Manor Motorsport and Wirth Research initially formed Manor Grand Prix to enter Formula One in 2010. Richard Branson's Virgin Group acquired 80% of the team, leading to its rebranding as Virgin Racing. The team debuted with cars designed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology, bypassing traditional wind tunnel testing, an approach that met with limited success. Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi were the drivers in 2010. The team finished twelfth in the Constructors' Championship in both 2010 and 2011, failing to score any points. During the 2011 season, Marussia Motors purchased a 40% stake, and the team was renamed Marussia Virgin Racing. Jerome D'Ambrosio replaced Lucas di Grassi for the 2011 season. The team split from Wirth Research after the 2011 season due to the CFD-only development method not delivering desired results.
For the 2012 season, the team was rebranded as Marussia F1 Team and began using a wind tunnel for car development. Timo Glock and Charles Pic were the drivers. The team's MR01 car was initially the only one on the grid without a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). In 2012, the team battled Caterham for tenth place in the Constructors' Championship, a position that carried significant prize money. Despite a strong twelfth-place finish for Glock in Singapore, Vitaly Petrov in the Caterham overtook Charles Pic in Brazil, causing Marussia to finish twelfth in the standings, behind Caterham.
In 2013, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi drove for Marussia. The team initially signed Luiz Razia, but he was released due to sponsorship issues, leading to Bianchi's late signing. Bianchi's early season performance, including a thirteenth-place finish in Malaysia, helped secure tenth place in the Constructors' Championship for Marussia, ahead of Caterham. This achievement brought crucial additional revenue for the 2014 season.
The 2014 season saw Marussia retain Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton and secure a Ferrari engine partnership. Bianchi scored the team's first and only championship points at the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing ninth after a penalty. This result again secured tenth place in the Constructors' standings, ahead of Sauber and Caterham. However, at the Japanese Grand Prix, Bianchi suffered severe head injuries in a crash, which proved fatal in July 2015. Following the crash, the team entered administration and missed the final Grands Prix of the season. Despite financial difficulties, the team maintained its tenth-place standing in the Constructors' Championship.
After an uncertain period, a restructuring plan allowed the team to emerge from administration in mid-February 2015. The team was renamed Manor Marussia F1 Team and aimed to compete with a modified 2014 chassis. Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens were signed as drivers, both bringing financial backing. The team missed the season-opening Australian Grand Prix due to software issues but participated in the second round in Malaysia. The team finished last in the Constructors' Standings in 2015.
Ahead of the 2016 season, the team rebranded as Manor Racing MRT and secured a new engine partnership with Mercedes. Dave Ryan was appointed team principal in December 2015, with Nikolas Tombazis and Pat Fry joining in January 2016. Pascal Wehrlein, the 2015 DTM champion and a Mercedes junior driver, and Rio Haryanto were announced as drivers. The team's new car featured a red, white, and blue livery. Wehrlein scored the team's first and only point of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix by finishing tenth, placing Manor in a strong position for championship prize money. Mid-season, Esteban Ocon replaced Haryanto due to sponsorship difficulties. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Sauber's point finish pushed Manor out of contention for crucial championship prize money. Team owner Stephen Fitzpatrick revealed ongoing negotiations with potential investors, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The team entered administration in early January 2017 and officially closed its doors, withdrawing from the sport despite having paid the entry fee for the 2017 season.
The team's journey from Virgin Racing to Manor Racing reflects the volatile nature of Formula 1 for teams with limited budgets. Tragic events marked the team's legacy, including test driver María de Villota's serious injuries in a 2012 testing accident and Jules Bianchi's fatal injuries in 2014. Despite efforts to remain competitive and secure financial investment, Manor Racing could not secure its place in F1 beyond the 2016 season.
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