Marussia F1
The Marussia F1 Team (formerly Virgin Racing ) is a 2009 as Manor Grand Prix founded, UK-based racing team that takes part in the Formula 1 World Championship since the beginning of the 2010 season. Main sponsor and namesake of the team was in the years 2010 and 2011, the British company Virgin. 2011, involved the Russian car manufacturer Marussia to the team that competes since with Russian license. Since the 2012 season, Marussia is the sole namesake 's achievements.
- 2.1 Statistics in Formula 1
- 2.2 All drivers in Formula 1
- 2.3 Results in Formula 1
History
Creation and preparations
Virgin and Marussia is one of the so-called three new teams that made their debut in the Formula 1 2010 season. To them also include HRT and Lotus Racing.
Virgin was founded in 2009 as a joint venture led by the John A. Booth Formula 3 Euro Series team Manor Motorsport and the British technology company Wirth Research. Reason for the foundation was an initiative of the FIA from 2009, which had a reduction of costs in Formula 1 to the target and a budget upper limit for sat. She made the Formula 1 after many years again attractive for new teams. When the FIA then places invited tenders for three more teams to Booth and Wirth competed to take part in the Formula 1 2010 season. On 12 June 2009 the FIA confirmed that in 2010, two places were awarded to Manor Racing for the season.
In summer 2009, the team's preparations began for the new season. John Booth acted as team manager, while Wirth, who had designed racing cars for the teams Simtek and Benetton in the 1990s, the management of the technical department took over. Wirth introduced founded exclusively on Computer Aided Design ( CAD) design philosophy, which called for the small team. When, after one and a half years failed to tangible results, working with Wirth Research was completed in June 2011.
Even before the first race, the team changed its name. After Booth had reached an agreement with Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Group, through a sponsorship of the team, it was called Virgin Racing. On 30 November 2009 FIA confirmed the change of the team name.
Season 2010
The Virgin VR -01 was introduced on February 3, 2010. In the design of the car Nick Wirth confided exclusively on CAD. He performed no wind tunnel tests and limited instead on simulating flow patterns in the computer. No other team was treading this path. Engine supplier Cosworth was the British manufacturer, who supplied alongside the two other new racing stables and the tradition Team Williams. Drivers were the German Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi of Brazil. In addition, the Portuguese GP2 driver Álvaro Parente and Luiz Razia of Brazil were taken as official test driver for the team under contract.
Virgin Racing had to fight in the first race with technical difficulties. The most significant problem was the tank of the VR -01, which was initially sized too small, so the team in any case had to fear for some events, not being able to finish the race. The reason for this Nick Wirth stated erroneous data on the density of the fuel used. At the European races it was Virgin succeeded the tank volume to increase sufficiently. For this purpose, the chassis had to be completely rebuilt which would require prior approval of the FIA. Another problem was partly to thin gauge and verwindungsfreudigen suspension elements of the VR -01.
At the third race of the year, the Malaysian Grand Prix, di Grassi scored the first goal Arrival for Virgin. At the following race, the Grand Prix of China in Shanghai, again failed both vehicles. Due to technical difficulties Glock could not go to the start. At the Grand Prix of Spain finally both Virgin drivers finished the race for the first time; This they succeeded in three other races. However, neither driver was able to retract one championship point. The best result of the team were two 14th places. Since the competitor HRT had even reached a total of three 14 places and Lotus, a twelfth place at the end of the season, Virgin Racing ended the season as the last team debut at position twelve of the constructors' championship.
Season 2011
In the course of the last race of the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi, it was announced that the Russian sports car manufacturer Marussia Motors together with the investor LDC acquires a significant share of the team. Then, the team name was changed to Marussia Virgin Racing, and the team stepped in with the Russian license.
With the new investor in the background, the team possessed in the 2011 season on a budget of 57 million euros. While Glock kept his cockpit, di Grassi had to leave the team. He was replaced by Jérôme D' Ambrosio, who took part in 2010 for Virgin on some Friday practice. Test driver was Robert Wickens.
This in line with the main investor, known as Virgin MVR -02 second car of the team was again developed by Wirth Research. Like its predecessor, designer Nick Wirth renounced here entirely on wind tunnel tests; all tests were simulated only in the computer. Virgin was to be the only team that pursued such a development concept.
The first race of the 2011 season ran problematic. The technical level proved not to be an improvement over the previous year; the team manager 's view, it was even worse in some areas. In addition to that, the MVR -02 was only slightly developed regardless the secured budgets; repeatedly came before it, that newly developed parts brought no improvement in performance.
