason why the safety car should have been deployed either before or after Sutil's accident."

Jules Bianchi begins rehabilitation therapy in French hospital
By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, December 30th 2014, 16:30 GMT
Jules Bianchi's neurological state remains unchanged, but the Formula 1 driver has begun rehabilitation therapy, according to the latest update from his family.
A statement released on behalf of Bianchi's parents Philippe and Christine said there was no new significant information to report regarding the French driver's health following his crash during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Bianchi had been finally transferred to a French hospital at the end of last month, seven weeks after his dramatic accident at Suzuka.
The Frenchman continues to breathe unaided while unconscious, his parents said.
"As we reach the conclusion of a difficult year for our family, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide a further update regarding Jules' medical situation, per our pledge to communicate continued information, when appropriate, to his many fans," the family statement said.
"It was a significant and very comforting step for us to be able to bring Jules home to France last month, to continue his rehabilitation surrounded by his family and friends. This is very important for Jules and also for us.
"Since that time, Jules has received the very best treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU) and now at the CHU's rehabilitation centre for this kind of trauma.
"Jules' neurological status remains unchanged; he is unconscious but able to breathe unaided.
"Whilst there is no significant information to report, we take a great deal of comfort from the fact that Jules continues to fight, as we knew he would, and this has enabled the medical professionals caring for him to commence the planned, but very painstaking, programme of rehabilitation therapy."
The family said it continued to be touched by the overwhelming support received during the past weeks.
"As we reflect on the events of the past few months, we would like to acknowledge once again the overwhelming warmth and affection shown towards our son," the statement continued.
"These continue to be challenging times for our family, but the knowledge that he has touched the lives of so many people all around the world has helped us through.
"We would also like to acknowledge the respect and support shown by the media towards our family during this time, for which we are extremely grateful.
"We will continue to provide information when it is possible to do so and our sincere appreciation to everyone who continues to pray for Jules."
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Chapter 7: 2015 - Year 6 - Manor Marussia F1 Team

Marussia Formula 1 team collapsed with £31m debt
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, January 6th 2015, 15:07 GMT
The Marussia Formula 1 team collapsed owing trade creditors £31.4 million - with Ferrari alone owed more than half that amount.
A summary of the liabilities of the team that has been submitted to the High Court by Marussia's administrators FRP Advisory LLP has revealed the extent of the money owed by the team.
As well as the fixed and floating charges of £13.1 million owed to Lloyds TSB and £14.6 to Marussia Communications, the document breaks down how much is owed to trade creditors.
The three biggest creditors are Ferrari (owed £16.6 million), McLaren (owed £7 million) and Pirelli (owed £1 million).
Also included on the list is former driver Timo Glock, who is owed more than £600,000. A number of F1 circuits and the FIA are also on the list.
The British tax authorities, HMRC, are owed £1 million for outstanding tax and national insurance payments.
Another major creditor is Capsicum Grand Prix Ltd., which represented Max Chilton's interests in F1 and is owed £3.1 million.
The statement of affairs says that Marussia's assets of £6.3 million are only likely to realise £2.2 million.
The total estimated monies owed to creditors, taking into account floating charges, is £62.3 million.
However, when issued and called up capital is taken into account, the estimated final figure of liabilities is £194.7 million.
Marussia's ninth place in the constructors' championship last year put it on course for £35 million prize payment this season, but the team would have to race to qualify for it.

Marussia F1 team in talks with possible buyer as auction is stopped
By Jonathan Noble Monday, January 19th 2015, 15:24 GMT
Marussia's bosses have been given a late boost in their hopes of saving the Formula 1 team, after administrators agreed to stop an auction of its final assets.
Although the team has been in administration since last October, its chiefs Graeme Lowdon and John Booth have been working behind the scenes to secure new backers that will get it back on the grid.
Those talks have so far failed to reach fruition, but progress of the discussions with one group of investors was encouraging enough on Monday for administrators to call off a planned auction of the team's remaining assets that was scheduled for Wednesday.
A short statement issued by Marussia's administrators, FRP Advisory LLP, said: "A planned auction of the Company's remaining assets due to commence on Wednesday 21 January 2015 has been halted to allow for discussions to continue with a third party."
The auction included the team's 2014 cars, spare parts and team equipment. If it had gone ahead then there seemed little chance of the team finding a way back.
There have been no details released about who Marussia's chiefs are talking to, but discussions will need to be concluded quickly if the outfit is to make it on to the grid for the start of the season.
It is already too late for the team to prepare a 2015 car, and any leeway that there may be to begin the campaign with its 2014 challenger still needs approval from rival teams and the FIA.
Furthermore, many of Marussia's staff have found jobs elsewhere so the team would need to recruit personnel to get itself back in shape.
Although Marussia collapsed with £31 million of debt to trade suppliers, it has remained of interest to investors because of commercial rights income it secured last year.
The ninth place it finished in the constructors' championship could be worth as much as £35 million per season, but only if it competes in 2015.

Haas Formula 1 squad buys Marussia factory but not the team
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, January 21st 2015, 13:21 GMT
The Haas Formula 1 team will use the former Marussia factory in Banbury as its European base for its grand prix entry in 2016.
With the American outfit pushing on with its plans to join the F1 grid next year, team chiefs have settled on the Banbury facility after concluding a deal with its former owner Andrei Cheglakov to buy it.
Haas hopes to begin preparing the facility once the assets of the Marussia team - which had been due to be auctioned this week and are still in the factory - are sold.
Although Haas intends much of the work on its new F1 challenger to be done at its high-tech facility in Charlotte, it has always intended to have a European base that can be used for preparing the cars during the campaign.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT last year, team owner Gene Haas said: "There will have to be some kind of European base at least for the cars to go to initially, because we've got to ship them out of either London or Germany.
"We'll probably have to have something where we can at least work on the cars. Primarily everything is going to be made in North Carolina.
"The engines and stuff will go there, and the finished cars will then be shipped to some location [in Europe] for transport to the races, or the European races.
"Then when they're done they'll go back there for refurbishment, or whatever is required."
NO MARUSSIA TAKEOVER
Haas's takeover of the Banbury facility has prompted speculation that it could even be looking to buy the actual Marussia entry, and start racing with the team's old cars this season.
But AUTOSPORT understands that Haas has no intention of deviating from its original plan of starting racing from 2016, after agreeing a close technical partnership with Ferrari.
The cancellation of the Marussia auction this week is due to talks with a mysterious third party which is looking at buying the assets.
One possibility is that it could be a Ferrari-backed project to create some form of junior team.

Marussia Formula 1 team closes on surprise return to grid for 2015
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, February 4th 2015, 10:02 GMT
Marussia is edging closer to a surprise return to the Formula 1 grid - having paid its 2015 entry fee and revealed plans to exit administration later this month.
With an auction of the team's final assets having been called off at the 11th hour in January, talks to find the investment needed to race in 2015 have been ongoing.
AUTOSPORT has learned that the discussions have advanced enough for Marussia's investors to fund its entry fee for racing in 2015 with the FIA.
Furthermore, administrators for the team said on Wednesday that a long term plan to rescue the outfit is progressing well enough for it to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement on February 19.
A statement issued by FRP Advisory said: "Since the appointment of administrators, negotiations have taken place with a number of parties to try and secure a long term solution for the team.
"We can confirm that negotiations continue towards a longer term viable solution for the business and participation of a team in the 2015 season.
"It is envisaged that, prior to the commencement of the first race of the 2015 season, investment into the business will be made upon the company exiting from administration via a Company Voluntary Arrangement ('CVA'), which is planned for 19 February 2015.
"A CVA is a restructuring process agreed with the company's creditors which allows for a turnaround of the business and the creation of a longer term viable solution for the team."
VOTE ON 2014 CAR NOW ESSENTIAL
Although the funding of the entry fee and the move out of administration will be a big step forward, there remain huge hurdles ahead before Marussia can make it on to the grid.
The first will need to be overcome on Thursday, when F1's Strategy Group is set to discuss whether or not Marussia would be allowed to run a 2014 car this season.
It is now too late for the team to create a bespoke 2015 contender, but rivals have previously suggested that they would be willing to consider allowing the team dispensation to run last year's car if it helps it back into F1.
However, some of F1's smaller outfits may not be so willing to support the move because it could cost them a share of Marussia's commercial rights income that they would get if the team disappeared.
It is unclear who the investors are willing to fund Marussia's F1 return, but suggestions that McLaren could be behind it are believed to be wide of the mark.

Strategy Group rejects Marussia request to run 2014 F1 car
Thursday, February 5th 2015, 20:44 GMT
Marussia's hopes of returning to the Formula 1 grid have suffered a blow after a request to run its 2014 car this season did not get the backing it needed.
AUTOSPORT understands that during a meeting of F1's Strategy Group in Paris on Thursday, Marussia did not receive the unanimous support from rival teams required to be allowed to run an older car.
The decision means the team's participation is unlikely in 2015, for it is too late for Marussia to build a bespoke car to the new nose and updated safety regulations.
The big teams had previously suggested they would be willing to consider allowing the team dispensation to run last year's car if it helps it back into F1.
But amid a fight for more revenue, smaller outfits were not so happy with a plan that would make them miss out on receiving a share of Marussia's commercial rights income.
It emerged earlier this week that operating team Manor had paid its 2015 entry fee and revealed plans to exit administration later this month.
Administrators had revealed that a long term plan to rescue the outfit is progressing well enough for it to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement on February 19.
Earlier on Thursday it was announced that the assets of Caterham, which joined the championship as Lotus in 2010 alongside Marussia (then Virgin), had been put up for sale.

Force India: Marussia 2014 Formula 1 car proposal was 'speculative'
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 6th 2015, 10:06 GMT
Force India has defended its decision to vote against what it has called a "speculative" bid by Marussia to run its 2014 Formula 1 cars this season.
F1's Strategy Group met in Paris on Thursday to discuss a host of issues relating to the future of the sport.
One item on the agenda was an application by Marussia for a rule change to allow it to run its 2014 cars at the start of the campaign.
Under F1's governance structure, such a move would require unanimous support from teams in the Strategy Group and the F1 Commission before being approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
But the application fell at the first hurdle when Force India said it did not back the move.
Its decision has prompted claims that the Silverstone-based outfit was more focused on securing a share of the commercial rights income due to Marussia than helping boost grid numbers.
If Marussia does not compete this season then it is likely that the funds due to it - worth around £30million - will be split between the other teams.
Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley (pictured) insists, however, that his team did not support the 2014 car plan because Marussia's application did not appear to have solid foundations.
"The strategy group was faced with an application for Marussia's 2014 cars to compete in the 2015 championship," said Fernley.
"During the meeting it emerged that there were compliance issues and that the application lacked substance.
"Equally, the speculative application submitted contained no supporting documentation to reinforce the case for offering special dispensation.
"For example, no details were supplied of who the new owners would be or the operational structures that would be put in place.
"Given the lack of information, uncertain guarantees, and the speculative nature of the application, the decision was taken that it is better to focus on ensuring the continued participation of the remaining independent teams."
The decision by the Strategy Group means that there is no chance of Marussia making the first race of the season.
However, with F1's commercial agreements giving teams the right to miss three races without consequence, Marussia could in theory keep its commercial income if it can somehow build a 2015-compliant car by the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Such a move would require a large amount of investment.

Marussia should apply to join 2015 F1 grid properly - Force India
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 6th 2015, 12:12 GMT
Force India says it would be willing to reconsider Marussia's bid to use a 2014 Formula 1 car this year if a resubmitted application was done properly.
During a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group in Paris on Thursday, teams voted on whether to support a rule change to allow Marussia to race with its 2014 car.
Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley cast the first vote, and rejected it because he did not believe the project was based on solid foundations.
The fact that the application came in a single-page letter, with no details on team ownership, funding or the support of the administrator, left Fernley believing there was not enough information to justify backing it.
"We don't want to lose teams, but one of the over-riding conditions was that clearly they had to demonstrate the sustainability of their programme and who was behind it," Fernley told AUTOSPORT.
"So what were the finances? When would they go to a 2015 car?
"It needed a proper presentation and proposal that could be considered.
"I don't make any excuses on this: the onus is on the team applying to persuade the other teams."
When asked if Force India would be open to changing its mind if a proper submission was made, Fernley said: "You would have to be. This process has been closed down, but like everything else in life: if you get turned down once you go back again and do it properly."
Fernley has underlined that Force India did not object to the principle of Marussia returning, only the manner in which the application was made.
FAN BACKLASH
Fernley is well aware that Force India's rejection of the Marussia application has caused a furious fan backlash, with the team being accused of putting its own interests over those of the sport and focusing on getting a share of the extra commercial rights income that would come from Marussia's absence.
Though Fernley does not deny that there was some financial motivation, he says securing the future of the teams currently on the grid is just as important.
"Is there an element of financial incentive for making this decision? Of course there is - I'd be lying if I didn't say that.
"We have to focus on the survival of the independent teams that remain. It is helpful for Force India - but the bottom line is if the [Marussia] proposal had been put in place correctly in the first place, the decision could have been different.
"We haven't voted because it benefits us by £4million. That wasn't the vote. The vote was 'will you allow Marussia to run a 2014 car?'
"But where is the documentation to support that? There is a huge amount of concession to be given. It is not a small decision.
"The onus is on Marussia, not on Force India, to present its case. Unfortunately emotion takes over.
"It would be wrong of me to make decisions on emotion because I am worried about what fans may say. We are not frightened of making difficult decisions."

Marussia insists its proposed 2015 Formula 1 return is viable
Friday, February 6th 2015, 18:17 GMT
Marussia insists its bid to get back on the Formula 1 grid for 2015 is viable, and that it will satisfy all the required conditions to return.
Force India voted against a proposal to allow the revived Marussia team - which went into administration after last year's Russian Grand Prix - to begin the 2015 season with its '14 cars.
Marussia has now issued a statement saying that last month the F1 Strategy Group indicated that it would allow the use of 2014 cars if modified to meet this year's rules, with exceptions allowed for articles 3.7.9, 15.4.3, 15.4.4 and 16.2, which relate to frontal bodywork and the front impact test.
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told AUTOSPORT that his squad was not opposed to Marussia's return, but felt the information it had supplied to the Strategy Group was inadequate.
Graeme Lowdon (pictured below with Bernie Ecclestone), who had been sporting director of Marussia, rejected Fernley's criticisms and said every effort was being made to ensure the team could race.
"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," he said in a statement issued under the Manor GP name.
"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."
INVESTORS' IDENTITIES 'CONFIDENTIAL'
One of Fernley's concerns had been the anonymity of Marussia's new investors, but the team's statement said that revealing full details would be inappropriate at present.
"Given the confidential nature of the negotiations under way, 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," it read.
The statement added that work was in progress to both modify the 2014 Marussia and to prepare a'15 car "to ensure it can supersede the 2014 car as soon as possible".
It said Marussia had "a significant number of staff" at work on both projects.
"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," said the statement.

Ex-team boss Gian Carlo Minardi hits out at F1's big teams
Monday, February 9th 2015, 11:47 GMT
Former Formula 1 team boss Gian Carlo Minardi has accused the sport's bigger outfits of being short sighted in blocking Marussia's bid to return to the grid in 2015.
Marussia could have been given the green light to return to F1 at the Australian Grand Prix if approval had been given for it to be allowed to run a 2014 car.
However, a request to change the rules failed to receive the unanimous support required when Force India blocked it.
That decision has infuriated former Minardi boss Gian Carlo Minardi, who says that larger teams should support smaller outfits because it prevents them being exposed to running at the back of the field.
"[It was] an absurd and unsportsmanlike behaviour," said Minardi about the Marussia rejection.
"If you get rid of the two Cinderellas - Marussia and Caterham - then it means shortening the grid.
"Consequently the last row will be occupied by teams with far greater budgets and ambitions - with commercial consequences."
Minardi added that the current situation takes him back the mid-1990s when he fought hard to secure the future of small teams against the might of manufacturers.
"This situation reminds me of the '96-'97 seasons, when I defended very strongly the importance of the small teams," he said.
"I argued that without teams participating with great passion but limited means - hoping, who knows, to find the right funds for the future - on the last row there would inevitably be big manufacturers.
"It is a situation that has repeatedly occurred in the 2000s.
"The manufacturers do not want to wait years to grow and achieve positive results; they have commercial and image objectives in the short terms.
"I hope that it [the Marussia vote] is not the final decision and that there is room for reason."
WHO WOULD BE AT THE BACK
Occasionally Marussia and Caterham would punch above their weight and get one of their cars through to Q2, but more often than not their cars filled up the back of the grid.
As Minardi explains, without them it will now be other teams filling up the bottom slots on the qualifying timesheets.
Here is how the back of the grid would have looked in 2014 if Marussia and Caterham were not there, although on some occasions cars had to start from the pit lane.
There were six races when the bottom rankings were unchanged - two times because Caterham and Marussia were absent.
AUSTRALIA Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Romain Grosjean (Lotus)*
MALAYSIA Adrian Sutil (Sauber), Valtteri Bottas (Williams)
BAHRAIN Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Adrian Sutil (Sauber)
CHINA Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)
SPAIN Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)*
MONACO Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Adrian Sutil (Sauber)
CANADA Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber)
AUSTRIA Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Romain Grosjean (Lotus)
BRITAIN Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)
GERMANY Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
HUNGARY Kevin Magnussen (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)*
BELGIUM Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber)
ITALY Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)
SINGAPORE Adrian Sutil (Sauber), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)
JAPAN Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)
RUSSIA Felipe Massa (Williams), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus)
USA Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) *
BRAZIL Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Sergio Perez (Force India) *
ABU DHABI Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) *
* Bottom two positions unchanged

Manor boosted by FIA leeway over 2015 Formula 1 entry list date
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 13th 2015, 18:21 GMT
Manor's hopes of making it onto the 2015 Formula 1 grid have been boosted by the FIA making clear it will keep the entry list open as long as possible.
The former Marussia squad's plan to race in Melbourne next month appeared to suffer a setback last week when Force India voted against a concession that would have allowed teams to run a modified 2014 car for the start of the season.
But although that decision has made Manor's job more difficult, it has not put it off totally.
The team is still hoping it can get a 2015-specification car ready in time for one of the early flyaway races.
Manor's hopes of rejoining the grid require the FIA to confirm its entry when the final list for the 2015 F1 championship is published.
The team has already paid its entry fee, but its position was subject to confirmation in the provisional list that was published in December.
Final entry lists are normally published well ahead of the season, but the FIA has not yet finalised the current one yet - and is holding back until it knows what Manor is doing.
AUTOSPORT has learned that since the strategy group vote, the FIA has been in discussions with Manor regarding how best to proceed as it seeks assurances that losing the hoped-for 2014 car concession has not destroyed its hopes of a return.
It is understood that Manor has told the FIA it can get an interim 2015 car ready for the early stages of the campaign - and maybe even for the first race of the season in Australia.
To secure valuable commercial rights income, the team needs to be racing by the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 19 at the latest.
Discussions between the team and governing body are continuing to ensure that Manor has the technical and financial infrastructure needed to compete permanently.
Those talks are set to run into next week and once the FIA is satisfied with the Manor situation it will confirm its entry.
Manor is planning to come out of administration on February 19 as part of the push to get back on the F1 grid.

Manor F1 team gets approval to come out of administration
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, February 19th 2015, 16:46 GMT
Manor's hopes of returning to the Formula 1 grid have received another boost after its creditors agreed to bring the company out of administration.
The team, which ran under the Marussia banner last season, ceased trading last November after missing the final three races of the year.
Manor's hopes of returning to the sport appeared to suffer a setback when Force India voted against a concession that would have allowed the team to run a modified 2014-spec car to start the season.
But the sport's governing body the FIA said it would keep the entry list open as long as possible to give the team, which has already paid its entry fee, the best chance of making it onto the grid.
Manor has been working to get a 2015-spec car ready in time for one of the early flyaway races, and thus claim the valuable prize money which it won last season for finishing ninth in the constructors' championship.
And the news that the team has entered an arrangement called a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), which has involved restructuring their financial debt, means the team now has a platform to allow it to continue trading.
Joint administrator and partner at FRP Advisory Geoff Rowley said: "We are pleased that the financial restructuring of the Company has been progressed after creditor approval of the CVA.
"With new investment and a continuity of the respected management, the business has the ideal platform from which it can accelerate the operational rebuilding already underway to get a team back racing.
"It has been a long process and we would like to thank everyone involved to reach this milestone.
"We shall complete our statutory duties as administrators with the necessary filings needed in order to formally exit the Company from administration over the next few days."

Manor F1 team agrees to use 2014 Ferrari engines
By Ben Anderson and Jonathan Noble Friday, February 20th 2015, 14:41 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 has agreed a deal to use old Ferrari engines this year, as work continues on trying to get back on to the grid.
Following the announcement that the former Marussia outfit is coming out of administration, the team's chiefs are continuing to put together the elements that they need for a return.
A key hurdle to overcome was agreeing an engine deal, with Ferrari one of the main creditors left when Marussia collapsed last year.
However, speaking at the Barcelona F1 test, Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene revealed that verbal agreement had been reached for the Maranello outfit to supply year-old engines in 2015.
"We said to them yesterday that we are going to supply them with the 2014 engine," he said. "There is nothing in writing at the moment."
Although a vote by the F1 Strategy Group recently closed off the possibility of Manor using an updated 2014 car, AUTOSPORT understands that the team is pushing on with a modified version to comply with this year's rules that could even be ready for the start of the season.
It is believed the team wants to race as early as it can with its interim model, before switching to a fully bespoke 2015 car during the early part of the campaign.
If Manor is able to return by the Bahrain Grand Prix, then it will qualify for around £30million in commercial rights income that it earned last year when Jules Bianchi finished ninth at the Monaco GP.

Will Stevens secures Manor Formula 1 race seat
Wednesday, February 25th 2015, 12:44 GMT
Will Stevens has agreed a 2015 Formula 1 race deal with the returning Manor team, which expects to be ready to compete in the Australian Grand Prix.
The former Marussia team came out of administration last week, and has secured a supply.
Stevens spent part of last season as Marussia's test and reserve driver, having switched from the same role at Caterham, before returning to the latter team to make his F1 racing debut in the Abu Dhabi GP.
"It's very exciting to see everything coming together at Manor after the tremendous effort that has gone into saving the team," said the 23-year-old Briton, who was also a Formula Renault 3.5 race winner last year.
"It would not have been possible without the incredible support we have received from all the suppliers and from within the sport, but most of all the fantastic team of people at Manor who are working around the clock to ensure we are ready for Melbourne.
"My thanks to the team for their confidence in me and I can't wait to see all the hard work rewarded when we line up on the grid in two weeks' time."
Although Manor could get dispensation to miss the opening rounds of the season, a statement from the team said it currently intended to race in Melbourne next month.
It will start the season with a modified 2014 car as an interim measure.
"The car with which Manor will begin the season is now in an advanced stage of build at the team's current race preparation facility in Dinnington, UK, where personnel are working 24-7 towards the air freight despatch date of 6 March."

FIA approves Manor's Formula 1 return on new 2015 entry list
By Jonathan Noble Friday, February 27th 2015, 14:12 GMT
The Manor team has moved another step closer to its Formula 1 return with the FIA approving its entry to the 2015 championship on Friday.
On an updated list for the 2015 F1 world championship, motor racing's governing body confirmed that the Manor Marussia F1 team's place on the grid was secure.
The team had originally been subject to confirmation in the last list, which was published before Christmas.
The move to confirm Manor's entry came after weeks of negotiation between the FIA and Manor chiefs to ensure that everything was in place with its finances and infrastructure for it to race in 2015.
Although the team has no official links to its former Marussia owners, it has had to retain use the name for its chassis to qualify for the commercial rights income that it earned last year.
Jules Bianchi's ninth place finish in Monaco was enough to place Marussia ninth overall in the constructors' championship - securing it around £30 million in prize revenue for this year.
The identity of the team's second driver, who will race alongside Will Stevens, has not yet been confirmed.
The team is working on preparing an updated version of its 2014 car that complies with the '15 regulations so it can start the season.
The plan is for a bespoke 2015 challenger to be ready later in the year.
Manor's fellow 2010 F1 arrival Caterham remains absent from the list, officially confirming its departure from the championship.
The team went into administration at the same time as Marussia/Manor last year, but was revived for a one-off appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as it sought new ownership.
Its assets are now being auctioned.
OFFICIAL 2015 F1 ENTRY LIST
# Driver Entrant
44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited
6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing Limited
26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing Limited
19 Felipe Massa Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited
77 Valtteri Bottas Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited
5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Spa
7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Spa
14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Racing Limited
22 Jenson Button McLaren Racing Limited
27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Formula 1 Team Limited
11 Sergio Perez Force India Formula 1 Team Limited
33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Spa
55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Spa
8 Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team Limited
13 Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team Limited
9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Motorsport AG
12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Motorsport AG
TBA Will Stevens Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd
TBA TBA Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd

Williams’ Pat Symonds delighted by Manor Marussia F1 revival
By Ben Anderson Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 16:54 GMT
Williams technical chief Pat Symonds says Formula 1 "needs" teams like Manor GP, which is gearing up for a shock return from the ashes of the defunct Marussia project.
The FIA confirmed last week that Manor had been granted an entry into the 2015 championship, and the squad is busy working on an updated version of Marussia's 2014 F1 car in order to make the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 15.
Symonds, who worked as a technical consultant to Marussia before joining Williams in 2013, said the presence of small teams like Manor on the grid is vital to the health of F1.
"I'm really pleased to see that they're going to make it to Melbourne. I think we need teams like that," Symonds said.
"In 1981 I started in a little team called Toleman; there were 20 of us and we didn't know much about what we were doing, but that team went on to become Benetton, which went on to become Renault, who went onto become Lotus.
"If there wasn't a chance for small teams to compete I think it would be a real shame. I worked with those guys for a while and I have a lot of respect for what they were trying to do.
"They're straightforward, old-fashioned racers. They want to go racing; they're not interested in politics.
"It's really, really difficult to compete in F1, and that just makes it better if they do succeed."
Marussia scored two points in the 2014 championship, but skipped the final three races after plunging into administration amid financial woes.
Fresh investment has allowed the team to come out of administration and enter the 2015 championship under a new name, though its car will retain the Marussia moniker in order to secure payment of commercial rights income it earned last season.
Manor has already secured a supply of 2014 Ferrari engines and announced ex-Caterham racer Will Stevens as its first driver for the coming campaign.

Manor Formula 1 team will make it to Australian Grand Prix
By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:15 GMT
Manor has confirmed that its Formula 1 car is ready to race at the Australian Grand Prix.
The British-based outfit - revived from the defunct Marussia team - said the final hurdles have been overcome and its 2015 challenger is being finalised for the flight to Melbourne later this week.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon said: "At certain times over the last six months it was not completely clear we would get to this point.
"I'm very excited to announce that thanks to a lot of hard work from an awful lot of people we are ready to go racing again.
"The last few months have been a rollercoaster - and I want to say particular thanks to the fans."
Manor will start the season with an interim car, modified to fulfil the 2015 regulations, before a bespoke design is introduced later in the campaign.
The team has confirmed that energy boss Stephen Fitzpatrick is the investor behind the effort, with former Sainsbury's CEO Justin King appointed as interim team chairman.
Lowdon admitted that final crash tests still had to be passed later this week.
"Crash tests are ongoing - we block-booked some space at the laboratory to do the crash test this week, so I think the preparation day is today, and then tests will start," he explained.
"There are only a very small number of tests to be done, a push off and an impact test. We will just have to see how those tests progress.
"The timescale to prepare the car has been incredibly short, but there is a bit of time capacity in there so hopefully things will go well this year.
"The car is being prepared in Dinnington, the overall car is on schedule and main freight dispatch is Friday and we will be sending bits right up until the last minute."
Will Stevens will drive one of the Manor entries in 2015, with the second driver yet to be announced.

Manor worth saving, says new investor Stephen Fitzpatrick
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:43 GMT
Manor investor Stephen Fitzpatrick says he could not stand to see the former Marussia Formula 1 team disappear after it had finally achieved its breakthrough points in 2014.
Ovo Energy founder Fitzpatrick was revealed as the key investor behind the Manor revival on Wednesday, as the team confirmed that its car would be ready for the Australian Grand Prix.
"Until November last year I was on wrong side of F1 fence," Fitzpatrick explained.
"My most recent F1 experience was I went to the grand prix in Singapore with a friend, we were walking down the track at the end of the race and looking at all the fans lined up on the pitwall - and looking at garages. I said we need to figure out a way to get over there.
"For a long time I had an ambition to own an F1 team, I was hoping Ovo Energy would be successful enough to own a team, but I didn't expect it to be in 2015."
He admitted that getting Manor back on the grid had initially appeared impossible.
"I picked up the phone to Geoff Rowley, the administrator, before the last race in Abu Dhabi and got an understanding of the current situation at the time, and challenges the team were facing - the amount of money involved, level of debts involved.
"It seemed fascinating - almost hopeless. It looked like one of those situations that with more time to understand everything, there was maybe a great opportunity.
"But it was too late. There wasn't any realistic possibility of reviving the team.
"Having made it through the hard five years, to get to the point of ninth in the championship, two years in the top 10, to reach the first rung of financial stability and due to receive fund money, to have run out of steam right at the last hurdle... it seemed like too good story to let end there.
"One of the things that really motivated me was how great a story it could be to figure out a way to help this team cling to survival."
Fitzpatrick said he and Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon had put huge effort in to re-establishing the team over the winter.
"I very quickly established an easy working relationship with Graeme, had frank conversations about the challenges, team suppliers, the quality of team that was there - and as Graeme said, one long list of challenges.
"We ascertained the top priorities - including Ferrari, then a host of 200 smaller creditors and suppliers that made up the backing of the team.
"We went through them one at a time, establishing relationships with creditors and suppliers, new commercial arrangements with them, and bringing the company out of administration, dealing with the FIA entry, with FOM, engine and design contracts.
"In 10 days' time we will be in Melbourne with a very solid, clean business platform to operate on."

Timeline for introducing Manor's 2015 F1 car yet to be set
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, March 5th 2015, 12:31 GMT
Manor says a final decision on when it will introduce its definitive 2015 Formula 1 car will likely only be made after the opening flyaway races.
The team is currently preparing a heavily updated 2014 car for the start of the season, with the final crash tests due to take place this week.
The focus on getting a car that complies to the current regulations has delayed its plans to introduce its bespoke challenger, with the final schedule for when that comes on board undecided right now.
The team suspects that it will most likely be introduced in the middle of the year.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon has said that a decision on when to bring the 2015 car in will only be made next month, once the team knows its engine schedule and just how competitive its modified 2014 car is.
One factor that could force a fast-tracking of the new car will be if Manor is unable to get within 107 per cent of the fastest time from Q1, which would mean it fails to qualify.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT about the scheduling of the 2015 car, Lowdon said: "There is a window, and it is not as straightforward as it would seem.
"You would think you must do it as quickly as you possibly can, but then we have to take into account the number of engines for the year.
"So, if you change engines (the 2015 car will run a current engine) at a certain time, you are going to get penalties.
"Also bringing in the new car at certain times, you can optimise when you would do an aero step change for example.
"The window to bring it in is quite wide at the minute, as it has not been our real focus, and that will narrow.
"My guess is we will get back from the flyaways and that window [to introduce it] will start narrowing down.
"It depends also on what happens in the first few races, as that will have an impact.
"We just have to make a decision at the time. We have not got much time until Melbourne, but we have a fair amount of time after that to look at the optimum time to do bring the new car."
107 PER CENT A REALISTIC TARGET
Lowdon said there is no answer yet as to if it was realistic to expect its updated 2014 car to easily qualify or not.
"We just don't know," he said. "The rule is there for a reason, we respect that and we know it is there.
"If it presents itself as a problem then that will be the first thing we need to engineer our way out of."
Rain in qualifying in Melbourne last year disguised the true pace gap between Manor and pace-setting Mercedes, but when conditions were good the difference was not that great.
At the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix for example, Nico Rosberg's fastest time in Q1 was 1m26.764 seconds - meaning the cut off to qualify was 1m32.837s.
Max Chilton was Marussia's fastest qualifier there and managed a 1m29.586s lap, comfortably within the limits.
Testing analysis of this year versus last year suggests that the new cars are somewhere between two to three seconds per lap quicker in 2015.
That means a Q1 lap could be as fast as 1m23.7s, meaning Manor would need its updated 2014 car to be capable of a 1m29.559s - very close to Chilton's time last year.

Manor passes FIA crash tests with updated 2014 Marussia
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, March 5th 2015, 17:10 GMT
Manor has moved another step closer its Formula 1 return after the team passed the mandatory FIA crash tests on Thursday.
With former Marussia team chiefs Graeme Lowdon and John Booth having put in place the funding it needs to get back on the grid, the final hurdle to be overcome was getting the safety sign-off from the governing body.
That happened on Thursday when the upgraded 2014 chassis was given the all clear - so the renamed Manor team can now join the action in Melbourne next week.
A message from the team on Twitter said: "Our big news of today is that we have now passed the FIA crash tests. Well done team! That's it - we're all set for Melbourne!"
The car that the team will race with in Australia is a highly modified version of its 2014 contender, and will be used until its bespoke 2015 machine is ready later in the season.
Lowdon, who is sporting director, told AUTOSPORT: "It's the 2014 car with a very high degree of carry over, and then some really quite clever engineering solutions to make sure it is fully compliant with the rules.
"The nose is different and the chassis has to be modified, with added zylon safety panels.
"Some very clever engineers have used their time and solved their technical problems to deliver us a fully legal car but with a very high degree of carry over due to the time scale."
Manor has still to announce its second driver, with only Will Stevens confirmed so far.

Roberto Merhi to race for Manor F1 team in Australian Grand Prix
By Glenn Freeman Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 00:08 GMT
Roberto Merhi will race for the Manor Formula 1 team in this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, partnering fellow Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Will Stevens.
The Spaniard, who got his first taste of GP weekend running with three free practice outings for Caterham late last year, has signed a short-term deal with the former Marussia team for the "opening races" of the 2015 season.
"Today, finally, I can announce something that I have dreamed of many times - not just free practice, but a full grand prix," said Merhi, who raced for John Booth's Manor squad in the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2009.
"It's time to thank many people who spent years helping me learn, and of course the Manor team - old friends who have trusted me to start this new phase which I hope will bring them success.
"We will not have the means to fight the other teams on equal terms, using a 2014 car and power unit, but we will give our best."
Merhi is currently slated to race for the Pons team in FR3.5 this year, but he hopes that he can use his F1 race debut as a launchpad to secure a full-season drive with Manor.
"I hope that this event will open the opportunity to race again during the season," he said.
"I need a sponsor if I want to continue, but unfortunately in Spain I'm not finding support.
"Hopefully this will help me change this situation and face the future with more confidence."
Manor also announced on Tuesday morning in Australia that Jordan King, son of Manor interim chairman Justin King, has become the team's development driver.
2015 F1 ENTRY LIST
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
(Reserve: Pascal Wehrlein)
Red Bull-Renault
Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat
(Reserve: Sebastien Buemi)
Williams-Mercedes
Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa
(Test/reserves: Susie Wolff, Alex Lynn)
Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen
(Test/reserves: Esteban Gutierrez, Jean-Eric Vergne)
McLaren-Honda
Fernando Alonso*, Jenson Button
(Reserve: Kevin Magnussen*)
Force India-Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez
Toro Rosso-Renault
Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr
Lotus-Mercedes
Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado
(Test/reserves: Jolyon Palmer, Carmen Jorda)
Manor-Ferrari
Will Stevens, Roberto Merhi**
(Reserve: Jordan King)
Sauber-Ferrari
Marcus Ericsson, Felipe Nasr
(Reserve: Raffaele Marciello)
* Magnussen will stand in for Alonso in Australian GP
** Merhi's deal is for "opening races"

Manor F1 team unsure when it will be ready to run at Australian GP
By Edd Straw Friday, March 13th 2015, 08:21 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team is unsure of when its cars will be ready to run for the first time after missing the first day of practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
Software problems caused by the team's hard drives being wiped in anticipation of a sale of its assets, which was subsequently cancelled, are the main reason for the team's lack of running with drivers Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens.
This means that not only must the necessary software be set up to operate individual parts of the car, but they must be made to 'talk' to each other.
But while he was unable to confirm when the cars will hit the track, Manor CEO Graeme Lowdon is confident that it's only a matter of time before it can run.
"I honestly don't know," said Lowdon when asked when the cars will be ready.
"But what I can guarantee you is that, in terms of commitment and rate of problem-solving, we will be absolutely flat out.
"It's not simply a software issue, there are a lot of issues, none of which are a big surprise when you consider the amount of work that has been required to get the team here in a very short space of time.
"The problems that we are dealing with at present are not unusual for the task that we are doing, which is effectively setting up both trackside and on-track infrastructure for both of these cars to run.
"We just have to deal with the problems one at a time.
"I think as we steadily get through them we will be able to put a little more accuracy on any kind of prediction.
"At the moment, it's very difficult to predict because they are binary problems, things either work or they don't work."
Lowdon added that the team has everything it needs in order to race, while Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene stressed his commitment to the team.
This is despite Ferrari having been one of the main creditors to the team in its previous guise as Marussia.
"Last year, we deal with one company and we are still working to get back our money as everybody knows," said Arrivabene.
"Now we are dealing with a new company so it is a completely different story.
"We are doing our job now to support them also because they show to us that they stick to what is agreed in the contract and they are serious.
"I said to Graeme in a very simple way, we are more than open to help you but no money, no honey."

Australian GP: Manor team fails to run in F1 qualifying
By Edd Straw Saturday, March 14th 2015, 06:24 GMT
The revived Manor team will be absent from the first race of the Formula 1 season after failing to participate in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
The team will not be able to seek dispensation from the stewards to be allowed start the race having not completed a lap all weekend.
The failure to run is a consequence of rushing to get its upgraded 2014 machine ready to race after the team was saved at the eleventh hour.
Because all of its computer hard drives were wiped in anticipation of the planned sale of the team's assets, it was necessary to rebuild all of the electronic systems needed to run the car.
While this was not the only problem that the team encountered, it was the most time-consuming in terms of a solution.
But despite this problem, the team is committed to competing and will make an attempt to race in the Malaysian Grand Prix in two weeks time.
Even if Manor had run, it is unclear whether the car, which is powered by a 2014-specification Ferrari engine, would have been quick enough to qualify.
Speaking yesterday, team CEO Graeme Lowdon said the team had no regrets that it attempted to run in Australia rather than getting the car up and running away from Melbourne.
"It's really important to be here," he said.
"This is the championship that we're part of and we want to be part of it from the start, right the way through to the finish."

Australian GP: Manor ordered to explain missing qualifying to FIA
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Saturday, March 14th 2015, 10:36 GMT
Manor has been summoned to the Formula 1 stewards to explain why it did not attempt to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix.
The recently-rescued team made it to Melbourne, but it spent the weekend battling to get its cars to run as it had to set up its software from scratch.
Its hard drives had been wiped in preparation for the administrators' sale of its equipment - which was aborted at the eleventh hour when investment was secured.
Drivers Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens were unable to leave the garage for any of the practice sessions or qualifying.
The statement from the officials to the team said: "The stewards request that you provide a written statement explaining why the team did not participate in qualifying for the 2015 Australian Grand Prix after receiving a letter from the FIA on the 20th February".
Team boss John Booth admitted Manor always expected it would be tough to get on track in Melbourne.
"We knew that there was only a slim chance of making quali when we set off," he said.
"They are incredibly complex things these modern F1 cars. We had three weeks to design and make the car legal to the 2015 FIA regulations.
"We had almost no time to fix the racks and electronics and get all those infrastructures built that are required.
"I think we pretty much knew by four o'clock this morning that we weren't going to make it."
Booth dismissed any suggestion that Manor had only come to Australia to ensure prize-money eligibility and never intended to run.
"We are entered in the Formula 1 World Championship and we felt it important to be here to try and compete," he said.
"I can understand people being cynical but if that was the case we wouldn't have brought 30 tonnes of equipment, 40 people, fulfilled all of our contracts with all suppliers, whether it's Pirelli, Ferrari, whoever, with our best endeavours to go round and round a circuit."
He has no doubt that Manor will be able to run from the start of the Malaysian GP weekend later this month.
"We are in a massively different place now to where we were at the start of the week," Booth said.
"We actually have functioning racks now, we can talk to the cars. Even the information on the pitwall is working now.
"The progress of the week has been colossal, it's just not quite enough."

