Marussia delays 2012 car debut until final test
| Tuesday 24th January 2012, 20:44 by Ryan Wood |
The Marussia F1 team has revised its testing plans, confirming it will completely miss the first test in Jerez between February 7th and 10th.
The Russian outfit has decided to concentrate fully on its 2012 car, rather than spend time preparing their 2011 chassis for the Jerez test.
However the outfit confirmed it would use the MVR-02 for the second test in Barcelona two weeks later, beginning February 21st, before debuting the MR01 at the third and final test the following week, also in Barcelona.
Team boss John Booth put the delay down to an 'unfortunate delay' in the development programme.
"Unfortunately our programme has slipped and there seems little point in fielding the new car before we can optimise the run plan for it," he told Autosport.
"For that reason we have decided to commence our on-track testing by attending the second test in Barcelona with the MVR-02. We then aim to introduce the MR01 at the third test in Barcelona on 1 March.
"Whilst this is not ideal, and not the timescale we had intended to work to, we will at least get some important running with the new car ahead of Australia and hopefully gain more constructive track time than we might otherwise have achieved had we rushed the car out for the second test."
The image accompanying this article has been sourced from its respective owner and is subject to copyright. Images come courtesy of; Octane Photographic, McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull/Getty, MercedesGP, Force India/Sutton, Lotus/LAT, Sauber Motorsport AG, Williams/LAT, Caterham, HRT/Sutton, Marussia and Pirelli. |
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