so they've gone for extra cooling, intelligent pragmatism from Marussia as I think reliability over speed is the way to go for those at the back. It may have been a bit of a joke but I agree with what BLS said, and others agreed with, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Mild Max trundle his way to some points a few times this season.
Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF12m McLaren rear wing support, extra cooling inlet in roll hoop and triple vanes by sidepods #MR03 pic.twitter.com/g8xq3oTMPl please log in to view this image Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF13m Here more of that nose and the odd panel along the edge of the chassis #MR03 pic.twitter.com/Qr3J19iMKb please log in to view this image
I like this car. It's a simple design but it looks solid, the sort of thing that won't give them aero inconsistencies or reliability problem. Pat Symonds designed the early models of this car so it should be a decent car. Rear packaging is nice and clean: please log in to view this image Although they are missing a couple of things: please log in to view this image
Am sure the DRS and other accessories will find thier way on for Bahrain. They probably jsut prioritised getting the car to the test so it would run so weren't too bothered about things that can be added later. Provided the car is a reasonable step up from last year I can see them scoring points.
[h=3]Marussia MR03 Launch Analysis[/h] Having entered the sport in 2010 as Virgin Racing the teams Manor Motorsport DNA is still present within the teams makeup, even though the team has passed through several changes and now races under the Marussia moniker. With promises of a 40m budget cap tossed aside the team from Banbury set about making a name for themselves in the sport irrespective. With undoubtedly the smallest budget on the grid and for 2013 the only car to use the Cosworth engine you'd have expected them to be at the back. Utilizing KERS from Williams however the team made massive strides and on several occasions upset the Caterham apple cart. Retaining both Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi for 2014 was probably motivated by connections and funding but is nevertheless a smart move anyway. It gives them much continuity something a minnow and frankly underfunded team require to make the step up to the midfield battle. Their cause will of course be helped in 2014 as they forge a new alliance with Ferrari who'll supply them with their new powerunit (including ERS) and powertrain (8 speed gearbox) which although is more expensive option means the team wont be required to put in the level of development input they did to keep the Cosworth engine relatively competitive or the work to integrate their own suspension with the X-Trac gearbox. Having lost the technical input of Pat Symonds to Williams will have come as a blow but they won't forget the lessons and planning/infrastructure he put in motion. I look forward to seeing firstly how the MR03 looks and furthermore the development the team are able to chase in 2014. Backs up the thought that its a very tidy car
