Wirth says Manor F1 car is on schedule

[John S]

Looks like there will be at least one new team on the grid next year then. Manor appear to be working within the lower budget by leaving out wind tunnel testing, only time will tell if this is a sensible course. Any guesses about drivers? - I reckon Rubens or Kovi may be in the frame.

By Steven English and Michele Lostia, Today, Autosport

Manor Grand Prix's first chassis should be completed by the end of November and testing at the beginning of February, according to designer Nick Wirth.

Manor has formed a partnership with the Wirth Research company and Wirth is confident that his design of the team's 2010 F1 car is progressing well.

"We are already assembling components on a mock-up chassis, the first real chassis is being built and should be ready in four or five weeks' time," Wirth told Autosprint.

"I'm very satisfied with the way crash tests are going and therefore I predict that the first car will be able to start running on the track at the beginning of February."

Wirth admits that Manor is likely to be at the back of the grid to begin with, but believes the changes to the regulations next year will give the team an opportunity to move forward.

"We'll start from the back but we hope to be in front of the other new teams, then we'll begin to put pressure on the consolidated teams," he said.

"The new regulations this year have mixed things up compared to 2008 and next year the rules will again be very different, and will require cars just as different - particularly with regards to the larger fuel tanks, heavier weight, tyres, aerodynamics...

"This set of changes should not be underestimated because it means there will still be room for surprises.

"If the 2010 rules were the same as this year, I would have been very worried, instead I'm a lot less so."

He confirmed that the car would be entirely designed and constructed without using a wind tunnel.

"We use no wind tunnels. We are developing the aerodynamics completely on the computer with the CDF system. We won't do even one day in the wind tunnel, not even for a check."

Manor GP is set to confirm a commercial partnership with Virgin next month and Wirth says that driver announcements could follow shortly afterwards.

"We'll soon announce our commercial partner and, I think, also the drivers, since many have shown sizable interest in doing a programme with our team," he said.

[Scott]

I really hope one of the three newbies announces soon that they can't make it so Sauber can be saved.

[FW14B]

I think it is a given that at least one team won't make it for next year.  Sauber deserve a place due to having the infrastructure in place through being an existing team.  Crazy.

[Scott]

But like Theissen said, he doesn't have the luxury of waiting until one of them doesn't show up in March.  He must know now.  He needs to be negotiating with sponsors and drivers and to begin work on next years car already.  The FIA has absolutely destroyed next season for Sauber by giving the three spots away to others.

[Jericoke]

No wind tunnel?

Look, I believe in computers as much as the next girl, but...  no wind tunnel!? 

Without on track testing, that sounds downright dangerous to put a car on a grid of 26 (28 I hope) other drivers, not to mention stewards, technical crew and fans, having no idea what will happen in real life.

[Dare]

I'm with you Scotty.I always liked the old Peter Sauber
more than the Sauber BMW

[FW14B]

Scotty, there is no doubt here, I agree with you, Sauber should have been given a few more days instead of the FIA going trigger happy and giving 'Lotus' a spot.  The team is already racing this year for goodness sake.  Any sensible governing body would give an existing team more time to sort itself out than appoint some team that is really fairly unknown in terms of how it will be ready for 2010.  Perhaps this is Max's parting shot at Theisen?  I am sure Mario had a few digs about him over the years, so who knows?  I wouldn't put anything past the FIA.