F1: Minnows Caught

It was always going to happen.  This morning Marussia F1 announced that the team, part of the Formula One World Championship since 2010, has ceased operation.  Optimistically, an entry for the 2015 Season remains under the name "Manor Racing", but it seems unlikely that we'll see them again, under any name.

It appears that their cohorts, Caterham F1 Team, are on their way out as well.  Both teams were granted permission to miss the USGP last weekend and The Brazilian GP this weekend. 

I feel bad for the people involved.  Formula One is exciting, romantic and, when it's really good, intoxicating.  Above all else, though, it's expensive.  When Marussia (neé Manor, Virgin), Caterham (neé Lotus) and Hispania (neé Campos) began participating in 2010 there had been firm handshakes and assuring nods promising a spending cap would soon be in place to help level the playing field and ensure the survival of all of the F1 teams.  As we now know, any serious chatter about a spending cap was scuppered by the Big Three Teams (allegedly) and, with that, the eventual demise of these three young teams was all but assured. (Yes, a limit on spending is scheduled to be introduced for the 2015 season; believe it when it actually occurs.)

Marussia, especially, has had a rough go the last month or so, their most well known setback being the appalling wreck suffered by their driver, Jules Bianchi, which very nearly killed him, and still might, as he remains in grim condition in a Japanese hospital not far from where his accident occurred.  Less newsworthy but of even greater significance, business-wise, was the withdrawal of Marussia's main source of funds, Russian businessman Andrey Cheglakov; once the chequered flag dropped at the inaugural Russian GP so did Cheglakov's interest in Formula One.  (They might have known; Minardi was practically ruined by the failure of Russian "backers" to actually deliver any funds at all.)  Even if Marussia had been able to remain afloat until the end of this racing season it's unlikely that even the empty promise of spending limits for 2015 and beyond would have saved the day.

Before today I might have included Caterham in this camp of unlucky, perhaps overambitious and generally shat-upon by the "have" teams in F1, but not after today's revelation that Caterham have launched a crowdfunding project to attempt to raise sufficient funds to participate in the final race of this season, two weeks from now. Yeah, right.  The official press release pitches this appeal as a means to aid Caterham's "comeback" and to allow the team to continue racing on a permanent basis; who do they think they're kidding?
The Caterham team was alleged to have been sold to a group of Middle Eastern businessmen (there's that word again) last month but, evidently, that deal either didn't go through or the new owners are just...shady.  This is a rich man's sport, fellas, and to go around with one's hat in hand, asking for $3.7 million to enable the team to complete one more race is laughable and should be bloody embarrassing.  I can just imagine what the money would actually go toward, too, as Caterham reel off a token effort, pay some bills and disappear forever. 

It's a pity.  I, and countless other racing fans, really did want these teams to thrive.  Bianchi's ninth-place finish and 2 World Championship Points marked the first points earned by any of the three teams that joined in 2010.  Five seasons, three teams, two points.  Yeah, it's harder than it looks, right?  Looking ahead, here's hoping that Gene Haas has his eyes wide open as he embarks on his own F1 adventure, beginning in 2016.  Hey, by then Ferrari and McLaren will have found a way to veto the proposed spending cap, so at least Haas will be able to quit while he's not too far behind.

Interestingly, maybe, is the fact that the official Formula One website did not acknowledge  Marussia's announcement.