Will Caterham and Manor race in Formula 1 in 2015?

For the last few weeks, there has been not of news of Caterham and Manor will race or not in this season in Formula 1. With recent news that the Caterham administrators are discussing with three potential buyers. And with recent news with Manor are in talks with new investors, despite the original team was folded during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend by their administrators.





With both Caterham and Manor went into administration in late October, and both teams missed both US and Brazilian Grand Prixs' last year, while Caterham attend Abu Dhabi Grand Prix via a Crowdfunding scheme.

And with Marussia (Manor) team owing creditors £31.4 million, with Ferrari owed £16.6 million, and McLaren owed £7 million, and HMRC are owed £1 million for outstanding tax and national insurance payments to name a few creditors they own money. While Caterham team has debts of around £15-16 million mark from their previous owners.

Will we see Caterham and Manor race in Formula 1 in 2015? my guess is this Caterham will have the better chance compare to Manor, due to less debt (Caterham £16 million in debt) compare to Manor (£31.4 million). Also, lets just say Manor does wipe-out that amount of debt and uses an updated version of its 2014 race car for this season (as the same with Caterham in that same scenario). But, there is one problem with Manor team, unlike Caterham who have still has a factory, Manor has no factory as Haas F1 team have bought and will use their former factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire in the UK as its European base for its Grand Prix entry in 2016. And so where will the team will prepare the race cars in such short notice.

But according to Bernie Ecclestone, he believes that Manor could be more than likely on the grid next season compared to Caterham, due to the team finish ninth the constructors last season and the money that comes out of the Concorde Agreement.



My final thoughts is this, whoever buy Caterham and Manor still have limit amount of time to buy the team and be on the grid for the start of the season in six weeks time getting the car, drivers and the team ready, that will be tough challenge to conquer. And with history shows back in 2001, Minardi team (now Toro Rosso) were looking more than likely that weren't going to be on the grid for 2001 after Gabriele Rumi who owned the majority of the team, had cancer and died later in mid 2001; he sold his shares in the Minardi team to Paul Stoddart. Six weeks before the start of the 2001 F1 season despite the team had no engine deal or no drivers in place. And after those six weeks Stoddart got an engine deal in place and got two drivers into the team, which includes a young Fernando Alonso. So both teams still got time to get their-selves ready if new owners will be there.



Time will tell if we see Caterham and Manor teams in Formula 1 this season or not.

End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.