Australian GP: Manor F1 team escapes FIA penalty for not running
By Lawrence Barretto and Jonathan Noble Sunday, March 15th 2015, 08:49 GMT
Manor has escaped without a penalty for failing to get its Formula 1 cars onto the track over the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
The outfit had been summoned by the FIA to explain why Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi had not run at all during the event.
Problems getting the required software in place following the former Marussia team's late rescue from administration meant neither car was able to leave the garages in Melbourne.
Under article 13.2 of F1's sporting regulations, when teams enter the championship they must show that they plan to "participate in every event with the number of cars and drivers entered."
Following written evidence submitted to the stewards, as well as discussions with senior team members, the FIA eventually decided that there had been no breach of the rules.
A statement issued by the stewards said that because Manor had attended the event, brought equipment and staff with it and got its cars ready and through scrutineering, it had done all that it could.
Furthermore, the team was able to demonstrate that even if it had broken F1's curfew regulations it would still not have had enough time to sort out the software problems.
The stewards' statement said: "The stewards accepted that the team explained it had used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that its cars were able to compete in active competition, therefore the stewards take no further action during the event."
On Saturday, team boss John Booth dismissed any suggestion that Manor had only made a token gesture of attendance to ensure prize-money eligibility.
"I can understand people being cynical but if that was the case we wouldn't have brought 30 tonnes of equipment, 40 people, fulfilled all of our contracts with all suppliers, whether it's Pirelli, Ferrari, whoever, with our best endeavours to go round and round a circuit," he said.
He also insisted that going through the process of trying to race in Australia had been more productive for Manor than working towards a debut in Malaysia instead.
"I don't think we could have prepared the same if we weren't here," Booth said.
"We needed to be here to get a lot of the systems working. We couldn't have done it back at base."

Manor F1 team confident of 'business as usual' Malaysian GP
By Edd Straw Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 10:47 GMT
The Manor team is confident of being able to participate fully in the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend after failing to run in Australia.
Problems with setting up the IT infrastructure of the team and integrating the various systems related to running the car meant that its car, the 2014 Marussia upgraded to the latest regulations, was unable to leave the pits in Australia.
But after being hauled up in front of the FIA stewards to explain its no-show, the reasons for which were accepted, Manor CEO Graeme Lowdon expects the team to able to run at Sepang.
"We made a lot of progress in Australia, and late on Friday we made some big step changes, so that has given everyone a lot of confidence that we are nearly there," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"Obviously, we ran out of time in Australia but the confidence levels are pretty high that things should be a lot more normal by the time we get to Kuala Lumpur."
The Manor team's cars and equipment is currently in transit to Sepang, but once its garage is set up early in the week before the race, efforts will continue to get everything up and running.
But while there is still work to be done, Lowdon does not expect there to be any major impediments to running.
"The cars go directly to Malaysia from Australia, so you don't have the advantage of a two-week gap that you would in Europe, when you can get the cars back.
"So we won't get access to the cars again until we are in the garages in Malaysia.
"But if we continue at the rate we are going at, things should be a lot more 'business as usual' there."
While there were question marks about why Manor struggled to run given that the cars were sound mechanically, Lowdon stressed the complexity of the job that was being undertaken.
"The cars themselves are mechanically complete, so people can't see something physical, and they think that it looks complete so why can it not move?
"But there has been a succession of issues; earlier in the weekend they were straightforward, just trying to communicate with all of the systems before we started getting things to work.
"It was a tremendous effort from the guys and we have everyone we need to get these things solved, so I'm confident there's a route map to getting it done.
"It's not easy to see from the outside just how much effort is going in because we didn't run.
"But there was nothing to gain from us not running in Australia."

Manor is "100 per cent" certain of making it on track in Malaysia
By Edd Straw Thursday, March 26th 2015, 06:45 GMT
Manor is "100 per cent" certain of being able to run in Friday morning's first free practice session ahead of the second Formula 1 race of the year in Malaysia, according to team principal John Booth.
The former Marussia squad was in Australia, but because of having to rebuild IT infrastructures was unable to take to the track.
But Booth expects its pair of 2014 machines, which have been converted to meet the current regulations, to be fired up today in preparation for Friday's track debut.
"Yes, 100 per cent certain," Booth told AUTOSPORT when asked if he was sure the cars could run.
"We made a lot of progress in Australia and most of the software glitches were solved by Sunday afternoon as we didn't waste any time there.
"The car build here has gone really well and we should be rolling out at 10 in the morning.
"With these cars, you are constantly troubleshooting, but we think we are in a position to fire the cars up once we get the batteries in."
With much of the IT work completed in Australia, that team has been able to focus on system checks to ensure that the cars should be ready to run since work started in Malaysia this week.
"The cars were prepped mechanically in Australia, so there's not been a massive workload on the cars," said Booth.
"It's just been double checking and re-checking all the configurations and racks."
The team is set to take a conservative approach to track running on Friday as it adapts to its modified cars.
Although the 2014-based cars are familiar to the team, it is determined to maximise the available track running to maximise the progress it makes in practice.
"We will be cautious all day Friday, that's what's in our minds at the moment," said Booth.
"We know the car but we have quite a few new people so it's a good chance to get the people tuned up as well as the car.
"The weight distribution has changed a bit and that will have a small effect. The nose and wing mounts are also totally different so we will have to suck it and see because we haven't had the chance to do much sim work."
It's unclear whether the car will have the pace to qualify within the 107 per cent cut-off in Q1, with Booth admitting "a lot will depend on whether Mercedes use option tyres".

Malaysian GP: Manor's Roberto Merhi, Will Stevens cleared to race
By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw Saturday, March 28th 2015, 12:04 GMT
Manor Formula 1 duo Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi will be allowed to race in the Malaysian Grand Prix despite failing to set fast enough times in qualifying.
Stevens was unable to run at all because of a fuel system problem, while Merhi's best lap was 0.4 seconds adrift of the 107 per cent of the fastest Q1 time that is required.
However, with both drivers having produced laps at other times over the weekend that were within the 107 per cent limit, the stewards have allowed both of them into the race.
An FIA statement confirmed the drivers would be allowed to compete because they had "set satisfactory times in practice at this event."
According to team principal John Booth, it was Mercedes deciding to run mediums in Q1 that cost Merhi the chance to simply qualify within 107 per cent.
"I said before that we would be alright provided Mercedes don't put mediums on. And lo and behold... I still don't know why they did it," he told AUTOSPORT.
"Don't forget, [our drivers] are rookies and this is their first test for us. The way we've had to structure the weekend with short runs, we haven't given them much track time.
"I think they have done an incredible job, the pair of them."
Booth added that the goal was to now get the cars to the finish.
"I see no reason why we shouldn't. But the position we are in, there are a lot of things catching us by surprise."
Merhi will start from 19th on the grid, while Stevens will line up 20th.

Malaysian GP: Will Stevens to miss race as Manor can't fix problem
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Sunday, March 29th 2015, 06:15 GMT
Will Stevens will miss the Malaysian Grand Prix after the Manor Formula 1 team was unable to cure the fuel system issue that stopped his car running in qualifying.
The Briton had got within 107 per cent of the leading pace at times during practice, but had to sit out qualifying due to a problem that team boss John Booth said would have to be investigated by engine supplier Ferrari.
Manor then announced an hour before the start of the Sepang race that it had not been possible to fix the problem overnight.
The revived team will therefore make its first start in its new guise with just one car for Roberto Merhi, who was given dispensation to race despite not getting within the 107 per cent mark in qualifying.
Although Manor has made great progress since it failed to leave the pit garage at all during the Australian GP weekend, Booth admitted that teething troubles were still likely to occur.
Asked on Saturday if he expected his cars to finish the race, he replied: "I see no reason why we shouldn't. But the position we are in, there are a lot of things catching us by surprise."

Manor F1 team denies it can't run two cars after Stevens' problems
By Ben Anderson Tuesday, March 31st 2015, 12:01 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team insists there is no reason why it cannot run both its cars at the same time, following speculation over Will Stevens' Malaysian Grand Prix absence.
Having solved the software problems that prevented the revived F1 squad appearing in any of the sessions at the first race of the season in Melbourne, Manor took to the track for the first time in 2015 at Sepang.
But it only fielded Roberto Merhi in qualifying and the race after team-mate Stevens' car developed what Manor described as a "complex fuel system problem" in final free practice on Saturday.
The team said it had deliberately avoided running both cars simultaneously in practice to minimise the risk of making operational mistakes.
When Stevens - who had been its quicker driver in practice - failed to appear in Q1 or the race, there were rumours that Manor simply was not capable of running both cars at the same time.
But Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon refuted these suggestions as "complete, utter nonsense".
"I can guarantee you if that car could have moved, it would have raced," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"There is absolutely no question about it. And it would have qualified.
"The systems and the people were perfectly happy with the results of everything in [practice] one, two and three from that point of view, and if you look at the run plans we weren't going round and round and round in one, two and three because we had very specific tasks in ticking things off.
"Quali we had very clear run planning for both cars, and we would have definitely raced with two cars."
Lowdon said Manor was clearly doing everything in could to get both its cars into every race as the current high attrition rate meant there were big opportunities just for finishing.
"Look at Melbourne - why would you not want to be in a race at the minute?" he said.
"You would drag the car kicking and screaming.
"It's complete utter nonsense. Elvis is not alive on Mars and all the rest of it.
"We'll just keep our heads down, crack on with what we have to do, and keep moving forward."
Merhi finished 15 in the grand prix, three laps down, on his F1 race debut.
He had not lapped fast enough to meet the 107 per cent cut-off in Q1 but was given dispensation to start due to Stevens having lapped within that margin during practice.

Merhi's Manor future boosted by Formula 1 team director Lowdon
By Lawrence Barretto and Edd Straw Sunday, April 5th 2015, 08:59 GMT
Roberto Merhi's hopes of retaining his seat with Manor in Formula 1 this season have been boosted after sporting director Graeme Lowdon said he was happy with his current driver line-up.
The Spaniard signed a short-term deal for the "opening races" of the season after Manor secured an investor to enable it to compete.
When Merhi signed the deal, he admitted that he needed to find a sponsor if he wanted to secure the drive with Manor long-term, given the team's financial situation.
While Will Stevens was unable to start the race in Malaysia because of a fuel system problem, Merhi got the car to the chequered flag for the first time in 2015 when he crossed the line 15th.
And Lowdon says he sees no reason why Merhi - whom Manor ran in Formula 3 Euro Series in 2009 - won't stick around providing the team's situation remains the same.
"We ran Roberto in 2009 in European F3 and we were really impressed with him," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"He did a great job and we have always had an eye on him.
"We want to bring new talent through and we have done that but we have to do whatever is right for the team at the end of the day.
"At the moment, what is right for the team is the set-up we have. Roberto did a top class job [in Malaysia].
"There's not hard and fast rules or whatever when it comes to anything, other than focusing on what is right for the team."

Manor F1 team says Ferrari's engine progress bodes well for it
By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, April 8th 2015, 11:38 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon says Ferrari's Formula 1 success in Malaysia will have a knock-on effect on his team when it launches its 2015-spec car later this year.
Sebastian Vettel gave Ferrari its first victory since 2013 when he beat Mercedes at Sepang to confirm that the Scuderia's chassis and engine package is a big step forward.
Manor is currently using a modified 2014-spec car after a successful last-minute bid to save the team, and as a result it is using last year's Ferrari power unit.
Once the 2015 challenger is ready, Ferrari will provide the team with this year's engine, which has also propelled Sauber back into points contention after the Swiss team endured a 2014 season to forget.
"They [Ferrari] are the most successful engine supplier in the history of F1," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "It's great to see the progress they have made.
"You can see from the performance of other teams [which Ferrari supply] what can be done if you make a step forward.
"I think Ferrari have done a tremendous job and I'm delighted for everybody there.
"They have been a tremendous help to us. It was nice to see them get a reward for their hard work [in Malaysia]."

Roberto Merhi still unsure how long he will be in Manor F1 seat
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, April 9th 2015, 15:02 GMT
Roberto Merhi still does not know how long his deal for a Formula 1 race seat with Manor will last despite sporting director Graeme Lowdon backing his current line-up.
The Spaniard signed a short-term deal with Manor for the "opening races" of the season to race alongside Will Stevens, who has a contract for the full year.
Lowdon said last week he saw no reason why Merhi would not remain with the team providing its financial situation remains the same.
But in China, Merhi told AUTOSPORT that he does not have any firm guarantees over his future
"I do not know how many races I will do," he said.
"At the moment, I'm just working race by race."
Merhi is dovetailing his Manor F1 duties with driving for Pons Racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series this season.
Should a permanent deal with Manor come off, Merhi said his F1 commitments would come first.
"My target is to do a full season in Formula 1," he said. "Formula 1 has the priority.
"What I need to do in Formula Renault 3.5 is lead the championship by a long way and then maybe I can win that and do Formula 1 as well."
The series clash twice: when both race in Monaco in May, and with the change of FR3.5's Silverstone date to the same weekend as F1's Italian GP.

Manor's 2015 Formula 1 car not expected until August break
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, April 17th 2015, 19:52 GMT
Manor team principal John Booth says the team is aiming to have its 2015 Formula 1 car ready for the summer break in August.
The team has been running a 2014-spec car, which has been modified to meet this year's regulations, after it was successfully revived at the eleventh hour having gone into administration last season.
Booth said once the first four flyaway grands prix are out of the way the team will work through a plan for the introduction of the 2015 car.
"For the 2015 car, our aim has always been for the August break," said Booth.
"As with arriving in Australia, it is a very aggressive target and will take a lot of achieving.
"But when we get back from these first four flyaway races we just really need to sit down and see if we can bring all the areas together that need bringing together to achieve that in that timeframe."
Nine of the season's 19 grands prix take place after the summer break.
After failing to get either car running in Australia and only managing to get Roberto Merhi's car functioning for the race in Malaysia, Manor achieved its first double finish in China last weekend.
"That was a major step forward for us," Booth said.
"We ran every session on plan and operationally we're working as we were last year."

Manor F1 team says its season starts properly at Spanish Grand Prix
By Ben Anderson and Jonathan Noble Monday, May 4th 2015, 14:01 GMT
Manor boss John Booth believes his Formula 1 team will only start showing some of its full potential from this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
After a fraught winter trying to resurrect the Marussia outfit, Booth's squad has been focused on pure survival for the past few months.
But having got both cars to the finish in China and Bahrain and then had proper time back at base in the UK, Manor chiefs hope things will now step up as F1 returns to Europe.
"The first two months of the year and six weeks leading up to Melbourne, nothing else came on the radar apart from getting onto the grid," said Booth.
"The team were all working hard back at the factory and there was no room for anything else.
"Once we got back from Bahrain, we could take stock of where we are and start operating properly.
"We moved into a new office [at Silverstone] while we've been away, so we've been able to get all people together in one building. That's a step forward."
Manor has been using a modified 2014 car, with last year's Ferrari engines, so far this season because it was unable to ready a fully-fledged '15 contender in time.
It admitted in Bahrain that its new design is unlikely to appear before the summer break.

Manor team decides to miss post-Spanish GP test at Barcelona
By Ian Parkes Friday, May 8th 2015, 13:00 GMT
Manor will sit out the first of the Formula 1 in-season tests scheduled for Barcelona next week despite receiving offers from other drivers to take part.
AUTOSPORT understands a prominent GP2 driver approached Manor about the prospect of an outing, and was prepared to pay a reasonable sum of money for the drive.
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon, however, believes there would be little gain for the team being involved in the test scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT, Lowdon said: "We've nothing to test, so there's not a lot of point in us doing it, with our resources better spent elsewhere at the moment.
"The guys have done a really good job in getting on top of this car quickly, so we know the car pretty well and we know what it's capable of from last year.
"This year we can already see we are getting quite a bit out of it, so there is nothing to be achieved from a technical point of view."
Asked about the approaches from other drivers, Lowdon added: "There were some possibilities in that area, but it was the wrong time and focus for us.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say it would be a distraction, that would be incorrect, but it's just not the optimum thing for us to be doing."
"Yes, the money would be welcome, but equally these cars are pretty expensive to run.
"At the moment we have a really clear plan we are going along with, and that's because our season is different to everybody else.
"It's just the wrong time and place to really make use of the test the way the other teams will do, so the value is not there for us to do it."

Manor F1 driver Will Stevens accepts team's decision to skip test
By Ian Parkes Monday, May 11th 2015, 10:51 GMT
Will Stevens understands Manor's reasons for not running in this week's Formula 1 in-season test, although he is disappointed to be missing out on valuable track time.
As revealed by AUTOSPORT last week, Manor has chosen not to take part in the two-day session at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya as the team "has nothing to test" according to sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
Stevens, who missed the first two races due to various problems, would have loved the additional running, but naturally he has to abide by the team's decision.
"Clearly any time in the car is good because we still haven't had a test day of trying whatever we want, and to try and see if we can improve," Stevens told AUTOSPORT.
"I'll never turn down time in the car. It would have been nice to test, but the team has its reasons for not wanting to do it, and I'll stick by what they want to do."
Stevens led home team-mate Roberto Merhi in Spain, albeit three and four laps down respectively in finishing in 17th and 18th places.
However, Stevens has revealed the team's race was almost over at the opening corner but for a swift piece of evasive action from the Briton.
"Neither of us got an amazing start, but I was actually in front of him going into the first corner," added Stevens.
"He went around the outside of Turn 1, and I wasn't overly blessed with room.
"If I had kept my foot in then there would have been contact. For us to have come together on the first lap would have been pretty silly.
"It was just one of those first laps really. It's racing, we're here to beat each other, and it's nice to have a little race.
"This time I came off worse, next time he might. It's all part of racing."

Details of Formula 1 teams' 2014 payouts revealed
By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, May 13th 2015, 12:20 GMT
Ferrari received more money than any other team in Formula 1 for the 2014 season due to the championship's current payment system, details of which AUTOSPORT can reveal.
At the end of each season, Formula One Management collates revenues from three streams - hosting fees, media rights and "other" such as trackside sponsorship and hospitality.
It then distributes 65 per cent of the underlying revenues among the qualifying teams.
However, while 50 per cent of those revenues is distributed to teams based on their finishing position in the constructors' championship, the other 15 per cent is split between Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Williams - in the form of a premium payment.
These premium payments were agreed by the five major teams by way of bilateral agreements in early 2012, ahead of the expiration of the Concorde Agreement.
So in 2014, Ferrari received $67million for finishing fourth in the constructors' standings, $25 million less than champion team Mercedes.
But the Scuderia received a further $97million in the form of a premium payment, bringing its total revenue to $164 million, more than any other team.
Red Bull, which finished second in the constructors' championship, received a total of $156million - the second highest tally - with Mercedes third overall with $126million.
McLaren, having scored just two podiums on its way to fifth in the constructors' championship, was the fourth best paid team with $98million.
In contrast, Williams, which finished third in the constructors' championship and scored nine podiums, was fifth overall with $83million.
Force India finished one place and 26 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship but it received $38million less than the Woking-based team.


Manor F1 team boosts engineering strength with Pisanello
By Ian Parkes Thursday, May 14th 2015, 13:48 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team has ramped up its engineering department with the recent appointment of an experienced hand in Gianluca Pisanello.
Pisanello spent seven years with Toyota Motorsport in the roles of data engineer (race team), test engineer and race engineer before leaving at the end of 2009 in the wake of the team's decision to quit F1 amid the global credit crisis.
Pisanello was then taken on by Caterham at the start of its adventure in the sport, working his way up from race engineer to chief engineer, then to head of engineering operations.
With Caterham now defunct, and Manor taking on staff following its return to F1 after being saved from its own potential demise, Pisanello was last month taken on as chief engineer and head of trackside engineering.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT, team principal John Booth said: "We've been looking for somebody of Gianluca's experience and calibre, leaning on the experience because we've a very young engineering squad.
"We needed somebody with his depth of experience to lead that squad and teach them.
"We had a pretty good structure beforehand. Dave [Greenwood] left us in good shape as far as procedures and things were concerned.
"Gianluca obviously has his own ideas, and it's good to have that calming, authoritative voice on the pitwall too. He really helps out there."
With the appointment of Pisanello, there may now be a knock-on effect with further experienced hands also joining Manor, although for the most part Booth is satisfied with the personnel currently in place.
"We're very happy with the young guys we have," added Booth..
"We've been very surprised at just how good they are for such little experience, but Gianluca's key role is to grow that team."

Roberto Merhi set to keep Manor F1 seat for Monaco Grand Prix
By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto Friday, May 15th 2015, 10:03 GMT
Roberto Merhi is expected to keep his seat with the Manor Formula 1 team for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, according to sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
The Spaniard was signed to the team just days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, agreeing a short-term deal for the "opening races".
Merhi has been beaten to the chequered flag by team-mate Will Stevens, who has a contract for the season, in each of the last three races.
Lowdon said he is happy with his drivers and expects his current line-up to remain the same for next weekend's Monte Carlo street race.
"I don't foresee any change at all," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"We have got a lot of work to do as a team to get the gaps closed.
"In the meantime the drivers have obviously got to perform and do their job. I don't expect any changes."
When asked if that meant Merhi would retain his seat beyond Monaco, Lowdon added: "Yes, there's no lines in the sand or anything like that.
"Ultimately, we have just got to see how things progress."
MERHI SKIPS MONACO FR3.5
By Peter Mills
Merhi will skip the Monaco-supporting Formula Renault 3.5 round to focus on his F1 duties.
He had previously been undecided over whether to try to race in both categories on the only occasion when FR3.5 and F1 share a bill this year.
"I don't know if I can do both," said Merhi pre-season. "I will try, as I love racing and at the end of the day I am a racing driver.
"Maybe it's a bit tough physically, as Monaco is quite a physical track.
"[Daniel] Ricciardo did an FP1 [in F1 in Monaco while racing there in FR3.5 in 2011], but it would not be so easy to do both races."
However, Pons team manager Emilio de Villota told AUTOSPORT: "We have all agreed that Roberto will do the F1 race with Manor.
"We do not know how long his F1 season will last, so he definitely needs to prioritise every F1 opportunity.
"In Spa [FR3.5 round three] he will be with Pons again and we will fight our way back to the front after a very disappointing start of the season."
Merhi scored just two points at the FR3.5 season opener at Aragon.
After complaining of oversteer in qualifying, the Spaniard suffered damage when tagged in a first corner accident in race one.
De Villota did not confirm if Pons would run a substitute driver in Monaco alongside Indonesian Philo Paz Armand.

Manor F1 team returns to Monaco GP with thoughts on Jules Bianchi
By Ian Parkes Monday, May 18th 2015, 11:42 GMT
The Monaco Grand Prix will be emotional for all at the Manor Formula 1 team on the anniversary of Jules Bianchi's points finish, says sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
Bianchi's ninth place in a tumultuous race last year is the former Marussia team's only points finish to date.
With Frenchman Bianchi still hospitalised at a nearby facility in Nice following his horrific crash in last October's Japanese Grand Prix, all thoughts over the weekend will be with the 25-year-old.
"Without any question it will be an emotional occasion for this team," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"A lot of people in the team have been thinking about it; I've certainly been thinking about it, so it will be difficult.
"Going back is going to remind us of so many good times of a team-mate who is currently in hospital.
"There will be some difficult personal moments for everybody in the team, primarily because of Jules of course, but also because it was such a memorable race weekend and of what we achieved in the end.
"Obviously the result was great for our team, and it really was a full team effort.
"But every sport has heroes, and in our sport the drivers are the heroes, and Jules just drove a really great race that day."
For Manor, then known as Marussia before its administration and reconstitution over the winter, Bianchi's performance did not appear on the cards going into the race.
"Monaco last year is where everything really came together for this team, and after a good few weeks of work," added Lowdon.
"We'd improved the pace of the car in testing in Barcelona and we could see we could trouble others, which showed the team had made a lot of improvement at that stage.
"So we went to Monaco with a lot of anticipation about what we could do.
"But after practice on Thursday the over-riding feeling was one of frustration because we didn't have enough data to take advantage of the improvements we'd made.
"Then in qualifying we did a great job, with Jules 19th, but taking a five-place grid penalty because of a gearbox change.
"It was one of those weekends where we were taking one step forward, a couple of steps back, and then a few steps forwards, so going into the race it had been a rollercoaster from start to finish.
"It was then the same in the race because there were penalties, safety cars, we kept moving forward, then backward.
"We then got up to P10, a real landmark position, only to then get a time penalty.
"Each time we thought we had made our way forward something pulled us back.
"Then six laps from the end we leapfrogged up two places, finishing eighth on the road, and thankfully the time penalty didn't hurt us too much.
"To score points was a fantastic feeling for everyone in the team, as I say, a team effort, but thanks to Jules who drove such a fantastic race.
"It was fantastic to be involved in a race, with all its history, with someone like Jules in our car, someone who is a proper racer."

Manor closing on new Formula 1 headquarters
By Edd Straw and Ian Parkes Tuesday, May 19th 2015, 15:17 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 Team is close to finalising a deal for a permanent factory as it looks to streamline its operation.
The ex-Marussia outfit secured a last-minute rescue deal to race on as Manor this season, but requires a new base after the Haas F1 Team bought its factory.
In the interim, Manor has split its operation between its former factory in Dinnington and a base in Silverstone.
"It should be getting closer," said sporting director Graeme Lowdon. "It is narrowed down to a smaller number of places.
"We have a couple of commercial guys working on that pretty much full-time.
"That would be a nice milestone but we obviously want to get the right place."
However, Lowdon said there is no "desperate rush" to get something sorted.
"There is nothing imminent on that - these things normally take a while to get sorted," he added.
"If there was a desperate rush we would be capable of going a little bit quicker but it's a question of getting the right infrastructure in place while we can.
"So it makes sense to get other things in place at this stage."
Will Stevens, meanwhile, feels Manor could grab an unlikely point in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix - as the team did last year with Jules Bianchi's ninth place - if the race is another topsy-turvy affair.
"Last year was a massive race for the team, and I'm sure there will be some argy-bargy in the middle of the field," said Stevens, speaking to AUTOSPORT.
"If so, we'll have to try and pick up the pieces if there is anything left because if there is any race where we are going to be close then it will be Monaco.
"With mixed conditions, safety cars and bits and pieces there is always the chance for the race to be spiced up a little bit.
"If we do a good job as a team, we get the maximum from the car and there are a few incidents here and there then I'm certain we'll at least finish higher than we have so far this year."

Manor Formula 1 team creates Jules Bianchi tribute wristbands
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, May 20th 2015, 12:11 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team is to pay tribute to driver Jules Bianchi throughout the course of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the use of specially-commissioned wristbands.
The bright-red band carries the words 'MONACO 2014. P8. #JB17', and are to be worn by every member of the team.
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT earlier this week the race would be a highly emotional one for the entire organisation.
A year ago Bianchi secured eighth place at the end of a topsy-turvy race for the team, then known as Marussia, with a time penalty later dropping him to ninth.
It is a result that remains the marque's only points-scoring finish in its five-and-a-half-year history in the sport.
Frenchman Bianchi was involved in a horrific crash in the Japanese Grand Prix in September, and at present remains hospitalised in a facility in his home city of Nice.

Fernando Alonso says Jules Bianchi's 2014 Monaco GP "a miracle"
By Ian Parkes Thursday, May 21st 2015, 09:47 GMT
Fernando Alonso has expressed sadness Jules Bianchi will not be on the Monaco Grand Prix grid one year on from his "miracle" achievement in Formula 1's blue-riband event last season.
AUTOSPORT revealed on Wednesday every member of Bianchi's Manor team is wearing a specially-commissioned wristband over the next few days in honour of the Frenchman bearing the words 'MONACO 2014. P8. #JB17'.
Bianchi's eventual ninth position, as he was demoted a place after receiving a time penalty, remains the team's only points-scoring finish in its five-and-a-half-year history.
Following Bianchi's accident in last September's Japanese GP, the 25-year-old continues to be cared for in a hospital in his home town of Nice 20 kilometres away from Monaco.
Recalling Bianchi's achievements of a year ago, double world champion Alonso said: "It's hard to understand when you are in a car that is not competitive, to get some points.
"It's some kind of miracle. That is what Jules did last year, ninth place here. He was the star of the race.
"Now, to come here again and not see him together with us on the grid is very sad.
"It's not only here we remember him, it's every weekend, but here it's a little more difficult to understand the things that happened last year.
"He is in Nice, he is half an hour away, so hopefully he can feel some extra power that we send him."

Investigators take no action over Maria de Villota's F1 accident
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, May 26th 2015, 11:10 GMT
An investigation into Maria de Villota's accident when testing a Marussia Formula 1 car in 2012 has concluded no action will be taken against the parties involved.
De Villota crashed into an articulated trailer while carrying out a straightline test for Marussia at Duxford Aerodrome.
She lost her right eye but was able to make a full recovery from her other injuries.
De Villota died in October 2013, aged 33.
Soon after the incident, Marussia ruled out a problem with its car as the cause following its own in-depth investigation.
And the Health and Safety Executive, whose remit is to investigate incidents where someone has been injured as a result of a work activity, has now concluded its own enquiry.
"The investigation into the incident has now concluded and no enforcement action will be taken against any parties involved," a HSE spokesman told AUTOSPORT.
The Marussia team still competes in Formula 1 but under the Manor name and it is not commenting following the HSE's study.

Manor F1 team recruits ex-Mercedes technical director Bob Bell
By Ian Parkes Monday, June 1st 2015, 10:07 GMT
Manor has made a crucial acquisition as part of its Formula 1 revival with the capture of former Mercedes technical director Bob Bell as a technical consultant.
Bell is recognised as one of the most experienced players in F1, previously working at McLaren, Benetton, Jordan and Renault, and most-recently at Mercedes for three and a half years up until November last year.
The team claims Bell will be "applying his considerable industry experience supporting and advising Manor's senior management as they rebuild the team and formulate an ambitious long-term plan".
Bell's appointment comes soon after the acquisition of Gianluca Pisanello as chief engineer, as revealed by AUTOSPORT last month.
Manor has also signed up former Toro Rosso chief designer Luca Furbatto as its head of design.
"It's been a dramatic but rewarding start to our 2015 season, and we're only now able to settle into more of a rhythm, allowing us to look to the future," said team principal John Booth.
"Our focus this season is to re-build the foundations of the team and develop our internal capabilities.
"As ever in Formula 1, we rely on the experience, tenacity and drive of our colleagues, so we're delighted to welcome our new team-mates.
"Each of them brings a huge amount of experience from within the sport, adding further dimensions to our existing technical and engineering capability.
"Whilst we seek to optimise our performance during the remainder of the 2015 season, we can also turn our attention to the next exciting chapter in our story - 2016 and beyond."

Merhi bemoans weight difference to F1 team-mate Stevens
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Wednesday, June 3rd 2015, 16:11 GMT
Roberto Merhi has bemoaned his weight as a reason why Manor team-mate Will Stevens has managed to get the upper hand in their personal Formula 1 duel to date.
Taller than Stevens by a few inches, Merhi has been out-qualified by the Briton every time both drivers have attempted to qualify this season.
Stevens also finished ahead of the Spaniard three times in a row before Merhi finally saw the chequered flag first around the streets of Monte Carlo.
Merhi told AUTOSPORT: "The weight is not helping so much. It affects the weight distribution on the car.
"I am 10 kilograms heavier, or something like that, so my weight distribution is much more forward compared to his car and is not helping so much."
Although Merhi has slimmed down since the opening grand prix of the season in Australia - one in which Manor failed to compete due to technical issues - he does not feel he can do any more.
"Since Melbourne I have lost four or five kilos," he said.
"In Melbourne I was 14 or 15 kilos more compared to him and now I am maybe 10 or 11, something like that.
"I don't know how much more I can afford to lose. I thought five kilograms was the limit.
"To lose another five is hard. The first two will be easy, the other three very hard, so maybe I'm just going to have to eat salad!"
The 24-year-old, whose seat with the team appears assured for the time being given he was initially only brought in for the opening few races, has also had issues with the top speed of his car.
Although Monaco masked such problems, the long straights of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - the scene for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix - could highlight them again.
"We did have some issues in Barcelona with top speed," added Merhi.
"We do not have a good top speed compared to Will, so we have been working on that to ensure it is the same for both cars."
As to whether the Manor drivers receive the same equipment, Merhi said: "More or less.
"We try to get the same equipment. Normally it should be everything."

Fabio Leimer joins Manor F1 team as reserve for rest of 2015
Wednesday, June 3rd 2015, 17:03 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team has signed 2013 GP2 champion Fabio Leimer as its reserve driver for the remainder of the season.
Leimer missed out on an F1 seat following his GP2 title triumph, and last year he raced for the Rebellion LMP1 team in the World Endurance Championship.
The 26-year-old, who tested for Sauber in the 2011 young-driver test, will drive in yet-to-be confirmed Friday free practice sessions.
"I'm thrilled to be provided with this opportunity and I'd like to thank the Manor Marussia for the faith they have shown in my ability," said Leimer.
"In particular I'm very excited to have the chance to drive the car in selected FP1s, but I am also looking forward to spending a lot of time trackside with the team, contributing my observations and experience in engineering situations and also learning about the team and a Formula 1 operation.
"It's a huge step for me and I can't wait to get started and hopefully reward the team's confidence in me."
Leimer's role follows the team's announcement that former Mercedes technical director Bob Bell had joined as a technical consultant, plus the addition of Gianluca Pisanello as chief engineer and former Toro Rosso chief designer Luca Furbatto as its head of design.

Canadian GP: Will Stevens wants respect after Romain Grosjean clash
By Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes Sunday, June 7th 2015, 23:11 GMT
Manor's Will Stevens has called for more respect from his Formula 1 rivals when lapping cars following his Canadian Grand Prix collision with Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.
After drawing alongside Stevens on the run down to the final chicane, Grosjean pulled back across onto the racing line too early and clipped the Manor's front wing.
Both were forced to pit, with Grosjean dropping from fifth to outside the top 10 and being handed a five-second time penalty for causing the collision.
"If cars want to try and cut across you like this in braking zones, those types of accidents are only going to happen more," said Stevens when asked by AUTOSPORT about the incident.
"I understand blue flags and that we need to let the guys past, but I feel like I am always really fair with that.
"In return I think it would be nice if they could respect us and give us at least a car width's room to take into the corner.
"Otherwise it ruins their race as they get damaged and it also ruins our race as well.
"I'd let a load of cars past in that same position, because it is the best place to do it.
"There was absolutely nowhere I could go unless I drive on the grass, which I don't think should be the rule.
"I don't know what else I could have done and I think that the fact he got a penalty proves that they [the stewards] also thought that there was nothing I could do."
Stevens said he had not talked to Grosjean about the clash.
"From my side, if he wants to come and talk to me about it then he can, but I think it is pretty clear what the problem is," he said.
When asked if the blue flag issue had been discussed during driver briefings, Stevens said: "There was quite a lot of chat about blue flags and what should be happening with them.
"Me and Roberto [Merhi] both felt coming into this weekend it [cutting across] is happening a lot.
"If we can be a bit more fair in the situation, it helps everyone. Situations shouldn't and would never happen again.
"So it's a problem that needs talking about because it will keep happening."
Grosjean, who recovered to finished 10th, took responsibility for the collision.
"They probably could have made it more clear that they would let me by, but it's my fault that I came back too much on the left," said the Frenchman.
"I thought I was by, I was concentrating on the chicane which is a tricky corner. It's my fault but I'll learn from that."

Ex-Mercedes F1 man Bob Bell a major boost for Manor - Will Stevens
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, June 16th 2015, 08:59 GMT
Will Stevens believes Bob Bell's experience in Formula 1 will prove invaluable to Manor and his own burgeoning career.
Bell joined Manor at the start of the month as a technical consultant, and will be a key figure in the time ahead as the team strives to make improvements on and off the track.
The ex-Mercedes technical director and Renault team principal was appointed alongside former Toro Rosso chief designer Luca Furbatto as Manor's head of design, while Gianluca Pisanello was taken on as chief engineer last month.
Stevens feels such moves show Manor is on the up again.
"They're all interesting people with a lot of experience from having worked with different teams, and that's exactly what we need," he said.
"We need a good direction in which to head, and it is a positive for the team those people have come in, and a positive to moving the team forward, especially a man like Bob.
"I know he has a lot of experience, and I'm sure that will be very beneficial to us in the direction we need to go to improve.
"For me, that kind of appointment, to hire someone of his calibre, shows the team is going in the right direction.
"There is a lot of ambition in the team, and a clear direction as to where we want to go, which isn't going to happen overnight.
"But there is a plan for us to move forward, to really start making big improvements, and guys like Bob can only help us do that.
"We always knew this year would be the start of that journey, and it was always going to be difficult, but I'm sure we can make good progress, and it's exciting to see where we can go."
Although Manor continue to languish at the back of the grid, Stevens knows Bell can also help him improve as a driver as he continues his rookie year.
"I'm sure the team will draw as much information from him as they can, and for me personally I also need to draw on that as much as I can," added Stevens.
"He's worked with world champions before, so I'm sure he has a lot of knowledge that can help me progress."

Romain Grosjean apologises to Will Stevens over Canada F1 collision
By Edd Straw and Glenn Freeman Thursday, June 18th 2015, 13:10 GMT
Lotus Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has apologised to Manor's Will Stevens after triggering a collision between the pair during the Canadian Grand Prix.
Grosjean drifted into the path of Stevens after lapping him on the run to the final chicane in Montreal, damaging the front wing of the Manor-run Marussia and earning a penalty.
The apology happened in the Austrian GP paddock on Thursday, after Grosjean had seen the footage of the incident.
"I went to apologise because I messed up," said Grosjean. "It was all OK [after the apology].
"I killed a big part of my race, but I broke his front wing as well.
"Even though they are fighting at the back, they are still trying to do their best so it wasn't very nice of me to turn into him.
"It was just a failure of concentration; when you lap a car, it's fairly easy to forget it.
"That corner is a tricky one and I was just focusing on the apex; I didn't even realise I was turning left.
"Then I saw the reply and thought 'oh, that was bad'. It's something you learn from and try not to do again."
Stevens accepted Grosjean's apology and, after calling for more respect from drivers in faster cars in the wake of the clash, insists the incident is now behind them.
"He came up to me today to apologise," said Stevens.
"It was good of him because it was a racing incident.
"It should never happen, but it was just one of those things.
"He obviously thought I was more out of the way was, but I was as far over as I could be.
"It's good that he apologised and I respect him for that.
"Now we can move on and forget about it."

Manor Formula 1 team will skip post-Austrian Grand Prix test
By Lawrence Barretto Saturday, June 20th 2015, 13:14 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team will miss the second and final in-season test of 2015 taking place in Austria next week.
The ex-Marussia team's last-minute rescue deal to race on as Manor means it is playing catch-up after a delayed start to the season.
As a result, Manor's development programme is behind its rivals and it does not feel there is anything to gain from the two-day test at the Red Bull Ring, which starts on Tuesday, based on its current situation.
Manor, which is running a modified 2014-spec car this season, also missed the first in-season test at Barcelona.
"It's the wrong test at the wrong time in the wrong place for us," Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"Our development focus at the moment is in a different place.
"We're out of sync with the other teams after the way our season started and what our objectives are at the moment.
"We can't gain the same as other teams would be gaining so the value of doing it is not there."

Maria de Villota's 2012 Marussia F1 test crash details explained
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, June 29th 2015, 16:51 GMT
Maria de Villota was "fighting" the Marussia Formula 1 car and struggling to slow down when she crashed into an articulated trailer during a test in 2012, documents have revealed.
The Health and Safety Executive, whose remit is to investigate incidents where someone has been injured as a result of a work activity, last month concluded no action will be taken against the parties involved.
De Villota's injuries in the crash included the loss of her right eye.
Part of the HSE's report has been released to AUTOSPORT through the Freedom of Information Act.
The straightline test took place at Duxford Aerodrome on July 3 2012, a day after de Villota had a seat-fitting in the car.
According to the report, the Spaniard said she could not operate the clutch when the steering was on full-lock but was told "it does not matter as there would be no need for full-lock during the straightline test".
She was also given notes from the race engineer ahead of the drive, but these did not feature information about stopping the car or "which gears should be selected when arriving at the pitlane".
The report added that a standard trailer, rather than the usual race trailer, was used, and it had an "unusual" and "larger" tail-lift.
De Villota began the day by completing a drive in a saloon car with her race engineer where the programme was explained to her, however the report added the stopping procedure was not discussed.
The report said the Spaniard completed two runs up the runway successfully and on returning to the garage area, with the car travelling at 45 km/h, she braked and the car continued to slow.
As the engine dropped to 4100rpm and with the gear still engaged, the engine idle control attempted to prevent the speed dropping further in a bid to stop the engine stalling.
"This is the start of the first of three periods of oscillation in the data which show that the car is 'fighting' the driver," said the report, which added the Spaniard had "not been provided with any information on how the engine idle control would affect the stopping performance of the car".
De Villota said in the report that she had pressed the button to unlock the clutch, but it did not work.
The front-right wheel locked, with de Villota trying to steer the car to the right. As she braked harder, the front-left wheel then locked.
She then attempted to change down from second to first gear, but the change was rejected as the torque was greater than 100Nm.
De Villota eased off the brakes, allowing the wheels to turn, but re-applied the brakes and that caused the left-front to lock again.
The report said "the car was pushed along the apron of the runway into the tail-lift of the trailer".
De Villota had thought she would miss the lorry but the report said: "the tail-lift had been left in a position which not only created risk of injury, but was also protruding outwards at the level of the DP's [deceased person's] eye."
It also said the team was "relying on the skill and experience of the driver".
De Villota died in October 2013 at the age of 33.

