FIA approves Manor's Formula 1 return on new 2015 entry list
The Manor team has moved another step closer to its Formula 1 return with the FIA approving its entry to the 2015 championship on Friday
On an updated list for the 2015 F1 world championship, motor racing's governing body confirmed that the Manor Marussia F1 team's place on the grid was secure.
The team had originally been subject to confirmation in the last list, which was published before Christmas.
The move to confirm Manor's entry came after weeks of negotiation between the FIA and Manor chiefs to ensure that everything was in place with its finances and infrastructure for it to race in 2015.
Although the team has no official links to its former Marussia owners, it has had to retain use the name for its chassis to qualify for the commercial rights income that it earned last year.
Jules Bianchi's ninth place finish in Monaco was enough to place Marussia ninth overall in the constructors' championship - securing it around £30 million in prize revenue for this year.
The identity of the team's second driver, who will race alongside Will Stevens, has not yet been confirmed.
The team is working on preparing an updated version of its 2014 car that complies with the '15 regulations so it can start the season.
The plan is for a bespoke 2015 challenger to be ready later in the year.
Manor's fellow 2010 F1 arrival Caterham remains absent from the list, officially confirming its departure from the championship.
The team went into administration at the same time as Marussia/Manor last year, but was revived for a one-off appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as it sought new ownership.
Its assets are now being auctioned.
OFFICIAL 2015 F1 ENTRY LIST
# Driver Entrant 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing Limited 26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing Limited 19 Felipe Massa Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Spa 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Spa 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Racing Limited 22 Jenson Button McLaren Racing Limited 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Formula 1 Team Limited 11 Sergio Perez Force India Formula 1 Team Limited 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Spa 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Spa 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team Limited 13 Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team Limited 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Motorsport AG 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Motorsport AG TBA Will Stevens Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd TBA TBA Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd
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