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That Manor - now under its third ownership after its founders sold control to a Russian billionaire, before the team plunged into liquidation - is in the process of completing the sale of a majority share to outside investors just two years after current owner Stephen Fitzpatrick saved the team from an ignominious end, begs the question: "Why on earth would anybody buy (into) a Formula 1 team, particularly a tailender?"
The question is raised not to at all cast aspersions on Manor, or its ownership/management/employees; indeed, that there is interest out there is a credit to them all. But is posed rhetorically in view of the raft of sporting, technical and commercial challenges that face all teams outside the top four outfits. Indeed, the question applies as readily to start-ups: "Why would anyone start a team?"
The easy answer is, of course, that F1 has never been easy. That is usually accompanied by comments along the lines of "Or everyone would do it" - followed by myriad reasons such as "passion", "investment" "challenge", or "bringing glory to brand/company/country" (delete as applicable), but this disingenuously overlooks the fact that the playing field has never before been as tilted against independents as it currently is.
