Manor Marussia's Bosses Are Rumoured to Be Quitting

[Irisado]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/34682961

This has yet to be confirmed, but it looks ominous to me.  I cannot, on the face of it, understand why they're leaving.  I guess there has probably been some kind of falling out with the owners.  I am concerned that this is going to have a very detrimental impact on their performance next year.

[Jericoke]

I know nothing about the situation, but running a perennial bottom feeder team can't be fun.  If they don't see hope of progress, they can probably find more meaningful (and profitable) employment in 'lesser' series.

F1 drivers move on all the time, as do executives.  Whatever Wolff thinks, they've been at their jobs longer than he's been at his:  and with considerably less support than he enjoys.

[Irisado]

I doubt that it's because they're not having fun.  They're both in Formula 1 for the love of racing, as Gian Carlo Minardi used to be, so it's likely to be something else that we don't yet know about.

[John S]

F1 drivers move on all the time, as do executives.  Whatever Wolff thinks, they've been at their jobs longer than he's been at his:  and with considerably less support than he enjoys.

Wolff has been in motor racing a long time Jeri, like the Manor boys working in other series, and he would probably know about the pending departures - if that's what it becomes - because of Manor's new engine contract with Merc. 

I too suspect there is something behind the scenes that we are not party to, be really sad if true racers are replaced with corporate bean counters a la Sauber.   

[John S]

More info on the Manor resignations story from Grandprixtimes.com :-

However it's believed they have grown unhappy with the direction Fitzpatrick is taking the team, with Motorsport reporting that Fitzpatrick has declined financial support from outside investors interested in buying into the team.

Both Lowdon and Booth are keen to secure extra investment to ensure the team can realise its potential, something they have questioned under Fitzpatrick's sole ownership.

This seems to open the way for Pascal Wehrlein to be in one of the Manor cars next year - a Merc B team like Haas/Ferrari - I mean how else are they gonna pay the engine bill with no fresh investment? 

Plus it now seems Bob Bell is jumping ship as well. Of course this could have more to do with Renault's planned takeover at Enstone rather than just the internals at Manor.

http://master.motorsport.com/f1/news/bob-bell-joins-exodus-from-manor-f1/?v=2&s=1

[Jericoke]

I doubt that it's because they're not having fun.  They're both in Formula 1 for the love of racing, as Gian Carlo Minardi used to be, so it's likely to be something else that we don't yet know about.

Minardi got tired of being a bottom feeder too.

If they truly love racing, why would they stick with a team that has no genuine plan to succeed?  They see what Manor's future is, and it's not going to be better soon.  Why not go somewhere else and crank out a few podiums, for the love of racing?

[Alianora La Canta]

I doubt that it's because they're not having fun.  They're both in Formula 1 for the love of racing, as Gian Carlo Minardi used to be, so it's likely to be something else that we don't yet know about.

Minardi got tired of being a bottom feeder too.

If they truly love racing, why would they stick with a team that has no genuine plan to succeed?  They see what Manor's future is, and it's not going to be better soon.  Why not go somewhere else and crank out a few podiums, for the love of racing?

Gian Carlo Minardi didn't get tired of running a bottom-feeder. He simply ran out of cash to fund it. Paul Stoddart confirmed later that there was no way the team could have got to Australia 2001 without someone buying them, and he'd had to pay $1 m before buying the team, simply to stave off enough bailiffs for the team to exist long enough to hand over the papers.

Paul let Gian Carlo Minardi stick around during his reign because he was good at inspiring people on the factory floor, but Red Bull had their own ideas about how to manage things, which was why Gian Carlo Minardi left when Minardi became Toro Rosso. (Now Paul Stoddart did get tired of running a bottom-feeder, largely due to stupid politics at the team/FIA level).

If John Booth and Graeme Lowdon see no chance of improvement for Manor under the current ownership, then given they no longer have any influence over it, walking away is the best option. Perhaps they can re-establish a junior team again (before Manor joined F1, it had been a major contributor to the feeder formulae). It is, however, quite the indictment of Stephen Fitzpatrick and his associates given how optimistic John and Graeme generally are.

[Irisado]

Minardi got tired of being a bottom feeder too.

As Alianora says, he didn't.  Her assessment of what happened is spot on.  If you want to know more, I'd encourage you to read 'Forza Minardi'.  It's a great book about the history of the Minardi Grand Prix team, although it does focus a bit too much on the Stoddart period at the expense of what came before.

If they truly love racing, why would they stick with a team that has no genuine plan to succeed?  They see what Manor's future is, and it's not going to be better soon.  Why not go somewhere else and crank out a few podiums, for the love of racing?

Neither Booth nor Lowden have been mentioned in connection with other teams.  They are the race team bosses, but they cannot manage the team as they wish to because the owner is not taking on additional investment, and so they're probably quitting because they feel powerless to stop the team from possibly going under.  That's my theory.

[lkjohnson1950]

Alia is always spot on. We depend on her.