Manor Motorsport has announced it will run a GP3 team in 2010 – and the its top driver will get a test with the new Virgin F1 team.
The two teams will be run from the same base and Manor’s GP3 outfit will form part of Virgin’s driver development programme. They will have access to the same simulator used by the F1 team to help their development.
The new GP3 championship will begin at the Spanish Grand Prix weekend this year.
Former Manor Formula Renault drivers who have graduated to F1 include Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen.
Macca
15th January 2010, 16:07
Can’t wait to see how it is.
Prisoner Monkeys
15th January 2010, 21:58
I’m wondering … with Durango withdrawing from the 2010 GP2 season and the organisers declining to replace them because of some major changes to the rules that will be introduced for 2011, could Manor/Virgin look to take their place? That would give them teams and drivers in all three feeder seires, making a conduit from te lowest tiers to the highest echelons. That’s something that has never happened before. I think it would be good for the sport if something lie that could be established. It might make it easier for new talent to get their feet into the door.
Ben
16th January 2010, 2:04
Paul Stewart Racing and Stewart F1 had what they called the Staircase of Success where they ran teams in successive feeder series (F3 and F3000 from memory) to develop drivers.
Prisoner Monkeys
17th January 2010, 0:13
Yeah, but Stewart only lasted for three seasons. And they only ever ran regular drivers in Formula 1, so they never really got to utilise it.
tommy
5th May 2010, 20:46
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