Although both drivers were able to qualify until the summer regularly, with one exception; but not succeeded the team to catch up on the competing team Lotus Racing. The Virgin driver looked rather increasingly beset by the HRT pilots who had gone with an ill-prepared cars in the new season. Increasingly, managed one of the HRT pilots to position themselves in the starting lineup against Glock and D' Ambrosio. At the Canadian Grand Prix in June 2011 the performance of the team was dropped so far that D' Ambrosio could not qualify on their own; to a race participation came only by way of exception decision of the Race Direction. Especially Timo Glock complained of a lack of driveability of the car and the problematic aerodynamics.
Given the poor performance came Nick Wirth increasing criticism. Both Timo Glock and John Booth demanded from April 2011, the uptake of conventional wind tunnel tests, which Wirth, however, refused to. After the Monaco Grand Prix, where Glock was eliminated due to a suspension failure, Virgin became separated from Wirth Research. New technical director of the team was Pat Symonds. The aim of the separation was to be developed a more successful car in the conventional way for 2012.
In the last race of the season no improvement in athletic performance could be achieved. Lotus, the best of the three teams started in 2010, remained out of reach, HRT, however, had, what the target arrivals were concerned, under control. The Virgin pilots came mostly from the HRT drivers to the finish and reached several 14th and 15th places, which were denied HRT. However, since the HRT Vitantonio Liuzzi pilot ended the Canadian Grand Prix at the 13th rank, took HRT in the team standings at the end of a better position than Virgin. However, this rating reflects the extent the performance conditions applicable not resist, as Liuzzi result in Montréal came under extraordinary racing conditions.
During the season, the team began with a move to Banbury. At the end of the 2011 season, the move should be completed.
Season 2012
Marussia played the 2012 season with the MR01, a developed under the direction of Pat Symonds racing car, which was driven as in previous years by a Cosworth engine. The MR01 was the first car of the team that has been subjected to pre-season aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel. The corresponding experiments were carried out in September 2011. Completion of MR01 was delayed, however. The car was to be presented on March 1, 2012 in Barcelona. Since, however, had passed MR01 at this time only 17 of the 18 required crash tests, further development work was necessary, so that the presentation was held at Silverstone until 5 March 2012. At this time the official tests of the Formula 1 season had already been completed. Therefore, the MR01 appeared at the first race of the season in unerprobtem state.
With the beginning of the season last year pilot D' Ambrosio was replaced by Charles Pic; Timo Glock, however, remained on the team. Test driver was the Spaniard María de Villota.
Glock took a twelfth place at the Singapore Grand Prix, which was temporarily Marussia tenth the constructors' championship in the fall of 2012. Rate this place lost Marussia but at the last race of the year at the Caterham team after its pilot Vitaly Petrov came to the finish in eleventh place in Brazil. At the end Marussia was in eleventh place in the Constructors' World Championship. Thus, the team was able for the first time, to place themselves in front of the Spanish rival HRT. Marussia finished the season with a deficit of 50 million pounds.
A serious incident occurred in July 2012 during test runs on the Imperial War Museum Duxford site. The car of the test pilot María de Villota bounced when traveling straight on the open tailgate of a team vice and de Villota had an accident in the accident difficult. She suffered a fractured skull and lost her right eye.
Season 2013
2013 Marussia denies his fourth Formula 1 season. Marussia is considered the finanzschwächste team this year. At the start of the season the team has a budget of $ 40 million, representing about half of the budget of Toro Rosso. After presentation of John Booth, this budget is not sufficient to deny all races of the season can. The team has to rely on additional donors.
A consequence of the financial problems was the dissolution of the contract with Timo Glock in January 2013 Team Manager Graeme Lowdon said:. "This team is 2013 dependent on the use of two Paydrivern ". Glock was replaced first by Luiz Razia. During the tests, however, the contract was terminated with Razia and Jules Bianchi taken under contract. A second driver is the British debutant Max Chilton, whose father is Deputy Chairman of the U.S. Aon Corporation, which occurs as a sponsor of the racing team.
After the dissolution of the HRT team in late 2012 Marussia is the only Formula 1 racing team, which still uses an eight-cylinder engine from Cosworth. The Marussia MR02 is given the financial difficulties of the team no new development, but only a slightly modified version of the previous model. Marussia used this year, a KERS Williams.
2014 season
2014 Marussia goes with engines from Ferrari at the start. Driver Jules Bianchi continue and Max Chilton.
Facts and Figures
Statistics in Formula 1
Status: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 6, 2014
All drivers in Formula 1
Status: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 6, 2014