Will Marussia F1 be the suprise package next season?

[John S]

Pat Symonds is now flat out 7 days a week, says John Booth.                 

The most telling bit of Booth's comments, for me, is "Pat has been building a design team that none of us could have put together, that's for sure." Now who wants to bet against the silver haired ex Renault tech chief? 

Despite being unable to actively assist Virgin Racing in the Formula 1 paddock, Pat Symonds is currently working ‘flat out’ on the team’s new design at its Banbury factory.

 With the former Renault technical head serving a ban for his involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix race-fixing scandal, he has not been allowed to aid the squad at races, instead opting to fully exploit his office role ahead of the upcoming season.

"It's great to just pop in and see Pat (at the factory)," Team Principal John Booth told Reuters. "Instead of sending an e-mail and waiting for a reply I can walk around the corner and have a five minute conversation and get information that would take 20 e-mails.

 "We can't call him Technical Director at the moment so he is a Technical Advisor. But he's working seven days a week there, he's absolutely flat out. Having Pat there has enabled us to attract the right design team. Pat has been building a design team that none of us could have put together, that's for sure."

 The Virgin outfit will be renamed Marussia F1 from the 2012 campaign onwards, with Symonds' ban set to be lifted by governing body the FIA at the end of the year.

GPUpdate.net, 11th Dec.

[Jericoke]

Design is only one part of the equation.

Are they willing to put in the time/effort to build and test parts?  Will they use the modern materials and construction techniques used by the big boys?

I hope so.  (Not that I'm an especially big fan of Symonds or Marussia.  I just like F1 to be tight and competitive.)