Errors cost Manor shot at Silverstone F1 points - Will Stevens
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, July 7th 2015, 09:36 GMT
Manor Formula 1 team driver Will Stevens blamed a sequence of errors for a disappointing result in Sunday's British Grand Prix, when he felt points were possible.
The Briton was running 12th, comfortably ahead of team-mate Roberto Merhi, when rain started to fall at the north of Silverstone, leading to his Manor team calling him into the pits immediately.
A poor pitstop, crash in the changeable conditions and disappointing strategic calls cost Stevens a large amount of time in a race where high attrition meant he felt points were possible.
"When I came in, they weren't ready for me and I had to sit there for about 15 seconds before they started changing tyres, so I lost all the gap I'd built up to Roberto," Stevens said.
"Then the track was too dry for inters so we completely destroyed them in eight laps and the team decided to pit Roberto before me.
"The lap that they pitted him was when I came off because it started to rain again and the tyres were completely destroyed.
"We were pretty much driving round on slick tyres because we lost the tread on the inters.
"I wasn't even pushing that hard because I knew the tyres had completely gone and then the rears came round and I was a passenger after that.
"Then we pitted for new inters and we had to bring it home.
"That's the closest we've been to the points so I'm sure a few more laps and a bit of argy-bargy between everyone and we could have been [in the points]."
Despite a challenging first F1 race on home soil, Stevens was pleased with his weekend and the performance of the team's first upgrade package of the season.
"I'd say 90 per cent of the race was positive and the last 10 per cent was disappointing, but overall it's been a really good weekend for me and the team," he said.
"Silverstone should be our worst track. It's high-speed and has lots of long straights - the two things we struggle with.
"But the car itself gives us drivers more confidence in it, because we've got more grip.
"I felt this weekend I achieved the maximum out of it in qualifying - that is where the car is at - so we head into Hungary knowing where the car is.
"Hungary's a cool track, lots of corners and hopefully the upgrades we've got will bring us more aero so I think the likes of Hungary will probably bring us a little bit closer again."

Racing penalised cars a balancing act, says Manor F1's Will Stevens
By Glenn Freeman and Matt Beer Friday, July 17th 2015, 15:52 GMT
Manor Formula 1 driver Will Stevens says he does his utmost to race hard against drivers from larger teams with grid penalties rather than simply capitulating.
Although the Marussia-based Manor machine has been the slowest car on the 2015 F1 grid, Stevens and team-mate Roberto Merhi have had demoted drivers starting behind them at three of the last four grands prix - with further occurrences likely as struggling engine manufacturers rack up penalties.
Stevens admitted that there was a danger of compromising Manor's race by trying too hard against a faster car such as a penalised McLaren, but said he takes a "calculated risk" approach that also gives him a chance to make an impression.
"In all honesty it's really difficult to race them because at the moment they're obviously a lot quicker than we are," he said.
"We try our best to race them because at that point in time we're racing for position.
"It's a give and take. If we try and fight them too hard, in the long run we actually lose more time by doing that than we would by running our own race.
"You've got to use your head in situations like that and realise when you're fighting a losing battle, trying to keep people behind you who are obviously quicker.
"You're not going to let them past, but if they're in a place to overtake you then there's no point making it too difficult for them.
"We need to run our race and we need to achieve the best result that we can. To do that, we need to achieve the best race time that we can.
"If you can keep them behind without losing time then you would. If you were in a place like Monaco it's pretty easy to keep them behind because they won't get past."
He acknowledged that engine penalties giving him a chance of racing against world champions such as Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso had been a perk of his rookie season.
"You grow up watching these guys. You always think 'I'd like to be racing these guys, I wonder what it's like to race against them?'" Stevens said.
"I'm not afraid to race up against those guys and hopefully as the year goes on we're going to get closer and closer, and we will be in a position where we can start to race them if they're on different strategies."

Jules Bianchi dies nine months after crash in Japanese F1 GP
Saturday, July 18th 2015, 06:02 GMT
Jules Bianchi's family has announced that the 25-year-old Frenchman died on Friday night, nine months after his crash in Formula 1's 2014 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Bianchi had been in a coma since the accident, in which he suffered a diffuse axonal injury after colliding with a recovery vehicle while driving for Marussia.
He was initially treated at the Mie Prefecture medical centre in Japan before being transferred to a facility in Nice a month after the crash.
Although rehabilitation therapy began late last year, in May Bianchi's father Philippe admitted that the family's hopes were fading and his death was announced in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"It is with deep sadness that the parents of Jules Bianchi, Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and sister Melanie, wish to make it known that Jules passed away last night at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) in Nice, (France) where he was admitted following the accident of 5th October 2014 at Suzuka Circuit during the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix," said a statement from the Bianchi family.
"Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end.
"The pain we feel is immense and indescribable.
"We wish to thank the medical staff at Nice's CHU who looked after him with love and dedication.
"We also thank the staff of the General Medical Center in the Mie Prefecture (Japan) who looked after Jules immediately after the accident, as well as all the other doctors who have been involved with his care over the past months.
"Furthermore, we thank Jules' colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times.
"Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.
"We would like to ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time, while we try to come to terms with the loss of Jules."
Bianchi, whose great uncle Lucien was a sportscar and F1 racer in the 1950s and '60s, was a Ferrari protégé who won French Formula Renault and European Formula 3 titles in 2007 and '09 respectively.
He reached F1 via campaigns in GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5, spending 2012 as Force India's third driver before getting a race seat with Marussia the following year.
He famously scored the team's first points with ninth place in the 2014 Monaco GP.

Tributes to Marussia F1 driver Jules Bianchi after his death
Saturday, July 18th 2015, 06:48 GMT
The death of Marussia Formula 1 racer Jules Bianchi on Friday night prompted a flood of tributes from his friends, colleagues and admirers around the motorsport world.
Former team-mates and the drivers he raced against on his way through the junior categories to F1 were among the first to take to social media to express their grief at the loss of the 25-year-old Frenchman, who died in a Nice hospital nine months after being gravely injured in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
MAX CHILTON - Bianchi's 2013/14 Marussia F1 team-mate
"No words can describe what his family and the sport have lost. All I can say it was a pleasure knowing and racing you."
MANOR F1 TEAM - Bianchi's F1 team as Marussia
"We are devastated to lose Jules after such a hard-fought battle. It was a privilege to have him race for our team."
FERRARI - Bianchi was a Ferrari Driver Academy member
"Everyone in Ferrari and all of the Prancing Horse tifosi wish to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Jules' family, particularly his parents Philippe and Christine, his brother Tom and his sister Mélanie, at this time.
"Farewell Jules."
ALEXANDER ROSSI - GP2 racer and Marussia test driver alongside Bianchi
"Thank you for shining a light in this sport and being the driver that we all wanted to be. Thank you for being the one per cent behind the wheel."
ART GRAND PRIX - Bianchi's F3 and GP2 team
"There is no word to describe how we feel today. Our thoughts go to his family and friends. Jules will always be part of our team."
NICOLAS TODT - Bianchi's manager
"You were the little brother I had always dreamed to have. Sharing those last 10 years with you has been an immense privilege. I will miss you."
TECH 1 RACING - Bianchi's Formula Renault 3.5 team
"Our sincere condolences to Jules' family and we want them to know that we stand by them during this painful time.
"Rationally, we knew that the fight would be extremely difficult, but we were all waiting for a miracle. With a spirit as strong as his, we never gave up hope. We are proud to have worked with such a generous as talented person. Jules was a fighter.
"Bon voyage dear friend!"
VALTERRI BOTTAS - Williams F1 driver/Bianchi's 2009 F3 team-mate
"Woke up to this very sad news. RIP Jules. You will be never forgotten. My thoughts are with the family."
SAM BIRD - Bianchi's 2010 GP2 team-mate
"Goodbye my friend. You will be missed by so so many. Rest in peace Jules. My thoughts are with you..."
WILL STEVENS - Manor F1 driver
"Devastating news. A massive loss for Jules' family, friends and the sport. RIP mate. Will always be with us!"
ROBERTO MERHI - Manor F1 driver
"Very sad day for motorsport, the best driver that I raced against has left us after nine months fighting for his life. RIP my friend Jules."
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM - where Bianchi was test driver in 2012
"Our thoughts are with Jules's family and friends in this moment. You will be sorely missed, Jules. Rest in Peace."
VIJAY MALLYA - Force India owner
"We came to know an outstanding young man and a tremendous talent who was destined for great things in F1. The world has lost a true racer and we have all lost a friend."
JENSON BUTTON - McLaren F1 driver
"Last night we lost a truly great guy and a real fighter. RIP Jules. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends."
ROMAIN GROSJEAN - Lotus F1 driver
"Yesterday we lost one of the best guys and best drivers I've ever met. I'll miss you so much my friend..."
JON LANCASTER - Bianchi's F3 team-mate
"Today the world lost a bright light. It's been a pleasure to have raced together but most importantly to have been friends. Love to the family."
MAX VERSTAPPEN - Toro Rosso F1 driver
"Today we have lost an amazing talent and person... Words can't describe our feelings right now. We will all miss you Jules."
GRAND PRIX DRIVERS' ASSOCIATION
"After your tragic accident and long fight, you are gone, but we will never forget you. How could we?"
JEAN-ERIC VERGNE - Ferrari F1 test driver/Formula E racer
"Destiny is probably the only thing you can't fight, for the rest Jules is the biggest fighter and talented driver that I met. We will miss you my friend...
"The world of motorsport thanks you for writing a page of history. You were a true friend in the paddock and what a good driver...
"My thoughts are going to your family. Jules will always be there..."
LEWIS HAMILTON - Mercedes F1 driver
"A sad, sad day today, guys. Please pray for Jules' loved ones. RIP Jules. God bless."
CARLOS SAINZ JR - Toro Rosso F1 driver
"Horrible news. Rest in peace mate. A great example of fight and courage for all of us. You will always be with us."
SERGIO PEREZ - Force India F1 driver, who posted a photo of the pair together as Ferrari juniors
"Sad news. It will be hard to know that we won't see you again on Sundays with the happiness that gave us all, Jules!
"Thanks for everything you gave to this sport we all love. Without a doubt today we lost someone special. RIP."
CHARLES PIC - Ex-F1 racer and Bianchi's Formula Renault team-mate
"RIP Jules. I'll miss you."
JAMES CALADO - Ferrari GT racer
"This morning I lost a friend and a great example of a special racing driver. I will never forget you, Jules Bianchi."
DAVID BRABHAM - Ex-F1 racer and Le Mans winner
"So sad to hear the news of the passing of Jules Bianchi, he was such a talent and much loved by many."
CARLOS SAINZ - Two-time World Rally champion
"All my thoughts to the family of Jules Bianchi. RIP. Great young champion."
RED BULL F1 TEAM
"A tragic loss. All of our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jules Bianchi."
JEROME D'AMBROSIO - Ex-F1 driver/Formula E racer
"Rest in peace my friend. We will miss the exceptional driver you were and the amazing guy that was..."
DANIEL RICCIARDO - Red Bull F1 driver
"I'll never forget you and the good times we had. Going to miss you bro."
MARTIN BRUNDLE - F1 racer turned commentator
"RIP Jules Bianchi. It was a pleasure and privilege to have known him in his all too short life. Sad day, condolences to his family and friends."
ROBERT WICKENS - DTM driver
"Motorsport has lost a future world champion. Always a fighter. It showed on track and through his whole battle. RIP Jules, you'll be missed."
ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ - Ferrari F1 reserve
"You will always be present in our hearts. I will follow that dream we had in common. RIP my friend!"
PASTOR MALDONADO - Lotus F1 driver
"RIP Jules Bianchi. big guy, big driver, big friend... hard to believe!"
SIMON PAGENAUD - IndyCar driver
"Jules Bianchi we will miss you buddy. I'm speechless right now, words can't describe the sadness we all feel at this moment."
JR HILDEBRAND - IndyCar driver
"Such sad news about Jules Bianchi. I feel for his family, excruciating for them beyond belief. May they find strength."
MARIO ANDRETTI - F1 and IndyCar legend
"My heartfelt condolences to the Jules Bianchi family for this very sad ending of a promising young life. My prayers are with you."
ANDRE LOTTERER - Three-time Le Mans winner
"Rest in peace dear Jules! We lost a great fighter today. All my thoughts are with you and your family."
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE - IndyCar driver
"So sad. Hate seeing a bright star extinguished. RIP Jules Bianchi."
CONOR DALY - IndyCar driver
"Will never forget dinner at Hooters in Austin after the grand prix with James Calado and Jules. RIP, Jules."
ALAN JONES - 1980 F1 world champion
"Rest in peace Jules Bianchi. A courageous young man. We will miss you."
STOFFEL VANDOORNE - GP2 championship leader
"Rest in peace Jules. Thoughts are with his family and friends. We'll never forget you!"
LOIC DUVAL - WEC and Formula E racer
"No words! Legends never die. RIP Jules."
LUCAS DI GRASSI - WEC and Formula E racer
"Woke up with the news that one of the greatest talents of our generation now rests in peace. We all miss you."
DANIIL KVYAT - Red Bull F1 driver
"Rest in peace, Jules. Forever in my and our hearts."
DAVID CROFT - F1 commentator
"Rest in Peace Jules. Words can't describe the sadness this morning. It was a pleasure to have known you, even more to have watched you race."
WORLD SERIES BY RENAULT - Where Bianchi raced in FR3.5 in 2012
"Devastating news this morning. RIP Jules Bianchi. Thoughts are with your family and your friends. It was a pleasure to have known you!"
GP2 SERIES - Where Bianchi raced in 2010/11
"GP2 organisers are terribly saddened by the untimely passing of Jules Bianchi. During his time in the series, the young Frenchman fought for poles, points, podiums, wins and the title.
"He moved on to new challenges and tackled them with great fighting spirit until he reached his true goal: Formula 1.
"Of him, we will remember his genuine smile and friendliness. Jules was a true competitor, a great driver, a fighter, and a winner.
"GP2 organisers would like to send their deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and friends."
LANDO NORRIS - MSA Formula driver
"Goodbye my friend and RIP Jules. You will be thoroughly missed by so, so many. You will never be forgotten and you were a hero to all of us. My thoughts are with you and your family. Farewell."
DANIEL JUNCADELLA - DTM driver
"Sad, sad day in motorsport... One of the greatest talents I've ever seen died after nine months fighting... RIP Jules."
McLAREN F1 TEAM
"The thoughts of everybody at McLaren are with the friends and family of Jules Bianchi. You will be sorely missed. RIP Jules. Forza Jules."
JOHNNY HERBERT - Ex-F1 racer
"Talented and a gentleman. Will remain in our hearts. RIP Jules."
BRUNO SENNA - Ex-F1 racer
"My strong thoughts go to Jules Bianchi's family! Hope the lessons we learned will stop more tragedies like these from happening! RIP."
JORDAN KING - GP2 racer
"Saddest news to wake up to. RIP Jules. All my thoughts are with the family today. I will always remember your 2014 Monaco drive."
PIRELLI - F1 tyre supplier
"Our thoughts are with Jules Bianchi and his family at this very sad time. Proud to have known and worked with him."
ANTONIO FELIX DA COSTA - DTM racer
"Today is a hard day for me and a bad day for motorsport, you left us but you sure left your mark! Rest in Peace my friend, a pleasure to have shared racetracks and podiums with you!"
SAUBER F1 TEAM
"What terrible news this morning. Our deepest condolences to Jules' family and friends. Rest in peace Jules, you will be greatly missed!"
MARC MARQUEZ - MotoGP world champion
"All my thoughts to the family of Jules. RIP."
PAUL HEMBERY - Pirelli motorsport chief
"Sad news to wake to, deepest condolences to all of Jules' family and friends. RIP Jules, it was an honour to have known you."
MARC GENE - Ferrari test driver
"In those devastating moments my thoughts are with the family of Jules Bianchi. RIP Jules."
EMANUELE PIRRO - Ex-F1 racer
"Sadly the miracle didn't happen. A very sad day for motorsport. All my thoughts and prayers to his family and close friends. RIP Jules."
FELIPE NASR - Sauber F1 driver
"Very sad news about Jules, we lost a true fighter... All my thoughts go to his family in this difficult time."
DANI CLOS - F3 and GP2 contemporary of Bianchi
"I'm so sorry for our friend Jules Bianchi. RIP one of the greatest talents of our generation. Be free in heaven mate."
MARCO WITTMANN - DTM champion
"Very sad news today, one of the biggest talents in motorsport left us. RIP Jules Bianchi.
My thoughts are with the family."
SUSIE WOLFF - Williams test driver
"Goodbye Jules. So sad to have lost a very impressive young man. Our thoughts are with the family."
KARUN CHANDHOK - Ex-F1 racer
"Goodbye Jules... One of those great 'what could've been' careers like Tom Pryce, Francois Cevert or Gilles Villeneuve before him. RIP Jules.
"My condolences to the Bianchi family and friends, everyone at Manor, his management team, Nicolas Todt. The world is a poorer place today."
WILLIAMS F1 TEAM
"A tragic loss. The thoughts of everybody at Williams are with the friends and family of Jules Bianchi. You will be missed. RIP Jules."
GIANCARLO FISICHELLA - Ex-F1 racer and Ferrari test/GT driver
"A wonderful boy and an amazing driver... you will be forever in our hearts. Ciao Jules."
DAMS - GP2 and FR3.5 team
"Such sad news. Rest in peace Jules. All our thoughts are with his family and friends."
FELIPE MASSA - Williams F1 driver
"All my thoughts with Jules' family. I will miss you brother. RIP Jules."
NICK YELLOLY - GP2 racer
"Such sad news. It was a privilege to know and race against you mate. Sleep tight."
MERCEDES F1 TEAM
"Today, our motorsport family mourns as one. Rest in peace Jules, your memory will live long."
DAVIDE VALSECCHI - 2012 GP2 champion
"You were special!!! Life is not fair my friend."
(Valsecchi also tweeted memorable pictures of himself and Bianchi in fancy dress in 2007)
MAX PAPIS - Ex-F1 and IndyCar racer
"Racing Gods claimed Jules Bianchi upstairs. RIP champ. This is our life of racers. God bless him. Respect to his parents."
TOM CORONEL - WTCC racer
"RIP Jules Bianchi. We love our passion of racing but there are also days we hate our passion. Today we say goodbye to a real racer."
MITCH EVANS - GP2 racer
"Rest in peace Jules. Quite hard believe and to accept but I hope you're in a better place now."
ANDY PRIAULX - Three-time World Touring Car champion
"RIP Jules. Very, very sad. Thoughts are with his family, friends, fans and team."
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN - McLaren F1 test driver
"Rest in peace Jules. A great talent and a big loss for motorsport. Thoughts are with family and friends."
BEN BARNICOAT - Formula Renault Eurocup racer
"RIP Jules Bianchi. Was an absolute pleasure to know you, a top guy and a tragic loss to the world of motorsport. For sure a future champion."
ROBERT DOORNBOS - Ex-F1 and IndyCar racer
"Terrible news about Jules Bianchi. Unfortunately I never raced against this hugely talented driver. You will be missed!"
SEBASTIEN CHARDONNET - 2013 WRC3 champion
"In our French drivers' generation you were the number one and you will stay it! Rest in peace dude!"
PAUL DI RESTA - Force India F1 driver when Bianchi was reserve, now in DTM
"Very sad news this morning. RIP my friend. Thoughts are with all."
TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jules Bianchi. You will be missed. Ci mancherai. Ciao Jules, RIP Jules."
OLIVER TURVEY - McLaren F1 test driver, GP2 contemporary of Bianchi
"Terribly sad to hear of the loss of a true talent and great competitor, a star has been lost too soon. You will always be remembered. RIP Jules."
PIERRE GASLY - GP2 racer
"No words... Such sad news, you were more than a friend, an example, and such a special person! We'll never forget you! RIP Julio!"
NICO ROSBERG - Mercedes F1 driver
"Extremely sad to hear that Jules Bianchi passed away. Thinking about Jules and his family."
FELIX ROSENQVIST - European F3 racer
"Rest in peace Jules Bianchi. Great talent, big loss for the motorsport world."
PETTER SOLBERG - World Rallycross champion and 2003 WRC champion
"So sad for Jules Bianchi - my sincerest condolences to his family and friends."
MARCUS ERICSSON - Sauber F1 driver
"Tragic news today. So unfair. One of the best guys on and off track. Rest in peace my friend."
FIA
"The world of motorsport is in mourning today, after the tragic passing of Jules Bianchi overnight.
"The sport has lost one of the most talented drivers of this generation, from a family that has such a strong presence in the history of the sport.
"Jules Bianchi was a popular personality all in F1, possessing the best of both human and sporting qualities.
"The FIA recognises the courage with which he conducted his last fight, in the company of his loving family.
"Jean Todt , FIA President, expressed his deepest condolences to Jules' family and recognised the great pain being felt by the Bianchi family and those close to them.
"The motorsport community offers their most sincere support through this terrible ordeal."
CYRIL ABITEBOUL - Renault F1 chief
"Sad day for motorsport. In a part of the F1 grid with little coverage, Jules' talent, spirit and style was an example for all."
MAURIZIO ARRIVABENE - Ferrari F1 team boss
"When you lose someone like Jules, sorrow and sadness go beyond the void in sport."
PIERRE FILLON - ACO president, Bianchi's great-uncle and grandfather raced at Le Mans
"It is with great sadness and deep emotion that we learned this morning the sad news of the death of Jules Bianchi. On behalf of the ACO and all employees, I present my condolences to the family and friends of Jules.
"He is part of the great family of motorsports and by his talent and his courage, he has earned the recognition of his peers and all fans of the discipline."

John Booth says Manor F1 team was honoured to know Jules Bianchi
Saturday, July 18th 2015, 09:13 GMT
Manor Formula 1 team boss John Booth says his squad will always feel honoured that it could give Jules Bianchi his opportunity in grand prix racing after the Frenchman's death.
Bianchi scored the then-Marussia team's only points so far with his ninth place in the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, having joined its race line-up the previous season after a deal with Luiz Razia fell through late in the winter.
"Words cannot describe the enormous sadness within our team this morning, as we come to terms with losing Jules," said Booth.
"He has left an indelible mark on all our lives, and will forever be part of everything we have achieved, and everything we will strive for going forward.
"We are incredibly grateful that we were able to provide Jules with the opportunity to show the world what he could do in a Formula 1 car.
"We knew we had a very special driver on our hands from the first time he drove our car in pre-season testing in 2013.
"It has been an honour to be able to consider him our race driver, our team-mate, and of course our friend."
Booth said Bianchi's character had made as big an impression on the team as his driving ability
"Jules was a shining talent. He was destined for great things in our sport; success he so richly deserved," he said.
"He was also a magnificent human being, making a lasting impression on countless people all over the world.
"They recognised, as did we, that at the same time as being a fiercely motivated racer, he was also an extremely warm, humble and intensely likeable person, who lit up our garage and our lives.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the wonderful Bianchi family, who have remained so strong for Jules throughout the past nine months. In turn, Jules was an absolute credit to them.
"Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has supported Jules since his accident in Japan last October.
"Your kindness has been such a source of comfort to his family and to us, his team.
"We will rely on your continued support over the coming days and months as we race on for Jules."
Bianchi died in hospital in Nice on Friday night, nine months after being severely injured in a crash in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
He won French Formula Renault and European Formula 3 titles on his way towards F1, and tested for Force India and long-time supporter Ferrari as well as racing in 34 grands prix with Marussia.

Jules Bianchi's funeral to be held on Tuesday in Nice
Sunday, July 19th 2015, 15:47 GMT
The family of Jules Bianchi has announced that his funeral will take place this Tuesday in his hometown, Nice.
Following an accident during last October's Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, the Frenchman died on Friday.
In a tweet on the former Marussia driver's official Twitter account, it was confirmed that a service will be held on July 21 from 10am, at Sainte Reparate Cathedral.
Since news broke on Saturday morning, tributes have flowed for Bianchi, and overnight Max Chilton dedicated his breakthrough Indy Lights result at Iowa to his 2013/14 team-mate.

Bianchi was 'chosen for Ferrari future', says Luca di Montezemolo
By Matt Beer Monday, July 20th 2015, 08:41 GMT
Ferrari had already decided that Jules Bianchi would take Kimi Raikkonen's Formula 1 race seat whenever it parted with the Finn, according to the Scuderia's former chairman Luca di Montezemolo.
Bianchi, who died in hospital last Friday nine months after being gravely injured in a crash in the Japanese Grand Prix, had been a member of Ferrari's academy programme and a regular test driver for the team since 2009.
Three months before his accident, he had stood in for Raikkonen in the post-British GP F1 test following the Finn's big crash on the opening lap of the Silverstone race, and set the pace.
"Jules Bianchi was one of us, he was a member of the Ferrari family and was the racing driver we had chosen for the future, once the collaboration with Kimi Raikkonen came to an end," di Montezemolo, who parted with Ferrari last September, wrote in a tribute to Bianchi in Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
"The Suzuka crash has taken away from us a top guy, reserved, quick, very polite, extremely attached to Ferrari, one who could work and interact well with the technicians too; therefore, we lose a driver with a certain future."
Bianchi was given his first Ferrari test at the end of 2009, just after clinching that year's Formula 3 Euro Series title, and maintained its support through subsequent GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 campaigns.
All 34 of his grand prix starts came with Ferrari's customer team Marussia, which he joined for the 2013 season in a last-minute deal after plans to run Luiz Razia fell through.
"I still remember him when, just past his teens, he arrived at Maranello," di Montezemolo added.
"With us, he climbed every step in racing until his F1 debut with Marussia with Ferrari power.
"We cared a lot for this boy, you could already glimpse his talent for racing.
"We wanted him to grow up in our team, and that's why in 2009 we placed him in Ferrari's youth programme, the Driver Academy.
"He would be the one driving for Ferrari after the experience in GP2 and after some fine performances in F1 and in some tests that had our technicians very impressed.
"A bitter destiny has instead taken him away from us, leaving an indelible mark and a great pain inside us.
"I feel strongly for his family, who over such difficult months have shown courage and dignity.
"And I also feel for his many friends at Ferrari. We have lost an exceptional guy. And we will remember him forever with great affection."
Days before his accident, Bianchi had declared himself "ready" to step into a Ferrari race seat if the team needed him to amid Fernando Alonso's departure for McLaren.
Bianchi's funeral will take place in Nice on Tuesday.

The FIA will retire Jules Bianchi's number 17 from Formula 1
By Ian Parkes Monday, July 20th 2015, 14:05 GMT
The FIA is to retire the number 17 from the list of those available for Formula 1 drivers as a mark of respect following the death of Jules Bianchi.
Following a nine-month battle for survival after sustaining severe injuries in a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix last October, Frenchman Bianchi passed away at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in his home city of Nice on Friday.
A statement on the FIA website read: "Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced the car number 17 will be retired from the FIA Formula One World Championship in honour of Jules Bianchi.
"As F1 car numbers are now personally chosen by each driver, the FIA believes it to be an appropriate gesture to retire Jules Bianchi's number 17.
"As a result, this number can no longer be used for a car competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship."
Bianchi's funeral is to be held on Tuesday, with a service taking place at the Sainte Reparate Cathedral, Nice, from 10am.

Formula 1 community pays its last respects to Jules Bianchi
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, July 21st 2015, 10:31 GMT
The body of Jules Bianchi has been laid to rest following a funeral service attended by the Formula 1 community at the Sainte Reparate Cathedral in Nice.
Hundreds of mourners were present to pay their last respects to Bianchi, who passed away on Friday after a nine-month battle for survival in the wake of sustaining severe head injuries from a horrific crash in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Current drivers Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa, Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat, Pastor Maldonado, Marcus Ericsson and Roberto Merhi joined Bianchi's family and friends to say goodbye to the 25-year-old Frenchman.
They were joined by FIA president Jean Todt, Bianchi's Marussia team-mate Max Chilton, Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon and team principal John Booth, along with numerous other leading F1 figures, including four-times world champion Alain Prost.
Two large pictures of Bianchi dressed in the overalls of former team Marussia hung on the walls of the cathedral, either side of the building's entrance, which was also adorned by a plethora of wreaths.
Speakers carried the service to the throngs of people gathered outside in the square in front of the cathedral in Bianchi's hometown.
Speaking after the service to Sky Sports, former Toro Rosso and current Ferrari development driver Jean-Eric Vergne said: "Today has been a special day.
"One of the greatest drivers has left us, but with such a beautiful souvenir. He has been a great person, outside and on the track.
"His name will stay written in the history of Formula 1. He has done a lot. He is with the greatest now, and he will always be in our hearts."
On Monday, as a mark of respect, the FIA took the step to retire Bianchi's number 17.

Manor's Fabio Leimer gets F1 grand prix practice debut in Hungary
By Ian Parkes Thursday, July 23rd 2015, 14:20 GMT
Fabio Leimer is to make his Formula 1 debut on Friday with a run out for Manor in first practice ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Leimer, GP2 champion in 2013, was signed by Manor early in June as the team's reserve driver to Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi.
The 26-year-old from Switzerland, who replaces Merhi for the opening 90-minute run at the Hungaroring, is grateful for the chance, which comes during a tough week for Manor following the death of Jules Bianchi.
"On this most difficult of weekends for the team, I am very appreciative of their decision to continue with my planned FP1 session," said Leimer.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity, and I hope I can make a positive contribution to the engineering programme for the weekend."
Ahead of Leimer's maiden outing, team principal John Booth said: "Running Fabio in a free practice one session is a planned opportunity we have all been working towards for some time.
"We have enjoyed welcoming him into the team over the past few races and it will be interesting to gain his feedback on the car and assess his performance."
After winning the GP2 crown, Leimer was part of Rebellion's World Endurance Championship LMP1 programme last year.
His only race outing so far in 2015 has been standing in for Jaime Alguersuari in the Virgin Racing line-up at the Formula E finale.

Jules Bianchi's death top of F1 drivers' thoughts at Hungarian GP
By Lawrence Barretto, Ben Anderson, Edd Straw Thursday, July 23rd 2015, 18:10 GMT
Jules Bianchi's death will overshadow the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, according to many Formula 1 drivers, with several admitting their first experience of racing tragedy had changed their mindset.
The 25-year-old died last Friday, nine months after his horrific accident in the Japanese Grand Prix, and a large number of current F1 racers attended his funeral on Tuesday.
Bianchi was the first F1 driver to die as a result of injuries sustained in a grand prix since Ayrton Senna in 1994, and Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat said it had prompted a period of reflection.
"For 21 years we were away from death and now it has struck," he said.
"Personally, what I feel is that I started to appreciate my life more.
"I always have had a lot of respect for the other drivers but now I think that we have even more respect for one another and for what we do. I also hope that other drivers have this feeling."
The Russian's team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, admitted that he had been impatient with older drivers' safety pushes earlier in his career but was now more measured.
"The sport had developed a lot and safety had come a long way. Along with [fatalities] not happening for a long time, you forget about it," he said.
"I remember even when I first got to F1, they talked about safety a lot in the GPDA meetings.
"The older drivers would pick out things around the track, like the angle of a barrier being bad if we punctured a tyre and went off there, and as a younger driver you think 'that would never happen, let's just get on with it and race'.
"At least now we know there's never going to be that situation again, they're never going to let the race go on like that in those conditions with a tractor on the track.
"We just have to keep looking ahead and make sure there's not going to be another obstacle like that."
Jenson Button added that the atmosphere between the drivers at Bianchi's funeral showed their relationship was stronger than it might seem.
"As drivers these days, it's very different to the seventies or eighties or even nineties where they used to hang out a lot more," he said.
"Now from the outside we don't show as much emotion between drivers but Tuesday showed that there is a lot of emotion between drivers, not just respect - but we are a band of brothers doing a crazy sport."
DRIVERS' REFLECTIONS ON BIANCHI
F1 drivers shared more of their personal memories of Bianchi during the Hungarian GP build-up on Thursday. Below is a selection.
FERNANDO ALONSO
"We all know that he had a bright future, even the Ferrari seat maybe was a strong possibility.
"Outside the track I spent time with him a lot in Maranello for three years. I spent one week in Lanzarote training camp with Ferrari in 2012 and we were room-mates on the training camp so a lot of time together.
"It's the first loss in my whole career. We shared the track together and now he is not here anymore so this will always be in my heart."
PASTOR MALDONADO
"It's very sad. We were quite close, we shared managers, we shared many things together, good moments, wonderful moments together. It's shocking.
"But it's life. We need to be focused on the weekend now and do our best to get a wonderful result in his memory. We miss him and we will miss him forever."
SERGIO PEREZ
"We see each other every 15 days, so we spend a lot of time together. Not to see him ever again, it really shocks you. It's very hard for all of us. It could be your family [mourning].
"It is difficult for his family but his family is our family now, we want to support them as much as we can.
"I spent the most time with him when we both did the Ferrari Academy. You could see he was a very special driver, a special person who everyone seemed to like.
"He was humble and left a big impact on the world.
"Jules was a very special driver who didn't have the opportunity to show what he could do in F1."
FELIPE NASR
"I was always a few years behind him, but you could see he had all the ingredients to be a very good driver and to fight for something bigger in the future.
"You could see the guy was special, not only as a person - he had a good heart inside of him - but all his [successes] in all the junior categories. He was a real reference for us. I have a lot of respect for him even though I didn't know him so well."
ROMAIN GROSJEAN
"He was a much better driver in a go-kart than I was. He won everywhere.
"This week, all our thoughts are with him. I will never forget."
FELIPE MASSA
"Jules was a great friend. When I met him, he was still racing go-karts.
"A fantastic boy, very nice, very humble and an amazing driver.
"Unfortunately, in F1 he didn't have an opportunity to race a competitive car and show his style.
"Finishing in the points in Monaco, with car he was driving, was an amazing thing.
"He was the best go-kart driver I saw. It was amazing the way he drove them."
ROBERTO MERHI
"The first time I met Jules was in 2002 in a karting race. After that, I followed him closely as we used to race together. He was always the reference as he was always the quickest.
"He was the biggest talent I saw in motorsport. He won the [2009 Formula 3 Euro Series] title with so many good drivers on track and he won it easily. It shows how good he was."
NICO HULKENBERG
"He was my team-mate twice and I remember in 2008, I was in my second year in F3, I was supposed to win the championship and he came in as a rookie.
"In Mugello, I started from pole, he was second or third. After the first corner, I'm leading, him second and seeing him pushing hard showed how competitive he was. He was so hungry for success.
"Outside the track, he was a great guy, a lot of fun, we had some great moments together."
LEWIS HAMILTON
"I couldn't say that I was really a friend of Jules, I didn't really know him that well.
"I was just stood outside [the funeral] and every camera crew asks about it and it feels awkward to talk about it, because we are here today and we are healthy, and a great, gifted, young, talented individual is not with us."

Sebastian Vettel dedicates Hungarian GP F1 win to Jules Bianchi
By Ian Parkes Sunday, July 26th 2015, 14:37 GMT
Ferrari Formula 1 racer Sebastian Vettel dedicated his Hungarian Grand Prix victory to Jules Bianchi on a highly-emotional day at the Hungaroring.
Prior to the race all 20 drivers, along with the Bianchi family, formed a circle and put their arms around one another as a minute's silence was conducted in memory of Bianchi - who was a member of Ferrari's young driver academy.
The Frenchman passed away earlier this month from injuries sustained during the Japanese Grand Prix nine months ago, with his funeral held on Tuesday and attended by numerous drivers, including Vettel.
A dramatic race concluded with Vettel claiming the 41st win of his F1 career, taking the chequered flag ahead of Red Bull duo Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo.
Vettel said: "Incredible day, but this victory is for Jules.
"We know it has been an incredibly tough week, and for all of us very difficult, so this one is for him.
"For all the people within Ferrari, all the Ferrari fans, we knew sooner or later he would have been part of our team, part of this family."
Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne added: "We dedicate this victory to the memory of Jules, a fantastic guy whom we all miss terribly."
With Vettel holding a comfortable advantage in the race, the deployment of the safety car for an incident involving Force India's Nico Hulkenberg put his win under serious threat.
"Definitely from our point of view there was no need for that [the safety car]," Vettel said.
"It obviously made it a lot more interesting in the end.
"We had a great start, obviously it was crucial to get into the lead straight away.
"The car was difficult but great to drive, and it has been a great race, we showed great pace, so thanks to the team for the recovery since Friday.
"Today it just came together, and despite the safety car we still managed to win, so this one is for the team as well."

F1 summer break well-timed after emotional weekend - Manor
By Edd Straw and Ian Parkes Tuesday, July 28th 2015, 11:13 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon feels the forthcoming Formula 1 summer break has come at the right time for the team in the wake of Jules Bianchi's death.
Bianchi's funeral last week was followed by a sombre Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, highlighted by a minute's silence in the Frenchman's honour shortly prior to the race start.
The 20 F1 drivers formed a circle - that included the Bianchi family and Manor team principal John Booth - before putting their arms around one another.
With the race finally out of the way, and with Manor poised for its enforced two-week break from next Monday, Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "It was such a difficult weekend.
"It's been a time to think. It's too easy to focus on what everybody has lost, so what we have really tried to do is just remember all of the fantastic moments we had with Jules.
"It was always a pleasure going racing with him. He had that twinkle in his eye and you knew when he got in the car he was going to push really, really hard.
"The factory shutdown has come at a good time to give everyone time with their families, and a little time to reflect and to remember the good times because it was a very, very difficult weekend."
Fittingly, and poignantly bearing in mind Bianchi was a Ferrari junior driver, it was one of Maranello's cars - with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel - that took the chequered flag in Hungary.
"There's hard work that goes on in every single team," added Lowdon.
"But Jules was helped an enormous amount by Ferrari, by the Ferrari Driver Academy, and we were as delighted as anyone when he was testing in the Ferrari car.
"It was a very emotional day for everyone, but seeing Ferrari take the win was a nice thing for so many people who have helped Jules' career."
Booth feels the Bianchi family's appearance at the circuit - flown in from Nice by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone - was especially significant.
"A very difficult day, at the end of a very difficult week, for our team and the entire F1 community," said Booth.
"The build-up to the weekend was incredibly emotional, and I am so proud of the whole team for their tremendous courage and fortitude.
"It was both difficult and comforting for them to see Jules' family at the track.
"Difficult, because they too are a part of this team and we have shared so many happy occasions together.
"And comforting, because if they could find the strength to contend with the incredible outpouring of love and affection for Jules, then we certainly could."

Manor F1 team wary of threat from Haas outfit in 2016
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Monday, August 3rd 2015, 14:22 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon is wary of the threat likely to be posed by Haas next year when Formula 1's grid expands to 11 teams.
The arrival of Haas, increasing the F1 field to 22 cars, will put pressure on Manor to retain its lucrative top-10 place in the constructors' championship.
Under current regulations a team that finishes outside the top 10 two years out of three is not entitled to any prize money from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
With Manor the present back-of-the-grid team, it will be determined to at least keep ahead of Haas when the American team enters F1 in 2016.
Asked whether that was the task facing Manor, Lowdon told AUTOSPORT: "Yes, that's right.
"From what I can see the team coming in next year has gone about making a Formula 1 car in a very different way to everybody else.
"When they do fall under the rules at some stage it will be interesting to see how all that progression goes.
"But we have to focus on what we can do within the rules, and try and be as competitive as we can for next year.
"We are developing the next car. What I am happy about is the progress on it does look really good, so that gives everybody energy to push forward.
"As you know the races come thick and fast [over the second half of this season] so we can't be complacent, and equally we can't wait around for performance to come.
"We have to keep pushing as much as we can, keep trying to add speed, and just see how the second half of the season pans out."
As to what can be expected from Manor after the F1 summer break, Lowdon initially joked: "Hopefully we won't look quite so knackered."
He then added: "It's been non-stop. I know it's the same at every team, but we had a very unusual start to the year and we've not had half a chance to draw breath, but now we can.
"People have been tested physically, mentally, and without any question emotionally.
"Because of the regulations, which we support, there is the two-week factory shutdown, so all the guys can go and spend some time with their families, recharge their batteries and be ready to push for the second half of the season."

Manor Formula 1 team in Mercedes engine deal talks for 2016
By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, September 8th 2015, 10:02 GMT
Mercedes is in discussions with Manor regarding an engine supply for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
Manor is using one-year-old Ferrari power units this term while Mercedes has customer deals with Williams, Force India and Lotus alongside its own team.
If Renault completes its talks to take over Lotus, Mercedes could have capacity to supply an alternative team - and has now decided against a potential deal with Red Bull.
Mercedes' head of motorsport Toto Wolff confirmed Manor was a possibility.
"On the engine, we had some discussions and they're interested in exploring the competitive environment," he told AUTOSPORT.
"They have a Ferrari engine today but it's a young team and a new team and they need to meet with all engine suppliers and make the best deal for yourself.
"This is why we've been talking to them."
A Manor source confirmed talks have taken place between the two parties.
Mercedes needed to get dispensation from the FIA for four teams to have its engine this year as the regulations state a single manufacturer can only supply a maximum of three teams.
"It's a capacity question [with Manor] and at the bottom we don't know what is happening with Lotus and Renault and this is why you have to keep all options open," added Wolff.
WOLFF KEEN ON WEHRLEIN PROMOTION
Wolff said there have been no talks with Manor regarding putting one of Mercedes' drivers in the car, but he remains keen to get the team's reserve Pascal Wehrlein into an F1 seat.
The German currently races in the DTM, and had been linked to a Force India F1 race seat after testing for the team.
"We haven't talked to Manor about drivers yet because I think it's too early," said Wolff.
"I'm a keen supporter of Pascal because he's doing a great job in the DTM and he was an outstanding kid in F3 as well.
"So I definitely see him having the potential to go into F1.
"But at the moment my agenda is purely concentrated on the racing team and locking in the championship.
"The next step is going to hopefully have Pascal in the right seat.
"Force India was an opportunity and that door closed.
"Now it's about looking at the market overall and the other teams, but we are not under pressure.
"We need to find the right seat for him."

