Ex-Mercedes F1 man Bob Bell a major boost for Manor - Will Stevens

Bell joined Manor at the start of the month , and will be a key figure in the time ahead as the team strives to make improvements on and off the track.

The ex-Mercedes technical director and Renault team principal was appointed alongside former Toro Rosso chief designer Luca Furbatto as Manor's head of design, while Gianluco Pisanello was taken on .

Stevens feels such moves show Manor is on the up again.

"They're all interesting people with a lot of experience from having worked with different teams, and that's exactly what we need," he said.

"We need a good direction in which to head, and it is a positive for the team those people have come in, and a positive to moving the team forward, especially a man like Bob.

"I know he has a lot of experience, and I'm sure that will be very beneficial to us in the direction we need to go to improve.

"For me, that kind of appointment, to hire someone of his calibre, shows the team is going in the right direction.

"There is a lot of ambition in the team, and a clear direction as to where we want to go, which isn't going to happen overnight.

"But there is a plan for us to move forward, to really start making big improvements, and guys like Bob can only help us do that.

"We always knew this year would be the start of that journey, and it was always going to be difficult, but I'm sure we can make good progress, and it's exciting to see where we can go."

Although Manor continue to languish at the back of the grid, Stevens knows Bell can also help him improve as a driver as he continues his rookie year.

"I'm sure the team will draw as much information from him as they can, and for me personally I also need to draw on that as much as I can," added Stevens.

"He's worked with world champions before, so I'm sure he has a lot of knowledge that can help me progress."