Manor Marussia F1 has announced that it plans to be in Melbourne – and that Briton Will Stevens will be one of the race drivers.
In the light of the team not being permitted to run its 2014 chassis it has worked away quietly to prepare a legal one. It’s understood to carry over much of last year’s car, which is a logical step, given the time constraints.
It had been widely assumed that the team would have to miss the early races before it could be ready.
Intriguingly Marussia appears to have been retained in the team’s name, presumably to avoid the legal complications of dropping it completely in favour of Manor.
The team said: “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.”
It added: “The approval by the Company’s creditors on 19 February 2015 to a Company Voluntary Arrangement paves the way for the team to exit from administration and since that time everyone involved with Manor has been working flat out on the key components of its 2015 challenge.”
Stevens was a Marussia reserve driver before making his F1 debut with Caterham in Abu Dhabi.
He said: “It’s very exciting to see everything coming together at Manor after the tremendous effort that has gone into saving the team. 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.”
Adam Cooper F1 
Good driver choice. he did okay last year, under trying circumstances.
Is this some sort of crazy publicity stunt. Where’s the money coming from? Who’s paying off Ferrari? F1 is in a bad enough state without alowing totaly underfunded teams to come back onto the grid with a cobbled together 2015 spec car.
—it’s okay with me, cuz I remember when most of the grid was just like that.
Teams borrowing parts form each other, cars of dubious construction, teams selling used motor oil for cash.
The fact that Ferrari has come to some kind of consideration regarding engines, brings a smile to my minds eye, as I remember how racing was, at one time.
Fantastic news, although one feels the retention of the name may have been a necessary step to gain the say-so of a certain heel-dragging Russian?
Name retention I believe is solely to home in on the funds they are due for in the most direct possible way. Name change can be fraught and is a distraction here, presently. I think the last team attempting what they are doing may have been that Spanish joke….Hope this turns out better.