- Marussia
Defiant Marussia still targeting return in 2015
Marussia insists it can return to the grid despite the F1 Strategy Group attempting to deny it entry to the 2015 championship on Thursday.
After missing the final three races of 2014 and a winter of uncertainty, Marussia is exiting administration with the aim of racing this year. The team still has an entry under the Manor Racing name and will be entitled to prize money if it can make the grid.
However, the development of its 2015 car was put on hold when it went into administration and if it is to make next month's Australian Grand Prix it would have to run its 2014 car. In order to do so it requires the unanimous agreement of its rivals, but appeared to fall at the first hurdle when Force India - the first to vote on the F1 Strategy Group - felt there was not sufficient evidence of its future plans to support its return.
But Marussia claims it was granted permission by the F1 Stratgey Group on January 5 to run a 2014 car complying with all the 2015 technical regulations with the exception of Articles 3.7.9, 15.4.3, 15.4.4 and 16.2, and has confirmed it has a car that can do so. It is also planning to run its 2015 car as soon as possible.
Graeme Lowdon, a representative of the team, said: "It has been a very good step to finally get the CVA process underway this week. This is the first external sign that we have been able to make of all the hard work that has taken place privately over the past four months to get us to our current position.
"I was surprised to hear some of the comments made today, particularly regarding an application we were said to have made to yesterday's meeting, which I can confirm was not the case. We did make a request on 17 December last year and we have been working since to satisfy the requirements subsequently communicated to us, specifically complying with all the Regulations, aside from the exempted articles.
"The comments also mentioned that issues of compliance were raised, that it was felt that our application lacked substance and contained no supporting documentation to reinforce the case for offering special dispensation. Again, we did not make any application to yesterday's Strategy Group meeting and nor were we asked to.
"Instead, we are proceeding with our clear process regarding compliance and building our operation. We are doing everything possible to adhere to the process set out for us to return to the 2015 grid. This is a fantastic good news story for the whole sport and we just want to go racing."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
