F1: Doubts regarding Manor make "no logical sense"
Accused by some of deliberately keeping its cars in the garage, the Manor F1 Team claims that quite to the contrary, it is doing all it can to participate in each Grand Prix.
The team, previously known as Marussia, suspended its activities before the end of the 2014 championship. A new investor allowed the outfit to relaunch, although not without some difficulty. Manor was on site for the Australian Grand Prix, but neither car was seen on track for the entirety of the inaugural week-end of the 2015 season. In Malaysia, Roberto Merhi completed the race three laps behind. His teammate Will Stevens never left his side of the garage due to an unresolved fuel supply problem which appeared the previous day. Force India has been very critical towards Manor, which it suspects of presenteeism. Sauber, which also operates on a tight budget, is more sympathetic but nonetheless believes that the situation must not last. The FIA (Fédération internationale de l'automobile) has apparently indicated that it wishes to see both cars on track in Shanghai, during the third round of the 2015 season.
Graeme Lowdon, Manor's Sporting Director, openly admits that there are many technical problems to deal with. But there should be no doubt on the team's will nor its good faith. “We've got a really good bunch of people and they desperately want to be racing. There's no ulterior motive, we're here to race”, he told F1i. Some believe that Manor is doing the strict minimum with its modified 2014 cars, thereby gaining time while its new cars are being built. Or that Manor is only waiting for the payment of its 2014 prize money. “You would hope at least that people can see that this team has a respect for the championship. We do”, Lowdon stated. “We want to be in the championship, we have every right to be in the championship”, he pointed out. “We were 9th in the World Championship last year, we beat two other teams (Sauber and Caterham, ed), and we're here to race.” “There is no other ulterior motive. Why would we not want to run two cars?” “There's just no logical sense”, added Lowdon regarding the theories surrounding Manor. “I just don't understand some of these people.” |
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