[Team] Marussia - what next?

[chillibowl]

do they pay for it or deduct it against their future earnings?

although i suppose that amounts to the same thing.

asinine that they exclude one team though. just have 10 teams otherwise compensate number 11 in the event you will need them in the future when a top 10 team drops out.

[goingjag]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

asinine that they exclude one team though. just have 10 teams otherwise compensate number 11 in the event you will need them in the future when a top 10 team drops out.

I agree chillibowl. Actually I was sort of thinking it should be the other way round. Top 2 place teams don't need the help, they are rolling in the points money at year end. They should provide shipping support from last forward dropping the first 2.

[bella]

to give you an idea on shipping cost, i got a quotation from my usual (affordable) company to ship about 4 tonnes of stuff that covered a footprint vaguely similar to that of a couple of racing cars and one of their air freight containers worth of bits. uk to a slightly obscure airport in china, door to door, £18k. that was on a week or so leadtime.

exporting from the uk doesn't tend to be too bad, but the difficult bit is importing back to the uk. that's where the significant cost (and time, sometimes, if you've got quite a large thing to ship) comes from. one would hope they'd be able to at least get the normal air freight on air bernie on the way back though.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I don't think that it would have the same implications as that, but I must admit that I might be a little disquieted about having to drive that car. However, having said that, how many times have we seen cars being returned to the paddocks in what we might consider to be "write-off" condition during practice or qualifying, for it to appear later that day or the next in pretty well perfect race condition.

Going somewhat ever further off topic, I do wonder about the rule that stipulates that the teams can only take one chassis to the test sessions. It would not really increase their costs if they were to have two cars available, as long as they were absolutely identical in structure and set up, with the second only to be used in the event of mechanical mishap or serious accidental damage. When one considers that one of the most expensive single commodities for some of the teams is their drivers, what is the point of them having to sit around not earning their keep for hours on end because of something that is not in their control.

Thanks for that Mike. I'd been wondering why teams hadn't taken a couple of cars with them to the recent tests. As you say, whilst one is being repaired or modified, they could carry on running the other gaining valueable data and stopping their pilot from getting bored.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bella

to give you an idea on shipping cost, i got a quotation from my usual (affordable) company to ship about 4 tonnes of stuff that covered a footprint vaguely similar to that of a couple of racing cars and one of their air freight containers worth of bits. uk to a slightly obscure airport in china, door to door, £18k. that was on a week or so leadtime.

exporting from the uk doesn't tend to be too bad, but the difficult bit is importing back to the uk. that's where the significant cost (and time, sometimes, if you've got quite a large thing to ship) comes from. one would hope they'd be able to at least get the normal air freight on air bernie on the way back though.

Presumably the mysterious freight may bnot fly back to the UK, instead heading to the next round of the tour...

[GTRMagic]

The Marussia FB page confirms the team is on track to participate... In Melbourne

[bella]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Thanks for that Mike. I'd been wondering why teams hadn't taken a couple of cars with them to the recent tests. As you say, whilst one is being repaired or modified, they could carry on running the other gaining valueable data and stopping their pilot from getting bored.

by running one can they can do day and night shifts with the mechanics and engineers, plus to be honest it's hard enough for most teams to build one car in time for the test, let alone two. keeping it to one car does at least level the playing field between the big guys and the little dudes.

[Tucky]

Will Stevens' lucky he's getting the drive this year because he wouldn't qualify next year. Could be the last F1 driver where money makes all the difference.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Tucky

Could be the last F1 driver where money makes all the difference.

Hardly - money will still make the difference, drivers may just need to spend an extra year or two in lower formula racking up the necessary points towards their superlicence.

[old man]

Originally Posted by old man

The Autosport piece is perhaps more direct in suggesting it has actually spoken to someone in Ferrari and the authors are regular, respected F1 journalists.

Personally I read it with more optimism but would be surprised if they had much better race results for a while. For Ferrari to be making these statements and agreeing the voluntary deal they must see some prospect of getting paid. I am interested to see who turn out to be the drivers, my guess is Will Stevens for one

[m355y]

Hmm. I really, really hope Manor make it to Melbourne and re-establish themselves. If they manage to do the full season it will be a remarkable 'from the ashes' thing, obviously having to build their 2015 car so quickly and using the old engine they're hardly going to be up front but just seeing them on the grid will be great.

