(© Ben Johnston 2015)
Formula One Supremo Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that the
Manor Formula One Team will have to pay for the failure to compete in yesterday’s
season opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The team were investigated by the FIA for their failure to
compete however no action was taken as the sport’s governing body found that
the team made ‘all reasonable endeavours’ to get their cars ready to out on
track.
The team were only saved from closure a number of weeks ago
by businessman Stephen Fitzpatrick and former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King. The
team made it out to Melbourne and tried everything in their power to get both
cars fired up and out on track however due to software issues and other problems
they were unable to compete.
Ecclestone now says that the team will face some sort of
financial penalty potentially as they were not charged for getting their
freight to Melbourne and the fact that they did not race.
The team are in line to receive in the region of £50 million
in revenue from last season for collecting two points however has they not
shown up in Australia they would have forfeited any claim to that money.
The team are trying extremely hard to get everything
together in a short time frame according to Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon but
he admitted that it has been a tough challenge. The £50 million that the team
are set to receive would go a long way to clearing their debt the bulk of which
is owed to their engine supplier Ferrari and technical partner McLaren.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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