Manor F1 team set to delay new car introduction to 2016
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, September 11th 2015, 10:01 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team is set to wait until next year to introduce a new chassis to allow for maximum time to be spent on development.
Though the team was forced to start the season with a modified 2014 car this season, after its last-minute revival having gone into administration, the plan was to introduce a new car at some point this year.
However, following a rebuild of the team, which included the recruitment of key personnel such as former Mercedes technical director Bob Bell, and the hectic schedule of the flyaway races to end the season, the team has switched strategy.
"The plan we had at the start of the year envisaged making some major change to the chassis and power unit during the 2015 season," Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"But as we developed and recruited more people, it became less and less feasible to go down that route and more and more advantageous to keep developing the next chassis.
"The rate of development of that chassis has been good and the optimum time to push that button was getting pushed back.
"Everyone is confident that when next car comes along, it will be a major step forward.
"I would imagine that is going to be next year. We're in flyaways now and with the production time and everything else, doing it this year would be tough."
With the early races of a season often offering the smaller teams their best chance to score points, Lowdon is keen to ensure Manor does not compromise next season in search of gains this term.
"Other teams managed to get points at certain stages where you have to say, if we compromise the 2016 build by building something new now, what reward would we get for that?" he said.
"It now looks more and more beneficial to keep design and keep getting the aero figures and progress on that rather than pressing button and manufacturing the car [now]."
Manor still plans to add updates to its current car but they will all be relevant to next year.
"I'm pretty sure we'll have some new things in Singapore and/or Japan," added Lowdon.
"There are a lot of upgrades which are applicable to next year's car so it's not costing us development time.
"They will not be detracting from our 2016 plans. If anything, it's complimentary, so yes, we'll definitely keep bringing things."

Alexander Rossi replaces Roberto Merhi at Manor for five F1 GPs
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, September 16th 2015, 15:29 GMT
Alexander Rossi will finally make his Formula 1 debut in Singapore as Manor has signed the American to replace Roberto Merhi for five of 2015's seven remaining grands prix.
The 23-year-old will race in Singapore, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Brazil, with Merhi returning for the rounds in Russia and Abu Dhabi as Rossi completes his GP2 commitments.
Rossi becomes the first American to compete in F1 since Scott Speed's final appearance for Toro Rosso in the 2007 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.
The Californian was reserve at the then-Marussia team for a time last season, taking part in practice at the Belgian GP, where he had briefly seemed set for a race drive in place of Max Chilton before it fell through.
"I'm very thankful to race for Manor and for their continued belief in me," said Rossi.
"I've been prepared for this opportunity for quite a while now.
"Many will know from 2014 that the team and I already have a strong relationship and there's a bit of unfinished business for me here.
"This is a small F1 team that has been through so much. They exemplify passion and true strength of character, and their comeback this season is extraordinary.
"I'm honoured to be part of this legacy and their continued growth and success.
"Singapore is a circuit I really enjoy, and the timing of my debut could not be more perfect.
"There's a lot of work ahead and I'm looking forward to a busy end to the 2015 season."
Team principal John Booth feels Rossi, overlooked for a seat at newcomer Haas next season as it prioritises experienced drivers, is "on the cusp of an exciting F1 career".
Booth added: "Signing Alexander is a continuation of our proud record of providing young drivers with the opportunity to showcase their talents.
"We believe he will do a great job and look forward to seeing him race for the first time this weekend in Singapore.
"It is also fantastic news for the sport that it will have an American driver again, particularly with the United States Grand Prix on our horizon and now two races in South America, in Mexico and Brazil.
"I know Alexander is very excited about that and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to show the American public what he can do."
Merhi will remain present for Rossi's five races as one of the team's official reserves, alongside Fabio Leimer.
"While Roberto is obviously disappointed, he understands that this decision is in the long-term interests of the team and we thank him for his professionalism," said Booth.
"No decision has been made regarding our 2016 driver line-up and we will continue to evaluate our options during the remainder of the season."

Merhi told about Rossi's new Manor F1 deal in Singapore
By Ian Parkes and Lawrence Barretto Thursday, September 17th 2015, 10:52 GMT
Roberto Merhi says he was only told he was losing his Manor Formula 1 seat to Alexander Rossi when he arrived in Singapore for this weekend's grand prix.
Manor announced on Wednesday that Rossi would take Merhi's place for five of 2015's seven remaining F1 races, though the Spaniard will return for Russia and Abu Dhabi so Rossi can finish his GP2 campaign.
"I flew on Monday and when I arrived, the team gave me the news I would not be driving and Rossi would be taking my place," said Merhi.
Having got a last-minute call-up to join the revived ex-Marussia team on a race-by-race deal, Merhi said he was grateful to have had 12 grands prix.
"At the beginning of the year I came to Melbourne and they gave me a great chance - I didn't know how long it would be for," he said.
"I want to say thank you to the team. They have taken the decision which is better for them in the long run.
"I hope I'm still competitive for the last two races I have this year."
He admitted getting back on the grid in 2016 could be a long shot.
"We are looking for a Formula 1 seat and will try to find best option available," Merhi said.
"These days, the budget is important and at the moment it is hard to find the budget."
ROSSI WANTS TO PROVE HIMSELF
Merhi's replacement Rossi had advocated himself as a strong contender for America's new F1 team Haas, but was effectively ruled out when it declared it wanted experienced drivers.
The 23-year-old American hopes to use his quintet of grands prix as a launch pad for a permanent seat in 2016, either with Manor or by changing Haas's mind.
Asked by AUTOSPORT what the drive could mean for his future, he replied: "The big thing I've been missing for the last three years in my F1 career is racing.
"I've been close a few times, and it's very surreal it's now about to happen.
"This is a major step in putting myself on the Formula 1 map, on the radar, and I'm just focused on doing a good job in these five races and showing I'm capable of being in Formula 1 and doing that job."
As to whether his drive with Manor could lead to renewed Haas talks, Rossi added: "To be honest I don't know.
"I'm here trying to prove I am more than capable of racing in Formula 1 and that I have all of the necessary boxes ticked, and the best way to do that is on track.
"But being the only American with a superlicence, and now taking a start is some stuff I have in my corner, for sure, but whether it leads anywhere is yet to be seen."

F1 rookie Alexander Rossi upset with crash in Singapore GP practice
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, September 18th 2015, 19:48 GMT
Manor driver Alexander Rossi said he was upset after crashing on his Formula 1 race weekend debut in first practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The American was lapping within a few thousandths of team-mate Will Stevens, but he hit the barrier at Turn 18 in the final minutes of FP1, bringing out the red flag.
Rossi conceded it was his mistake after getting caught out by a change the team made to the car and he was frustrated that it cost him track time in the afternoon session too.
"I was quite upset to be honest," he told AUTOSPORT. "It's not what you want to do in your first session.
"We were trying a couple of new things and I didn't really expect the change to be as extreme as it was.
"It was a small mistake but a big consequence because of where it was.
"I'm quite critical of myself and it is something I could have avoided so that is less than the optimum.
"But the team has moved on from it, I've moved on from it.
"They did a great job to get the car back out for FP2.
"We didn't get to do our long runs which has put us on the back foot but fortunately there's another session tomorrow.
"FP3 will be very busy, we'll try and do as many laps as we can."
Despite the setback, Rossi remained positive ahead of his race debut on Sunday - the first of five appearances he'll make for Manor in the remainder of the season.
"I got up to speed very quickly," he said. "I felt comfortable in the car straight away,
"I don't feel like I need laps to go quickly round here. I just need laps to understand how tyres work and how we manage it.
"I'm feeling quite confident for tomorrow. I'm a little less confident for the race because we don't know where we stand yet."

Manor braced for emotional Suzuka amid Jules Bianchi memories
By Ian Parkes Monday, September 21st 2015, 16:25 GMT
Manor returns to the scene of Jules Bianchi's life-ending crash at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix expecting one of the most emotionally difficult races of its time in Formula 1.
Bianchi was involved in a horrific accident during the 2014 Suzuka F1 race on October 5 last year, when driving for the then-Marussia team, and died on July 17 after a nine-month fight for survival.
Almost a year on from the incident, the thoughts of everyone connected with F1 - and particularly all involved with Manor - will again turn to Bianchi.
Speaking to AUTOSPORT, sporting director Graeme Lowdon said: "Jules is never far away from our thoughts.
"We're now going to Japan, and we have to go there as a team and conduct our business in a professional way, and we have to be strong.
"A lot of the guys currently in our team were there last year, so we know it's going to be difficult, but equally we know Jules was a racer and would want to see the team focus on the job of racing.
"But I'd be lying if I said there won't be difficult moments because there definitely will be, no two ways about it."
The team has yet to decide on how best to honour Bianchi's memory.
Through the Monaco Grand Prix weekend every team member wore a red wristband that carried the words 'MONACO 2014. P8. #JB17'.
That was in recognition of Bianchi securing the team's first, and still only, points finish in F1 in Monte Carlo last year.
Lowdon, who wears the wristband every day as a reminder, added: "Monaco was obviously difficult, but this [weekend] will be even more so. At least with Monaco we had so many happy memories.
"Monaco, though, turned out to be very emotional, more so than I perhaps realised.
"I'd been to visit Jules a week or so beforehand, and going to Monaco I'd had positive thoughts positioned in my mind.
"I'd been in to see him, talk to him, told him we were going back, and I thought Monaco would be poignant, but not too difficult.
"In the end I found it incredibly difficult, and that was a race where we had all the good memories.
"But equally what I learned from that is that you don't really know how you are going to feel until you are there, and it will be that way for this weekend."

Manor to mark Suzuka return 'in private' in F1 Japanese Grand Prix
Tuesday, September 22nd 2015, 11:43 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team will handle the emotions of returning to the scene of Jules Bianchi's Japanese Grand Prix crash in a "very private way", says John Booth.
Bianchi died in July this year, nine months after sustaining severe head injuries in an accident at Suzuka while driving for the then-Marussia team.
"We were Jules' team, and with that in mind I would ask everyone to understand and respect that, this weekend, we wish to deal with the experience of returning to Suzuka in a very private way," said Booth ahead of this weekend's Japanese race.
"Our commitments will reflect this.
"It is my job to provide the team with the right environment in which to be able to do their job in spite of very difficult circumstances.
"This will be my primary focus."
Booth said the weekend would be "different" to Monaco, the first anniversary of Bianchi's breakthrough points finish for the team, and Hungary, the first race after his death.
"It will also be a different emotional experience again from Monaco, a place full of so many special memories for our team, and Hungary, where we all had to say a very difficult goodbye to a greatly-loved friend and colleague," he added.
"We think of Jules every single day; he will forever be a huge part of our team.
"Without doubt, our memories are overwhelmingly happy ones, celebrating his incredible achievements in our race cars and the enjoyable times we shared along the way.
"Jules' funeral reminded us that he was a special gift to so many people, not least of all the magnificent Bianchi family, who are always in our thoughts and prayers.
"Jules has not only been constantly in our thoughts since that terrible day in 2014, but his name has also been on our car at every single race.
"That tribute, our incredibly fond memories of Jules and the camaraderie we have within our team are all we need to race on in his honour in Suzuka this weekend."

Lotus/Renault talks key to Manor-Mercedes F1 engine deal for 2016
By Lawrence Barretto Saturday, September 26th 2015, 12:10 GMT
Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff says a potential engine supply deal for Manor is on standby until current customer Lotus's future in Formula 1 is determined.
Renault is poised to take over Lotus, with the deal set to edge closer on Monday as the French manufacturer is expected to pay off the team's HMRC debt.
Mercedes has customer agreements with Williams, Force India and Lotus and should a Renault-Lotus deal go through, it could have capacity to supply an alternative team, with.
"We like Manor a lot because there is a competitive edge to the whole story," said Wolff, referring to the team securing a last-minute rescue package to compete this season.
"If Manor gets the right chassis and engine it would be a pretty interesting narrative of how the team develops.
"But for us at the moment we are a little bit on standby as we need to understand what will happen with Lotus and then move from there.
"This is where we are."
Wolff said Mercedes is "very close" to making a decision regarding engine supply next year and that it will take matters into its own hands if Lotus and Renault do not decide their future soon.
"We are not in a position to give Lotus or Renault a deadline," said Wolff.
"But there needs to be a moment when Manor knows what is happening, and we need to know who we are supplying with engines.
"We are very close to that moment, to that decision. If they don't take the decision then we will decide."
Wolff added that there is the possibility of placing a Mercedes-backed driver with Manor as part of the deal, but added it would require Manor to make sure it could make it work financially.
He has alluded to Mercedes reserve and DTM racer Pascal Wehrlein getting such an opportunity.
"That is a possibility, but it needs many pieces of the jigsaw to come together, and it might well not happen," said Wolff.
"It could be an interesting scenario but the harsh financial realities mean Manor has to refinance themselves and raise the budget.
"I'm not sure we would be prepared to place a driver with budgets.
"They could probably raise [a budget] in the driver market if we were to supply engines as that could be an attractive offer for young drivers.
"It is a bit of a tricky situation. We haven't got a dedicated young driver programme.
"We've got Pascal who is with us, whose main focus is DTM and I don't want to take him away from that.
"He has done a great job in testing for us and he is a very exciting young driver but I'd rather like to see how DTM pans out."

Manor F1 team glad Japanese GP is over amid Jules Bianchi memories
By Ian Parkes Monday, September 28th 2015, 15:52 GMT
Manor departed the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix relieved the weekend passed smoothly after memories of the accident that ultimately cost Jules Bianchi his life had flooded back.
The team went into the event knowing it would be a tough occasion and eager to maintain a low profile almost a year on from its horrific experience in Japan.
It was in early October last year Bianchi crashed at Suzuka, resulting in him spending nine months in a coma before losing his fight for life on July 17.
"We're glad to have got the weekend out of the way," team boss John Booth told AUTOSPORT. "There are a lot of reminders here.
"It was pretty tough on Friday when it was raining, but the fans were very good.
"We received a lot of gifts on Thursday when the pits were open and you could see there were numerous flags up in the grandstand."
Sporting director Graeme Lowdon conceded ahead of the race there would be "difficult moments", in particular with so many staff back with the team after it fell into administration soon after the Bianchi incident.
"You could see in the team that different people managed things in different ways," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"As John said, Friday was really difficult. No matter what you looked at, it brought back memories.
"There were a lot of images that looked similar, and I think a lot of the lads thought the same."
Lowdon was particularly grateful to the Japanese fans for the understanding and sympathy displayed over the course of the past few days.
"Some of the things the fans made were hand-made. You could see a lot of effort had gone in, and they obviously care an awful lot.
"There were a lot of people offering their own expressions of sympathy, and I think it was obviously helpful for the fans as well."

Manor Formula 1 team secures Mercedes power-unit deal
By Ian Parkes Thursday, October 1st 2015, 09:15 GMT
Manor is to race with Mercedes engines from the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The back-of-the grid team has long been in discussions with Mercedes over an F1 power-unit supply, agreeing a deal from next year onwards.
Manor has been using year-old Ferrari engines, but under the terms of the agreement with Mercedes will use current-spec systems.
"Although there were many factors governing our selection of an engine partner to help power us towards our long-term ambitions, ultimately the strength of the Mercedes-Benz package speaks for itself," team principal John Booth said.
"2015 has been a rebuilding year in every aspect of our operation.
"Although we have not been able to make the incremental strides in competitiveness that the team has enjoyed in previous seasons, we have put in place a strong foundation from which to progress.
"Together with the potential we are seeing with our 2016 car in the wind tunnel, the Mercedes-Benz power unit will assist our return to aggressive performance development with effect from next season.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Scuderia Ferrari for their support for our team over the past two seasons.
"In 2014, together we shared in the momentous occasion of the team's first points and in 2015 Ferrari supported us to a degree that was above and beyond the requirements of our partnership agreement.
"Quite simply, we could not have returned to the grid without them pushing extremely hard to support the MR03B, at the same time as focusing on their own 2015 package."
In terms of engine supply, Manor plugs the gap for Mercedes left vacant by Renault's impending takeover of Lotus, ensuring the German manufacturer will continue to power three teams from next year, with Force India and Williams included.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "Mercedes-Benz has a clear Formula 1 philosophy based around our works Silver Arrows team and supplying benchmark power units to independent customer teams.
"We believe this approach provides Formula 1 with greater strength in depth and ensures a deeper level of competitiveness throughout the field.
"In anticipation of Renault's takeover of the Lotus F1 Team, we are pleased to announce Manor Marussia as a new customer of Mercedes-Benz.
"It is a tenacious team with a fantastic competitive spirit, and we are all excited to see what step forward they can make next year with their new car coupled with the Mercedes-Benz hybrid power unit."

Williams agrees technical deal with Manor Formula 1 team
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, October 1st 2015, 12:58 GMT
Williams has agreed a technical partnership with Manor for the 2016 Formula 1 season that will see it supply transmission and suspension components.
The move dovetails with Manor's deal for a supply of latest specification Mercedes engines, which Williams will also use next season.
It is a major boost for the back-of-the-grid team, who required a last-minute rescue deal to secure its future just days before the season started.
The late entry meant Manor has been forced to run a modified 2014-spec car this term with year-old Ferrari engines.
But months after near closure, Manor is set to start next season with a class-leading engine, a technical partnership with front-running team and a 2016-spec chassis.
The team also moved into a new factory in Banbury this week, the first time the whole outfit has been under one roof in nearly 12 months.
Manor resumes its relationship with the Williams' Advanced Engineering division, having previously been supplied with its KERS in 2013.
"I am pleased to announce that we will resume our prior technical partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, from whom we will receive the supply of transmission and suspension components," said Manor team principal John Booth.
"Combined with Mercedes-Benz power units, we are very excited about the strength of our new powertrain package and what it means for the long-term future of our team."

'Nowhere to hide' for Manor in 2016 with Mercedes F1 engine deal
By Ian Parkes Sunday, October 4th 2015, 10:05 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon feels his team will have no place to hide when it takes on Mercedes power from the 2016 Formula 1 season.
F1's minnow has signed a multi-year engine supply deal with the world championship dominating Mercedes that should propel the team closer to the midfield pack.
With a new-for-2016 chassis, plus transmission and suspension components from Williams, Manor will find itself on more of an even playing field with its rivals than it arguably has since it first entered F1 in 2010 as Virgin.
"It's a definite step forward because it's going to be a few seconds the aero guys don't have to find, and it's also a reliable package," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"There is still a lot for us to do, but having a new car - chassis and engine - is a step in the right direction for us, without a doubt.
"You have to consider we've done virtually an entire season now with a car that was designed quite some time ago."
After being hauled out of administration shortly before the start of this season, Manor was given dispensation to run last year's chassis, albeit with 2015 safety modifications, and with a '14 Ferrari engine.
The difference in next year's car compared to this should be like night and day, offering Manor no excuses regarding its competitiveness for 2016.
"At the minute we've kind of got a place to hide, if you like. Right now it's quite easy to blame something on the engine, but that is removed," added Lowdon.
"Effectively we'll have the same engine, gearbox and rear suspension as Williams, so there is a benchmark there.
"Aerodynamically they are more mature than we are, but it will certainly be a big step forward."
Although talks with Mercedes have been ongoing for some time, Manor and the German manufacturer had to wait for another of the latter's customers in Lotus to resolve its future, with a return to becoming a Renault works team pending.
"It was obviously one of the worst-kept secrets going," said Lowdon.
"But in fairness, Mercedes wanted to make sure they weren't being rude to anybody with regard to Lotus' position until the situation was clearer.
"That has obviously happened, so it allowed them to announce the deal."

Will Stevens wants 'competitive' Manor F1 seat for 2016 season
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, October 6th 2015, 15:49 GMT
Will Stevens is hopeful he has done enough with Manor this year to earn another deal with a team he believes will finally be "competitive" in the 2016 Formula 1 season.
Having emerged from administration, Manor is using a year-old F1 engine and chassis in 2015, but will be powered by Mercedes, enter a technical partnership with Williams and build a new chassis next year.
"Obviously this year was always going to be difficult, but with Manor I have good stability, I know the team well and I really enjoy working with everybody here," Stevens said.
"The package they're bringing for next year is going to be a lot more competitive than what we've had this year.
"I feel it would be nice to have a year with this team where we would have more of a chance of scoring points and fighting for position.
"We just need to work out what's best for me and move forward from there.
"But I'm enjoying working with these guys and I don't see why it can't continue into next year."
With Manor becoming a far more attractive proposition, Stevens is set to face competition for the seat.
"Discussions are going on all the time at this time of the year, and it's obviously no secret lots of drivers are trying to sort out a deal," he added.
"We're no different to that. At the moment, we're trying to evaluate what we want to do and what we feel is the best move for my career for the next few years."
MANOR RETURNS TO BANBURY
The team moved into its new base in Banbury last week, having been forced to operate out of its old site in Dinnington and temporary offices at Silverstone.
"The cars and flyaway stuff don't return until the end of the season, so we still haven't fully moved in until that comes back," sporting director Graeme Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.
"But the offices are populated with everybody, and it's nice to have everyone back under one roof again.
"If you look at the past five, six years, we've operated out of a number of different factories, so we know better than most the pros and cons of working out of multi sites.
"You do have to manage things differently when you're structured like that, but bringing everything under one roof has quite a lot of tangible benefits.
"Without doubt, for our future, we will benefit from it."
The team is also rebuilding towards its intended staffing levels.
"We're still recruiting, some of them from some time ago as we're still waiting for them to join as they are on long notice periods at other teams," added Lowdon.
"We were just under 200 previously. For how we are structured and the budget we have, the design of car, we're not structured to go above that level, that's for sure.
"I'm not sure we'll go up to that level again, maybe 10 to 15 short, because we have found areas where the budget doesn't require that many people."

Russian GP: Engine penalties for Fernando Alonso and Roberto Merhi
By Ian Parkes Friday, October 9th 2015, 11:21 GMT
The FIA has confirmed Fernando Alonso's Russian Grand Prix grid penalty following Honda's Formula 1 engine update for McLaren, and announced a demotion for Manor-Ferrari driver Roberto Merhi too.
McLaren has encountered considerable issues with the Honda power unit this season following the Japanese manufacturer's return to F1.
For the race at the Sochi Autodrom double world champion Alonso will serve a 25-place grid penalty as four elements of the power unit have been replaced as part of a Honda upgrade.
Initially, four elements of the power unit have been replaced as part of a Honda upgrade.
It has been confirmed by the FIA that Alonso collects a 10-place penalty for requiring a 10th internal combustion engine, plus five places apiece for a ninth turbocharger and MGU-H, and a further five places for a seventh control electronics.
In addition, two additional changes have been referred to the stewards for consideration as McLaren has since added a 10th turbocharger and MGU-H, both of which will incur five-place penalties.
UPDATE: The FIA has confirmed 10 places' worth of further penalties for those items, meaning an official grid drop of 35 positions, although in practice it will simply be a back-of-grid start.
Alonso's Spanish compatriot Merhi serves a 20-place penalty.
The Manor driver drops 10 places for using a fifth internal combustion engine, plus five places for a fifth turbocharger and MGU-H.
Merhi is back in the car this weekend having sat out the last two races after the team agreed a deal with Alexander Rossi to drive in five of the final seven grands prix of this season.

Manor expects to have bigger role in 2016 Formula 1 driver market
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, October 13th 2015, 16:06 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon feels his team will be a more attractive proposition in the 2016 Formula 1 driver market.
Acquiring a Mercedes engine and Williams transmission, plus the development of an all-new 2016 car, could move Manor into the midfield pack next year.
Lowdon and team principal John Booth expect to therefore be in a better position to pick and choose a driver line-up.
At present the team has Will Stevens, Alexander Rossi and Roberto Merhi on its books, with no guarantee any of the trio will be retained and a decision not due until December.
"You look at the spread of performance on the grid at the minute, and if you take us out of the equation it's still a sizeable spread," Lowdon told Autosport.
"But that said, I think drivers can come into teams now pretty much anywhere on the grid, and have the opportunity to show the teams and sponsors what they can do.
"With all of our changes we feel we're going to be in the pack, and that certainly makes the drive a lot more attractive to younger drivers looking to come into Formula 1, that's for sure."
Asked whether Manor could now attract drivers with bigger sponsorship packages, Lowdon added: "We're going to be spending a lot more [money] racing next year than we have this year.
"It's clearly pretty rare you have a scenario where a driver pays absolutely the full amount for a Formula 1 team to go racing. That would have to be pretty sizeable to say the least.
"But yes, the seat will be more attractive both from a sporting and a commercial side."
One driver understood to be in the frame for a 2016 Manor seat is Mercedes' F1 reserve and DTM points leader Pascal Wehrlein.
Although the young German joining Manor would appear an appropriate fit in light of the Mercedes deal, signing him is not a requirement of what is a purely commercial arrangement between the two teams.
While Lowdon recognises Wehrlein is up and coming, he also appreciates he is one of many options.
"He is part of a pool of very talented drivers at the moment, but there are others and I wouldn't want to single any person out," said Lowdon.
"I think there is a good set of drivers who are keen to get into Formula 1 and have the ability."
HOW MANOR'S ROOKIES HAVE FARED
Aside from former Toyota man Timo Glock's three-year stint in its formative seasons, Manor has always run drivers new to F1 since joining the grid as Virgin in 2010.
Only one - Charles Pic - went onto an F1 race seat elsewhere, and that was with fellow backmarker Caterham, but Jules Bianchi was set to graduate to Sauber before his ultimately fatal Japanese Grand Prix accident in 2014.
Lucas di Grassi (2010)
Best result of 14th in Malaysia, then joined Audi LMP1 programme
Jerome d'Ambrosio (2011)
Best result 14th in Malaysia, then became Lotus reserve and started one race as stand-in for banned Romain Grosjean
Charles Pic (2012)
Best result 12th in Brazil, then moved to Caterham
Jules Bianchi (2013/14)
Best result ninth in Monaco 2014, was set for Sauber seat in '15 but sustained ultimately fatal injuries in Japanese GP crash
Max Chilton (2013/14)
Best result of 13th in Australia and Bahrain 2014, switched to America and raced for Carlin in Indy Lights, alongside Nissan LMP1 deal
Current drivers
Will Stevens - best result so far 13th in Britain
Roberto Merhi - best result so far 12th in Britain
Alexander Rossi - best result so far 14th in Singapore

Toto Wolff backs Manor F1 to step up in 2016 with Mercedes power
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, October 20th 2015, 16:26 GMT
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has confidence new engine customer Manor can elevate itself into Formula 1's midfield for the 2016 season.
After being hauled out of administration just before the start of this campaign, Manor has had to content itself with using 2014-spec Ferrari power units.
But for '16 Manor has secured a supply from Mercedes, one that sporting director Graeme Lowdon has claimed will improve his team's lap times by two to three seconds.
"I think they are able to step up," Wolff told Autosport.
"Certainly they have been running this year with the constraints of last year's administration, using a 2014 Ferrari engine.
"With the additional time they've been given this year and the lessons they've learned - and with our power units and with Williams’ input - they are certainly able to step up into the midfield."
Wolff feels Manor's supply deal with Mercedes, and the one to secure transmission and other components from Williams, underlines the team's intent to become a serious player in F1.
"It's pretty impressive how Manor has managed to recover from such a difficult situation, and it certainly shows they are serious," said Wolff.
"With the structure they have set up for next year, with the Williams technical collaboration and the rear end, it made it simple for us to provide the engine.
"We just need to fit it in the same way as we do with Williams.
"But there is a good bunch of racers in the team, and this is why it will be exciting for us to see them progress.
"It continues our philosophy of supplying independent racing cars."
Whether Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein becomes a part of Manor's driver line-up for 2016 remains to be seen.
Autosport understands a simple commercial arrangement is all that exists between Manor and Mercedes, with Wehrlein not part of any arrangement.
Regarding Wehrlein's future, Wolff said: "I can say we've had preliminary discussions with Formula 1 teams, but not to a stage where I would be able to confirm he's going to go into Formula 1."

Manor Formula 1 team 'would not exist without Ferrari', Lowdon says
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, October 21st 2015, 09:06 GMT
Manor has praised Ferrari for sparing the team from Formula 1 extinction as it plans for its new future with Mercedes.
The F1 outfit announced this month that it is to be supplied power units by Mercedes from 2016, as well as rekindling a former supply relationship with Williams for transmission and other components.
It will mean the end of two years working with Ferrari, who came to Manor's aid at the start of the season by agreeing to supply a year-old spec engine as the team emerged from administration.
"We've had a special relationship with Ferrari because this team wouldn't exist without Ferrari. It's a statement of fact," sporting president Graeme Lowdon told Autosport.
"If [CEO] Sergio Marchionne and [team principal] Maurizio Arrivabene hadn't agreed to supply us with an engine for this season we wouldn't be here. End of story.
"We've got to be eternally grateful to them because that was a key moment in our survival this season.
"Obviously we've since had to operate this season with a one-year-old engine.
"In turn, the progress made by Ferrari in the development of their engine from 2014 to 2015 has just been spectacular. They've done an unbelievably fantastic job.
"It has highlighted the fact we've been at a disadvantage performance-wise this year.
"But we always knew that, and it has been a better class of problem to deal with compared to insolvency and liquidation, which were the alternatives."
Despite that relationship with Ferrari, and the gains made by the Scuderia this season, Lowdon felt for the team's long-term future it would be in a better position with Mercedes and Williams.
"We've been in a position where we could take a little bit of time and work out what was the best thing going forward," added Lowdon.
"It turned out the best package going forward was to reignite the relationship with Williams, they were our first supplier [of components] in previous years.
"We also know [Williams chief technical officer] Pat Symonds very well, as he was with our team for a while, and he understands how we work.
"So along with Mercedes, it worked out that was the right way to go."

Roberto Merhi would rather race in GP3 than be an F1 reserve driver
By Ian Parkes Thursday, October 22nd 2015, 13:28 GMT
Roberto Merhi says he would rather race in GP3 than be a third or reserve driver in Formula 1 next year.
Merhi's future in F1 beyond this season is currently in limbo as the Spaniard is waiting to see if Manor will retain him.
That would appear to be unlikely given the 24-year-old has been dropped for five of the final seven races of the current campaign in favour of Alexander Rossi.
Having missed the Singapore and Japanese races, Merhi returned in Russia, where Rossi focused on GP2, and he will sit out the next three before returning for the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Merhi has made it clear he has no intention of being a back-up in 2016.
"For me it's really boring to go to a track but not be driving the car," he told Autosport.
"To be only a third driver is not what I'm looking for. I hate going to a track and not driving.
"I'd rather drive a GP3 car than be a third driver in Formula 1 and not drive because [racing something else] is much more fun. At least you are driving."
With a new chassis, Mercedes engine and Williams transmission, Merhi acknowledges that a 2016 Manor seat would be a big step up from the team's current situation.
"The Mercedes engine is going to be a big improvement. Depending on the track the car could be up to two seconds faster," he said.
"We've also a new gearbox. Everything will help. It's a combination of things that will make the car much more competitive.
"Manor next year is going to be in a much better position for scoring points than this year, and that increases my desire to be with the team.
"This year has been a strange situation knowing you are only fighting your team-mate, but I think next year Manor will fight a lot of cars, and hopefully it's much better.
Merhi contested half of the Formula Renault 3.5 season alongside his Manor duties this year, and he admits looking beyond F1 is "an option".
"We need to still look here [in F1] for next year, but I'm open-minded," said Merhi.
"There are so many other categories that are interesting like WEC and IndyCar, which are the two most attractive series outside of F1.
"In World Endurance it's a great championship and the cars are really quick.
"At the moment my manager is looking at what is the best for next year."

Manor Formula 1 team bosses John Booth and Graeme Lowdon resign
By Ian Parkes Friday, October 30th 2015, 16:35 GMT
Manor team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon have tendered their resignations from the Formula 1 squad, Autosport understands.
The duo, who formed Manor Grand Prix in 2009 prior to it being renamed Virgin Racing ahead of its entry into F1 the following year, look set to remain in place until the end of the current season in Abu Dhabi next month.
It is believed Booth and Lowdon have felt forced to act following a difference of opinion with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick about the way forward for the team.
Fitzpatrick, founder of independent energy company Ovo, stepped in and saved Manor in February, after Booth and Lowdon had fought hard to keep the team alive since it fell into administration last October.
The team was given special dispensation to compete this season with a year-old spec of engine, provided by Ferrari, and with a chassis that at least conformed to the regulations on a safety basis.
For the past nine months the team has understandably struggled on track, with its cars constantly at the back of the grid and invariably last of those that see the chequered flag.
But behind the scenes Manor has been heading in the right direction, most notably securing a Mercedes engine supply for 2016.
After being forced to leave its factory in Banbury following administration, the team returned to a new base in the same area earlier this month.
Substantial income from Formula One Management for securing top-10 finishes in each of the last two seasons, puts Manor in its strongest financial position since it entered F1.
However, the situation with Fitzpatrick has come to a head for both Booth and Lowdon, who only recently decided it was in their best interests to leave.
Given the current state of affairs it is understood there is unlikely to be a u-turn unless there is a dramatic change of direction at the top level.
It is expected that unless the situation is resolved, a number of other personnel will follow Booth and Lowdon out of the team.
Neither man was able to comment when approached by Autosport, while Fitzpatrick is not in attendance at this weekend's grand prix in Mexico.

Manor F1 team technical chief Bob Bell leaves after five months
By Ian Parkes Saturday, October 31st 2015, 15:36 GMT
Technical chief Bob Bell has followed John Booth and Graeme Lowdon in tendering his resignation from the Manor Formula 1 team.
It emerged on Friday team principal Booth and sporting director Lowdon had opted to quit following a difference of opinion over the future direction of the team with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick.
Now technical consultant Bell has also chosen to depart just five months following his appointment on June 1.
While Booth and Lowdon are to remain in place until the end of the season, Bell departed a week ago.
The exodus does not end with the leading trio as a number of other key personnel behind the scenes have also chosen to resign.
Bell, the former Renault and Mercedes technical boss, had played a key role in helping Manor acquire an engine from next season from the latter.
Although Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff confirmed the situation at Manor did not affect the supply deal, he stated he would be looking on with interest given the relationship he had built up with Lowdon, and Booth in particular.
Wolff said: "Obviously when I spoke about racers, John and Graeme were very much meant by that, plus of course the rest of the team.
"It's a bunch of real fighters that have shown stamina in keeping the team in the sport.
"I've known John forever, since the Formula Renault days of Lewis [Hamilton] and Formula 3 days.
"Manor means John Booth and John Booth means Manor, and Graeme was very instrumental in keeping the team alive last year.
"So seeing them go, from a personal standpoint and from the racing spirit, is obviously a blow.
"Going forward, we have signed the deal with Manor and I would say we need to give credit to everybody in the team who stays in the team, but we are curious spectators from now on."

Will Stevens closing on 2016 Formula 1 seat with Manor
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, November 3rd 2015, 13:57 GMT
Will Stevens is closing in on securing a seat with Manor for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The team is in limbo at present given the recent resignations of a number of key personnel, notably team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
Behind the scenes, however, negotiations are continuing with a number of drivers over the only two remaining F1 seats for 2016.
Autosport understands Stevens' backers are poised to complete a deal with Manor that will guarantee the 24-year-old's position on the grid.
Speaking to Autosport, Stevens said: "Everything is moving in the right direction.
"I've a lot of people working on my behalf, and everything on a daily basis is improving. We are happy with what's going on and the way we are going forward.
"Obviously I'd love for it to have moved forward quicker than it has, and to say I've signed for next year, because as a driver I want to get it done as quickly as possible.
"I want to go to races knowing my future is sorted and next year is sorted, but these things take time, although we're pushing hard.
"If everything goes to plan then I am confident I'll be with the team next year."
Stevens feels he has also done a good enough job on track to prove he is worthy of the drive, rather than finances leading in the decision-making.
"I've qualified well - I've only been beaten five times this year by my team-mate - and my pace has always been strong," said Stevens.
"The one thing I've wanted to do is show my speed is good, and if you look across every single session, the fact I've been quicker in the vast majority of them than my team-mate shows the speed is there.
"In terms of making good decisions and strategy calls, that's where you learn.
"But I really feel, given where I am at right now compared to the start of the year, I am more of a complete package, and I feel confident.
"So everything is heading in the right direction, and I'd love to have another shot at it next year with a more competitive package.
"Hopefully as a team we are fighting for points and are competitive, and I'd love to have a year like that to really prove what I can do in F1."

Group led by Tavo Hellmund evaluating Manor Formula 1 team takeover
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, November 11th 2015, 17:28 GMT
A group led by American businessman Tavo Hellmund is evaluating a takeover of the Manor Formula 1 team.
Hellmund, one of the architects behind F1's return to the United States and Mexico in recent years, is believed to be leading an investor group seeking to secure a controlling interest in the back-of-the-grid marque.
Manor, however, is currently in turmoil following a swathe of recent resignations of leading personnel, including team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
Hellmund still feels a deal can be done with current owner Stephen Fitzpatrick, who was instrumental in saving the then Marussia team from administration earlier this year.
As far as Hellmund is concerned, though, the clock is ticking, as he told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper: "I think if we get to late January or February, it may be too late, and my partners and I would probably lose interest."
Hellmund has laid down conditions that the power unit deal with Mercedes from next year remains in place, and the team's financial position is vetted and confirmed.
The 49-year-old is convinced the team could be run sensibly, despite complaints from others on the grid regarding the financial difficulties of competing in F1.
"It would never be our goal to compete with the manufacturer teams," added Hellmund.
"We're never going to spend $400 million a year like Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, but we think you can run it respectably and not be in the red. I think you can fight for fifth."
Hellmund already has designs on his driver line-up, and would love NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr to be the lead, although appreciates current Manor driver Alexander Rossi is a more realistic choice, saying the American "has the resume".

Graeme Lowdon confirms departure from Manor Formula 1 team
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, November 13th 2015, 19:00 GMT
Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon has confirmed that the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be his last race with the Formula 1 team.
Autosport reported last month that Lowdon and team principal John Booth tendered their resignations, due to what is believed to be a difference of opinion with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick about the way forward for the team.
Booth and Lowdon were instrumental in helping resurrect the team after it fell into administration and though this season has been tough, Manor has been moving in the right direction, most notably securing Mercedes power for 2016.
Lowdon told reporters in Brazil: "Abu Dhabi is going to be my last race with the team.
"Rather than focus on the reasons why, I prefer to focus on the fact the most important task this year was to make sure that the team continued racing.
"That required a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment as well.
"My belief in the team at that stage never wavered once, and we worked very hard to make sure the team was in a position to continue."
Lowdon took the opportunity to thank people who he said were "instrumental in the team being able to continue".
"In that period - November, December, January - we received a lot of help from [F1 boss] Bernie Ecclestone in particular, also from Jean Todt," he said.
"I have to say everybody involved in the governance side and commercial rights side were constructive during the whole period and the team wouldn't have survived without that input.
"Also from Ferrari, who were really instrumental not just in the team being able to survive with the engine deal at short notice but also from very first race, the commitment from James Allison in particular.
"He had a very public task at Ferrari, to ensure the team was in a good position.
"From our point of view, as a customer team, we received some pivotal support from him.
"And of course the staff at the team. We had to get the team back together very quickly.
"That wouldn't have happened had we not been able to attract a lot of the same faces back who were with the team in previous years.
"That was extremely important as well. A lot of things had to come together.
"This has been a pretty difficult season but that is secondary to the fact the team continues and that is the most important thing."

Manor F1 team hires ex-McLaren man Dave Ryan as racing director
By Mitchell Adam Saturday, November 14th 2015, 17:49 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team has appointed former McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan as its new racing director.
The announcement comes one day after Graeme Lowdon discussed his departure from the F1 squad, and with the confirmation team principal John Booth will also leave following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ryan spent three decades with McLaren, before splitting with the team in April 2009, amid an FIA investigation about Lewis Hamilton lying to Australian Grand Prix stewards.
He has since run the VonRyan Racing squad in the Blancpain and British GT series.
"I'm very excited to be joining the Manor Marussia F1 team at a pivotal time in its development," Ryan said.
"Having spent time with [owner] Stephen [Fitzpatrick], and understood his vision for the future, it is clear he has ensured there is a strong platform from which the team can make big steps forward in the seasons ahead.
"Manor has all the hallmarks of a fiercely competitive racing team, but having grown up in a much more contemporary Formula 1 era, it is a very lean operation with a collaborative culture, which leaves it well placed to contend with the sport's future direction.
"There is clearly a big challenge ahead and a lot of work to do, but I can't wait to meet the wider team and get down to business."
Fitzpatrick confirmed Booth's impending departure, and said Ryan's experience will complement the team's new 2016 deals with Mercedes and Williams.
"Along with our new Mercedes Benz power unit, technical partnership with Williams and recent additions to the design and technical team, Dave's arrival is another important step towards our goal of creating a truly competitive racing team," he said.
"I am also able to confirm that John Booth and Graeme Lowdon will be leaving the team at the end of the current season.
"I have the utmost respect for them as individuals and for all they have achieved, both with this team and in their long careers in motorsport, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and dedication during this season in particular.
"Like every great story, there comes a time to start a new chapter."

