Manor situation ’a waste’ says departing Lowdon

Amid high speculation in Mexico about the team’s future, Graeme Lowdon said Manor will clarify the situation as soon as possible.

Reports suggest Lowdon, the team chief executive, and Manor founder and team principal John Booth, are quitting the British backmarker at the end of the year over a dispute about the direction of the team with investor Stephen Fitzpatrick.

"I’m sorry," Lowdon told Speed Week correspondent Agnes Carlier in Mexico, "I can’t comment at the moment."

But Carlier said that Lowdon’s body language made clear that all is not well, made worse by the fact that he and Booth fought so hard to rescue the team over the winter and in the wake of the tragic death of Jules Bianchi.

"Yes, we overcame so many problems in order to get out of that (financial) situation.

"It’s a shame," Lowdon added, "because the team is now viable. What a waste! I am sorry to the people in the team who are so good and competent.

"We will inform the public about the next steps as soon as possible," he said.