[Team] Marussia - what next?

[bella]

i'm too lazy to think this one out myself, but if there was a caterham still around then they'd not only be getting the prize money but also the results history which would be important in the following seasons for gaining prize money? but now caterham are pretty much kaput there's no need for several seasons of results because there's no opposition for aforementioned bernie dollars?

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bella

i'm too lazy to think this one out myself, but if there was a caterham still around then they'd not only be getting the prize money but also the results history which would be important in the following seasons for gaining prize money? but now caterham are pretty much kaput there's no need for several seasons of results because there's no opposition for aforementioned bernie dollars?

I seem to recall that Ecclestone made a statement some little time ago that in the event of a "default" by Marussia that their points and prize money would not be transferable to another team, i.e. it would be either Marussia's or nobody else's. I also seem to recall that some of the other teams suggested that the money should be divvied up amongst themselves - no surprise there!

[bella]

yeah, i remember that too, but i mean in future seasons, say at the end of 2015 for the 2016 season. so if haas were to buy the marussia entry and by some magic they didn't default, they would also inherit the results history of the team. i know what i'm trying to explain but can't brain it properly to put it into words. never mind!

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I seem to recall that Ecclestone made a statement some little time ago that in the event of a "default" by Marussia that their points and prize money would not be transferable to another team, i.e. it would be either Marussia's or nobody else's. I also seem to recall that some of the other teams suggested that the money should be divvied up amongst themselves - no surprise there!

That would be typical Ecclestone thinking, but what make the team Marussia or not (so to qualify or not for the money)?
If someone buys the team and the IP of the design (and I don't necessarily mean Hass here) would that be enough? Or does it have to remain as the original team, with the same name etc. (therefore giving Bernie an ideal cop-out to not pay anyone)?

[Dutton]

It would take a court case to determine I think. Potentially multiple court cases as it would almost certainly be appealed and then perhaps the appeal appealed.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Dutton

It would take a court case to determine I think. Potentially multiple court cases as it would almost certainly be appealed and then perhaps the appeal appealed.

OK, thanks. So the usual F1 shenannigins then? Smoke & mirrors behind a foggy cloud of mystery...

[old man]

I like the thought that it may be Ferrari buying it to run a junior team like Red Bull. They are owed something like £17.5 million if I remember the amount quoted to the court and so could be tempted to do a deal for peppercorn money and get the Bernie dollars.

The thought of Haas running the cars as test mules still appeals to me but perhaps not to him

Just 7 weeks to Melbourne, whoever buys the assets has a rush on

[VIVA GT]

Autosport says that Haas has only bought the factory and has no plans to buy the team.

[old man]

Well quite so Viva, that was the understanding behind my comment above because the administrator, having agreed to cancel the sale of assets, must be reasonably confident they have a buyer.

[JeremySmith]

I am just going to go out on a limb ... I think Mr Haas is going to end up owning that team ...

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by old man

I like the thought that it may be Ferrari buying it to run a junior team like Red Bull. They are owed something like £17.5 million if I remember the amount quoted to the court and so could be tempted to do a deal for peppercorn money and get the Bernie dollars.

The thought of Haas running the cars as test mules still appeals to me but perhaps not to him

Just 7 weeks to Melbourne, whoever buys the assets has a rush on

Maybe Ferrari are in the market for the Marussia chassis given the suboptimal job they seem to have managed with chassis the last few years

[bella]

muhahaha, harsh but fair

i don't know what use ferrari would have for a junior team tbh. it's not for training drivers - they have very few of their own and without bianchi it's just marciello who's anywhere near f1. even by verstappen standards

[old man]

Looks like the group of bidders does not include Mr Chilton, Autosport reports he is to test Indycars with Carlin ahead of a possible drive over there in 2016

[fredd1]

Originally Posted by old man

Looks like the group of bidders does not include Mr Chilton, Autosport reports he is to test Indycars with Carlin ahead of a possible drive over there in 2016

Indycar LIGHTS even.

[Mike Harte]

According to an article posted yesterday on the Motorsport dot com website featuring an interview with Guenther Steiner of Haas F1, he confirms that they will be purchasing the Marussia premises (from a third party I believe, not Marusia/Manor) which they will use as their European base for logistical purposes, plus they will be trying to purchase some of Marussia's testing equipment but not a lot.

He strongly denies that they have bought the IP for the Marussia 2015 car, or any other Marussia cars, and echoing what I have written previously, states that he sees no benefit in buying something that will be obsolete the moment that you get it/buy it. The following is a good quote:

“If we build a car just for testing, we spend a lot of money and time but it’s worth nothing because we could be developing at the same time. So we’ll be testing in January ’16 like everyone else.”

The article: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/gu...-move/?v=2&s=1

[wolfhound]

I find Steiner's opinion a bit strange. If I was setting up a new F1 team I would want to know asa much as possible about current F1 thinking, design, planning engineering etc as possible before starting on my own project. One way to do some of that would be to get a good close look at a current F1 car to see how all its systems integrate with each other. If you had a wind tunnel model of a current F1 car along with its design specs, that would be a useful starting point. Having some of the enginneers that worked on it would also be helpful. I am not saying that you might use that cars as the base for a new design but it should help in the overall process if you have a lot of staff who have no current F1 knowledge.

[Paradise City]

Haas has support from Ferrari and he has most of Marrussia's people hasn't he? Input even from a diminished Ferrari supercedes anything that would be accrued from having a Marussia car. I'm non-plussed by this whole will he or will he not buy a Marussia. Either way it's not important.

[bella]

marussia's people are like caterham's people, they're spread across the grid mostly in new jobs now...

[Moneyseeker]

From Daniel Johnson at the Telegraph

Marussia/Manor's administrators will announce today that the team will come out of administration on February 19. Investment on the way.
@danielt_johnson

There have been some rumours that a Honda/McLaren bid for the team may be in play as a McLaren Honda junior team, but whatever, it would have to be a serious and credible investor to halt the auction and lift the team from administration.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

There have been some rumours that a Honda/McLaren bid for the team may be in play as a McLaren Honda junior team,

The return of Super Aguri!

[bella]

if it is a mclaren/junior effort then it's being hidden very well. afaik it's just one guy spearheading the project.

on the other hand the noises coming out of it are very very sensible.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bella

if it is a mclaren/junior effort then it's being hidden very well. afaik it's just one guy spearheading the project.

on the other hand the noises coming out of it are very very sensible.

Here's hoping the right amount of funding arrives from somewhere, to get a pair of cars on the grid in Melbourne!

[JeremySmith]

I do hope this happens ......

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117584

[old man]

I had just read that piece and it says quite firmly that McLaren are not involved

Very good news though

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by old man

I had just read that piece and it says quite firmly that McLaren are not involved

Very good news though

A Mugen project?