Manor F1 team insists it hasn't signed a new team boss yet
By Ian Parkes Monday, November 16th 2015, 06:32 GMT
Manor Formula 1 team owner Stephen Fitzpatrick has confirmed he has not yet offered anyone the role of team principal.
Speculation over the course of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend suggested two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner and ex-F1 driver Alexander Wurz had been singled out for the role.
Fitzpatrick confirmed talks with Wurz had taken place but insisted there were a number of names in the frame to help lead the team into 2016.
"We have spoken to a number of people about senior roles within the team," Fitzpatrick told Autosport.
"I have met Alex several times, but to clarify recent speculation we have not offered anyone the role of team principal."
Wurz recently announced his retirement from motorsport come the conclusion of the World Endurance Championship in Bahrain next week.
The 41-year-old Austrian will continue in his current role as Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman.
Manor has a vacancy in its top role after John Booth and Graeme Lowdon announced their they brought into F1 once the flag drops on the final race of the current season in Abu Dhabi on November 29.
The team has already hired ex-McLaren man Dave Ryan as its new racing director.

Manor Formula 1 team principal John Booth open to F1 return
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, November 17th 2015, 17:31 GMT
Outgoing Manor team principal John Booth is open to working in Formula 1 again in the future.
After starting the team from scratch - along with sporting director Graeme Lowdon - in 2009 ahead of its F1 entry as Virgin Racing the year after, Booth's tenure comes to an end with the final race of this campaign in Abu Dhabi on November 29.
Both men opted to resign due to what Autosport understands is a difference of opinion with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick over the way forward for the team.
Manor has appointed ex-McLaren man Dave Ryan as its new racing director, but insists it is yet to offer the team principal role to anyone.
Booth will take an extended holiday once the season ends, during which time he will make a decision about adding to his 38 years in motorsport.
"It's not necessarily the end for me in Formula 1," Booth told Autosport.
"You never know. I've no plans at all, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of coming back."
Now 60, Booth has no plans to retire yet, after being given a taste of it last year when he was out of work for a spell after Marussia entered administration.
"It was always my ambition to retire early, but then I had three months of enforced retirement at the back end of last year, and it was not attractive to me," said Booth.
"I buried myself in gardening work as we'd just moved into a new house, and it was great for a couple of months getting up in the morning and just working without having to think about anything like F1 politics.
"But I don't think there is enough of a mental challenge to keep me going away from work."
Booth has conceded when he walks out of the paddock for the final time as a member of Manor it will "weigh heavy", given what the team has been through in its short time in F1.
"There have been some quite difficult times, and some great times as well," said Booth.
"I feel very proud of what we've achieved. The obvious high was Monaco last year [when Jules Bianchi scored the team's first points].
"But then there was also seeing the two cars come out of the garage for the very first time in Bahrain in 2010. That was a pretty high moment.
"It was the same again this year given the problems we had last winter, particularly as most of the guys who had been made redundant came back. That was rewarding.
"I was on the phone to them and they were back like a shot, despite a totally uncertain future.
"As for the lows, well, they're pretty obvious to everyone and something we don't have to go through."

Alex Wurz open to F1 team boss roles despite rejecting Manor
By Gary Watkins Thursday, November 19th 2015, 11:46 GMT
Alex Wurz has not ruled out an eventual move into Formula 1 team management following his rejection of the top job at Manor Grand Prix.
The Toyota World Endurance Championship driver, who will hang up his helmet after this weekend's Bahrain series finale, explained that he turned down Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick's offer of the team principal role because "the timing was not right".
"It wasn't the right time because I am moving in one direction for the future," the 40-year-old Austrian told Autosport.
"I decided that I would not be available for this job and to continue in my original direction, which I can't talk about at the moment."
Asked if he could see himself in a senior management role at a F1 team in the future, Wurz said: "Maybe. It would definitely be a challenge, and since my childhood I have always liked to face new challenges."
Two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Wurz, who contested 69 grands prix with Benetton, McLaren and Williams, has a variety of interests in motorsport outside of driving.
He is president of the Grands Prix Drivers' Association, is an advisor to the board at Williams, has a circuit design business and is involved in driver management.
Fitzpatrick, who revived the Manor squad ahead of the 2015 season, approached Wurz after team boss John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon tendered their resignations at the end of October.
Former long-time McLaren employee Dave Ryan, who ended up as sporting director of the F1 team, was announced as Manor's new racing director earlier this week.

Rossi 'confident' about chances of getting '16 Manor Formula 1 seat
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Sunday, November 22nd 2015, 11:51 GMT
Alexander Rossi believes he could have done no more in his bid to secure a full-time Formula 1 race seat with Manor for next season.
Rossi concluded his five-race deal with Manor in Brazil, and now the 24-year-old must wait to discover if he will return for 2016 as owner Stephen Fitzpatrick mulls over his driver line-up.
The American brought the car home in all five races, finishing ahead of team-mate Will Stevens in three - with the Briton retiring in one other - before losing out in his final run at Interlagos.
Assessing his performance, Rossi told Autosport: "It's always difficult to come in three-quarters of the way through a year.
"But to consistently be in front of the other car, in a lot of different situations, weather conditions and environments, was a very positive thing.
"I always look back and think, 'yeah, that could have gone better', but from the outside looking in, I think I've done a good job and proven I'm more than capable of being in an F1 car and racing at this level.
"As to my chances, I'm confident. As I said, I've done a very good job in the car, pretty much maximised most of the weekends to give myself the best chance."
With an answer not due until after the end of the F1 campaign, Rossi first has his sights set on securing the runner-up spot in GP2 behind McLaren reserve Stoffel Vandoorne in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
He recently revealed he came close to not even being on the grid, having been close to accepting a 2015 IndyCar seat with Dale Coyne Racing.
Rossi would like to think he has proven himself across both F1 and its primary support category, adding: "Coupled with the GP2 results I've had this year, I'm in a very strong position for next year.
"I'm in a fortunate position where I'm not just in one championship, in a car that can't compete, I get to go and race something else.
"To have had this 2015 I've had, I would have never expected it at the end of last year, so I'm very happy to have experienced everything I have.
"What that means at the moment, I don't know, because there are a lot of guys going for two seats.
"But I've got a good relationship with the team, and I have had for about a year now. It would be great to put everything together."

GP2 drivers King and Haryanto to test with Manor F1 in Abu Dhabi
By Ian Parkes Monday, November 23rd 2015, 10:45 GMT
Manor is to run development driver Jordan King and Rio Haryanto during the Pirelli Formula 1 tyre test in Abu Dhabi next week.
Pirelli will conduct running on its 2016 tyres, notably the planned ultra-soft compound, during the one-day test at the Yas Marina circuit on Tuesday.
For GP2 driver King, it will be his first taste of an F1 car, although the 21-year-old has attended the recent races in the United States and Mexico as part of his role with the team.
Currently fourth in the GP2 standings, eight places above King, Haryanto took parts in young driver tests in 2010 and '12 with Manor.
It is planned for both drivers to run for half a day each.
King said: "The development driver role has been a fantastic opportunity for me this season, and I have enjoyed and benefited from every minute spent with the team.
"In Austin and Mexico I was able to fully immerse myself in the F1 environment and I'm learning about how things work on and off the race track.
"Naturally, what I've been looking forward to most is the chance to drive the MR03B, and I can't wait to bring everything I've learned together in Abu Dhabi next week."
Indonesian Haryanto, who has taken three wins with Campos Racing this season, said: "I feel much better prepared for this test.
"After a very competitive season in GP2, I can't wait to show how much I have developed to become a more complete driver."
Outgoing team principal John Booth, whose last race after six years in charge of the team will be this weekend in Abu Dhabi, feels despite the inexperience of both drivers the outing will still prove beneficial for them and Pirelli.
"For Jordan, this is a planned part of his 2015 role as development driver following a season spent with the team in an educational capacity," he said.
"Rio has, of course, driven two of our cars in previous tests. In 2010, he was considered to be at the very tender age of 17 years old, but we knew he had an exciting future ahead of him.
"Both drivers have extensive experience of running Pirelli tyres in GP2, and specifically the many GP2 tests that have been held in Abu Dhabi, so this leaves them well placed to help us play our part in Pirelli's evaluation programme next week."

Sauber and Manor seek early F1 payouts from Bernie Ecclestone
By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto Monday, November 23rd 2015, 13:38 GMT
Manor and Sauber have become the latest Formula 1 teams to approach Bernie Ecclestone for an advance on their championship payments for next year, Autosport has learned.
It follows an application from Force India last month, which is believed to have been accepted.
The requests require unanimous consent from the other teams before F1 boss Ecclestone can facilitate them.
Teams receive payouts from Formula One Management on a monthly basis based on their historic status and their position in the constructors' championship the previous season.
These are paid February through to November, leaving a cash shortfall for December and January.
Key production on new cars takes place during those two months, making it challenging for some of the smaller independent teams to pay bills and suppliers.
Ahead of this season, Force India, Sauber and Lotus made requests for advance payments to aid cash-flow, with some suppliers asking for money earlier than usual after Caterham and Marussia went into administration, and these requests were approved.

Outgoing Manor F1 chief Graeme Lowdon: 'I've done the right thing'
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, November 24th 2015, 14:41 GMT
Graeme Lowdon is adamant he has no regrets about opting to resign from Manor after six years with the Formula 1 team.
Sporting director Lowdon and team principal Booth, who in tandem built up the organisation after it was given an F1 entry in 2009, are to leave come the end of next weekend's final race of this season in Abu Dhabi.
Despite attracting Mercedes as an engine partner from next year, and acquiring a Williams transmission, it is understood a fallout with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick has resulted in the parting of the ways.
While Lowdon concedes he is sad to be going in one respect given what the team has been through in its short time in F1, he feels his decision is the right one.
"It would be nice to be involved in a bit more racing in F1 next season, but I'm confident I'm doing the right thing," Lowdon told Autosport.
"Looking back the challenges we've had over the six years have been very, very varied, some of which have been very difficult.
"There's an awful lot of hard work that has gone in, particularly last winter in trying to keep the team alive.
"So while I am leaving, there is a sense of achievement in that the team is still here and in a position to go forward."
Due to an arrangement with Fitzpatrick, Lowdon has yet to find himself another position, either in F1, motorsport or beyond, but he accepts the lure of F1 is still strong.
He added: "I agreed with the current owners I wouldn't look for any new employment while still with the team.
"The most important thing was to see out the season and focus on the task in hand, which is making sure we completed the season to the best of our abilities.
"Because of that I haven't looked for anything, not even in terms of opportunities in Formula 1.
"So I'll look for the next challenge, and if an opportunity did arise in F1 then I'd return.
"F1 is a fascinating business, and the opportunities are massive.
"The next 10 years could be some of the most exciting in its history in terms of growth and how the fans can interact.
"Potentially it's a really exciting period to be in F1."

Will Stevens not thinking about Manor F1 seat back-up plan
By Ian Parkes and Ben Anderson Thursday, December 10th 2015, 17:27 GMT
Will Stevens has admitted he has not even thought about a Plan B, should his aim to remain on the Formula 1 grid with Manor next season fall through.
For now, Stevens is pinning all his hopes on retaining his seat with the squad with whom he spent 2015, albeit in a back-of-the-field battle with team-mates Roberto Merhi and Alexander Rossi.
Stevens remains confident he will be able to secure one of the only two seats left available in F1 for 2016.
Asked specifically whether he had a back-up plan for next year should he fail to secure a drive with Manor, Stevens replied: "No."
On the possibility of a reserve role in F1 should he be cut by Manor, Stevens said: "I don't know. I'll worry about it if it comes to that.
"Right now I have every intention of being on the grid next year. If it was not looking good, or I was worrying about the situation, of course I'd look at other options.
"But right now I'm not looking at anything else, and my sole focus is on next year."
Suggested to Stevens he had to have something up his sleeve, he added: "I think 'worried' is completely the wrong word to use.
"Am I worried? No, because if I'm not on the F1 grid obviously you have to work towards getting back to it.
"There are 22 seats on the grid next year and hundreds of people who want to get into the sport. It's one of those things.
"Everything in life you've got to take as it comes, and everything happens for a reason.
"Obviously I'm going to be massively disappointed if I don't get the seat. Of course I want the seat for next year which is why I'm doing everything I can to make sure it happens.
"But I think it's wrong to look at Plans B, C, etcetera at the moment because everything really is going in the right direction.
"Yes, if I don't get the seat I will be annoyed, disappointed and all those things, but right now I'm not because I'm confident in the people I've got around me and the people working away from the track on my behalf to make it happen."

No deal for DTM champ Wehrlein to join Manor F1 coming this month
By Ian Parkes Sunday, December 13th 2015, 12:15 GMT
Mercedes reserve Pascal Wehrlein will have to wait until the new year before learning whether he is to be in Formula 1 or the DTM in 2016.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has confirmed holding discussions with Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick about securing Wehrlein one of the last two seats available in F1 for next season.
Although Mercedes is supplying Manor with power units from 2016, any deal for Wehrlein, who became the youngest DTM champion in the series' history this year, is completely independent.
"I'm looking at the market and it's very difficult to find a permanent race seat for next season for him," Wolff told Autosport.
"He definitely has the ability to be in Formula 1, to be one of the very successful ones, but it needs to be the right place for the right value.
"If we can't make it happen for '16, then we'll give him lots of mileage in an F1 car, be it with us or another team in the form of a testing programme, and then we will see what opens up for 2017."
Wolff has confirmed that a testing programme could be with any of Mercedes' partners - the 21-year-old has already tested with Force India - but he is not yet giving up hope of Wehrlein securing the drive with Manor.
"We [Mercedes and Manor] are still having conversations," said Wolff.
"But I understand there are commercial constraints Manor is facing, that there is this financial reality, so you can't force it.
"Staying in DTM is Option B, and if it is only Option B then we will make sure he continues to learn in and around a Formula 1 car as well.
"I would rather see him move on into Formula 1 because I think he deserves that, and if not then he will have the opportunity to defend his DTM title."
Asked if Wehrlein's situation would be resolved before Christmas, Wolff replied: "It's going to stretch over into the new year."
BROADER IMPACT OF POTENTIAL DEAL
Wehrlein's future is also set to shape GP3 champion Esteban Ocon's 2016.
The French youngster has been retained as a Mercedes junior, and told Autosport that he would prefer to race with the manufacturer in the DTM than move into GP2 next year.
Mercedes is the only brand yet to announce its 2016 DTM driver line-ups, with Audi and BMW confirming in recent weeks that they were both retaining the same eight drivers.
At the brand's Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart on Saturday, Mercedes DTM boss Ulrich Fritz indicated news on its 2016 line-up would come early in the new year.
Daniel Juncadella won the Mercedes end-of-year celebration, beating Wehrlein in the final, the pair having eliminated Formula 1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton respectively in the semi-finals.

Pascal Wehrlein's 2016 Manor F1 seat chances fading - Toto Wolff
By Gerhard Kuntschik Thursday, December 24th 2015, 12:28 GMT
DTM champion Pascal Wehrlein's chances of a 2016 Manor Formula 1 drive are diminishing, according to Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.
The German, Mercedes' F1 reserve this season alongside his DTM campaign, is a contender for a grand prix race seat with Manor.
When asked in Vienna about how negotiations with Manor were progressing, Wolff said the suggested figure of €4million that Mercedes would pay for Wehrlein's drive now "seems by far not enough".
GP2 race winner Rio Haryanto has also been linked with a Manor drive, having been affiliated with the team in its Virgin/Marussia era.
The Indonesian is rumoured to have £10million worth of backing from his national government, a figure that left Wolff concerned.
"With the amount that was in the media to buy a ride like this you destroy F1," he said.
If Wehrlein misses out on a 2016 F1 promotion, he is likely to defend his DTM title.
The Manor situation is preventing Mercedes from finalising its DTM line-up, with GP3 champion and marque protege Esteban Ocon keen to move into the touring car series.
Mercedes' DTM rivals BMW and Audi have already firmed up unchanged driver rosters for 2016.
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Chapter 8: 2016 - Year 7 - Manor Racing MRT

Manor F1 team will race for John Booth and Graeme Lowdon in 2016
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, January 5th 2016, 11:54 GMT
Manor will head into the new Formula 1 season racing in part for its former chiefs John Booth and Graeme Lowdon, according to technical director John McQuilliam.
Booth and Lowdon resigned from their positions as team principal and sporting director at the end of last season after starting up the marque in 2010.
"I was very sorry to see them go," McQuilliam told Autosport.
"This was very much their team, and those guys effectively gave me my job with the initial Manor/Virgin project.
"I used to work at Wirth Research and designed and built the car.
"When it became Marussia and we amalgamated, again they took me on.
"At the beginning of last year, after the team emerged from administration, they picked up the phone and said 'John, come and do this for us'.
"In many ways I absolutely owe them this position I have got within the sport.
"The important thing is for us to carry on bigger and better than ever, for them, because they never gave up.
"They did a lot of work over the years to create this team, last winter in particular, and we can never thank them enough for that."
McQuilliam felt once the team entered into administration in late 2014 that its days were numbered, only for Booth and Lowdon to stage a rescue act.
"It was at the beginning of February that Graeme and John basically said this could really happen, and they needed me on board to make sure it did," added McQuilliam.
"Initially I thought it was impossible, and I don't give up easily.
"I thought if a rescue deal came any time before Christmas we would be able to do what was necessary and get the car ready.
"But as January went by and there was no deal on the table, I assumed it was beyond us to do it.
"So come the beginning of February, when the news first came though, I thought 'that is only a few weeks after my cut-off date. Let's see if it is possible'.
"Although we faced a couple of hurdles in Australia that were just too difficult to overcome, when the car raced in Malaysia, it was one of the best things we had ever seen."

Manor Formula 1 team hires ex-Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, January 15th 2016, 10:34 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team has appointed former Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis as its chief aerodynamicist with immediate effect.
Tombazis spent nine years as Ferrari's chief designer before it was announced in December 2014 he was leaving the team amid a restructure of the F1 outfit.
The 47-year-old, who will report to technical director John McQuilliam, began his Formula 1 career with Benetton as an aerodynamist in 1992.
He was promoted to chief aerodynamicist the following year, before moving to Ferrari for a seven-year stint.
A short spell with McLaren followed, before he returned to Ferrari in 2006 to take up a design role.
"The team has impressive plans and is investing in all the right areas to achieve its on-track ambitions, so I am very much looking forward to being part of that journey," said Tombazis.
"The existing design team is already very strong and I look forward to working with a great group of people to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead to help us progress through the field over the next few seasons."
McQuilliam added: "I believe this appointment will help to amplify the efforts of a very talented design team that, in recent years, has not had the opportunity to showcase the full extent of their experience and capabilities.
"I am confident that, together with our new Mercedes power unit and Williams gearbox and technical partnership, our new aero structure will provide us with the strength to design and develop consistently competitive racing cars to help steer us towards our long-term ambitions."

Manor's 2016 Formula 1 car passes crash tests
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, January 15th 2016, 17:19 GMT
Manor's 2016 Formula 1 car has successfully completed its final crash test at the first attempt ahead of the start of pre-season testing next month.
The Banbury-based team endured a troubled build-up to last season as it battled to make the grid after falling into administration.
After a late rescue bid, it failed to complete a day of pre-season testing in 2015 and contested the season with a modified version of its 2014-spec car.
But this year, things are looking brighter with Manor boasting a deal for a current spec Mercedes power unit and a technical partnership with Williams.
Manor has completed its crash tests first time to give it a fully homologated car and Autosport understands its on course to make the first test, which starts on February 22 at Barcelona.
Manor tweeted: "Today we completed our final crash test, so we now have a fully homologated chassis. Next stop test one in Barcelona."
Earlier on Tuesday, Manor announced former Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis as its chief aerodynamicist. He will report to technical director John McQuilliam.
It follows the recruitment of former McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan as its new racing director last year, following the departure of Graeme Lowdon and John Booth.
Manor is the only team yet to announce its drivers for the season, with Pascal Wehrlein, Rio Haryanto and Will Stevens all linked with the seats.

Former Marussia F1 team to compete as Manor Racing in 2016
Tuesday, January 19th 2016, 17:16 GMT
The former Marussia Formula 1 team will compete as Manor Racing in 2016.
The revived F1 squad raced as Manor Marussia last year, but has confirmed its rebrand with a new logo on Twitter.
Further details are promised on February 22, the first day of the opening pre-season test in Barcelona.
The outfit confirmed last Friday that its Mercedes-powered 2016 car had passed its final crash test, and that it had recruited ex-Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis as its new chief aerodynamicist.
Following its last-minute reprieve to make the grid, Manor Marussia failed to score a point last year with its outdated package, and former chiefs John Booth and Graeme Lowdon left at the end of the season.
Manor Racing remains the only team yet to confirm its drivers for the 2016 season.

Ex-Ferrari F1 engineering director Pat Fry to Manor as consultant
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, January 25th 2016, 10:23 GMT
Former Ferrari engineering director Pat Fry has joined Manor Racing as engineering consultant ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season.
Fry spent four-and-a-half seasons with Ferrari after leaving McLaren, holding the roles of technical director (chassis) and engineering director.
He left the team at the end of the 2014 season following a restructure of the outfit.
"We are extremely fortunate to have Pat on board to help us hit the ground running with our exciting new technical package," said Manor racing director Dave Ryan, who joined in November and previously worked with Fry when they were both at McLaren.
"The aim is to bring performance to the car with effect from the Barcelona tests, then translate that to the race track in Melbourne, to ensure we make the strongest possible start to 2016 and have a good basis for development in the early part of the season."
It continues a period of restructuring for Manor, with Fry linking up with former Ferrari colleague Nikolas Tombazis, who has been recruited as the team's chief aerodynamicist.
Manor Marussia failed to score a point last year with its outdated package and former chiefs John Booth and Graeme Lowdon left at the end of the season.
The team will race with a current-spec Mercedes power unit this season while a technical partnership with Williams will see it receive transmission and suspension components.
Manor is the only team yet to announce its drivers for the 2016 season.

Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein secures 2016 Manor Formula 1 seat
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, February 10th 2016, 09:14 GMT
Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein is to drive for Manor in the 2016 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.
Reigning DTM champion Wehrlein has been linked with Manor for a number of months, but it is believed a deal has finally been struck that will bring the 21-year-old Mercedes reserve into F1, with confirmation of the move due shortly.
The young German is highly rated and already has a proven pedigree, winning the 2011 ADAC Formel Masters before finishing runner-up the following year in the Formula 3 Euro Series and fourth in the parallel European F3 championship.
In 2013 Wehrlein moved onto the DTM, becoming the youngest champion in the history of the series last year.
Since September 2014 Wehrlein has combined his DTM role with that of understudy to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.
Now Wehrlein will get his opportunity to compete against the duo in a revamped Manor team, with its cars this year powered by Mercedes, and with a Williams transmission.
Wehrlein told German publication Auto Bild: "The discussions were led by Toto Wolff for me. He helps me a lot, for which I am very, very grateful."
The second seat remains up for grabs. Established Manor drivers Will Stevens, Alexander Rossi and GP2 race winner Rio Haryanto are all vying to now become Wehrlein's team-mate.
Wehrlein's F1 move will also allow Mercedes to finalise its 2016 DTM line-up.
While rivals Audi and BMW confirmed unchanged driver rosters before Christmas, Mercedes' situation was complicated by the uncertainty over Wehrlein's status.
His departure from the German series is likely to create an opening for Renault F1 reserve and GP3 champion Esteban Ocon.
2016 F1 DRIVER LINE-UP SO FAR
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa
Red Bull-TAG (Renault): Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Ricciardo
Force India-Mercedes: Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg
Renault: Kevin Magnussen, Jolyon Palmer
Toro Rosso-Ferrari: Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr
Sauber-Ferrari: Felipe Nasr, Marcus Ericsson
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button
Manor-Mercedes: Pascal Wehrlein (subject to official confirmation), tba
Haas-Ferrari: Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutierrez

Manor strengthens Mercedes link with Pascal Wehrlein 2016 F1 deal
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, February 10th 2016, 11:18 GMT
Manor Racing will have use of a Mercedes windtunnel as part of the deal that brings Pascal Wehrlein into the team for the 2016 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.
Mercedes reserve Wehrlein has joined Manor on a one-year contract, believed to be worth around €5-6million to the back-of-the-grid team.
Although Manor is to run with this year's spec of Mercedes engine, Wehrlein's move is completely independent of the power unit supply contract.
Crucially for Manor, in terms of aerodynamic development over the course of this season, it will have access to Mercedes' 50 per cent windtunnel facility at Brackley.
Assessing his move, Wehrlein said: "Manor Racing is a great place for me to start my Formula 1 racing career - I'm very pleased to be here.
"It's a small and totally focused team and I soon hope to know everyone.
"Though it's my first F1 season my aim is to help Stephen [Fitzpatrick, owner] and the guys achieve their goals.
"It will be a tough challenge, but I think we should be able to challenge for points along the way. It's going to be good fun.
"A word for my racing family at Mercedes-Benz, and particularly for Toto [Wolff], who have guided my career this far and made this opportunity possible.
"Thanks for the incredible support to help me achieve my dream; now it's down to me to grab the moment and perform on track."
The 21-year-old German, who last season became the youngest champion in the history of the DTM, will race with the number 94 he used to claim that title.
He will also retain his reserve role with Mercedes.
Wehrlein was named as understudy to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in September 2014, and has enjoyed a number of outings in the car.
It is understood Mercedes can recall Wehrlein should injury or illness preclude Hamilton or Rosberg from driving over the course of a grand prix weekend, but not in last-minute circumstances to avoid impacting on Manor.
To that end Esteban Ocon, named as reserve with Renault last week and set to take up Wehrlein's Mercedes seat in the DTM, will also continue with the German marque after he was handed a role with the F1 team last November.
Looking ahead to the season with Wehrlein, Fitzpatrick said: "Pascal is a sharp driver with a very promising future. Manor Racing is excited to have him aboard.
"We're a small team up for a big challenge this season, so we've chosen a driver with the talent and hunger to match our own on-track ambitions.
"Pascal has impressed in testing for Mercedes and Force India, together with commanding performances in DTM, culminating in the championship win last year.
"Manor Racing is perfectly placed to help Pascal make a big impact in his first season. We're looking forward to it."

Rio Haryanto gets second Manor Formula 1 seat for 2016 season
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, February 18th 2016, 08:35 GMT
GP2 race winner Rio Haryanto will drive for Manor in the 2016 Formula 1 season, Autosport has learned.
The Indonesian, who has financial backing from the state, has been locked in talks to secure a race seat throughout the winter.
It is believed an agreement has finally been struck and will be announced later on Thursday, making Haryanto F1's first Indonesian driver.
He will partner reigning DTM champion Pascal Wehrlein in 2016 after edging out '15 Manor drivers Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi.
Haryanto has spent the last four seasons racing in GP2, scoring three wins to secure his best finish of fourth in the standings last year with Campos Racing.
The 23-year-old's relationship with the Manor name goes back to 2010, when he raced for the outfit's GP3 team.
His performance that season, where he finished fifth, earned him a test with the Virgin F1 team at the end of the year.
He tested over two days for Marussia in 2012 during the young driver test at Silverstone and was back in the car for Manor in December's Pirelli tyre test.
The news means the 2016 F1 driver line-up is now complete.
2016 F1 DRIVER LINE-UP
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa
Red Bull-TAG (Renault): Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Ricciardo
Force India-Mercedes: Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg
Renault: Kevin Magnussen, Jolyon Palmer
Toro Rosso-Ferrari: Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr
Sauber-Ferrari: Felipe Nasr, Marcus Ericsson
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button
Manor-Mercedes: Pascal Wehrlein, Rio Haryanto (subject to official confirmation)
Haas-Ferrari: Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutierrez

Manor Racing confirms Rio Haryanto as second Formula 1 driver
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, February 18th 2016, 09:20 GMT
Manor Racing has confirmed Rio Haryanto will make his Formula 1 debut with the team in 2016, completing the field for the upcoming season, as predicted by Autosport.
The Indonesian fended off competition from 2015 race drivers Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi to secure a seat alongside DTM champion Pascal Wehrlein.
It is believed Haryanto brings with him substantial backing from the state, creating a package that neither Stevens nor Rossi could match.
"Manor Racing is a team with an exciting vision and ambitious plans," said Haryanto, who has chosen #88 as his race number.
"They have produced a great package and I can't wait to get in the car.
"Melbourne will be a huge moment for me, my country, supporters and fans.
"I want to thank everyone who's been with me since I started in single seaters; 2016 is my chance to reward that faith and represent Asia in F1."
Team owner Stephen Fitzpatrick added: "We are delighted to announce Rio as our second race driver for 2016.
"Rio's been racing since he first got into a kart at six years old.
"He's tenacious on and off the track and made a big impression on last year's GP2 battle.
"Rio's huge following in Indonesia is great for the team and for F1.
"They are keen to see him on the grid and we're confident that we'll see him enjoying some exciting battles in the year ahead."
Haryanto will join Wehrlein in Barcelona next week for the first of two pre-season tests ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
2016 F1 DRIVER LINE-UP
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa
Red Bull-TAG (Renault): Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Ricciardo
Force India-Mercedes: Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg
Renault: Kevin Magnussen, Jolyon Palmer
Toro Rosso-Ferrari: Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr
Sauber-Ferrari: Felipe Nasr, Marcus Ericsson
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button
Manor-Mercedes: Pascal Wehrlein, Rio Haryanto
Haas-Ferrari: Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutierrez

Manor Racing introduces new MRT05 Formula 1 car in Barcelona test
By Matt Beer Monday, February 22nd 2016, 09:24 GMT
Manor Racing hailed the MRT05 as by far the best Formula 1 car it has produced as it unveiled the new, Mercedes-powered, design on the first morning of Barcelona testing.
F1's smallest team's deal to use Mercedes engines and Williams transmission and other components is expected to bring it much closer to competitiveness after six seasons adrift of the midfield pack.
Pascal Wehrlein left the garage in the MRT05 just under 90 minutes into the first day of the test.
Manor technical director John McQuilliam said the team was confident of a massive step forward in 2016.
"Even at this early stage of the game, we can easily say this is the best car we've ever launched," he said.
"Certainly the most developed, the most ambitious and the most aggressive.
"The overall package is a very significant step forward, not just from last year, but from any of the cars from our stable.
"Yes, we have a long way to go from here in terms of developing the MRT05, but it's already a dream package for the 154 Manor Racing people who've worked so hard to design and build it."
Manor's new racing director Dave Ryan, who arrived after the exits of founders John Booth and Graeme Lowdon last year, said he had been impressed by what he had seen at the team so far.
"It's been a very busy time, but it has really served to underline everything I thought when I first agreed to join the team - a great little operation, with huge potential and the vision and ambition to make a big step forward," Ryan said.
"The team did a laudable job last year given its circumstances over the previous winter.
"This year, with the package we have, we need to be every inch the professional racing outfit."
Manor only just made it to the start of the 2015 campaign after being rescued from administration on the eve of the season, and used a modified '14 car for the year.
It has an all-rookie driver line-up in DTM champion Wehrlein and GP2 race winner Rio Haryanto.

Manor wants to remain a small team in Formula 1
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, February 23rd 2016, 11:19 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan has revealed the team wants to remain a small outfit rather than set unrealistic goals for its future.
Ryan was back in an F1 paddock in an official capacity for the first time on Monday since his departure from McLaren early in 2009 after 34 years with the team.
Asked by Autosport about his role, Ryan said: "I've a fairly clear brief to do whatever I want.
"We want to be a genuine, solid team, and that's what we are building.
"We'd like to think we can become a good midfield team, and beyond that a really strong midfield team, a really strong independent team.
"We'll always be independent, so to think we can compete with the Mercedes of this world is a bit unreal, but we can certainly aim to be the best independent team.
"We're the smallest team by a big margin. We do a lot ourselves, and obviously we get things made for us.
"We're never going to be a big team, we don't want to be a big team - we'll say that now.
"We'll stay a small team, but we want to be efficient and to get good value out of what we have. That's our goal."
With only one points finish in its six seasons in F1 to date, Manor is naturally aiming to improve on that statistic this season now it has a stronger overall package at its disposal.
Ryan's appointment is part of a new regime at Manor, with Nikolas Tombazis taken on as chief aerodynamicist and Pat Fry recruited as an engineering consultant.
With Mercedes power and Williams transmission in the car this year, it is all part of owner Stephen Fitzpatrick's plan to propel the team up the grid.
"We've got what many people consider to be the best engine on the grid, the same spec as the works team," said Ryan.
"We've a great rear-end package, so that side of it is all sorted for us, and we've just got to do the rest.
"Our expectations are certainly to be competitive and score points, as simple as that really."

Manor F1 rookie Rio Haryanto admits he must learn fast after errors
By Ian Parkes Thursday, February 25th 2016, 19:16 GMT
Manor rookie Rio Haryanto knows he needs to learn quickly from his mistakes after being involved in his first crash in Formula 1.
After spinning on his first day on Wednesday, Haryanto "ran a little bit too hot into Turn 4" at Barcelona's Catalunya circuit on Thursday as he tried to find the limits of the MRT05.
It resulted in the car spinning into the tyre wall and sustaining rear-wing damage, bringing his running to an end with two and a half hours of the day remaining.
With just four days of testing overall before he makes his grand prix debut in Australia next month, the 23-year-old Indonesian is aware has to swiftly find his feet.
"I am here pushing to get the maximum out of myself and the car. You saw today I made a mistake. I have to learn from that, and not repeat it again the next time," said Haryanto.
"But I'm getting more confident with the team, and my relationship with the engineers is improving day by day.
"I'm learning, and there are two more days for me, so I'll try to do my best, to learn as much as I can before the first grand prix.
"Hopefully by the end of the tests next week I'll feel a lot more comfortable.
"Yesterday I was still learning a lot with the team, but today I felt there was a step.
"Day by day I will get used to it, which is why I believe there is a lot more to come from me because I am still very new to the car."
With an all-rookie line-up, as Pascal Wehrlein partners Haryanto, Manor faces a tricky balancing act in that its drivers need time to get up to speed while the team needs to learn quickly about the car.
Racing director Dave Ryan remains unconcerned.
"Obviously Pascal has come in from winning the [DTM] championship," he said.
"He's done a lot of mileage in a Formula 1 car, and the class car on the grid, so he has a lot of experience, and he knows what to expect.
"So for him it's probably been the transition to Manor that has been the bigger issue.
"Rio on the other hand is the opposite. He's making the move up for the first time, so pretty different approaches.
"But both are great kids and it's good having them around. I'm enjoying it."

Manor's Ryan has 'clear conscience' over McLaren exit and F1 exile
By Ian Parkes Sunday, February 28th 2016, 11:41 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan insists he has "a clear conscience" about his 2009 split with McLaren and subsequent Formula 1 exile.
After 34 years with McLaren, then sporting director Ryan paid the price for the lying controversy that engulfed Lewis Hamilton and the F1 team following the 2009 Australian Grand Prix.
Having spent the last seven years primarily running his own GT team, Von Ryan Racing, the New Zealander's return with Manor was announced late last year.
Ryan concedes there was initial scepticism after receiving a call from Bob Bell, who spent six months with Manor in 2015 as a technical consultant, before deciding the time was right to return.
"To be honest I was pretty busy doing my own stuff," he said.
"I wasn't at all sure about it, but he [Bell] called me again, I got talking to him, and then I met [owner] Stephen [Fitzpatrick].
"I kind of liked what I saw. Compared to what I had before, or where I came from, it's like two extremes.
"At first it was like a big breath, but the more you think about it, the more you get involved with it, and you think it could be quite fun, a really great story."
Of his return, Ryan suggests it is "like I've never been away", adding: "Some things haven't changed at all, and some things have changed a lot.
"I did miss some aspects of it, some not, but then I was pretty busy doing my own thing, so you tend to get consumed by what you are doing, although I kept aware of what people were doing."
Ryan has confirmed receiving a number of goodwill messages following his return, and when asked whether he had any reservations, said: "What happened, happened.
"It was a long time ago. I've a completely clear conscience about what happened, and it didn't enter my mind for a second because there wasn't anything to think about on that side of things."
It remains to be seen whether a revamped Manor, now with a Mercedes power unit and Williams transmission, can compete alongside a McLaren team that struggled last year with Honda.
"Let's be honest, McLaren is a bit of a sleeping giant at the moment," Ryan said.
"They haven't had a good few years, and last year was particularly difficult I would say, but they've the potential to get it right.
"They're hurting, but if they get it right they will be right back up at the sharp end. They've a huge number of very clever people.
"It's a question of when, not if."

Manor F1 team keeps GP2 racer Jordan King in development role
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, March 1st 2016, 07:51 GMT
GP2 racer Jordan King has been retained by Manor as a development driver for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The 22-year-old will dovetail his duties with another season in GP2 with Racing Engineering, having finished 12th in his debut year.
He got his first taste of an F1 car in December when he took part in the Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi.
"Spending time trackside with the team last year was really important for me and for where I want to get to," said King, whose best result in GP2 last year was second in the Spa feature race.
"I saw all the processes and techniques that go into running an F1 team, plus I got a good grasp of how the tyres work as well as the data.
"So when I got the chance to drive the MR03B in the Abu Dhabi test, it felt like I'd had a massive head-start and I was really confident.
"I racked up 300km in that test and loved every second in the car.
"But what I want to do now is race one and I'm flat out working to achieve that."
Manor racing director Dave Ryan added: "I was at the Abu Dhabi test where Jordan drove our car for the first time and he did an impressive job.
"It was clear that he'd taken full advantage of the opportunity to get under the skin of the team and understand the systems, processes and people.
"Over the winter months he helped us to refine driver installation with the new chassis, pending the signing of our race drivers, so the development driver role really is mutually beneficial."

Andretti IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi to act as Manor F1 reserve
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, March 9th 2016, 14:22 GMT
Alexander Rossi has been named as Manor's reserve driver for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The American missed out on a race seat with the outfit to Rio Haryanto and subsequently signed a IndyCar deal with Andretti Autosport.
On Wednesday, Manor announced that Rossi would dovetail his IndyCar duties with the F1 reserve role that will see him attend 11 grands prix.
"I've invested most of my career in F1 and I'm not one to kick my heels and wait for things to happen, so this is my way of staying sharp and prepared," said Rossi.
"It was disappointing to miss out on a race seat with Manor Racing this year; everyone knows I pushed and worked hard for it.
"As official reserve driver though, I have a very complimentary dual program at the highest level of motorsport.
"IndyCar Series is the premier category of open wheel racing in North America and extremely competitive.
"My schedule this year is demanding, but no more than a full-time F1 schedule.
"I will attend 11 grands prix, only five of which take place during the IndyCar season, and I am certainly used to the travel demands of the F1 calendar."
Having filled test and reserve roles with Caterham and Marussia between 2012 and '14, Rossi made his full F1 debut in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.
Stepping in for Roberto Merhi as part of a five-race Manor deal alongside his GP2 campaign, Rossi's best finish was 12th in the United States Grand Prix.
"We need a safe pair of hands for the role, which always carries the potential to have to step up to race, but also someone who can really contribute to the development of the car," racing director Dave Ryan said.
"For Alex, F1 is still unfinished business.
"He did a great job when he drove for us in five of last season's races and he's a highly rated and valuable part of our line-up.
"He does have one heck of a schedule ahead of him and it's a commitment that only the most disciplined of drivers would be able to manage.
"We're confident he's the man for the job."

