Now Marussia?

[lkjohnson1950]

This could change F1 as we know it.

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/marussia-will-not-race-formula-one-us-grand-prix-austin-field-will-be-just-18

[Scott]

What?  How do you say 'Breach of Contract'?  Isn't it Bernie's guarantee to promoters that he supply a field of 20 cars? 

But really, what bothers me most about the story is this '...struggling to find a necessary cash injection to ship its cars and equipment from the U.K. for the trek to America'

What?  They can't find the money to pay the bills of Air Bernie??  Does he require the money up front or something?  If anyone would be in a position to forgive an invoice, it would be Bernie.   

But also, I thought Bernie paid the transport for the flyaway races - it is him after all that is causing so many races to be fly-away.

I find it really sad considering all they've been through that they won't be in the USA for the race.  I hope they can make it to Brasil, but I suppose there isn't much chance of that either.

[cosworth151]

Sorry to see Marussia go. For the obvious reason, I've always liked them. It looks like it's almost a given that neither team will make it to Interlagos. F1 is starting to shed teams almost as quickly as TUSCC.

Isn't it Bernie's guarantee to promoters that he supply a field of 20 cars? 

Well, if you count the Safety Car & the Medical Car.......

[Irisado]

The rule is that if there are fewer than 20 cars on the grid, teams must field a third car.  Quite how many teams need to field a third car has never been made clear, so far as I know.

This is really desperate.  Formula 1 cannot go on like this.  If the small teams cannot pay the freight bill of all things, then the way in which Formula 1's money is distributed is seriously flawed.  Marussia has done well this season, and stand to finish ninth in the championship, yet that's still not enough to keep them going?  This is a serious independent racing team.  Teams like this should be in Formula 1.

The end of this season is really starting to look very depressing what with teams being forced out on top of Bianchi's accident.

[John S]

What?  How do you say 'Breach of Contract'?  Isn't it Bernie's guarantee to promoters that he supply a field of 20 cars? 

I'm thinking the guarantee must be the other way round and is from the FIA to Bernie, not necessarily promoters. After all the FIA controls the entries and is really the only one who can put the 3 car rule in place as a longer term back up plan. It's all covered in the Concorde agreement but most of us never get to see the detail - so who really knows. 

However it is much reported that the 3 car rule requires teams to be given a minimum 60 days notice, so couldn't help in this circumstance anyway. 

Seems yet another rumour, dismissed as absolutely crazy when first aired by former Williams boss Adam Parr, of a 3 car season in 2015 is shaping up.   

[Jericoke]

Seems yet another rumour, dismissed as absolutely crazy when first aired by former Williams boss Adam Parr, of a 3 car season in 2015 is shaping up. 

So Ferrari will run Kimi, Fernando and Seb?

THAT will be fun to watch.

[Scott]

Oh, so this was the grand plan Alonso was talking about.  He had it all worked out...Caterham and Marussia going insolvent. 

[Dare]

Maybe running one car at Russia wasn't as
good as gesture as it appeared

[Scott]

I wonder if some of Marussia's funding was based on Bianchi being in the race seat.

[cosworth151]

That could well be the case. I just looked at a picture of Bianchi's car at Suzuka. The only corporate name in large letters was Marussia. Caterham & Sauber are also suffering from the dreaded "blank flanks."