From the depths of defeat in 2014 and against all the odds, Manor returned to the 2015 Formula One grid with only a couple of weeks to spare. After the heartbreak of Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident in Suzuka which ultimately was one of the reasons why their 2014 campaign came to a premature end, Manor would take their place on the 2015 grid.
Their revival started on 19 February 2015 where Manor Motorsport’s administrators announced the team had come out of administration and planned to enter the 2015 Formula One season. John Booth and Graeme Lowdon would continue to run the team on a day-to-day basis. This feat was possible thanks to businessman Stephen Fitzpatrick buying the team.
After ending development of their 2015 challenger once they entered administration, questions aroused regarding what car they would use to compete in the 2015 season. The team’s initial request was to compete using their 2014 chassis – which was declined by other Formula One entrants – most notably Force India. Manor started the season with a modified 2015 car which was updated to meet the 2015 regulations and were expected to have a new car specifically for the 2015 regulations ready by the August break.
Manor confirmed Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi as their driver combination for the season. It remained to be seen whether either driver would last the distance as the team would need substantial financial backing to ensure the team stayed afloat.
The opening race in Australia proved to be a sit-out for the team, severe electrical issues meant both cars were unable to take part and failed to complete a single lap. The next race in Malaysia proved more successful for the team as both drivers completed mileage in the MR03B. Despite both cars failing to make the 107% rule in qualifying, the stewards allowed Merhi and Stevens to take part in the race. However, Stevens was unable to leave his garage on race day due to a fuel system problem. Merhi finished his first race in 15th position.
The next four races at China, Bahrain, Spain and Monaco saw both Stevens and Merhi make the chequered flag in each event. Despite being well off the pace, Manor improved their reliability and were in a position to improve the performance of the MR03B.
The teams best result came at the British Grand Prix, in a race of attrition which saw numerous DNFs. Roberto Mehri came home 12th ahead of teammate Will Stevens in 13th. The British Grand Prix also saw Manor bring their first upgrades of the season.
Will Stevens: 0 points – 20th in the Drivers’ Championship
Will Stevens made his Formula One debut at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season for Caterham in their final outing as a team. As a rookie, Stevens has done a solid job and will be aiming to retain his seat at Manor for 2016. Ultimately it is difficult to gauge how quick or how much potential Stevens has but in comparison to his teammate Merhi he has performed very well. Stevens is currently 5-3 up on Mehri in qualifying and when both cars have finished it is 3-3 in the race.
Roberto Merhi: 0 Points – 19th in the Drivers’ Championship
The Spaniard currently sits one place ahead of Stevens in the drivers’ championship after finishing 12th at the British Grand Prix. After struggling in the opening races of the season, Mehri has become more comfortable with the MR03B and this reflects in his recent performances.
Merhi cites the fact he is significantly heavier than Stevens hence the performance disparity between the two. In addition, he says in the early part of the season Stevens had a higher power setting from the Ferrari power unit. Overall, the driver pairing of Stevens and Merhi are very evenly matched albeit slightly uninspiring.
For the remainder of the season, Manor will be hoping to continue to make progress. They will be turning their attention to 2016 and introducing a new car for next year.
Images Courtesy of Manor F1 Team
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