Manor and Haas at odds over Haryanto/Grosjean pit collision
By Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes Saturday, March 19th 2016, 10:47 GMT
Manor and Haas have contrasting views over the decision to penalise Rio Haryanto for his pitlane collision with Romain Grosjean in final practice for Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix.
The two cars were released from their adjoining garages almost simultaneously early in the session with Haryanto stuttering slightly as he pulled away before making contact with Grosjean.
The stewards investigated the incident and deemed Haryanto to be at fault, handing him a three-place grid penalty and two penalty points.
"The driver of car #88 left the team garage and did not pay attention to the approaching car which was in the fast lane," said the stewards in a statement.
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said Haryanto was to blame but Manor racing director Dave Ryan told Autosport the penalty was "harsh".
Steiner said: "I wasn't pleased with that.
"It was a mistake that shouldn't happen and obviously the FIA gave them penalties.
"We should be above this. We didn't do anything wrong.
"We try to keep our nose clean and then somebody else drives into us. It's not very clever."
But Ryan said Grosjean was not completely blameless and added that Haas was a bit slow in getting out of the garage during Friday practice.
"They have applied the penalty to the letter of the law and they haven't actually taken into account what really happened," he said. "It was harsh on Rio.
"Rio was a bit hesitant getting out into the pitlane but he can't see what is coming down the pitlane because of the angle of the car and the mirrors and Grosjean came down the pitlane pretty quick.
"He had the opportunity to stop and he didn't.
"On Friday, the Haas cars were having trouble getting out of the garage in one swing so they were very slow.
"They were easing up to the pitwall, then being pulled back so they didn't hit their front wing on the pitwall and then eased out again.
"So it was a situation where perhaps we could have all done a bit better.
"I don't think Romain had to go quite as hard as he could.
"We could have certainly done a better job and it was one of those things which was a bit unnecessary for Rio to be penalised like he was."
Haryanto, who outqualified team-mate Pascal Wehrlein before the penalty was applied, said he had "just got to move on from it".
He added: "I had some clutch hesitation because it was the first run in the morning and obviously I didn't see Romain was coming, but I think he would have seen me there because I was just right next to him."

Manor believes it has the resources to climb up the F1 order
By Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes Wednesday, March 30th 2016, 10:38 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan admits the team expected to start 2016 slightly further up the Formula 1 field, but insists it has the resources to leave the back row.
After securing a Mercedes power unit and Williams transmission, Manor was expected to be challenging the lower midfield order.
On the evidence of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Manor is no longer trailing well behind the pack, but it is clear improvement is still needed.
Rio Haryanto and Pascal Wehrlein qualified 21st and 22nd, 4.2 seconds off pole, but Haryanto was within 0.021s of Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez in 20th.
Assessing Manor's position, Ryan told Autosport: "I think it's fair to say we are not quite where we expected to be, but I'll qualify that.
"We were always going to be on the back of the grid [in Australia]. That was the minimum expectation.
"Beyond that, I'd like to think we were capable of being 14th, 16th, which would have been a very respectable position to be, but we weren't.
"At least we're attached to the back of the grid, not detached from it."
Ryan maintains the team has the wherewithal and capability to close that gap.
"We're in a great position, a far better position than we have been in the past," he added.
"There is a big desire to do well and resource available to improve in lots of areas.
"We know the areas where we are weak, we know the areas we need to work on, but you can't go down the shop and buy it.
"You have to either create it in house or invest a lot of time looking for the right solutions. They are not quick fixes, but I recognise them.
"We can see exactly where we need to invest time and money to improve our processes, and we couldn't do that in the past.
"The team has done a fantastic job just to be around given everything that happened.
"Now, we have to improve, we have to earn a right to be here. We know that."

Wehrlein welcomes Manor's Bahrain GP breakthrough but hoped for Q2
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Saturday, April 2nd 2016, 19:55 GMT
Manor Formula 1 rookie Pascal Wehrlein admits he was hoping to make it to the second phase of Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying.
Wehrlein was the star of Q1 on Saturday, improving on his second run to beat a looming elimination cut off and outqualify both Renault and Sauber drivers, Force India's Sergio Perez and his team-mate Rio Haryanto.
He will start the second race of his F1 career in 16th place, a standout across the squad's history in a dry session, but Wehrlein felt even more was possible.
"I was hoping to make Q2, to be honest," he said
"I knew that I would have a good car in qualifying and I felt much more confident with the engine.
"I just missed it by two tenths but even my position now, it feels like an amazing position to be in and to start the race.
"[The lap] was really on the limit but you always think you can find somewhere the two tenths you need.
"To be honest it was a really good lap."
Wehrlein was outqualified by Haryanto on their debuts in Australia a fortnight ago, but the German was 1.384 seconds clear in Bahrain.
He pointed to balance and tyre degradation issues in the season opener that Manor had now resolved.
"The weekend started already very differently to Melbourne," Wehrlein said.
"There, we had a few problems with the car and we couldn't solve them and that [today] feels more like the car I was used to having in Barcelona.
"We were very close to going to Q2 and I'm really happy with the day."
BOSS PLEASED WITH PROGRESS
In his second grand prix with Manor, racing director Dave Ryan said Wehrlein's qualifying performance highlights the progress the outfit is making.
"I was really pleased for the team," he said.
"We've come a long way since Melbourne.
"We did a good job in Melbourne but really it was our first race with all of the wobbles that go with it.
"To see the progress everyone's made in the garage, the way we're operating, the way the drivers are responding, is terrific."

Manor F1 team now 'actually competing' with rivals for first time
By Ian Parkes Monday, April 11th 2016, 13:53 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan claims there is "a fantastic feeling" within the team as it finally proves it can be competitive in Formula 1.
A Mercedes engine deal and significant chassis improvements have brought considerable strides at Manor, which toiled at the back in 2015 after its last-minute rescue from administration.
In last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, Pascal Wehrlein outqualified both Saubers, both Renaults and a Force India by taking 16th.
He then ran as high as seventh as pitstop strategies unfolded in the race, proving competitive with the cars he had beaten in qualifying, before finishing 13th.
"It's just a fantastic feeling to be actually competing and looking around at cars and thinking 'We've got him, we've got him'," said Ryan, who remains aware the team has to keep its feet on the ground.
"We just have to take little steps at a time. We made a reasonable step in Bahrain, and for the next race in China we have to consolidate, not get ahead of ourselves because as the old saying goes 'one swallow doesn't make a summer'.
"We have to make this a process we carry through, and we have to learn how to operate at this level as a team."
Ryan feels the performance gain from the opener in Australia to Bahrain was already substanial.
Wehrlein had headed the Saubers, Valtteri Bottas's Williams and the Haas after a fast start in Melbourne but fell back to finish 16th.
"I'm really pleased for the team as we've come a long way since Melbourne," said Ryan, when asked by Autosport about how Manor had so far fared.
"We did a good job there, but it was our first race, with all the wobbles that go with it, and to see the progress everyone has made, both in the garage and the way we are operating, the way the drivers are responding, it's just terrific.
"We feel it's a good reward for the work that has gone in.
"Obviously we needed to improve the car from where we were in Melbourne, and we have; we needed to improve how we operate as a team, and we have."
Although effectively the man in charge, Ryan does not take too much credit for the upturn.
"Essentially if you've a good core of people it's about listening to them, working with, and letting them see how it can be different," he said.
"Everyone knows what they have to do, and if they don't then it's a question of working with them.
"You don't want everyone running around like busy fools. You want them to be doing the job they are here to do.
"If we start doing things routinely then it all starts coming together."
HOW MANOR HAS IMPROVED
A comparison of Manor's last three Bahrain GPs puts its 2016 gains into perspective.
In 2014 it was in the best form of its previous Marussia era and would eventually score points in Monaco with Jules Bianchi, while the '15 Sakhir race came early in a season compromised by its near-closure in the winter.
2014 2015 2016
Gap to pole 4.125s 6.142s 3.313s
Gap to fastest lap 4.805s 5.448s 0.966s
Highest pos during race 17th 16th 7th
Cars behind at finish None* None Sauber, Force India
* Jenson Button's McLaren was officially classified behind Bianchi's Marussia in 2014, but had retired before the finish

Wehrlein: Bump hid water in 'scary' Chinese GP F1 qualifying crash
By Ian Parkes Saturday, April 16th 2016, 13:22 GMT
Manor Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein said the Shanghai circuit's pit straight bump meant he could not see standing water in his "scary" Chinese Grand Prix qualifying crash.
Wehrlein brought out the red flags in Q1 after hitting a small crest along the start-finish straight where standing water had gathered on one side on a drying track.
On super-soft tyres, rookie Wehrlein was then left helpless as his car careered off into a barrier, severely damaging the left rear, leaving him unable to continue.
A long red-flag stoppage followed while circuit officials tried to clear the water using sweeper vehicles.
"I saw the track was wet, but I didn't see the standing water because you can't see it if it is after a bump," said Wehrlein.
"I saw that it was wet and on the straights it is not an issue, but if there is a bump and standing water it is.
"It was definitely a scary moment because you are going quite fast on this part.
"I am disappointed and unhappy. If you lose the car in a corner it is your mistake, but if you lose it on the straight [it is] something really strange."
Asked whether with hindsight it was the right call to head out onto the circuit on super-softs when everyone bar the Manors picked intermediates, Wehrlein replied: "If it starts to rain after a few minutes then it was the right decision.
"At the end you could see that it wasn't and it was too wet on this part.
"You could blame many people - you can blame myself; you can blame us because we took the wrong decision; you can blame the FIA because maybe it was not safe to be allowed to go out on slick tyres over this bump when the track is wet.
"You can blame many things, but the result is the same.
"Afterwards, of course, you think you could have done something different, or with different decisions you could have avoided it.
"But I don't think about that because the result is the same and if you blame other people it is still the same result.
"I never work like that. It happened and tomorrow is another day."
Wehrlein, who will start 21st, one place ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, has confirmed being uninjured, and is confident the car will not require any changes that would incur a penalty.
He said: "I think it [the car] will be fine, although a five position grid penalty wouldn't be so bad."

Marussia and Manor in trademark dispute over 2015 Formula 1 car
By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, April 19th 2016, 15:32 GMT
A summary judgement has been issued after Marussia claimed Manor Grand Prix Racing infringed its trademark by using its name during the 2015 Formula 1 season.
In legal documents seen by Autosport, the claim stated Marussia licensed the trademark to Manor to use as its Formula 1 team and chassis name, but that the licence came to an end on 31 December 2014.
It added Manor continued to use "Marussia" as the name of its Formula 1 team and chassis for 2015 after the outfit was saved from administration.
If Manor changed its chassis name from Marussia without consent from F1's commercial rights holder, it would lose entitlement to prize money based on previous seasons.
Manor has defended the claim on five grounds, firstly suggesting Marussia "impliedly consented" to the use of the trademark.
It added Marussia estopped, in other words "is barred", from asserting its rights as owner of the trademark.
Thirdly, it said the use of the trademark did not give rise to any "likelihood of confusion" on the part of the relevant public for the purpose of Article 9.1 (b) of the Community Trade Mark Regulation.
Manor added the trademark does not have "a reputation in the community" for the purpose of Article 9.1 (c) of the aforementioned regulation.
In the fifth and final defence, it said its use of the trademark constituted use of its own name "in accordance with honest practices" for the purpose of Article 12 of the regulation.
In conclusion, Mr Justice Males said Manor has "no real prospect" of proving that its use of the claimant's trademark was with the claimant's consent.
He concluded the estoppel defence is not available to Manor, and that it is "improbable" the trademark defences under Article 9 and Article 12 would succeed.
Males added there is power to make a conditional order requiring the defendant to provide security if it wishes to pursue those defences.
If Manor follows the path, security of £1.75million must be provided.
Manor must now decide whether it wants to pursue defences three, four and five.
It may also decide to appeal the summary judgement on defences one and two.
The team has described Marussia's claims as "speculative" in a statement.
"Marussia put the company [the F1 team] into administration in 2014," a spokesperson told Autosport.
"We made an offer to acquire the team, including the chassis, which they readily accepted, perhaps assuming we would not be able to get the team up and running again.
"Now that we have, they have launched these speculative claims."
The document also stated the claimant has brought a claim of 'passing off' but that is not the subject of this summary judgement.
It also stated the defendant has a pending application to plead a counterclaim for £520,000 not paid under the Team Partner Agreement.

Former Manor F1 boss John Booth joins Toro Rosso
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, April 26th 2016, 13:41 GMT
Former Manor team principal John Booth has joined the Toro Rosso Formula 1 team on a "consultancy basis", in the role of director of racing.
Booth left Manor at the end of last season having resigned along with sporting director Graeme Lowdon because of what is understood to be a difference of opinion with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick.
The Englishman has since started the new Manor Endurance Racing squad with Lowdon, fielding two ORECA-Nissan 05s in the LMP2 class throughout this year's World Endurance Championship.
He will dovetail those duties with his Toro Rosso role, which he will begin at this weekend's Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.
"It is a great honour to join such a well-established and competitive team as Scuderia Toro Rosso," said Booth.
"It is a team that has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time.
"I am looking forward to getting started and working with [team boss] Franz [Tost] and the team this weekend in Sochi."
Team principal Franz Tost added: "I have known John for many years and I am delighted to welcome him to the team.
"Formula 1 is becoming ever more complex, with recent changes on the tyre front, car set-up, radio communications and so forth.
"Therefore, having a competitive car and talented drivers, both of which we have, on its own is not enough.
"With his vast experience I am sure John will help the team raise its game and become a more effective force over a race weekend."

Manor's Pascal Wehrlein says he misses 'really cool' DTM racing
By Mitchell Adam Wednesday, May 11th 2016, 09:37 GMT
Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein says he is missing the close racing of the DTM in his maiden season in Formula 1.
Wehrlein spent three seasons in the tin-top series with Mercedes, winning the title last year alongside his F1 reserve duties.
Switching to grand prix racing with Manor this year, Wehrlein has been one of the big early movers in each race, but says he misses fighting other drivers in the DTM.
"The fights in the DTM are really cool, proper wheel-to-wheel action with contact," he said after visiting the Hockenheim season opener.
"You can't do that in F1. The scraps were lots of good fun, really great.
"This was the first time this weekend that I've seen the cars race without taking part.
"It felt weird. It obviously got the adrenaline going.
"I would have liked to have jumped in a car and taken part."
Wehrlein has been replaced in Mercedes' DTM line-up by Esteban Ocon, who is both a Mercedes development driver and Renault's F1 reserve.
Ocon will take part in FP1 for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, then take part in next week's post-race test with both Renault and Mercedes.
The German said GP3 champion Ocon will find a level of drivers "in no way inferior to Formula 1" in the series this year.
"This year, he's in a similar situation to the one I found myself in when I joined the DTM," Wehrlein said.
"You first have to get used to the racing series and to the car, but there are no major problems in making the switch.
"We can all drive a racing car quickly. What makes the difference in the DTM is finding the last tenth of a second, that's tricky. You also need experience with set-up.
"As regards to drivers, the DTM is in no way inferior to Formula 1.
"The top drivers in both series are extremely fast and very hard to beat.
"Every one of them is a specialist in his field."

F1 testing runs with Ferrari and Manor for Fuoco and King
By Ian Parkes Saturday, May 14th 2016, 09:39 GMT
Antonio Fuoco and Jordan King will get opportunities with Ferrari and Manor at the first Formula 1 in-season test of 2016 at Barcelona next week.
For 19-year-old Italian Fuoco, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and competing with Trident in GP3 this season, it will be his second outing with the team.
Fuoco will be hoping to make more of an impression than was the case in last year's in-season test in Austria in June when he crashed the car towards the end of the first day.
Fuoco will drive this year's Ferrari at the Catalunya circuit on Wednesday, with four-times champion Sebastian Vettel at the wheel on Tuesday.
Like Fuoco, Manor development driver King will also get his second taste of an F1 car on Wednesday, taking over the cockpit of the MRT05 from Pascal Wehrlein.
King, with Racing Engineering for a second season in GP2 this year, took part in the Pirelli test in Abu Dhabi at the end of the 2015 campaign.
Only Red Bull and Toro Rosso have yet to confirm their driver line-ups for the two-day test, with both teams likely to make a decision following the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday
TEST LINE-UP SO FAR
Mercedes Rosberg/Ocon
Ferrari Vettel/Fuoco
Red Bull TBC/TBC
Williams Lynn/Massa
Renault Ocon/Magnussen
Toro Rosso TBC/TBC
Force India Celis Jr/Celis Jr
McLaren Button/Vandoorne
Manor Wehrlein/King
Haas Grosjean/Gutierrez

F1 testing: Mercedes brings in Pascal Wehrlein to try new parts
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, May 18th 2016, 07:16 GMT
Mercedes has drafted in Pascal Wehrlein in place of Esteban Ocon for the second day of the Formula 1 in-season test at Barcelona.
The Manor driver, who is also Mercedes' reserve, told Autosport he found out about the late change on Tuesday night.
The team told Autosport the reason for the switch was because it needed an experienced driver to test new parts.
Mercedes says Ocon will join the team for the second in-season test that follows the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July.
The decision to run Wehrlein means Lewis Hamilton will not drive in this year's in-season tests as Mercedes will need to use its two remaining days for young drivers as per the rules.
It is a repeat of the situation last year, when Hamilton missed the tests in Spain and Austria with Rosberg and then-reserve driver Wehrlein doing two days apiece.
Elsewhere, Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen takes over from Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull with Kevin Magnussen driving the Renault.
At Williams, Felipe Massa will get his first opportunity to try out the team's new radical rear wing.
Ferrari is running Antonio Fuoco, a member of its driver academy, while Manor is using development driver Jordan King.
Esteban Gutierrez has taken over from Romain Grosjean at Haas, McLaren is running reserve Stoffel Vandoorne and Daniil Kvyat is in at Toro Rosso.
Force India's development driver Alfonso Celis Jr the only driver to test for the second successive day.

F1 rookie Rio Haryanto's future with Manor uncertain
By Ian Parkes and Matt Beer Wednesday, May 25th 2016, 14:52 GMT
Rio Haryanto's future with the Manor Formula 1 team is in doubt, but his management is "90 per cent" certain a solution can be found with the Indonesian government.
The rookie's manager Piers Hunnisett said Haryanto's seat was secure until F1's summer break after the Hungarian Grand Prix, but acknowledged there had been complications with the promised funding.
"At the beginning of the year the minister for sport promised us a certain amount," Hunnisett told Autosport.
"That has been slightly delayed, or wasn't quite as it came across.
"The government see the benefits of Formula 1 and they really want to see Rio finish the year and obviously continue in Formula 1 because it's a huge benefit for the country."
Asked by Autosport if he expected to be in the car for the rest of the year, Haryanto replied: "To be honest, I don't know.
"I hope I can be here for the full season as there are some rumours that I'm only going to do half the season.
"At the moment my management are working very hard to get the full season.
"My goal is to focus on the job at each race and to do my best and we'll see what happens later."
He said he was trying not to let the uncertainty impact on his driving.
"It's important to leave that aside and just do my best to drive the car as quick as possible and to work with the team well," Haryanto added.
"That's all that's going on in my mind."
Hunnisett said the level of enthusiasm in Indonesia for Haryanto's exploits was such that he had to be confident more money would be forthcoming.
"In Indonesia it's huge news," he said.
"The government, the ministers, the media people have fallen in love with Formula 1. There's a huge following.
"Obviously Pertamina, the state oil company, have invested quite heavily in Rio.
"I've just come back from Indonesia yesterday. The ministers and the government are all working very hard just to finalise the last bit of budget.
"I think the government were initially waiting for some other, maybe commercial, sponsorships to come through.
"It's like all governments, if [David] Cameron in the UK said 'we're going to spend £70million on Formula 1 and we're not going to bother about education or healthcare', there'd be a bit of an uproar.
"So it is a delicate situation in Indonesia, but it's such a positive thing for the country to see a sportsman at world level.
"I'm very confident."

Bianchi's family starts legal action against FIA, FOM, Marussia
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, May 26th 2016, 09:05 GMT
Jules Bianchi's family is launching legal action against Formula 1's governing body the FIA, Marussia and the Formula One Group.
Bianchi was involved in a horrific accident during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix when driving for the then-Marussia team.
He suffered a diffuse axonal injury after colliding with a recovery vehicle and after a nine-month battle, died last July.
Bianchi's father Philippe said in a statement on behalf of the whole family: "We seek justice for Jules, and want to establish the truth about the decisions that led to our son's crash at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014.
"As a family, we have so many unanswered questions and feel that Jules' accident and death could have been avoided if a series of mistakes had not been made."
Following the accident, an FIA accident panel charged with investigating the crash produced a 396-page report.
It said that Bianchi "did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control" when he crashed while marshals were recovering Adrian Sutil's stranded Sauber in the closing stages of the wet Suzuka race.
His family does not agree that Bianchi was to blame and is seeking to clear his name and raise money to support young aspiring drivers and improve safety.
Stewarts Law partner Julian Chamberlayne, who is representing the Bianchi family, added: "Jules Bianchi's death was avoidable.
"The FIA Panel Inquiry Report into this accident made numerous recommendations to improve safety in Formula 1 but failed to identify where errors had been made which led to Jules' death.
"It was surprising and distressing to the Bianchi family that the FIA panel in its conclusions, whilst noting a number of contributing factors, blamed Jules.
"The Bianchi family are determined that this legal process should require those involved to provide answers and to take responsibility for any failings.
"This is important if current and future drivers are to have confidence that safety in the sport will be put first.
"If this had been the case in Suzuka, Jules Bianchi would most likely still be alive and competing in the sport he loved today."

Jules Bianchi F1 crash legal action - the key questions
By Ian Parkes Thursday, May 26th 2016, 11:32 GMT
The family of Jules Bianchi has launched legal action against the FIA, Formula One Management and the driver's former F1 team Marussia.
Stewarts Law, the UK's largest litigation-only law firm, has taken on the case and sent formal pre-action letters to the three parties involved.
The letters explain why the family feel the actions of one or more of those parties, among others, may have contributed to the accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix that ultimately led to Bianchi's death in July last year.
The F1 organisers and Marussia have been invited to accept that errors were made in the planning, timing, organisation and conduct of a race it is claimed took place in dangerous conditions during the typhoon season in Japan.
Autosport attempts to answer some of the key questions behind the case.
Why has the Bianchi family waited so long to take legal action?
It is now almost 20 months since Bianchi was involved in the accident.
It is understood the Bianchi family have not taken this decision lightly, notably given the friendship that existed between their son and FIA president Jean Todt, whose own son Nicolas was Jules' manager.
It is understood Jules' father, Philippe, only recently contacted the law firm connected with the case, and only upon receiving counsel, felt this was a necessary course of action to take.
What is the Bianchi family hoping to achieve?
The primary motivation is to gain an apology from all the parties contacted as it is their belief one has never been offered.
As clearly pointed out by Stewarts Law partner Julian Chamberlayne, they feel it unfair the FIA panel inquiry report predominantly blamed Bianchi for the accident, citing their surprise and distress at such an accusation.
They feel there were others responsible for his death.
The Bianchi family is more than willing to sit around a table with the FIA, FOM and the team to discuss the matter, and to take an apology there and then should it be forthcoming.
If not, then they are also more than willing to pursue the matter through the courts, and that makes the possibility of financial repercussions inevitable.
It is understood should there be any financial recompense then that money will go to the charitable organisation set up by Bianchi's parents in memory of their son, and which supports young and aspiring drivers.
What is the timeframe for a potential resolution?
This is the first step in the process.
Much will now depend on the response from the FIA, FOM and the team, and their collective willingness to agree to the face-to-face meeting and avoid what would ultimately be a long legal battle.
What are the ramifications for Formula 1?
This is the first time F1's governing body and the company that effectively controls F1 have been legally pursued regarding a driver's death.
Should the Bianchi family be successful in their case, either settling in or out of court, it sets a precedent for the future.
The way would potentially be paved for drivers to sue over accidents and any injuries sustained.

Jules Bianchi F1 legal case - Bernie Ecclestone responds
By Ian Parkes Saturday, May 28th 2016, 10:45 GMT
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone feels the family of Jules Bianchi "will do what they have to do" with regard to legal action over their son's death.
Almost 20 months after Bianchi's accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, the family has decided to pursue a case against the Formula One Group of companies, the FIA, and Marussia.
The FIA has so far declined to comment, while Ecclestone's response when asked about the case by Autosport was limited to "they will do what they have to do".
Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury to the brain after colliding with a recovery vehicle during a wet race at the Suzuka circuit.
He was in a coma for nine months before he died.
Letters have been issued to all three parties by UK-based litigation-only law firm Stewarts Law outlining the case.
The family is seeking an apology from all those contacted as it is their contention one was never offered, and that Bianchi was unfairly blamed in the FIA inquiry panel's report into their son's death.
They believe others should be held accountable, and are willing to pursue the matter through the courts should the respondents decline the opportunity to apologise.
One complication is that since the accident the Marussia team is now in the hands of new owners, with Stephen Fitzpatrick taking up the reins of what is now Manor in February 2015 after it was placed into administration in late October '14.
When contacted by Autosport, Marussia's former sporting director Graeme Lowdon said: "I have said in the past that I have always been, and always will be, very supportive of the Bianchi family."
While this is the first case where the family of a deceased driver has chosen to pursue the FIA and the Formula One Group, there is a precedent where other companies were found liable for an F1 accident that resulted in a death.
In 1975 Mark Donohue was killed during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix after the left-front tyre blew on his Penske car.
Citing negligence, the family successfully sued tyre supplier Goodyear and the Penske team, receiving a $9.6million settlement from the Supreme Court in the United States after the initial ruling went to appeal.
The case, however, took just under 11 years to settle.

Manor chief Dave Ryan admits he's not yet up to speed on F1 return
By Ian Parkes Sunday, June 5th 2016, 11:24 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan concedes he is "still not up to speed" on his return to Formula 1 this season.
After seven years away from F1 following his split with McLaren early in 2009, Ryan decided to take up the challenge of taking Manor forward.
The team is still in the process of rebuilding after only emerging from administration 16 months ago.
There was also a behind-the-scenes reshuffle towards the end of last season that resulted in the departure of key figures, including team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon.
Ryan concedes he is still re-learning the ropes, particularly in a back-of-the-grid situation.
"It's taken me a few races to get my head around things and up to speed, and I'm still not up to speed. I'll be honest about that," he told Autosport.
"The difficult thing is managing expectations, for everyone.
"The drivers are frustrated, which is understandable because it's their career isn't it? So we have to do as well as we can for them.
"The team also is frustrated because we know we're capable of more, so collectively we just have to keep plugging away and build a strong base so we know what we have got moving on to next year, but there's a lot to do."
Despite the car now possessing a Mercedes engine and Williams transmission, the team has still to score a point so far this season.
While Ryan acknowledged the team is frustrated too, he feels its situation needs to be put into context.
"I believe when this team started on the '16 car there were just eight designers, which puts things in perspective," he said.
"But I think the people behind it have done a fabulous job on this car if you take into consideration the restrictions they were working against.
"If you look at our car and some of the other cars then quite obviously there are some things that could be done differently.
"Given another year and some more resource, which we've now got, we can do that for next year, so that's the plan.
"We will learn and we will look at everything on the car and decide what we need to improve.
"It's pretty obvious we need to improve a lot, so that's the goal."

Manor Formula 1 team won't give up on its 2016 car to focus on 2017
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, June 7th 2016, 15:10 GMT
Manor is refusing to give up on this year's Formula 1 car before turning its attention to the clean slate available for the radically different 2017 model.
Manor has made progress this season following the arrival of a Mercedes power unit and Williams transmission, but continues to languish at the back of the grid.
The recent Monaco Grand Prix highlighted the team's deficiencies, with drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto 14th and 15th respectively, the last finishers, and two and four laps down.
Manor racing director Dave Ryan is adamant the team is still learning about its car, and believes it can make improvements before turning full attention to 2017.
"At the moment we've work ongoing on the '17 car," Ryan told Autosport.
"I'm sure that's the same for everyone, although ours is perhaps not as much as some of the bigger teams in terms of percentage of effort.
"But we are still working hard on the '16 car because we need to understand what we've got, and we need to extract what we can out of it for this year.
"We owe it to our drivers to give them the best car we can, and none of us just want to sit around and say 'That's it', pack up and wait around for next year. If you do that then you end up nowhere.
"Can we learn anything from this year's car? Yeah, we can learn a huge amount. It's a great car. Relative to what we've had [in the past], it's superb."
Ryan admitted with Mercedes and Williams providing the engine and transmission, Manor's deficiencies lay with its chassis.
He believes rookie drivers Wehrlein and Haryanto are doing everything they can with the car.
"We have got the same engine as Mercedes and look how quick they are," said Ryan.
"Although Williams didn't look too shiny around Monaco, even though they picked up their first points there for a while, again we've the same back end as them.
"So the rest of it is just the car and the drivers, and I have to say the drivers are doing a really good job. I can't fault them at all."

Wolff: 12th on Austria F1 grid for Manor proves Wehrlein is special
By Lawrence Barretto and Ian Parkes Saturday, July 2nd 2016, 16:49 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein's performance for Manor in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying was the first time in Formula 1 that the Mercedes protege has proved he is special, according to Toto Wolff.
Rookie Wehrlein ended an eventful and rain-affected qualifying session 12th to equal Manor's best-ever qualifying performance.
Wehrlein, who is also Mercedes reserve, has made an impressive start to his F1 career.
But Mercedes boss Wolff said he really proved his talent with drive at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday.
"I'm very happy," Wolff said. "It's the first racetrack he has raced on, he didn't know any of the others.
"Barcelona he knew from testing, but it's the first time he can call on some experience.
"When you come to some of these racetracks where you haven't been, it's difficult to be among the best drivers in the world so I'm delighted with his performance.
"It's the first time this season he has really proved that he is a special boy."
Wehrlein conceded it was a surprise and put the performance down to a great lap and Manor's ability to get on top of the tyres.
"We were more competitive this weekend then the weekends before but to be P12 was a surprise," he said.
"All of a sudden, we had enough tyre temperature.
"This weekend, everyone is having a lot of tyre temperature, I think it's due to the new surface here, but we are not struggling to get the tyres to work.
"My laps were great, the team did a great job and I'm really happy with qualifying.
"It was definitely one of the best laps."
Manor team boss Dave Ryan praised Wehrlein for doing a "superb" job, particularly as he was not far away from getting into Q3.
"He was very comfortable with the car," Ryan told Autosport. "The tyres seem to be working pretty well for us.
"He did a superb job and the team did a good job and made all the right calls - it just came together.
"Pascal has been quick all weekend to be honest.
"We weren't that far from getting into the next session.
"A lot of guys had trouble but that is the name of the game.
"Having said that, we deserved to be through to Q2 today - the team worked well and Pascal worked well."

Pascal Wehrlein doesn't know where pace for F1 points came from
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Sunday, July 3rd 2016, 17:35 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein said he had no idea where the Williams-matching pace behind his first Formula 1 points for Manor in the Austrian Grand Prix came from.
Wehrlein was chasing Valtteri Bottas's Williams for 10th going into the final lap, when a brake-induced crash for Sergio Perez elevated both a place.
It gave Manor only the second points finish of its F1 history, and the first since Jules Bianchi's Monaco 2014 ninth place when the team was running as Marussia.
Wehrlein had qualified 12th, but fell to the back when he pitted just before the safety car for Sebastian Vettel's tyre failure.
He then made his soft tyres last 48 laps as he hunted down Bottas, who was on super-softs fitted 28 laps later.
"I thought 'the race is done' because we were so unlucky with the safety car," Wehrlein admitted.
"But I kept pushing and trying to manage my tyres because I didn't want to stop again.
"I was hoping to get a crazy scenario when [Nico] Rosberg and [Lewis] Hamilton were coming in the blue flags and have an advantage because of that.
"Otherwise it would have been difficult to overtake [Bottas] because he was on 10 or 15 lap old super-softs and I was on more than 40 laps old soft tyres.
"I was still able to fight with him so it was a great performance today from the car and I don't know where it was coming from."
Team principal Dave Ryan reckoned Wehrlein would have passed Bottas and got ninth had the leaders not disrupted their battle.
"We thought we'd get him quite easily, if it hadn't been for the leaders coming through," Ryan told Autosport.
"That kind of upset the rhythm for two laps.
"But he was shaping up to have him and we could have had him."
Wehrlein reckoned Manor's Austria upsurge was largely due to it getting the tyres to work better at the Red Bull Ring.
"It's the first weekend that we are not struggling with tyre temperature," he said.
"We don't have so much downforce as the other teams and downforce puts a lot of energy into the tyres.
"It's the first weekend we are even overheating the tyres. We haven't had this before and it helped us a lot."
He also admitted he was fortunate not to be penalised for initially lining up in pitlane starter Felipe Massa's vacant 10th-place grid slot, before reversing into his own place.
Wehrlein was able to complete his move and line up correctly before the lights started coming on for the start process.
"I reversed, stopped, put it into first gear then I saw the first light come," Wehrlein said.
"Half a second later I'm sure that was it [a penalty].
"Then you have so many buttons to put the engine mode in and another thing to put in, then I needed to find the reverse gear and I was like a DJ on my steering wheel."

Wehrlein's Austrian GP point proves Manor is a 'serious' F1 team
By Ian Parkes Monday, July 4th 2016, 16:35 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan believes the team has shown it is a serious Formula 1 competitor and not just making up the numbers with its Austrian Grand Prix performance.
For only the second time in the team's 124-race history it claimed a top-10 place, with Pascal Wehrlein securing 10th on the last lap after a brake failure sent Force India's Sergio Perez crashing out.
Although fortuitous, it was still a case of being in the right place at the right time, and a reward for the hard work of the team and Wehrlein after he qualified 12th and knocked on the door of the top 10 for most of the race.
Asked what the point means for the team, Ryan told Autosport: "It could mean a lot of things, but the most important is it just puts a sign down that we are a serious, professional team.
"We've been called all sorts of things over the years, but we're here to compete and we're here to try and improve race on race, and we're doing that.
"We're a very small team that came into this season trying to get organised and trying to put routines in place and understand what it means to be a top team.
"We're getting there. We've got a long way to go, but we're getting there.
"It's a great return on the effort that everyone's putting into it, particularly when you consider the team has changed a lot. Everything about it's changed, and it's changing race by race.
"We're starting to get more on top of things. The guys are realising anything's possible, it's just hard work."
For Manor, the point could prove financially crucial as it may yet 10th place required in the constructors' championship ahead of the currently point-less Sauber and collect a sizeable share of the prize pot.
Ryan is urging the team to savour the moment, but not to rest on any laurels.
"For sure it puts a mark down," he added.
"We've got a point, but a point's not good enough going forward. We've got to look at what's beyond that.
"We're enjoying the moment, but it's all about turning up at Silverstone in a couple of days' time and doing the same thing there."

How Manor became a top-10 Formula 1 car in the Austrian Grand Prix
By Ben Anderson Wednesday, July 6th 2016, 16:12 GMT
If Sergio Perez hadn't suffered brake failure on the penultimate lap of the Austrian Grand Prix, Manor probably wouldn't be celebrating its second Formula 1 points finish.
But that doesn't mean Pascal Wehrlein's shock result was completely down to luck.
He finished right behind Valtteri Bottas's Williams, which is a consistent top-10 car on most circuits.
Wehrlein also managed to qualify inside the top 12 - the first time Manor has ever managed that in dry conditions.
Manor has improved vastly this season. But it reached a new level in Austria.
Marcus Ericsson said there was no way Sauber could have matched Wehrlein's 1m07.565s lap in Q1, where the German was also quicker than both Haas-Ferraris.
His qualifying performance, on the first F1 track he has previous racing experience of, was certainly worthy of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's "special boy" tag.
This upswing looks sudden, but both Manor drivers felt they could have made Q2 at the previous race had Q1 not been so interrupted by yellow flags.
Wehrlein lost his brakes in the Baku race, but he was running ahead of the Renaults and scrapping with Haas beforehand, suggesting the Manor was a midfield car there too.
Baku was a circuit of long straights, short corners and smooth asphalt, which are all characteristics of the Red Bull Ring also.
The low-downforce nature of those circuits probably helped Manor, as faster teams were forced to trim downforce to be competitive.
Manor doesn't have a great deal to trim in the first instance, which brings the field back towards it.
But that's true of Canada also, and Manor was nowhere near as competitive in Montreal, which suggests there is more to it.
Wehrlein said he had "no idea" why Manor was so strong in Austria, but his Manor worked the soft tyre (which has a higher working range than the others used at the Red Bull Ring) particularly well over the last part of that race, allowing him to pull off a similar final stint length to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
Wehrlein kept pace with Bottas, whose car struggled on all compounds, bringing it in range of the Manor when ordinarily Williams should have been well up the road.
Working the tyres properly is a complicated mix of driving style, car set-up, circuit roughness, pressure and temperature - all affected by the prevailing atmospheric conditions, which are never constant.
That's why this is area of F1 science remains closer to a black art than most, and it's one Williams admits it needs to work harder to understand.
Haas generally hasn't enjoyed the smoother tracks, but has been working hard to better understand the tyres and in Austria Romain Grosjean enjoyed an excellent one-stop race to seventh.
Considering Wehrlein qualified between the Haas drivers, perhaps more than 10th was possible for Manor?
For even a remote chance of that Wehrlein would have needed to start on the super-soft tyre and try to match Grosjean's strategy.
As it was, Wehrlein used the ultra-soft for two stints early on and made two pitstops before the safety car emerged after Sebastian Vettel's tyre blowout.
Wehrlein thought this would ruin his race by giving rivals the chance to pit while the race was neutralised.
But earlier tyre choices reduced its impact.
Grosjean's long first stint on super-softs allowed him to take full advantage, while Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr were the only drivers (other than Max Verstappen - who chose to stay out) with a second set of softs available, so took the chance to fit them and go to the end.
Renault and Williams had already used theirs up so could not realistically pit without needing another stop.
Jolyon Palmer suggested he could have beaten Wehrlein without the safety car allowing the Manor to close back up to the field, but Palmer also paid a price for not attempting a one-stop strategy in the way Grosjean did, having started on super-softs too.
Grosjean's team-mate Esteban Gutierrez also helped Wehrlein out by choosing not to ditch his second set of super-softs for softs under the safety car and having to pit again later to fit the mandatory compound.
When Jules Bianchi scored Manor's first F1 points in Monaco in 2014, misfortune and crashes for rivals played a major role.
There's no doubt circumstances again helped Manor in Austria - Perez, Massa and Alonso's failures, Nico Hulkenberg's extreme tyre wear, Gutierrez's horrendous start and rivals' strategic errors all contributed.
But a circuit well suited to the car, Wehrlein's individual brilliance on Saturday, and Manor's call on tyre strategy in the race played a big role.

Rio Haryanto secures Manor Formula 1 seat for rest of 2016
By Ian Parkes Thursday, July 7th 2016, 15:03 GMT
Rio Haryanto has resolved doubts over his seat with Manor and is set to complete the 2016 Formula 1 season with the team.
Haryanto joined Manor at the start of the year, but with only enough funding in place to cover up to and including the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Manager Piers Hunnisett has been working hard behind the scenes to secure the amount required to see Haryanto through to the end of the year, which is close to being in place.
"At the moment I'm quite confident things are going to turn out well," said Haryanto.
"I've obviously been focusing a lot on doing the best job I can and getting the results I wanted, that I don't get distracted by things going on behind me.
"What happens now is all down to my management, and from what I've been told by my management, everything seems quite good.
"I just have to keep on pushing, to keep doing the best I can and get the best results for the team."
Asked by Autosport whether Hunnisett had expressed confidence regarding a drive for the second half of the season, Haryanto replied: "That's what I've been told. I'm happy.
"I now just have to focus on my job, and that's it."
Contacted by Autosport with regard to Haryanto's position, Hunnisett said: "The situation has taken a positive turn over the last couple of weeks.
"There are just a few things that need finalising, but it is now looking good for Rio to continue with Manor for the rest of the season."
MOTIVATION HIGH AFTER POINTS FINISH - WEHRLEIN
Manor heads into this weekend's British GP on a high in the wake of Pascal Wehrlein giving the team only the second points finish in its 126-grand prix history last time out in Austria.
"It's given everyone in the team a lot of motivation," said Wehrlein.
"When I was in the factory on Tuesday I saw many happy faces."
Pinpointing the reasons behind the performance, Wehrlein added: "The most important thing were the tyres because we could make them work.
"They were in a really good temperature window where they have not been before.
"Normally we have struggled to get temperature into the tyres, and this time they were a lot better, and we also had a small update as well from Williams.
"With the new surface at the track you could see in the lap times this year we were much quicker than last year, and when you go quicker you put more energy into the tyres."

Manor F1 driver Haryanto could contest German GP without funding
By Ian Parkes Monday, July 25th 2016, 10:26 GMT
Rio Haryanto could drive for Manor in this weekend's German Grand Prix even if the funding needed for the second half of the Formula 1 season does not come through.
While Haryanto is contracted to Manor for the season, his finances only took the Indonesian driver through to the end of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Manager Piers Hunnisett feels the team may provide dispensation for Haryanto to race at Hockenheim, which would then give him the summer break to continue to work on finding the remaining backing.
"I would hope that's the case," Hunnisett told Autosport.
"Yeah, in my mind that would be a logical plan given the three-week break that follows.
"That's what I'm thinking, and that's what I'm hoping the team are thinking as well as it would give us some time."
On whether the situation could be resolved over the next few days, Hunnisett added: "Never say never."
Manor's racing director Dave Ryan did not dismiss the possibility, but recognises any decision is in the hands of owner Stephen Fitzpatrick.
"What you have to remember is Rio has a contract with the team through to the end of the year, and it's up to them to honour that contract," Ryan told Autosport.
"We're giving them every opportunity to do that, and working with them to do it.
"We want Rio in the car as he is a great addition to the team, and we'd like to follow the project through.
"Ultimately it comes down to funding, and I'm one step away from where we actually are on that, but let's just wait and see."
It has been rumoured Manor could turn to Stoffel Vandoorne, as the McLaren reserve will not have a round of Japan's Super Formula series to contest.
A McLaren spokesperson said: "As Ron [Dennis] has already said, Stoffel is very much part of the McLaren family.
"However, it doesn't surprise us that other Formula 1 teams are interested in him, because he's obviously very talented and very capable.
"But with regard to the rumour, it's just a rumour, nothing more."
Ryan recognises Vandoorne's abilities, with the reigning GP2 champion finishing 10th on his F1 debut in Bahrain earlier this year when standing in for the injured Fernando Alonso.
"Stoffel is undoubtedly a brilliant young driver, and he has a great track record," added Ryan.
"But we are working with Rio, and we want Rio in the car going forward."

