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Will Manor/Marussia still be able to participate in the 2015 Formula 1 season? Caught up in a political and economic imbroglio, the team's future is uncertain. We will therefore pragmatically weigh the pros and cons of committing to the coming season.
Behind the glitz and glamour of the 2015 Formula 1 championship, a silent war is raging over the fate of the British Manor team. Although its name still appears on the list of participants, there is no guarantee that the team will actually be at the start of the season. The club's situation is both precarious and complex, the result of commercial failures, the disappearance of investors, and a legal maze that only a handful of insiders seem able to navigate.
The problems began when the auction of Manor's assets failed, dashing any hopes of a smooth exit and leaving the team on the brink of collapse. Its main financial backer since 2012, the Marussia consortium, withdrew after being unable to finance staff salaries and obtain a long-term Formula 1 license. The same fate befell Caterham, another unlucky team, which managed to compete in the last Grand Prix of 2014 but also failed to attract new investors. Yet Manor refuses to admit defeat. Legal proceedings involving bankrupt entities are notoriously complex, but according to recent rumors, a new investor has stepped in, offering sufficient guarantees for the team to race, at least in part, with last year's car. Negotiations remain shrouded in secrecy, revealing very little information about how the team might actually compete. The situation is further complicated by opposition from the sport's “strategic group,” i.e., the financially dominant teams that, along with Force India, effectively control the direction of the championship. According to some sources, this bloc has blocked Manor's entry, arguing that the team cannot commit to a sustainable multi-year program. While the proposed deal would save hundreds of jobs, some of them newly created according to the anonymous benefactor, its sporting implications are equally controversial. Marussia, one of three newcomers in 2010 alongside Caterham and HRT, showed promising signs but never managed to close the gap on the leading teams. Its only highlight came in Monaco, where Jules Bianchi's talent and a favorable race allowed it to score two points—an exception in a season where the car was generally half a second or more off its closest rivals, even in optimal conditions.
If Manor starts 2015 with a year-old chassis that was already lagging behind in 2014, it will have an uphill battle. The team could use the season to rebuild its finances and, as its backers claim, develop a new car for 2015. In practice, however, the current Formula 1 ecosystem, driven more by economics than pure sport, would likely condemn the British team to a quick exit.
Manor is undeniably one of the most likeable teams in the sport, having gone through a difficult 2014 and built up a loyal fan base. The sport could benefit from a more human and artisanal image, but given the power structures in place, the team's place on the starting grid seems increasingly untenable.