With the Ferrari deal I kind of expected them to get Vergne and Gutierrez on loan. In fact I thought that was the obvious lineup, so Stevens is a slight curveball. Bet Chilton wishes he'd stuck around a bit longer now.

[old man]

All will become clear when/if the members of the consortium backing Manor are known.

Sadly Bert Mk2 is correct IMO. F1 runs on money and so long as major team sponsorship is not obtained the finance must come either from or through the the drivers, as in all other sectors. The F1 problem is the budgets are so much larger than other sectors of racing so many aspiring professionals now make the effort for touring car or sports/gt racing. We have always had a number of drivers in F1 there because they have budget resources but in the present climate it is a greater proportion.

The new licence requirements are however a good thing for the feeder series

[Casper]

Don't they have to crash test this car?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Casper

Don't they have to crash test this car?

They'll have to crash test their 2015 car - I assume if they're starting the season with a new nose on the 2014 car then they don't need a crash test as that's already passed (assuming the test for the tub hasn't changed for this year).

[mikuni]

Nah all the teams (officially only FI) said they won't let a 2014 car race, so it has to be a new 2015 car, hence Manor's dilemma.

Could they put the cars and their gear in the flight, but still work on a third chassis to crash test in the interim? The makes the huge assumption that they will pass in the first attempt

[Casper]

Originally Posted by mikuni

Nah all the teams (officially only FI) said they won't let a 2014 car race, so it has to be a new 2015 car, hence Manor's dilemma.

Could they put the cars and their gear in the flight, but still work on a third chassis to crash test in the interim? The makes the huge assumption that they will pass in the first attempt

14 days to go, pigs are never going to fly that high.

[csirl]

Originally Posted by mikuni

Nah all the teams (officially only FI) said they won't let a 2014 car race, so it has to be a new 2015 car, hence Manor's dilemma.

This is not strictly true. When its been reported that the teams won't let Manor run a 2014 race car, what it actually meant by this is that they would not agree to a proposal to allow Manor to run a car which conforms to 2014 rules. Like all teams, Manor can run any car, built at any time, which complies with 2015 rules.

Assuming the crash test rules are the same in 2015 as 2014 and assuming that any changes to the 2014 car do not impact on the validity of the crash test, a team can use the 2014 car in 2015 without re-doing the test.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by csirl

This is not strictly true. When its been reported that the teams won't let Manor run a 2014 race car, what it actually meant by this is that they would not agree to a proposal to allow Manor to run a car which conforms to 2014 rules. Like all teams, Manor can run any car, built at any time, which complies with 2015 rules.

Assuming the crash test rules are the same in 2015 as 2014 and assuming that any changes to the 2014 car do not impact on the validity of the crash test, a team can use the 2014 car in 2015 without re-doing the test.

This is a red herring!

The rules/regulations concerning the construction of the cars has been amended, partly as a result of the Bianchi accident, and we are all aware (or should be) of that fact. Therefore when we have been discussing the fact that Manor will not be allowed to run the 2014 car by other teams, we are aware that the 2014 car does not comply to the 2015 rules/regulations.

[steve nielsen]

Belgian media reporting that Stoffel Vandoorne might get the 2nd seat.

[wolfhound]

I have seen one or two comments from reputable jouralists that there may be strong chance that Honda engines could end up in the back of the Manor cars. If Vandoorne is being linked to a drive with and his strong McLaren links it could add fuel to that fire.

[bella]

which belgian media is it?

(just wondering whether to take it seriously and start fangirling or not )

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by bella

which belgian media is it?

(just wondering whether to take it seriously and start fangirling or not )

several

http://www.demorgen.be/sport/weer-ee...anor-a2232644/

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20150226_01550746

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/923/Sport/a...je-Manor.dhtml

[marcel82]

or for the french-speaking:
http://www.dhnet.be/sports/f1/biento...70c187a8a5323d

[GTRMagic]

Can Honda actually support 2 teams, when their unlimited budget one cant get the running right, let alone a privateer

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Data coming back from 4 cars in race conditions in comparison to what they are getting now would be invaluable.

Right now Manor just need to be turning up in order to get the finances up and flowing again especially until Bernie opens the his wallet for last years money.

Laps and race positions would be bonus, in the same way as the extra Honda data would be too.