Rio Haryanto hangs on to Manor F1 seat for German Grand Prix
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, July 27th 2016, 13:33 GMT
Rio Haryanto will drive for the Manor Formula 1 team in this weekend's German Grand Prix after securing funds to see him through the weekend at Hockenheim.
While Haryanto has a contract with the team through to the end of this season, there was only enough money in place for up to and including the last race in Hungary.
Haryanto's manager Piers Hunnisett has continued to work behind the scenes in the hope of securing the additional funding required to guarantee the seat for the remainder of the campaign.
Sources have now confirmed further investment has been provided that ensures the 23-year-old Indonesian will be in the cockpit for the race in Germany.
It is understood the summer break after the German GP will then allow Hunnisett to pursue the necessary backing required for Haryanto to complete his debut year.
It will also allow Manor to finalise a back-up plan should there be a problem.
Alexander Rossi, who drove for Manor in five races last season before switching to IndyCar this year, winning the Indianapolis 500 with Andretti Herta Autosport, is the team's reserve driver.
However, three of the final four races of the IndyCar season at Texas on August 27, Watkins Glen on September 4 and Sonoma on September 18 clash with F1 races in Belgium, Italy and Singapore.
Rossi would only be an option for the final six races of the F1 campaign from late September onwards, once the IndyCar season has finished.
Manor has development driver Jordan King on its books, but the Racing Engineering GP2 does not have a superlicence to compete in F1.

Mercedes junior Ocon in line for Manor F1 race seat after break
By Ian Parkes Friday, July 29th 2016, 14:28 GMT
Esteban Ocon is in the running for a seat at Manor following Formula 1's summer break, Autosport understands.
The Mercedes junior has been loaned out to Renault for this year to act as its F1 reserve, and Friday morning's session at Hockenheim was his fourth FP1 outing of the year.
There is now a possibility Ocon could be promoted into a full-time race seat with Manor for the final nine grands prix of the season.
The role is dependent on whether Rio Haryanto can fulfil his contract with the team and find the required funds necessary to ensure he sees out the season.
Haryanto signed for Manor at the beginning of the year, but with only enough investment behind him to carry him through to the conclusion of last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Doubts emerged as to whether Haryanto would be in the car for this weekend's German Grand Prix, only for manager Piers Hunnisett to strike a last-minute deal to guarantee the 23-year-old's seat for the race.
Hunnisett now has a further four weeks to try to secure the remaining investment necessary to allow Haryanto to complete the season.
Should that not happen, reigning GP3 champion Ocon has emerged as a viable option to replace Haryanto.
In terms of recompense for Ocon's services, it is understood Manor would receive a further deal on its power-unit package given the arrangement it already has in place with Mercedes for employing reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein this year.
There is also the intriguing possibility of Mercedes' two young drivers in Ocon and Wehrlein going head-to-head for several races.
Should Ocon get the drive with Manor and perform credibly it would allow Renault to assess him in a competitive environment ahead of handing him a potential race seat for 2017.
Ocon is known to be highly regarded within the team and firmly in contention to replace either Jolyon Palmer or Kevin Magnussen.
The 19-year-old is currently racing with Mercedes in the DTM, but there are no calendar clashes between now and the end of 2016.

Renault F1 reserve Ocon sure he is ready for race opportunity
By Edd Straw and Mitchell Adam Saturday, July 30th 2016, 10:35 GMT
Mercedes junior and Renault reserve Esteban Ocon believes he is ready to take any Formula 1 race opportunity that may come his way.
The reigning GP3 champion is in line to replace Rio Haryanto at Manor for the second half of the F1 season, to prepare for a possible full-time move onto the grid with Renault next year.
Ocon is racing in the DTM this year with Mercedes, but has tested the championship-leading W07 and Renault's RS16, and now taken part in four free practice sessions with the French manufacturer.
While leaving his future in the hands of his management, Ocon believes he is ready for either outcome.
"If there is an opportunity anywhere, I would take it," he said.
"I will be ready to take it, that's for sure.
"I've been around quite a long time now and driving quite a lot of cars and F1 cars, so if there is an opportunity, I would really be happy to take it."
The 19-year-old reiterated that his "goal is to be in Formula 1" and says he is pleased with the progress he has made with Renault in FP1 sessions so far this year.
"I'm getting used to the car more and more so I can get get closer to the limit without making a mistake, which is also important," he said.
"Since the beginning of the year I didn't go [off] once or even brake too late or something.
"It took me a bit of time to get close to the limit because of that, but at the end it starts to pay off and it's a nice feeling.
"I need to do a good job and to make them happy - for me to have a chance next year, that's the only way I can demonstrate, by doing good, that's what I need to do."
DTM BETTER PREPARATION THAN GP2
Ocon was placed in Mercedes' DTM line-up for this year - essentially replacing Manor F1 driver Pascal Wehrlein - rather than following the likes of his 2015 GP3 title rival Luca Ghiotto into GP2.
He has scored points just once in his tin-top detour, but believes racing with ART Grand Prix alongside former DTM champion Gary Paffett is proving beneficial.
"I'm very happy,"he said.
"I'm learning a lot together with a very experienced driver and very good driver, a very high-level series, one of the toughest for sure.
"There are some areas where it's quite close [between DTM and F1 cars].
"Like high-speed it's quite close in DTM, then when you arrive to low-speed it's quite difference because it's quite a heavy car."

Rio Haryanto poised for crunch talks over Manor Formula 1 seat
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, August 2nd 2016, 10:07 GMT
Rio Haryanto says he and his management team will hold meetings in the next couple of weeks to try to ensure he can complete the Formula 1 season with Manor.
The Indonesian signed at the start of the year but only had enough funding to carry him through to the conclusion of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He secured a deal to race in Germany and now has four weeks before the next race in Belgium to find the investment required for the final nine races of the season.
Should that not happen, it is believed Mercedes junior and Renault reserve Esteban Ocon is in the running to take over the seat following the summer break alongside Pascal Wehrlein.
"It will be quite a busy summer break for me," said Haryanto.
"We need to find some financial support from some sponsors.
"My management are currently working very hard, we're going to have a few meetings over the next couple of weeks and hopefully there is good news coming out of it.
"I'm disappointed. It's not easy as there is still a doubt as to what is going to happen in the future.
"I believe in my management and they are currently working hard to secure the seat for the whole season."
The Indonesian government has backed Haryanto's foray into F1, with funding coming from state oil company Pertamina, and talks ongoing to release more money.
When asked if he would be frustrated if he did not get to finish the season, rookie Haryanto, whose best finish is 15th in Monaco, said: "Yes, because my aim was always to finish the season.
"I would be disappointed if I can't race the whole season."

Manor's Wehrlein waiting on Mercedes talks on 2017 F1 drive
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, August 4th 2016, 09:19 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein expects to know what his future in Formula 1 holds after the summer break, following discussions with Mercedes.
The German has been Mercedes' F1 reserve since late-2014, and joined Manor this season on a one-year contract, scoring his first point with 10th in the Austrian Grand Prix.
An opportunity to join the works team next year was closed off when Nico Rosberg signed a new deal that keeps him with Mercedes until the end of 2018, when Lewis Hamilton's contract also concludes.
There could still be opportunities for Wehrlein beyond Manor in 2017, with a Force India seat a possibility if Renault manages to prise Sergio Perez away.
"I need to sit together with Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss] and Mercedes and then we will discuss what the plans are for next year," said Wehrlein.
"Then we will start discussions.
"After the summer break, we will know a bit more."
For now, Wehrlein is fully focused on ensuring Manor holds onto 10th place in the constructors' championship, ahead of Sauber, because of the prize money it brings.
"The target for me this year was to help the team to be in a position to also fight with other teams, as we did in Spielberg by taking the opportunity and scoring a point," he said.
"That brought us ahead of Sauber and that will mean a lot of prize money next year so we can hire more guys in the team. We can also improve the car more for next year.
"I'm here to learn as much as I can and also help the team as much as I can.
"After 12 races, we are in P10, we did the job and that's why I am here.
"There is always you can do better but we as a team, we did a very good job but also the progress from the first race to now is huge.
"Now we need to keep going and improve even more and if we can stay in 10th position at the end of the season, we did our job."

Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi has F1 and IndyCar options for 2017
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, August 5th 2016, 10:17 GMT
Manor reserve driver and Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi is in talks with Formula 1 and IndyCar teams about 2017 race seats.
The American signed a one-year deal in February to race in IndyCar in a joint Andretti Autosport/Bryan Herta Autosport entry, going on to steal a shock Indy 500 win, after missing out on an F1 race seat with Manor.
He is having discussions about full-time 2017 deals with Manor, with which he holds a reserve role this year, and one other F1 outfit.
There are also opportunities in IndyCar, with Andretti the frontrunner.
"I have options both in IndyCar and Formula 1 for 2017," Rossi told Autosport.
"There have been talks with Manor for a race seat and we've also been approached by another F1 team that's quite interesting.
"There are options in IndyCar that I can't elaborate on, but I can say Andretti and I have a great working relationship.
"Everyone at Andretti is aligned and working in good faith to extend our deal for several years.
"There's a sense of loyalty to Michael [Andretti], his team and Honda.
"As a driver there are some really good opportunities here and the competition is fantastic."
As part of his reserve deal, Rossi was to be offered the opportunity of a race seat should it become available this year.
An offer was made in Hungary to take over Rio Haryanto's seat for the remainder of the season as the Indonesian requires more investment.
But the final three IndyCar races on the schedule clash with F1 grands prix, and as his American programme takes priority, Rossi declined Manor's offer.
"My management and I are in constant communications with Manor and we knew there might be an opportunity to race for the last half of the 2016 season," he said.
"We gave it careful thought but declined the race seat due to my IndyCar contract.
"I have a lot of respect for Manor giving us first right on the seat as we agreed.
"I have a really good relationship at Manor and there are no hard feelings.
"They understand an F1 deal has to be right for my future and my career has taken some good steps forward."
Rossi retains dreams of returning to F1 but insists any deal must be right for his long-term future.
"Last year I did a partial F1 season, which was very successful," said Rossi, who contested five late-2015 grands prix for Manor alongside his GP2 campaign.
"When I didn't get the full time seat in 2016, this created a 'Y' in the road where now I cannot take that risk again.
"I've invested most of my career in F1 and I would love to continue but as I've said all year, an F1 deal must be right."

Manor F1 team replaces Rio Haryanto with Esteban Ocon
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, August 10th 2016, 08:30 GMT
Manor has terminated Rio Haryanto's Formula 1 contract after the Indonesian failed to meet his contractual obligations, replacing him with Renault reserve Esteban Ocon.
Haryanto signed at the start of the year but only had enough funding to carry him through to the conclusion of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He secured a deal to race in the following race in Germany in the hope he could get his investment sorted for the remaining nine races of the season after the summer break.
It is believed Haryanto's management has had trouble convincing the Indonesian government to look beyond his results and explaining the competitive nature of F1.
With the investment not forthcoming, Manor has now taken the decision to replace him with Ocon, who is a Mercedes junior and has been performing the role of reserve driver for Renault this season.
Manor has offered Haryanto the role of reserve driver for the remaining nine races of the season but it is unclear whether he will accept.
"Rio has been a much-valued member of our team since January, when we signed a contract with him for this season," said racing director Dave Ryan.
"Some time ago, his management indicated that they were experiencing difficulties honouring the obligations of that contract beyond the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"Rio's team have worked tirelessly to try to resolve that situation with his Indonesian backers and we have supported those efforts as much as possible, including allowing Rio to race in Germany.
"Unfortunately we reached a point where, in the best interests of the team, we were forced to explore other options for the remainder of the season.
"We are very pleased to continue our support for Rio's Formula 1 ambitions, by offering him a reserve driver role for the rest of the current season.
"We very much hope that he will accept that offer."
Ocon will make his Formula 1 race debut at the Belgian Grand Prix later this month, partnering Pascal Wehrlein.
"Esteban is clearly one of the rising stars of F1, shining in his reserve driver role with Renault, while also competing in the DTM with Mercedes this year," added Ryan.
"Our team has made significant strides in 2016, including finishing in the points for the first time in Austria last month.
"We need to maintain our pace of development in order to achieve our ambitions, not only for this season but also for the longer-term, so the calibre of a replacement is key.
"We're confident that when Esteban makes his grand prix debut in Spa, we will have a very potent line-up with which to take the fight to our immediate competitors for the rest of the season."
Renault has chosen not to name a replacement reserve driver and will instead choose from its pool of test drivers, which includes GP2 racers Sergey Sirotkin and Nicholas Latifi.
Ocon has been racing for Mercedes in the DTM this year, and the manufacturer will replace him with its reserve driver Felix Rosenqvist for the remainder of the year.

Renault F1 team to evaluate Esteban Ocon with Manor race drive
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, August 10th 2016, 09:01 GMT
Esteban Ocon's race drive with the Manor Formula 1 team will give Renault an opportunity to evaluate the 19-year-old in a representative environment, according to Cyril Abiteboul.
Ocon replaces Rio Haryanto for the remaining nine races of the season after Manor terminated the Indonesian's contract for failing to secure the funding to meet his contractual obligations.
The reigning GP3 champion has been performing reserve driver duties for Renault this season, taking part in four FP1 sessions, and racing for Mercedes in the DTM.
Ocon, who will race alongside fellow Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein, is highly regarded within Renault and in contention to replace either Jolyon Palmer or Kevin Magnussen next season.
"It is an outstanding opportunity for Esteban to gather mileage and race experience in a young, stable and very professional team," said Renault F1 team managing director Abiteboul.
"Esteban will be up against a highly rated and quick team-mate, which will enable us to evaluate him in a representative environment.
"I hope this experience will be of great benefit for him and for Renault in the near future."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff added: "Manor is just the right environment for a young driver to get his first experience of F1.
"It is a professional, small team that is on a positive upward trend and where the driver can make a real difference.
"Esteban did an exceptional job in the works Mercedes at the Silverstone test and we are excited to see him take his first steps in an F1 race environment.
"We are very pleased that this opportunity has opened up for Esteban, that Manor has again had the confidence to give a chance to a promising young talent and that the good collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Renault has allowed this to come together."
Ocon has already visited Manor's base to meet the team and to have his seat fitting ahead of his Formula 1 debut in Belgium later this month.
"I'm ready for this exciting step up, thanks to the experience I've gained as a Formula 1 reserve driver this season," he said.
"I'd like to thank Renault and Mercedes-Benz for working together to make this happen and to Manor for the opportunity, which I'm going to grab with both hands.
"I've visited Manor already for my seat fit and to meet with the wider team, so we'll be ready to hit the ground running after the summer break.
"They've done a great job this season and I'm excited that I've been tasked with helping them to build on that progress. I can't wait to get started."

What Manor F1 driver switch means for Mercedes' junior drivers
By Ben Anderson Wednesday, August 10th 2016, 12:40 GMT
Manor's decision to replace Rio Haryanto with Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the Formula 1 season is tantalising in the sense we will now get to see Mercedes' top junior drivers go head-to-head in the same equipment.
Mercedes doesn't run an official junior driver program in the Red Bull mould, but the German manufacturer has supported Wehrlein's progression from promising Formula 3 driver, to DTM champion, to F1 prospect, and having failed to secure Max Verstappen's signature in 2014, it instead took Ocon, who beat Verstappen to that season's European F3 title.
The Frenchman won last year's GP3 championship as a Mercedes junior, and has this year graduated to the DTM, while also being loaned to the reborn Renault works F1 squad for reserve driver duties that include some free practice running.
Mercedes seems to be grooming Wehrlein and Ocon as potential candidates for the post-Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg era, which will come eventually - perhaps as soon as the end of 2018 when their current contracts are up.
It doesn't have a junior team within F1 in the way Red Bull does, but by urging Manor to choose Ocon as its replacement for the out-of-cash Haryanto (in exchange for a further offset of its engine supply costs) Mercedes has effectively created its own version of Toro Rosso.
This will allow Mercedes to better evaluate the potential of its next generation, over the remainder of this season at least.
There's no doubt Wehrlein has done an excellent job so far in his rookie campaign, including scoring that crucial world championship point for Manor in Austria.
But his qualifying record against Haryanto - a rookie with less F1 testing experience and only modest success across four seasons of GP2 to his name prior to this year - has not been spectacular.
Wehrlein was beaten four times by Haryanto in qualifying, discounting that unfortunate session in China where Wehrlein crashed before setting a time in Q1.
Though it's also fair to say Wehrlein has often lacked prior circuit knowledge compared to his team-mate, Mercedes probably would have expected him to be more dominant on Saturdays than he generally has been.
Haryanto readily admits qualifying is not his strongest suit, and he is not a highly rated talent in the Wehrlein/Ocon/Verstappen mould.
By placing Ocon alongside Wehrlein Mercedes will have the chance to better assess how fast Wehrlein really is with like-for-like, same-day comparisons, in equal machinery, against a driver Mercedes rates highly.
Mercedes should then have a clearer idea of the merit of trying to move Wehrlein up the grid next season, perhaps to a vacant Force India or Williams seat.
Meanwhile Ocon has the chance to prove he is worth a proper shot at Renault, which is trying to sign Sergio Perez as its lead driver for 2017 and seems minded to make Ocon his team-mate, should he continue to impress now he has this chance with Manor.
It's a convenient arrangement for all parties: Mercedes gets a chance to properly evaluate its two top junior drivers; Renault gets the chance to assess whether Ocon can be the French F1 driver it surely craves; and Manor obtains a reduction in the crippling costs of competing in F1, as well as a driver who is perhaps more likely to achieve the big results Haryanto could not.
And F1 also wins - by getting the chance to see two of the brightest prospects in single-seater racing go head-to-head in the same team.

Rio Haryanto accepts Manor F1 reserve driver offer after losing seat
By Glenn Freeman Thursday, August 11th 2016, 08:45 GMT
Former Manor race driver Rio Haryanto has accepted the team's offer to remain in Formula 1 as its reserve after losing his seat to Esteban Ocon.
Haryanto was dropped from Manor's race line-up on Wednesday for failing to meet his contractual obligations due to struggling to find funding for the rest of the campaign.
While he has been replaced by Mercedes junior and Renault F1 reserve Ocon, Manor said it would offer him the chance to remain part of its setup.
"Manor Racing is pleased to announce that Rio Haryanto will remain with the team for the rest of the season, having accepted its offer of a reserve driver role," said the team in a statement.
"Rio will be available to deputise should either race driver be unable to take part in an event.
"He will also be immersed in engineering meetings and PR activities, as the team continues its support for his racing ambitions."
Haryanto's funding ran out after the Hungarian Grand Prix last month, but Manor kept him on board for the German GP in a bid to help him secure backing from his Indonesian homeland.

Manor Formula 1 team wary of Sauber surge after investment
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, August 23rd 2016, 07:49 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan feels clinching the crucial 10th place in this year's Formula 1 constructors' championship has been made harder by Sauber's investment deal.
Manor occupies 10th courtesy of the point claimed by Pascal Wehrlein in the Austrian Grand Prix, which would guarantee the team a considerable amount of prize money for next year.
By with 11th-placed Sauber being taken over by investment company Longbow Finance, there is now money available for the Swiss team to finally add the upgrades that have long been in the pipeline.
"First of all, what's happened to Sauber is fantastic for Formula 1," Ryan told Autosport.
"They've been around a long time, and had worked hard to get to where they were. Obviously, they've fallen back a bit at the moment.
"In overall terms for Formula 1, it's good news.
"For us, it's just made another team potentially competitive, and made our job harder.
"We've got a point and we have to try and keep that point over and above them for the rest of the year."
Ryan has confirmed Manor has small developments of its own still to come, and is confident this will not compromise its efforts on its 2017 challenger.
"We think we've got the balance right," added Ryan.
"2017 is incredibly important, and time lost on developing the 2017 concept now would really hurt for next year. There would be a time difference on the clock if you don't put effort into that car.
"But we've got small developments - which have been in the windtunnel and are in the system now - coming through over the next two to three races, so we do have little upgrades, and hopefully good upgrades."
For Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn, finishing outside the top 10 is not an option.
Its release of funds means a new front wing is due to join an updated rear wing from this weekend's Belgian GP.
"We have one or two things we want to bring in this year because we clearly don't want to finish where we are at the moment," Kaltenborn told Autosport.
"So we will continue with what's in the pipeline there, but we are also focusing on next year because of the big rule change coming up.
"It's tough, but we've been through many difficulties in the last years. We always manage somehow."

Gutierrez gets Belgian GP grid penalty for Wehrlein incident
By Ian Parkes Saturday, August 27th 2016, 11:24 GMT
Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez has been handed a five-place penalty going into Formula 1 qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
The stewards decided to punish Gutierrez for a blocking incident during the final practice session at Spa Francorchamps that infuriated Manor's Pascal Wehrlein.
An unaware Gutierrez was coasting on the racing line through Raidillon when an at-speed Wehrlein came upon the Mexican and was forced to take to the grass to avoid a collision.
An angry Wehrlein let rip over the team radio as he said: "The f***ing idiot! What is he doing?"
A statement from the officials said: "Due to the large speed differential between the cars and the position of car #21 [Gutierrez] on the track, the stewards regard this as dangerous".
In addition to the grid demotion, Gutierrez also receives three penalty points.
He becomes the fourth driver to get a grid penalty at Spa, with Lewis Hamilton (55 places), Fernando Alonso (30) and Marcus Ericsson (10) also going into qualifying poised for demotions thanks to various technical component changes.
The Spa spat is the latest in a run of incidents involving Gutierrez, who was criticised by Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo after the Hungarian and German Grands Prix respectively for his ignorance of blue flags.
Gutierrez responded in kind to Hamilton, suggesting the reigning champion was disrespectful.
The 25-year-old then sought out Ricciardo for talks after the Australian claimed Gutierrez was not doing as good a job as other drivers in handling blue flags.
Stewards also investigated an incident between Kevin Magnussen and Sebastian Vettel in final practice that had prompted Vettel to rage about the Renault driver over the radio, but decided no further action was required in that case.

Manor's F1 rookie Ocon felt 'one lap from disaster' in Belgian GP
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, August 30th 2016, 10:27 GMT
Esteban Ocon felt he was one lap away from disaster in the Belgian Grand Prix, his Formula 1 race debut with Manor.
Mercedes junior Ocon enjoyed a solid maiden outing after taking over a Manor race seat from Rio Haryanto, who failed to find the funds required to complete the season.
The 19-year-old stayed out of trouble on a chaotic first lap - unlike team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who crashed into McLaren's Jenson Button - and went on to finish 16th of the 17 who saw the chequered flag.
Ocon, however, had to contend with a major handling issue throughout most of what he felt was a "quite good" race.
"We took the opportunities that were on track, putting some pressure on the guys in front," he said.
"And I made my way through on the first lap, staying out of trouble, which was important to do.
"But after that we broke a brake duct which made me lose a lot of time, so that wasn't ideal, and it was very tough to finish with the tyres at the end.
"I was losing performance, losing aero - around one second per lap.
"At the end that's why it was so tough to finish with the tyres. One more lap and it would have been a disaster. It was really that close.
"Without that we would have been more competitive, maybe even taking a Renault [Jolyon Palmer]."
Ocon feels comfortable with the car and Manor, but finds tyre management difficult to understand compared to what he has been accustomed to racing in categories including Formula 3, GP3 and the DTM.
"I still need to arrange the details a bit with the super-soft," assessed Ocon.
"The races are quite similar, but to manage the tyres is worse in F1 than I was expecting compared to GP3 or any other series.
"So I had to learn everything, but now I'm going to get used to it more and more. I've seen how it works so I can expect something now."
Wehrlein made Q2 at Spa to qualify 16th and scored Manor's only points of the current campaign at the Red Bull Ring in July.
This weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza is another low-downforce outing that should suit the team's MRT05.
"Let's see in Monza how good it's going to be, the car is going to be good there as there are some new bits coming, so we can look forward to that," Ocon added.
"Overall the car handles pretty well, which is quite good. It's just a bit slow in the corners because of the grip, but other than that the balance is good and it feels nice to drive.
"There are a lot of good things in this car, and with good tracks we can prove it is quick."

Mercedes could expand F1 partnership with Manor in future
By Ian Parkes Thursday, September 1st 2016, 09:44 GMT
Mercedes could expand its Formula 1 partnership with Manor in the future, but there are no plans to buy into the team and turn it into an official junior outfit.
At present Mercedes supplies engines to Manor, while both its development drivers in Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon now have race seats with the team.
"When we started the [Mercedes F1] project a couple of years ago there was no capacity for setting up a junior programme," said Wolff.
"Max [Verstappen] is a good example. He fell through because we didn't have a system in place.
"The only thing we were able to offer him was a seat in GP2, but that was clearly not as good as a Toro Rosso seat.
"We obviously made an agreement with Manor for Pascal, and that works well, and then the opportunity [for Ocon] came up because [Rio] Haryanto was out.
"We had a couple of weeks of negotiations, found a reasonable deal, and there are areas where we support Manor.
"It seems the relationship is having different angles now.
"We're not a shareholder, we don't plan to be, and we don't want to own the team or subsidise it.
"The main objective is to win championships with Mercedes, but there could be a co-operation with Manor that goes beyond what we do today.
"So the plans of having a junior team, which we would co-own, haven't changed. We will not co-own another Formula 1 team."
At present Wehrlein and Ocon's drives with Manor are on the back of Mercedes offering the team a discount on the cost of its power unit supply package.
That is an arrangement that could continue for next season should Manor be happy with the performance of both drivers, and Mercedes be willing to again offer a rebate on the price of the engines.

Manor drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon aim for Q3 at Monza
By Ian Parkes Thursday, September 1st 2016, 17:34 GMT
Manor drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon believe the Manor Formula 1 team could reach Q3 in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
Both are convinced they will make Q2, and could even push for a place in the final stage of qualifying even though the team has not made Q3 since coming into F1 in 2010 as Virgin.
Manor has new Monza-specific aerodynamic parts for this weekend, along with an increased allocation of super-soft tyres to allow them to get the best out of qualifying.
Asked by Autosport whether the car had the potential to get close to Q3, Wehrlein replied: "I think so.
"In Spa I was P9 in Q1, but then unfortunately we didn't have new [super-soft] tyres left for Q2.
"I felt in Spa I could go into Q3, so if it's similar to Spa or even a bit better, then it could be possible.
"The problem in Spa was that we only had five sets of super-soft tyres, whereas here we have seven, so we are already in a better position."
Ocon believes the circuit will suit Manor "perfectly".
"It will probably be the highlight of the season for us," said Ocon.
"We definitely have a shot of getting into Q2, and maybe Q3, and if we don't have any issues like we had in Spa, then we could also be strong in the race.
"With the speeds we have on the straights, we could defend quite well."
Ocon suffered brake duct problems in the race at Spa that cost him a second per lap.
But he did not get on top of the super-soft Pirelli tyres on his F1 debut, which he needs to do at Monza.
"I need to improve my qualifying on the super-softs," said Ocon.
"In FP1 [sessions while with Renault] or in testing I never used it. I always used the soft, and the differences are pretty big.
"You don't feel like it has massively more grip, but there is a way to use it which gives you more time."

Manor's issues in F1's Italian GP unacceptable, chief Ryan believes
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, September 6th 2016, 09:17 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan believes the technical issues that blighted the team's Italian Grand Prix are unacceptable in Formula 1.
Manor has been largely reliable this F1 season and went to Monza believing it could score a surprise in qualifying, and potentially even points.
But an electronics issue that first materialised on Ocon's car in practice reared its head again at the start of qualifying, forcing him to start from the back, while team-mate Pascal Wehrlein made it into Q2.
Wehrlein was forced to stop in the race when a fault - later traced back to an oil leak - became apparent, while Ocon could only manage 18th and last of those that finished.
"To be honest, our optimism was justified," Ryan told Autosport.
"Looking at Pascal's performance at Spa, it was brilliant, and we genuinely believed we were in with a good shot at Monza to do well.
"Pascal's lap to get him into Q2 was really good. Splitting the McLarens was nice, and we perhaps could have got ahead of both of them.
"But equally we had the disappointment of Esteban's reliability issue, which was very disappointing. To have the same problem twice is not really acceptable at this level.
"That was the tone for the weekend, which put us on the back foot with Esteban.
"Then we went into the race, and Pascal was doing pretty well when we had another issue with him.
"That was our weekend really - not good enough."
Ryan hopes the electronics problem on Ocon's car has now been cured, even though he concedes the team is not entirely sure about its exact nature.
"It was a question of changing every single electronic component on the car, but we clearly didn't change enough on Friday night, and so the same problem reoccurred on Saturday," added Ryan.
"So we changed absolutely everything again, and the problem seems to have gone away - I hope it's gone away.
"The car certainly did twice as many laps [in the race] as it did over the previous few days with no sign of the problem.
"Now we have to go back and look at those parts and do a really good forensic exercise on them to see where the problem was and understand why we couldn't pinpoint it.
"The guys did a great job of getting through the work, but at this level we have to be a bit better than that."
Wehrlein's car will be examined to determine the specific issue, with an oil pipe or fitting the likely cause, with Ryan confirming there was "no problem" with the power unit.

New backers could help Haryanto return to F1 in 2017
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, September 12th 2016, 10:34 GMT
Rio Haryanto losing his Manor Formula 1 drive to Esteban Ocon brought new backers out of the woodwork, which could help him return in 2017, the Indonesian's manager says.
Haryanto was dropped form Manor's F1 race line-up during the summer break, after the funding required to meet his contractual obligations did not materialise.
He was replaced by Mercedes junior and Renault reserve Ocon and then accepted an offer to stay on as reserve, a role it is understood does not require funding.
Haryanto's manager Piers Hunnisett said when the news broke that Haryanto had been dropped, new backers started to come forward.
"There was shock in Indonesia," he told Autosport. "They were asking 'why is our boy not racing?'
"Some people came forward to ask how they could help.
"It woke them up. The money was in place, but Ocon had done the deal. We missed the window by a week.
"We were promised funding by the government and we had some problems there.
"But there were some normal commercial sponsorships, not only from Indonesia but from the rest of Asia as well - one from Japan, one from Thailand - so it all came together. It was just too late."
Hunnisett said those same backers are interested in helping get Haryanto back on the grid next year with talks set to accelerate from this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.
The plan is to put together a package that will not require government support.
"We are working for next year and we're quite optimistic that what has happened has woken everything up," he said. "It's realistic now."
"We always knew it would take time, you have to educate the Asian market about F1, and we just needed a bit longer.
"There are conversations going on about next year but nothing serious.
"In Singapore, I'll be back in Asia speaking to sponsors and some of the potential investors will be there so let's see how it goes from there."

Manor started work on 2017 Formula 1 car in January
By Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto Thursday, September 15th 2016, 08:50 GMT
Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick says his Formula 1 team started work on its 2017 car in January and believes the regulation changes provide an opportunity to move up the grid.
Manor completed 2015 with a modified '14-spec car, after Fitzpatrick's late purchase to secure its future, but started this season with a new car.
The team has made great strides with Pascal Wehrlein scoring a point in Austria to move Manor ahead of Sauber into 10th in F1's constructors' championship.
But Fitzpatrick believes a bigger step can be made next year with technical overhaul, which is why resources were diverted early.
"We set out with a five-year plan last year and it was to make up one place a year," Fitzpatrick told Autosport.
"So far we are on target - we have one team behind us.
"The first year of the plan was to assemble a team of people with a lot of experience that can help us efficiently develop the car and get the best out of it on track.
"Next year gives us a big opportunity to accelerate the one-place-a-year plan, because with the big changes in the regulations - we've been working on the 2017 car going back to January - we've invested a lot of the time of the senior guys that have joined into that project.
"When we started out this year, we were racing almost a completely new car, whereas everybody else is on their third year of an evolution.
"Next year it's a bit of a restart for everyone so it gives us a great chance to leapfrog a couple of places, if we apply ourselves properly."
Fitzpatrick said his ambition is for Manor to be the "top independent team" and used Force India's rise as an example of what can be achieved.
"They've done a fantastic job," he said. "It's a great model. They have great performance relative to their budget.
"They keep making a step every year - it shows that it can be done, and that's what we have to aspire to."
MANOR TARGETING CFD GAINS
While Fitzpatrick conceded it will be tough for Manor to fight the bigger teams on budget, he has identified software and data science as areas in which Manor can lead the way.
With that in mind, Manor has recruited Dr Alfonso Ferrandez, formerly software development manager at Amazon, as its chief technology officer.
"In terms of getting value for money, where we can outperform, that [data and technology] is an area where I see that we can have a big performance advantage, or at the very least a level playing field," said Fitzpatrick.
"When I think about one of the things that we need to be the best in the world at, or at least as good as the best in the world, it's got to be in CFD and data."

Manor F1 team has let new recruit Ocon down, boss Ryan feels
By Ian Parkes Tuesday, September 20th 2016, 14:48 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan feels the team has not done a good enough job for Esteban Ocon since giving him a Formula 1 race seat.
The Mercedes junior replaced Rio Haryanto during F1's summer break, and his grand prix debut at Spa was compromised by a broken brake duct.
In the following race at Monza, he was let down by electrical failures in first practice and again just before qualifying, as issues Ryan called "unacceptable" plagued the team.
Last weekend in Singapore, Ocon initially earned a five-second time penalty for passing Sauber's Felipe Nasr behind the safety car, but also endured two slow pitstops.
The 20-year-old was stationary for approximately 75 seconds during his first stop, then 15s in his third.
"The procedures were wrong, but I'm not sure which one just yet, so we need to look at the video and be very sure ourselves, and then once we know that we can work on it," Ryan told Autosport.
"We had a problem getting the wheels on the car, and then we had to change to another set because we had a problem with the wheelnut.
"It was a case of one thing going into another really. It was one of those deals that was hard to stop once it started going wrong.
"But that shouldn't be the case. We should be geared up to deal with things that come along in a certain way, and we weren't in this case."
Ryan feels it is down to everyone in the team, primarily himself as its leader, to ensure the problems do not continue.
"Esteban is due a good turn," he said.
"We didn't have a good race in Monza with him, and then we let him down again in Singapore with our pitstops, which was just disappointing because his last stint, with his pace on the tyres, was really good.
"Quite clearly we're not - I'm not - doing a good enough job in terms of making sure all our procedures and things are in place.
"So we need to look at that, we've all got to accept responsibility and just work on it.
"It's not through lack of effort. The guys are doing plenty of practice, we're working on it, but we're not there.
"Everyone has to assume and responsibility. You can't just sit there and say I told them. That's not how it works.
"We're a team and we work together. That's what everyone else does, we're no different, and we have to do the same thing."

F1 2017: Wehrlein and Ocon would be a good match, Manor says
By Ian Parkes Wednesday, September 28th 2016, 09:41 GMT
Manor racing director Dave Ryan believes the team and drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon are "a good match" and would represent the ideal pairing for the 2017 Formula 1 season.
Both driver are products of Mercedes' junior programme and have been placed with Manor this year, Ocon since F1's the summer break.
In turn, Manor receives a substantial discount on its power-unit supply, and there is every possibility a similar deal could be struck again to keep the pair.
Ocon, Renault's reserve and occasional FP1 driver before joining Manor, is also linked with a return to the French manufacturer in 2017.
"With every driver who is available, you have to look at everyone," Ryan told Autosport.
"Pascal's a great kid who is coming along really strongly; Esteban has huge potential as well. Anyone would be pleased to have them, us included.
"Given the right set of circumstances, then I'd absolutely love them to stay.
"We're a good match for each other at the moment, we're a team that's improving and they're drivers learning about the business of Formula 1.
"So, yeah, why not?"
While Manor has made considerable improvements this season, it continues to fight at the rear of the grid.
Suggested to Ryan it was hard for Wehrlein and Ocon to prove themselves, he replied: "We're a team that's going places, we're a solid team and we're getting improving as things go along.
"We're competitive now - of course, not competitive with Mercedes, but then no-one is - but we are competitive with other teams.
"So from that perspective they've every opportunity to demonstrate how good they are.
"They are both good battlers, it's their first season, so don't forget that, they're out there with the big boys and they're doing a superb job."
WEHRLEIN HAS WORRIES OVER 2017
Reigning DTM champion Wehrlein, meanwhile, has express concern he could lose his seat to a pay driver.
While he has impressed Ryan and Manor and there are potential vacancies at Williams, Renault and Sauber, Wehrlein knows there are no guarantees, noting "you never know" what could unfold.
"There could be some drivers coming in with big financial backgrounds and it could be hard," he said.
"I think I've shown very good performance, we've scored one point, and if we can keep Sauber behind us until the end of the season the job is done. There is nothing more we can do.
"If we compare to this year, it was February [before he knew he would be driving for Manor], so I hope the decision will be taken this year, and even before the end of the season.
"It's always good to finish a season and to know what you're going to do next year. I hope it will be before the last race this season."

Pascal Wehrlein trusts Mercedes to ensure he's on 2017 F1 grid
By Ben Anderson and Ian Parkes Wednesday, October 5th 2016, 12:11 GMT
Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein says he has complete faith in Mercedes to ensure he will be on the 2017 Formula 1 grid.
With just eight weeks and five grands prix remaining this season, Wehrlein is one of a declining number of drivers who does not have a confirmed seat for the 2017 F1 campaign.
His current team Manor is expected to make a late call on its line-up for next year, although it has expressed a desire to keep both Wehrlein and fellow Mercedes protege Esteban Ocon.
Asked by Autosport whether he was confident he would have a 2017 F1 seat, Wehrlein replied: "My feeling is that first of all I'm confident.
"I'm a Mercedes driver and they are all happy with me.
"I know that they will do what they can, and they will find the best option for me next year, so I'm not concerned about next year - which is good.
"I have showed some good results this year and everyone is happy, but as you know Formula 1 is not always so easy.
"Let's see what happens, but I'm confident and I'm happy with the season so far, and with both teams - Manor and Mercedes."
DTM champion with Mercedes last season, Wehrlein said his instruction from the German manufacturer this year was simply to learn the ropes in F1.
"The biggest target was to learn as much as possible because it's my first year in Formula 1, my first year in single-seaters for three years," added Wehrlein, who scored Manor's sole point of 2016 so far in the Austrian Grand Prix.
"It's quite a long time when you have to get used to the cars, even to the tracks because I did DTM and I think only Hockenheim, Budapest and Spielberg are Formula 1 tracks. Apart from that, every track is new to me.
"So I had to learn about the car, the tracks, Formula 1, the tyres - I had never driven on the Pirelli tyres - and about how Formula 1 works."
Wehrlein feels Manor has done "a better job than expected" given its limited resources in terms of both finance and personnel compared to the works Mercedes team that he tests for.
"It's very difficult to compare Mercedes and Manor, and it wouldn't be fair because Mercedes has many, many people - I think more than 700, 750 just working for the car, and then again 750 working on the engine," he said.
"We at Manor have 170 I think now, so we've increased since the beginning of the season, but it's still a different world.
"One guy, for example, at Manor has to do the same as maybe four or five guys at Mercedes, so of course it's a difference.
"For what we have we are doing a very good job. Even if we are not fighting with Mercedes and the top teams, but fighting with Sauber who have more than double the people we have, we are very competitive."

Pascal Wehrlein gets Japanese GP F1 grid penalty
By Lawrence Barretto Saturday, October 8th 2016, 03:15 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein is set to take a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after Manor changed his Formula 1 gearbox.
Autosport understands there is not a problem with the unit but Manor found a potential sequence of events could cause a failure.
So as a precaution, the team opted to change the gearbox ahead of final practice at Suzuka.
As it was his race gearbox, the change puts Wehrlein in breach of the rules that dictate gearboxes must last six consecutive events.
The only exceptions to these rules, for which a five-place grid penalty applies for a breach, are for non-starters and non-finishers - for technical reasons - of the last race.
Wehrlein was 20th quickest in second practice, 3.042s off the pace but just over a tenth quicker than team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Pascal Wehrlein's F1 first lap gains down to 'guessing'
By Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson Friday, October 14th 2016, 11:35 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein says his impressive performance on the opening lap of Formula 1 races this season has involved "guessing" where to put the car over the first couple of corners.
The Manor driver has made up a combined total of 34 places on the opening lap so far this season, behind only Fernando Alonso's tally of 40.
"Definitely it's easier when you are in the back to gain positions, that's clear," said Wehrlein.
"The first lap is very important for that, especially the first two corners.
"It's all about guessing where the best place is.
"Most of the time, something happens at those two corners so it's all about being in the right place, especially when you are at the back."
Mercedes reaction "positive" - Wehrlein
Wehrlein, who is a Mercedes junior, has yet to confirm his plans for next season but he said he has had good feedback as he approaches the end of his rookie year in F1.
"It has been very positive," he said. "Everyone is happy.
"The biggest target was to learn as much as possible because it's my first year in Formula 1, my first year in single-seaters for three years [after racing in the DTM].
"I had to learn about the car, the tracks, the tyres - I never drove the Pirelli tyres - and about how Formula 1 works.
"Looking at last year it was difficult to even imagine that we could score a point this year. We did a better job than expected.
"Austria was the most important race and one of the goals was also to help the team as much as possible and maybe with the input I have from Mercedes and what I experienced in their car, and I did that.
"As a team we worked really well together this year and everything is going really well."

