Pat Symonds, who had rejoined Marussia as a consultant in 2011 after a suspension arising from the 2009 race-fixing controversy, took an active hand in the MR02's development after his ban was lifted at the end of 2012. His most consequential decision was to abandon the exclusive reliance on computational fluid dynamics that former chief designer Nick Wirth had established with the VR-01 and MVR-02. Instead, the MR02 was developed using conventional scale models and wind tunnel work, with CFD retained as a supplementary tool. Marussia formalised this shift by entering a technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies, gaining access to the McLaren wind tunnel.
The MR02 was the first Marussia car to feature a Kinetic Energy Recovery System since the technology was reintroduced in 2011. The KERS unit was sourced from Williams F1 and was based on the design Williams had employed when they were a Cosworth customer in 2011. The car was also launched with a partial Coanda-effect exhaust system, a concept refined by several leading teams during 2012 that used the curvature of the bodywork to direct exhaust gases over the rear diffuser and increase downforce.
The MR02 made its race debut at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, where Bianchi and Chilton qualified 19th and 20th — ahead of both Caterham drivers Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, establishing an immediate competitive advantage over the team's closest rival. Bianchi finished 15th, one lap behind winner Kimi Räikkönen; Chilton completed the race 17th, two laps down.
The Malaysian Grand Prix showcased the car's relative competitiveness among the tail-end teams. Bianchi took advantage of a rash of retirements to finish 13th overall, again ahead of the Caterhams. This pattern persisted across multiple rounds: the MR02 consistently out-qualified and out-finished Caterham, cementing the team's hold on the unofficial tenth-place position in the Constructors' Championship — the highest a non-points scorer can claim.
Technical updates arrived at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both drivers again finished ahead of the Caterham pair. Charles Pic qualified ahead of both Marussias in Bahrain, but Bianchi's earlier 13th place in Malaysia protected the team's standings position.
At season's end, Marussia finished tenth in the Constructors' Championship with no points, ahead of Caterham on a superior finishing record — the same metric that had decided the contest a year earlier.
Jules Bianchi was the team's primary development force, consistently extracting the maximum from the MR02 and outpacing Chilton throughout the year. Luiz Razia had originally been contracted to drive alongside Bianchi but was replaced before the season began, with Chilton stepping in. Chilton went on to complete every race of the season without retirement — a record for a Formula One rookie at the time.
The MR02 closed a chapter in Formula One history as the final Cosworth-powered car to race at the top level, ending a supplier relationship with the sport that stretched back to 1967. Its 2013 season also demonstrated what Marussia could achieve with conventional aerodynamic development tools, laying the groundwork for the more ambitious MR03 and the team's eventual first points finish in 2014. Bianchi's performances in the MR02 confirmed his reputation as a genuine talent, earning him the attention that would lead to his promotion to Ferrari the following year.