Marussia also won’t race in America (Update)
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| American Alexander Rossi could not write a big check to buy his ride and keep Marussia afloat so his chances of racing in the USGP are now zero |
This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. Marussia will join fellow F1 straggler Caterham in not racing in Austin next weekend, Bernie Ecclestone has announced.
The news follows the sport's chief executive giving Caterham special dispensation to miss the US-Brazil double header as it enters administration.
But we had reported on Friday that the grid may in fact shrink from its usual 22 to just 18 cars in Austin, because Marussia – grief-stricken after the Jules Bianchi crash – was struggling to find a necessary cash injection to ship its cars and equipment from the UK for the trek to America.
"This is happening while the owner Andrey Cheglakov wants to sell," Auto Motor und Sport's Michael Schmidt had claimed.
Referring on Saturday not only to Caterham but also Marussia, Ecclestone was quoted by the BBC: "Neither of those two teams are going to go to America."
With the grid dipping below 20 cars, the very real prospect of top teams having to field three-car teams has now emerged.
But reports indicate that with teams needing 60 days notice for the triggering of the third car provision, the FIA has ruled out the measure being introduced in the very short term.
10/24/14 (GMM) F1's grid may have shrunk to just 18 cars by the time of the US grand prix next weekend.
Caterham's troubles – with administrators locking the green cars inside the Leafield factory amid an unseemly spat with former owner Tony Fernandes – are now well documented.
But authoritative publications are now claiming that the similarly struggling backmarker Marussia, rocked recently by Jules Bianchi's life-threatening Suzuka crash, is also in danger of having its engines silenced.
Michael Schmidt, the highly respected correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, claims the team has been living "hand to mouth" since August's Belgian grand prix, where Max Chilton almost sat out the race due to "contractual issues".
"We have now learned that another cash injection is required so that the team can make the trip to Austin and Sao Paulo," Schmidt said.
"This is happening while the owner Andrey Cheglakov wants to sell."
Russia's Championat and Germany's Auto Bild are reporting similarly, adding that a deadline is looming for Marussia to make overdue payments to engine supplier Ferrari.
And Italian reports suggest that Ferrari has already ceased to supply technical and installation information about the customer engine for 2015.
Writing in Switzerland's Blick, veteran journalist Roger Benoit agreed that the situation at Caterham and Marussia could mean only 18 cars line up on the Austin grid.