Jordan King to make F1 grand prix practice debut with Manor in US
By Ian Parkes Monday, October 17th 2016, 08:54 GMT
Jordan King is to make his Formula 1 free practice debut with Manor at this weekend's United States Grand Prix.
Manor development driver King, who this year has been competing for a second season in GP2 with Racing Engineering and is currently fifth in the drivers' standings, has so far only driven an F1 car in testing.
King took part in the Pirelli test in Abu Dhabi at the end of last season, before run-outs this year with Manor in both in-season tests at Barcelona and Silverstone.
Ahead of his maiden GP practice outing at Austin on Friday morning, the 22-year-old said: "It's another big step in the right direction for me, after two really positive tests in the MRT05 which paved the way for this opportunity.
"It's a dream come true, but at the same time I have a job to do in the car on Friday and I want to make sure I give the team plenty of quality feedback and data to help with their US GP challenge.
"There's quite a lot to cram into 90 minutes. I'll be exploring the balance of the car and correlating that with the team's simulation work.
"There'll be some new components to evaluate, along with the tyre specifications for this event.
"I'll also be learning the circuit and getting up to speed with the car, which has been developed quite a bit since I last drove it at Silverstone. I can't wait!"
King will take over Pascal Wehrlein's car for the session.
Manor racing director Dave Ryan added: "It will be good to give Jordan his first FP1 session.
"He's done a really great job in his development driver role and this opportunity was a planned part of his programme with us.
"We look forward to getting his feedback and this further opportunity to appraise his performance in the MRT05."


Pascal Wehrlein blames Esteban Gutierrez for Mexican GP F1 crash
By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto Monday, October 31st 2016, 17:15 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein has blamed Esteban Gutierrez for the collision that put the Manor driver out of the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix on the opening lap.
As the field bunched up through Turns 1 and 2, Gutierrez locked up and hit Wehrlein, pitching the Manor into Marcus Ericsson's Sauber and breaking the German's suspension.
"He braked just too late," said Wehrlein, who reviewed the footage before judging the incident.
"He was already crashing into the McLaren in front of him, he was locking up his tyres and yeah, he touched me.
"There was a car inside of him, which I saw on a replay but it is not a corner where three cars can go around - that's it.
"There was no chance for him to overtake me, so it was even risking his race.
"In the midfield, there can always be a situation where something happens but this one was avoidable."
Gutierrez escaped penalty but when asked if he thought that was fair, Wehrlein said: "I don't know, it's not my decision. My race was over after that.
"It's disappointing for me and the team because we did a great job this weekend."
Gutierrez, who was able to continue and ultimately finished 19th, did not believe he was at fault.
"I wouldn't be happy if I was out of the race, but there was no way I could avoid the contact," he said.
"I had a Sauber on the left and he [Wehrlein] was on the right, and it was like being squeezed in between two cars.
"I understand that he pissed off because of his race and if I was in this position I would do the same.
"But he cannot be upset with me because I had absolutely nothing to do there."
When it was put to him that Wehrlein felt he braked too late, Gutierrez replied: "No."
Ericsson, who got going again after the contact and recovered to finish just outside the points in 11th, believes it was a racing incident.
"One car jumped at me and hit me," said the Sauber driver.
"It's one of those things. I haven't seen it but it felt like a racing incident."

Mercedes junior Wehrlein would be happy with second Manor F1 season
By Ian Parkes and Lawrence Barretto Monday, November 7th 2016, 10:42 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein says he would be happy to stay at Manor for a second Formula 1 season, amid speculation linking him to the vacant seat at Force India.
The Mercedes junior has impressed in his debut F1 season, gaining plaudits for his starts in particular, and scored a crucial point for Manor with 10th in Austria.
Manor has expressed a desire to keep both Wehrlein and team-mate Esteban Ocon, with a late call expected on its 2017 line-up.
Wehrlein has said he has complete faith in Mercedes to ensure he will stay on the grid, although where that will be remains unclear, with Nico Hulkenberg's switch to Renault opening up a space at Force India.
Another Mercedes junior, Ocon has also been linked with Force India, and is also on Renault's shortlist to partner Hulkenberg.
"Of course the target is to arrive in the best position possible, but let's see what happens next year," Wehrlein said.
"I would be happy to stay here. The team has made big progress since last year and also this year since the first race, which I am really happy about.
"I think for next year there is another possibility to make a big step and it would be a nice story to [stay with] Manor.
"It is hard to say they had worst car, but on average this year it was like that.
"But we took the opportunities when they were there and last year the gap to the second-last team was two seconds. It is not the same team any more.
"I am involved in the things that will happen next year and the development.
"[But] I don't know at the moment - truly I know zero about next year."
When asked if he would rather develop his skills as a leader at Manor or be a junior member of a team further up the grid, Wehrlein said he does not believe those situations exist.
"There is never a 'number one' or a 'number two'," he said.
"Both drivers have the same opportunity and one is taking the opportunity more than the other one.
"Yes, if you join a new team you are the new member and you have to prove yourself, that you can be the better one of the two drivers.
"But, as I said, I don't think there is a clear number one or a clear number two driver."

F1 2017: Esteban Ocon closing on Force India deal
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, November 7th 2016, 12:43 GMT
Esteban Ocon is closing on a deal to become Sergio Perez's team-mate at Force India for the 2017 Formula 1 season.
A vacancy became available when Nico Hulkenberg was released from his contract, allowing him to complete a switch to Renault on a multi-year deal.
It is believed Ocon, who was also a target for Renault, was on Force India's shortlist for next year along with Pascal Wehrlein, Jolyon Palmer and Felipe Nasr.
Force India team boss Vijay Mallya held meetings last week to discuss the four drivers' suitability for the seat.
Following more talks over the weekend, Mercedes junior and Manor driver Ocon has emerged as the leading candidate to take the seat.
The finer details of the deal are currently being discussed.
The Frenchman impressed the team with his performance when he tested the car during last season (pictured).
The deal makes sense for Mercedes as it provides Ocon with a more representative car in which the manufacturer can assess his talent.
Mercedes will be considering its future options, with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's contracts expiring at the end of the 2018 season.
Should the Ocon-Force India deal be completed, that will leave just one vacant seat at Renault and Haas and two at Manor and Sauber for 2017.

F1 2017: Force India signs Mercedes junior Ocon to partner Perez
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, November 10th 2016, 12:16 GMT
Force India has announced the signing of Esteban Ocon on a "multi-year deal" from the 2017 Formula 1 season.
The Frenchman replaces Nico Hulkenberg, who was released from his contract to allow him to complete a switch to Renault.
Pascal Wehrlein, Jolyon Palmer - ultimately retained by Renault - and Felipe Nasr were also on Force India's shortlist, but it was Ocon who got the nod to partner Sergio Perez.
Force India team principal Vijay Mallya said: "He's an exceptional talent, as his status as a Mercedes junior demonstrates, and I have no doubt he will flourish inside our team.
"We've had our eye on Esteban for a number of years and have followed his progress through the junior categories where he delivered outstanding results.
"We ran him in the car last year during testing and his performance convinced us that he is more than capable of racing alongside Sergio."
Ocon represented Force India in last year's in-season tests, and has also sampled F1 machinery with Mercedes and Renault, making four FP1 appearances with the latter in the first half of this season.
He made his race debut with Manor at the Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto.
"I'm still relatively new to Formula 1, but spending half a season at Manor Racing has given me some valuable experience and I feel ready for this new opportunity with Force India," Ocon said.
"The next few months will be very busy as I do all I can to prepare for the challenge ahead of me.
"It means lots of days at the factory, working on the simulator and building relationships with the engineers and everybody in the team.
"I can't wait for 2017 and my first full season racing in Formula 1."
With Palmer retained by Renault and Kevin Magnussen headed for Haas, Force India's announcement leaves just Sauber and Manor with vacancies for 2017.
Sauber is set to stick with Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, while Wehrlein is likely to get a second season with Manor, alongside a replacement for Ocon.
The deal makes sense for Mercedes as it provides Ocon with a competitive car in which the manufacturer can assess his talent.
The reigning world champion team will be considering its future options, with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's contracts expiring at the end of the 2018 season.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "Force India have a strong record of working with young drivers and have again shown courage and vision to take Esteban under their wing.
"Even more, it is a positive development for Formula 1 that talent wins over money and we will be seeing some of the most impressive youngsters fighting to make it to the top in Formula 1 over the coming years."

F1 2017: Wehrlein wants to know why Force India overlooked him
By Edd Straw and Ben Anderson Thursday, November 10th 2016, 17:56 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein plans to ask Force India why it overlooked him in favour of his Manor team-mate Esteban Ocon for its 2017 Formula 1 driver line-up.
Force India announced on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix that Ocon would replace Renault-bound Nico Hulkenberg next season, after signing a multi-year agreement with the team.
The decision means Force India has passed up the chance to sign Wehrlein, who is part of the same Mercedes junior driver stable as Ocon, and who has also tested with Vijay Mallya's squad previously.
Wehrlein said he was disappointed by Force India's decision and would seek an explanation from the team.
"I don't know if it was the test why they decided, or something else," he told reporters in the Interlagos paddock.
"Of course I will ask why, or what happened, what can I improve from my side.
"Otherwise with the performance on track I'm quite happy.
"It's a missed opportunity, but not the end of the world."
Wehrlein said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff informed him of Force India's decision by telephone the day before the announcement, and that "as far as I'm aware it was Force India that decided".
The German has performed strongly since returning to single-seaters from the DTM for his rookie F1 campaign, making Q2 several times and scoring a valuable point for Manor in July's Austrian GP.
Ocon has done relatively well since joining Manor mid-season, in place of Rio Haryanto, but has not definitively out-performed Wehrlein.
Wehrlein refused to say whether he felt the decision was unfair on him.
"I don't want to answer this question because it will just turn out bad for me," he added.
"I can't change it. All I can do is perform on track. I feel like I did.
"I heard many comments, and even you are asking me these questions, so I think even you think something [is unfair], no?"
BEST HOPE IS STAYING WITH MANOR
With Kevin Magnussen deciding to join Haas next year, Renault opting to retain Jolyon Palmer alongside Hulkenberg, and Sauber likely to keep its current driver line-up pending difficulties for Felipe Nasr's main sponsor, Wehrlein's best hope of remaining in F1 looks to be with his current team.
"There are no other cockpits, but I'm happy to stay at Manor - making progress with the team and growing with the team," said Wehrlein, who believes the extra money should Manor finish 10th in the championship could aid his cause.
"Having results like Austria is great. The team is doing a fantastic job, and we can do another step for next year.
"That's the target, but at the moment I don't have a contract."

Wehrlein, Nasr, Gutierrez and Haryanto on Manor's 2017 shortlist
By Lawrence Barretto Saturday, November 12th 2016, 09:53 GMT
Manor has a shortlist of four drivers that it is considering signing for the 2017 Formula 1 season, Autosport understands.
There has been signifiant movement in the driver market in recent days, leaving Sauber and Manor as the only two teams yet to confirm their line-ups for next year.
Sauber is expected to retain Marcus Ericsson while Felipe Nasr is also likely to stay with the Swiss team for a third season, once difficulties for his principal sponsor have been resolved.
However, it has emerged that Nasr is also under consideration by Manor, along with current race driver Pascal Wehrlein, reserve driver Rio Haryanto, and Haas reject Esteban Gutierrez.
Nasr and his team are understood to favour staying at Sauber, both for continuity and long-term prospects, but they remain keen to explore alternative options with Manor.
Wehrlein was disappointed to lose out to current Manor team-mate and fellow Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon in the battle for the second seat at Force India.
The German, who scored the team's only point this season, is well-placed to stay on at Manor, but the decision rests with Mercedes.
Haryanto and his team believe he still has a chance of returning to the outfit that dropped him in favour of Ocon in the summer, after Haryanto failed to meet his contractual obligations due to problems raising sufficient funds.
It is understood a number of companies in Asia have expressed a desire to back the Indonesian, but the financial package has yet to be firmed up.
Gutierrez is looking for a drive after being replaced by Kevin Magnussen at Haas, and remains keen to explore options with both Manor and Sauber.
It is believed the chances of the Mexican returning to Sauber are remote, given the acrimonious nature of his departure from the Swiss squad in 2014, leaving Manor his most realistic option.
Manor did not confirm its 2016 line-up until just days before the first pre-season test, but is understood to be keen not to leave it so late this time around.
Key to the decision will be the status of its partnership with Mercedes, and whether it can hold 10th in the constructors' championship and receive the prize money that goes with it.

Ocon gets grid penalty for impeding Palmer in Q1 in Brazil
By Edd Straw and Lawrence Barretto Saturday, November 12th 2016, 18:22 GMT
Manor Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon has been hit with a three-place grid penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix, meaning he will start from the back of the grid.
The FIA stewards, including former Ferrari F1 driver Mika Salo, decided Ocon impeded Renault's Jolyon Palmer at Turn 4 during Q1.
The stewards' verdict explained that Ocon was on a slow lap, and forced Palmer off the racing line at the left-hander.
"At the end of the Q1 session, the driver of car 31 (Ocon) was on a slow lap having aborted his lap previously, while the driver of car 30 (Palmer) was on a fast lap.
"Entering the braking area of Turn 4 Ocon stayed on the racing line at the moment when Palmer was approaching, forcing Palmer off the racing line.
"At that time, Ocon was on the radio with his team, who did not inform him of the approaching car.
"When Ocon did see Palmer, he moved as far as possible to the right to avoid a dangerous situation, but the stewards concluded these were not mitigating factors, and that Ocon clearly impeded Palmer."
Although the incident was not costly to Palmer, whose first run in Q1 was fast enough to make it through to the next phase of qualifying, it did prevent him from improving his time.
Ocon was also hit with two penalty points, taking his tally to four points for the current 12-month period, as he was previously punished for overtaking under the safety car during this year's Singapore Grand Prix.
"The team didn't tell me Palmer was coming, I saw him at the last moment," said Ocon, who explained drivers were reminded in the drivers' briefing about not impeding rivals in qualifying.
"It was a complicated situation. We were discussing if I could do another lap, so the team was busy discussing that and didn't check that Palmer was coming.
"I couldn't move at that time because it could have been dangerous. I was not aware he was coming, so I blocked him.
"That was clear. I take the penalty, which is deserved. We start at the back now so we need a good start to get ahead of Sauber."
As Ocon drops to 22nd after qualifying 20th, this promotes Sauber pairing Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr to 20th and 21st respectively.

Force India F1 team buoyed by 2017 signing Ocon's Brazil drive
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, November 14th 2016, 15:55 GMT
The Force India Formula 1 team heaped praise on its 2017 driver Esteban Ocon after the Frenchman's strong performance for Manor in the rain-hit Brazilian Grand Prix.
Ocon started last, after being handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Jolyon Palmer, but made good progress through the field to run eighth.
He was on course to score his maiden points and help Manor stay ahead of Sauber, which had Felipe Nasr running in the points too, in the constructors' championship.
But though Ocon battled hard, the Manor ultimately did not have the pace to maintain that position and he ended up 12th as faster cars recovered from delays.
Nonetheless, his defence of position and the way he dealt with the tricky conditions impressed Force India deputy team boss Bob Fernley, whose team will run Ocon alongside Sergio Perez in 2017.
"We're very encouraged by what we saw from Esteban on Sunday," Fernley told Autosport.
"He had a very, very good drive for Manor.
"We were aware of his talent, we were comfortable with the decision, so we didn't need to see a race like that.
"What we have go to do is make sure we can support him and get that talent to deliver."
Manor racing director Dave Ryan was also impressed with Ocon's performance.
"Esteban did a super job," he told Autosport. "We thought we'd have a fairly good chance of having a go at Sauber.
"But all credit to Nasr, he drove a really good race.
"He was due one and Sunday was the day, unfortunately for us.
"Unfortunately they restarted the race at the end there and we just didn't have the car to live with them.
"We did everything we could but it wasn't enough in the end."
When asked if Manor was disappointed to lose a driver of Ocon's talent, he said: "Look, it was always on the cards that he and also Pascal [Wehrlein] could move on.
"They are both Mercedes drivers and Mercedes can place them where they want.
"Obviously if you can keep drivers and they are good, you have continuity but that's not the case so we just get on with it."
Manor has a four-strong shortlist of drivers it is considering signing for 2017, including, Wehrlein, Nasr, Esteban Gutierrez and Rio Haryanto.

Force India, Manor F1 teams request FOM payment advance
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, November 16th 2016, 15:54 GMT
Force India and Manor have made a request to Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for an advance on its championship payments for next year, Autosport understands.
The two teams made a similar request around this time last year, along with Sauber, and it was accepted.
Each request will require unanimous consent from the other teams before Ecclestone can facilitate the advance.
Teams receive payments from Formula One Management on a monthly basis based on their historic status and constructors' championship position from the previous season.
These are paid from February through to November, potentially leaving a cash shortfall for December and January when key production takes place.
With the regulations being overhauled for next season, requiring teams to build completely new cars, pressure on finances is higher this winter.
It is believed Force India's request has nothing to do with budget, which is understood to be in place for next season, but rather to ease cashflow during the next couple of months.
The Silverstone-based team is set to finish fourth in the constructors' championship for the first time in its Force India era this year, one place better than last year, as it holds a 27-point lead over Williams with just 43 points available.
Based on the last set of team payments, Force India's one-place improvement will bank it around an extra $3million.
Manor stands to miss out on Column 2 payments for 2016 after Sauber jumped ahead into 10th place in the constructors' championship when Felipe Nasr finished ninth in Brazil.
Manor said in a statement: "Yes, in common with other teams, we have requested an advance payment of a proportion of prize monies due to our team in 2017."
"As you will be aware, there is a precedent for this request being made and granted in the past, in order to assist teams during the car build period.
"We were also one of several teams to be granted an advance payment for 2016."

Jordan King gets second F1 practice outing with Manor in Abu Dhabi
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, November 18th 2016, 17:34 GMT
Jordan King will get his second opportunity to take part in Formula 1 free practice when he drives for Manor at next weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Manor development driver King got his first taste of grand prix weekend action when he drove for the team in first practice at Austin, taking over from Pascal Wehrlein.
During that session, he finished 20th after 29 laps, just under two seconds quicker than team-mate Esteban Ocon.
King will replace Force India-bound Ocon at Yas Marina, with the running dovetailing with his GP2 commitments where he currently lies 5th in the standings.
"We're pleased to welcome Jordan back to the cockpit for his second planned FP1 session," said Manor racing director Dave Ryan.
"He'll be taking over Esteban's car on Friday morning and we have a busy programme of testing items lined up for him again."

Manor F1 driver Wehrlein leads fight for Sauber's second 2017 seat
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, November 22nd 2016, 12:51 GMT
Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein has emerged as the leading candidate for Sauber's second Formula 1 seat in 2017, Autosport understands.
The Swiss team announced earlier this week that Marcus Ericsson would stay for a third season next year.
Sauber had been expected to also retain Felipe Nasr, but his main sponsor Banco do Brasil is stalling on confirming it will continue to back the Brazilian.
As a result, talks have broken down with Sauber, dropping Nasr to the bottom of the team's shortlist.
Mercedes junior Wehrlein is now firmly in the mix, as the German is able to bring funding.
It is believed Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn met at Interlagos during the Brazilian GP weekend, and the topic of drivers was discussed.
Wehrlein was disappointed when Force India overlooked him in favour of Manor team-mate Esteban Ocon as Nico Hulkenberg's replacement.
While staying on at Manor remains a possibility, with the outfit keen to keep him, it is understood Sauber is considered a stronger and more-stable opportunity for Wehrlein.
Only the seat as Ericsson's team-mate and the two Manor drives remain up for grabs on the 2017 grid.
Kaltenborn said in Brazil that she hoped to have her line-up confirmed before the end of the season, but it is believed Sauber is in no rush, given the good options still on the table.
Nasr has a good relationship with Sauber - and scored its vital points in Brazil - but bringing a financial package is crucial to staying on.
Former Manor driver Rio Haryanto is also high up on Sauber's list of candidates.
A number of companies in Asia have expressed a desire to back the Indonesian, who left Manor mid-year when promised backing did not eventuate, however a final package has yet to be confirmed.
Haas refugee Esteban Gutierrez has explored options at Sauber, but there is understood to be very little chance the Mexican will secure a return to the team he raced with in 2013 and '14.

Manor F1 team in talks with investor over majority stake
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, November 24th 2016, 09:49 GMT
A new investor is in advanced talks with Manor Racing to acquire a majority stake in the Formula 1 team, Autosport has learned.
It is believed talks with the unnamed party have been ongoing for some time, with progress escalating in the last few weeks.
Sources suggest owner Stephen Fitzpatrick, who saved the then Marussia team from extinction, will be keen to remain involved in the project.
A speedy resolution will be favoured by both sides to ensure plans for next year's car are not disrupted.
It is anticipated the Manor Racing name will be retained, at least in the short term.
When contacted by Autosport for comment, Manor CEO Thomas Mayer said: "I can confirm that we are in discussions with a third party to acquire a majority shareholding in the team.
"There isn't much more that I can say at the moment but these are advanced-stage discussions and I hope we will have some positive news very soon."
The development has come to light after Manor relinquished 10th place in the constructors' championship in Brazil.
It was a position it had held for 10 races after Pascal Wehrlein scored a point with 10th place in Austria.
But Felipe Nasr scored two points on home soil at Interlagos to give Sauber its first top 10 finish of the season and lift it above Manor in the constructors' standings.
It was a significant score as it means, based on payments for 2015 performance, Manor stands to lose around $13.5million (around a sixth of its budget) in prize money.
If the deal goes through, it would reward the team following impressive progress since it was saved ahead of 2015.
Last year, the team's "supertime" - a team's fastest lap from any session over the weekend, converted to a percentage with 100% representing the outright fastest - was 106.459%.
That was 3.427% off the pace of the next slowest team - McLaren.
This year, with one race to go, Manor's "supertime" is 103.810%, which is only 0.293% adrift of the next slowest outfit - Sauber and a 2.649% gain compared to last season.
Autosport believes any announcements regarding its 2017 line-up will not be made until after the deal has gone through.

Wehrlein knows his F1 future might not be settled before 2017
By Edd Straw Thursday, November 24th 2016, 16:00 GMT
Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein has admitted his Formula 1 future might not be decided until early next year.
Wehrlein has emerged as favourite for the second Sauber F1 seat alongside Marcus Ericsson , but remains in the running to stay at Manor.
The 22-year-old's place at the Manor team for 2016 was not confirmed until February 10 and he could face another long wait for next season.
"It could be that it will be decided next year," said Wehrlein when asked by Autosport if the negotiations could extend into 2017.
"But I hope that it will be this year because then, in the winter, you can prepare and it's a different way of thinking.
"Going into next year, you know what you're doing and you can start to prepare with the team and your fitness training."
Asked about Sauber and Manor, Wehrlein was non-committal but he was positive about both teams.
"I like the team [Manor] and I'm feeling really happy, many people here are friends of mine who want to meet in the winter and go skiing or snowboarding, so it's nice," said Wehrlein when asked if he wanted to stay at Manor.
"I'm feeling great in the team and it's great to see the progress, so why not?
"Sauber is a great team as well and there is also some history with Mercedes, and Mercedes junior drivers.
"It's kind of strange because we are fighting against Sauber and now there are some rumours that it could happen that I'm next year with Sauber.
"Sauber is a great team with a lot of potential and let's see what happens in the future."
Wehrlein confirmed Mercedes is carrying out the contract talks on his behalf, and believes his strong performances during 2016 should help.
"I tried everything on my side to stay in Formula 1," said Wehrlein.
"I tried my best, I tried to convince the people - I scored a point, was in Q2 four times, which was a great effort from the team and from us.
"In the end, if I cannot stay in Formula 1, there's nothing I can do about it."

Manor F1's Ocon and Wehrlein blame each other for Abu Dhabi clash
By Edd Straw Monday, November 28th 2016, 15:57 GMT
Manor Formula 1 drivers Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein have blamed each other for their collision during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The pair were battling for 13th place on lap 49 of the season finale when Ocon attempted to go around the outside of Wehrlein at Turn 11, the pair making light contact and both going off track.
Ocon gained the advantage as they rejoined after missing the second part of the left/right/left combination, and went on to finish 13th ahead of his team-mate.
"I was on a different strategy and had more pace at the end," said Ocon.
"I went to the outside but he didn't leave any space, so we collided and I had to go off track.
"All the overtakes I did someone crashed into me, [Kevin] Magnussen crashed into me at the start, then [Felipe] Nasr, I was on the outside of him and he turned into me.
"And Pascal the same, he didn't leave me space and he locked up."
When Ocon's comments were put to Wehrlein, he was surprised by Ocon's claim that he hadn't left enough room.
"I didn't leave him room on the outside?" asked Wehrlein in response.
"If he would watch to the right side, I think there was more than 100 metres left for him.
"I think the guy on the inside maybe didn't have enough room, but if it was him on the outside and he didn't have enough room, I don't know.
"Nothing happened, so in the end we both went wide and cut the chicane."
Both drivers were pleasantly surprised by the pace of the Manor during the race.
While Ocon's race was compromised by his three clashes, Wehrlein also had to recover from dropping behind the back of the pack after a slow first pitstop.
Neither driver was ultimately ever a serious contender to score the points needed to reclaim the 10th place in the constructors' championship Manor lost to Sauber in the previous race in Brazil.
"This was a great weekend in terms of team performance, because normally we shouldn't be in front of Sauber," said Wehrlein.
"After Brazil, I would understand if everyone would be a bit down and frustrated because we worked so hard this year and in the second last race they overtook us.
"It's just great the car was working pretty well, we found a good set-up and it worked so I was very happy with Q2.
"I didn't expect that, and in the race the pace was unbelievable."

Wehrlein: I don't want to annoy Mercedes over Rosberg's 2017 seat
By Lawrence Barretto Monday, December 5th 2016, 10:26 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein says he does not want to annoy Mercedes by pestering the Formula 1 team regarding Nico Rosberg's vacant 2017 seat but insists he is ready to step up.
Newly-crowned world champion Rosberg shocked the motorsport world when he announced his retirement on Friday, having only signed a new deal to keep him at the team until 2018 in July.
Mercedes is believed to have had a lot of interest in the seat, with boss Toto Wolff saying the team would "take the necessary time" to work out a replacement.
Mercedes junior Wehrlein has just completed his first season in F1 with Manor, impressing by scoring the team's only point and reaching Q2 in four of the last nine races.
He was top of Sauber's shortlist for its remaining 2017 drive, but admitted Mercedes was now the focus.
"The team knows I would love to drive for them, the tests I did were great," Wehrlein told Autosport.
"I cannot call them every day to say 'what's happening?' I don't want to be annoying.
"I'm there if they think I'm the right person for the team.
"I will do whatever I have to do and whatever is necessary to deliver.
"I just have to wait now."
Wehrlein said he has spoken to Wolff following Rosberg's announcement, most recently at a Mercedes event in Stuttgart on Saturday, but was none the wiser about the future.
"There is no news at the moment, but as expected every driver is calling him," said Wehrlein.
"Everyone wants to grab this unbelievable opportunity to join the Mercedes team.
"I understand they want to go for the best option, that they want to have a bit more time, or the time they need to decide which one they think will be the best one for the team."
Should he be given the opportunity, Wehrlein feels he is ready to make the step up, alongside three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
"Of course one season in Formula 1 is not a lot but I learned all the tracks now and I learned how the tyres are working," he said.
"I feel like I've had a strong season and I'm ready to make the step up.
"There is still a lot to learn for me but I'm happy with the progress I'm making.
"It's important for me to know I'm not on my limit now. I haven't reached my limit - there is still a lot of time coming.
"After this year, I definitely I feel ready."

Promoting Wehrlein to Mercedes F1 team 'not a foregone conclusion'
By Ben Anderson and Dieter Rencken Tuesday, December 6th 2016, 09:52 GMT
Paddy Lowe says it is "not a foregone conclusion" that Pascal Wehrlein will replace the retiring Nico Rosberg at the Mercedes Formula 1 team next season.
The Mercedes junior enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign in F1 with customer team Manor in 2016, and insists he is ready to step up to the factory squad if required.
Following the promotion of fellow junior Esteban Ocon to Force India for 2017, Wehrlein is one of the few existing drivers yet to secure a seat for next year.
There is logic to Mercedes promoting a driver nurtured from within, Wehrlein having been its reserve since September 2014, but Lowe said his team still needed to complete "various studies" before making the final call.
"It's not a forgone conclusion, we'll have to see who is available and do some analysis," Lowe said.
"There are different aspects, we'll be looking at previous form and what we could expect in terms of performance and consistency.
"It's one thing to be quick, but can you go out there and score the points every week?
"I just want someone who can score the points in the way that Nico has done."
Mercedes could attempt to prize a more established name from a rival outfit, with team boss Toto Wolff understood to have been contacted by a large number of F1 drivers already under contract.
However Wolff told Italian media in the wake of Rosberg's shock retirement that he would prefer not to chase after established stars like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.
Lowe suggested Mercedes was more likely to focus on drivers that are "actually available".
"The first part of the process will be to find out what the list looks like, then we'll do our analysis," he said.
"I think we are going to have to look at candidates that are actually available.
"The fear in a way is if we can't find a decent pilot for the other seat to replace Nico, if we do have a strong car, might have a driver running away with it, which would be good for us, but not good for the show."
Lowe also said he was unconcerned by the prospect of exposing an inexperienced driver to the pressure of racing F1's top team.
"That aspect doesn't worry me too much because in my experience top drivers tend to step up to that plate and almost perform better when you give them a better context in which to do so," Lowe added.
"Drivers do step up if you put them into a better environment, but there's still that risk and we'll need to assess that.
"On top of all those technical and analytical aspects, there are softer factors to consider - like what's the fit with the company and the values of the company, and what they're trying to do for the team."

F1 tests in 2015 shaped Force India's decision to overlook Wehrlein
By Lawrence Barretto Tuesday, December 13th 2016, 10:59 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein says Force India's decision to overlook him in favour of Esteban Ocon for a Formula 1 race seat next year centred around his interaction with the team.
The Mercedes junior impressed in his debut F1 season, scoring Manor's only 2016 point in the Austrian Grand Prix and reaching Q2 four times in the last nine races.
But after analysing Ocon, Wehrlein and Felipe Nasr, Force India decided to sign the French youngster to partner Sergio Perez next season as part of a multi-year deal.
In the wake of the decision, Wehrlein said he planned to speak to Force India to understand the reasoning, which he has now done.
Wehrlein completed two-and-a-half days of testing with Force India in 2015, initially in its '14-spec car pre-season at Barcelona, and one day mid-year at the Red Bull Ring, and believes the team's experience working with him influenced its decision.
"I wanted to learn from the situation," he told Autosport.
"I didn't want to go there and be angry and talk to them in a bad mood.
"I know the reasons why and it's something easy to change.
"It had nothing to do with performance.
"They think Esteban is fitting better into the team - that's it.
"The decision had nothing to do with feedback or performance, but had something to do with how they were getting along with me, something on a personal side."
Wehrlein is in contention to replace the retired Nico Rosberg, but Mercedes has reservations about his relative lack of experience.
The German also leads Sauber's shortlist, with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn having met to discuss a 2017 drive.
However, those talks are currently on the backburner while Mercedes focuses on finding Lewis Hamilton's new team-mate.
Wehrlein, who is known to have a good working relationship with his mechanics at Manor, feels like he can learn from Force India's decision and get better for the future.
"I will always try my best and do my best to ensure everyone is happy," he said.
"In the test something happened, something they were not happy, and that's it.
"I cannot change it anymore and I can just learn from it and do better in the future."

Manor rookie Wehrlein underestimated F1's off-track challenges
By Lawrence Barretto Friday, December 16th 2016, 16:13 GMT
Pascal Wehrlein admits he underestimated the off-track challenges he would face in Formula 1 in his debut season with Manor.
The German drew plaudits for his impressive performance across 2016, which included scoring Manor's only point - and just the second points-scoring finish in its six-season history - in Austria.
His fast starts were a particular highlight while Wehrlein's qualifying form was very strong in the second half of the year, reaching Q2 four times in the final nine races.
Despite that, he was overlooked for a Force India seat in 2017, with the team opting to instead take fellow Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon, who joined Wehrlein at Manor midway through the season.
It emerged that Wehrlein missed out for reasons not relating to his on-track performance, rather how it was believed he would have integrated with the team, and the 22-year-old says he will learn from that feedback having entered F1 from the DTM.
"I learned a lot on track but there's also a lot to learn off the track," he told Autosport.
"Probably I was underrating that.
"In terms of driving, there were so many new tracks for me, the tyres were new for me, Pirelli tyres, and a new team so there were so many things for me to learn.
"But now on track I'm 100% sure that everything is getting better and easier.
"From the first to the second year the step is always the biggest step you make in your career.
"Off the track I will try more and I'm sure I can improve something as well."
When asked if Mercedes, which has nurtured his career since 2013, can help him in that regard, Wehrlein said: "Yes.
"Mercedes is still supporting me a lot and I'm very grateful for that.
"I'm also grateful for the opportunity this year that they gave me with Manor and also the Pirelli [2017 tyre] tests.
"It's really nice to see that Mercedes has a big trust in me and supporting me and I will try to give that back."
Wehrlein is a candidate to replace retired world champion Nico Rosberg at Mercedes next season while he is top of Sauber's shortlist, and Manor is keen to keep him.

Perceptions of Pascal Wehrlein are wrong says Manor F1 chief Ryan
By Lawrence Barretto Wednesday, December 21st 2016, 10:36 GMT
Manor Formula 1 team racing director Dave Ryan believes people have the wrong impression of Pascal Wehrlein and he does not understand why.
Mercedes junior Wehrlein impressed in his debut season, scoring Manor's only 2016 point in the Austrian Grand Prix.
But he lost out to Esteban Ocon in the battle to be Sergio Perez's Force India team-mate next season with the German saying the decision to overlook him centred around his interaction with the team.
Ryan believes Wehrlein has been misjudged by some in the paddock.
"Pascal is a huge talent, there's no doubt about it, and he's a lovely kid," Ryan told Autosport at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"Some people have an opinion of Pascal and it's just wrong.
"The guy is just completely honest, he tries really hard and he's incredibly talented.
"He's great racecar driver with great racecraft, great awareness of what's going on around him so we're really, really pleased about him."
Ryan is perplexed as to why people have a bad impression of Wehrlein, who is in contention to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes next season but behind Valtteri Bottas on the shortlist.
"I don't understand it," Ryan said. "People say he's arrogant. Well I've never seen a hint of that, ever.
"Everyone who's ever got to interview him comes away saying 'what a lovely lad' and he is.
"He's got that fantastic sort of mischievous smile, he's helpful, he's positive, so I think it's one of those deals where someone's said something along the way somewhere and everyone's picked up on it and it's wrong.
"He's absolutely top drawer. No question about it."
When asked if that impression is damaging to Wehrlein's career and if it had a role to play in missing out on a drive at Force India, Ryan replied: "You've only got to talk to Pascal for five minutes and know it's not the case.
"I don't know anything about how Force India arrived at who's going to drive the car for them and that's completely their business.
"If you spend five minutes, or even two minutes, talking to him, you quickly understand that he's a super guy.
"He's not arrogant, he's just completely focused on his job."
While Bottas is now considered highly likely to pip Wehrlein to the vacant Mercedes seat following Felipe Massa's decision to stay on at Williams, Wehrlein is top of Sauber's shortlist for its remaining drive and Manor is also keen to retain him.

Mercedes F1 chief Wolff: Wehrlein, Ocon “extraordinary” drivers
By Edd Straw Friday, December 23rd 2016, 16:24 GMT
Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff has described its junior drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein, as "extraordinary".
Asked about the pair in an interview with Autosport conducted before Nico Rosberg's shock retirement, Wolff talked up their ability and said both deserved to be in F1.
While Ocon will race for Force India next year, Wehrlein does not have a deal in place and with Valtteri Bottas closing on the vacant Mercedes seat, his hopes of a drive lie with Sauber or Manor.
“These two [Ocon and Wehrlein] are extraordinary drivers out of a handful of drivers I consider to be in the same league,” Wolff told Autosport.
“They’ve had two very different careers; one went into DTM and the other had an exceptional career in lower formula and GP3.
“From my perspective, they are both very different personalities and very equal in the race car.
“Both deserve to stay in Formula 1 and have a future.”
Wolff added that it remains to be seen what the pair’s ultimate potential is, although he has no doubts about their speed.
“You can’t say; people grow, develop and change,” said Wolff when asked about whether they had the ability to become world champions.
“To be a world champion, you have to put it all together and it’s not just natural speed, there’s more.
“If you put it all together, you’re going to be very success and if not, you’re not.
“None of us ever know when we start to support a young driver as to whether he’s going to have it all, but there’s lots of positives.”
Wolff stressed that he did not make the decision on whether Force India would choose Ocon or Wehrlein as its Mercedes-backed driver for 2017.
“It was not my decision in terms of who went to Force India,” said Wolff.
“Force India had a very clear view that they would like to work with Esteban, they tested both and I think they felt they got on well with Esteban and that was within the right frame of mind to be working with them.
“We’re all human beings, you have more sympathy for one and less for the other.
“That’s why the engineering group ratified their decision with Vijay [Mallya].”

Manor earned respect in Formula 1 with 2016 performances, says Ryan
By Lawrence Barretto Thursday, December 29th 2016, 12:50 GMT
The Manor Formula 1 team has earned the respect of its rivals, according to the outfit's racing director Dave Ryan.
Pascal Wehrlein scored a point for Manor in July's Austrian Grand Prix, allowing the team to move into 10th place in the constructors' championship, only to be overhauled by Sauber at the penultimate race in Brazil.
As a result, based on payments for 2015 performance, the team missed out on around $13.5million - around a sixth of its budget - in prize money.
Nonetheless, Manor, which is in talks with a new investor with regards acquiring a majority stake in the team, took a big step forward in pace compared to previous years.
The team's 'supertime' - the average of its fastest lap from any session over each grand prix weekend converted to a percentage with 100% reprinting the outright fastest - was 103.779% this term.
That is only 0.262% adrift of the next slowest outfit - Sauber - and a 2.68% gain compared to last season.
"Let's be frank, we needed to make a big performance improvement but we did," Ryan told Autosport at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
"We still have to make the same sort of step again but the goal was that we wanted to earn the respect of the pitlane and we have done.
"There have been several times this year where we really deserved to be in Q2 on pure performance and we've ticked that box five times - but not enough.
"We belong here, that's for sure, and if we can keep building the team then there's no reason to expect that we won't keep improving."
Ryan believes there is a lot to improve on and lessons to be learned but he feels the team is doing a good job with the budget it has.
"There's been a lot of lessons and it is a massive challenge," he said.
"If you just look down at the pitlane and see the resources that everyone else has got, generally speaking you just think this isn't going to be easy.
"The frustration is that you know what you need to do and where you need to be but you know it's going to take two or three seasons to get to that point.
"So budgets are obviously a big thing but in terms of the value we got back out of the money we put into the team, that's pretty impressive.
"We know there's still a huge amount of work to do."
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I'm at a loss for words... :shock:

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I've only added 2009 so far, which MS Word tells me is 24,000 words in its own right!
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Bobby Doorknobs
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by Bobby Doorknobs »

AndreaModa wrote:I've only added 2009 so far, which MS Word tells me is 24,000 words in its own right!

I think we'd better get in contact with a book publisher then! :lol:
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AndreaModa
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by AndreaModa »

Probably not a bad shout to be honest!

Anyway, 2009-2011 is now up. I'm out of time for now, but the rest will follow later.
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dr-baker
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by dr-baker »

I was going to offer to compile the thread if you had just wanted to forward the files over, but this is wonderful work. I look forward to spending the time reading it properly later (likely during an all-night awake shift at work).
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
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AndreaModa
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by AndreaModa »

All stories added up to and including 2015. I won't bother with 2016 until the year is out, partially because it will be a pain to constantly update, and also so Autosport don't get too pissed off!
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AndreaModa
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by AndreaModa »

Chapter 9: 2017 - Year 8 - Manor Racing MRT
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AndreaModa
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Re: The Virgin / Marussia / Manor Scrapbook

Post by AndreaModa »

All 2016 articles (another 32,000 words) have now been added. Hopefully we get a full season's worth of 2017 articles!
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