Williams's Pat Symonds delighted by Manor Marussia F1 revival

The FIA confirmed last week that Manor had been granted an entry into the 2015 championship, and the squad is busy working on an updated version of Marussia's 2014 F1 car in order to make the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 15.

Symonds, who worked as a technical consultant to Marussia before joining Williams in 2013, said the presence of small teams like Manor on the grid is vital to the health of F1.

"I'm really pleased to see that they're going to make it to Melbourne. I think we need teams like that," Symonds said.

"In 1981 I started in a little team called Toleman; there were 20 of us and we didn't know much about what we were doing, but that team went on to become Benetton, which went on to become Renault, who went onto become Lotus.

"If there wasn't a chance for small teams to compete I think it would be a real shame. I worked with those guys for a while and I have a lot of respect for what they were trying to do.

"They're straightforward, old-fashioned racers. They want to go racing; they're not interested in politics.

"It's really, really difficult to compete in F1, and that just makes it better if they do succeed."

Marussia scored two points in the 2014 championship, but skipped the final three races after plunging into administration amid financial woes.

Fresh investment has allowed the team to come out of administration and enter the 2015 championship under a new name, though its car will retain the Marussia moniker in order to secure payment of commercial rights income it earned last season.

Manor has already secured a supply of 2014 Ferrari engines and announced ex-Caterham racer Will Stevens as its first driver for the coming campaign.