Manor has dismissed as "nonsense" rumours it only had the ability to run one car at a time last weekend in Malaysia. The governing FIA and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had reportedly warned the resurrected former Marussia team after Australia that another weekend spent silent in the pits would not be tolerated.
Engines duly fired at Sepang, but only Roberto Merhi actually took to Sunday's grid, as the sister car driven by Will Stevens succumbed to a "fuel system" problem before qualifying that could not be fixed for the race. According to the paddock grapevine, however, there is more to the story.
Ecclestone had slammed as "disgusting" Manor's 2015 campaign so far, amid rumours the team is only showing up at races to collect millions in official prize money it qualified for last season. So after Manor failed to get either car running in Melbourne, the suggestion now is that the team only had the means to run one car at a time in Malaysia.
According to Auto Motor und Sport's Michael Schmidt, that may be because Manor only had a single copy of the 2015 engine software necessary to run last year's customer Ferrari power units. So while it was possible to run one car one at a time in practice, once the parc ferme regulations came into force for qualifying and beyond, one driver - Briton Stevens - was permanently relegated to the pits.
Deputy team boss Graeme Lowdon dismissed the rumours as "nonsense", but Speed Week also reports that Manor is currently little more than a shell of a team, with a mere 30 employees working at Dinnington. But Force India's Bob Fernley, having earlier blocked Manor's attempts to field fully 2014-spec cars this season, confirmed the suspicions of the paddock that running just one car in Malaysia was a "clear strategy" by Manor.
Even Sepang boss Razlan Razali denounced Manor's 2015 campaign so far as a "joke". "If you're not ready, you're not ready, don't participate," he told AFP. "It makes a mockery out of the sport, I think." (GMM)
Manor's one-car Sepang race was a 'clear strategy'
- Published on 02 Apr 2015 09:28
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
What the Verstappen-Red Bull summit really meansMax Verstappen held talks with Red Bull's ownership group in Salzburg this week, a meeting that has reignited spe...
12 Jun 2026 14:19 -
Ferrari's rising star could push Esteban Ocon out of HaasEsteban Ocon's tenure at Haas appears increasingly fragile after just one season, with Ferrari reportedly pushing...
12 Jun 2026 13:17 -
Pérez: 'Only now do people see how good I really am'Sergio Pérez has claimed his performances at Cadillac are finally revealing his true level as a Formula 1 driv...
12 Jun 2026 15:20 -
How Antonelli could rewrite Italian F1 history in BarcelonaAndrea Kimi Antonelli stands on the threshold of Italian Formula 1 history this weekend in Barcelona. The Mercedes dr...
12 Jun 2026 12:16 -
What Antonelli really thinks about the FIA's Red Bull engine rulingMercedes driver and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli has admitted surprise at the FIA's conclusion that ...
12 Jun 2026 16:22
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Driver profile
- Team Marussia
- Points 0
- Podiums 0
- Grand Prix 19
- Country United Kingdom
- Date of b. Jun 28 1991 (34)
- Place of b. Roachford, United Kingdom
- Weight 63 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 3,587 comments on Marussia
1 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Will Stevens
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 509,100 comments on Ferrari
- 283 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Ferrari
Replies (0)
Login to reply