Apr.9 (GMM) Manor is reportedly looking to get a 2015 car up and running later this season.
Newly resurrected after the Marussia collapse, the British backmarker failed to run at all in Australia and then struggled for laps and pace in Malaysia.
Now in China, Manor knows its current car – the 2014 machine hurriedly modified for this year’s rule tweaks – will once again struggle to comply with the 107 per cent qualifying rule.
Reports suggest work is underway on a 2015 car.
“Thanks to our first full race distance at Sepang,” said John Booth in Shanghai, “we’ve been able to use the data gathered there to get our 2015 development programme underway”.
Manor has reappointed Roberto Merhi for the Chinese grand prix, while Will Stevens is hoping to make the grid for the very first time in 2015 this weekend, having sat out Sunday in Malaysia.
“It’s been good to have the data from Roberto’s race there (in Malaysia) for the team to work with and I’m hoping that we can start to get into a good rhythm from this weekend,” he said.