Now FIA helping Manor’s quest for 2015 grid

F1’s governing body has joined McLaren and Ferrari in actively supporting the former Marussia team’s quest to return to the sport this year.

Although owed millions by the struggling backmarker, Ferrari has agreed to keep supplying its 2014-spec turbo V6 engine to the team reborn as ’Manor’ for 2015.

McLaren, a separate technology partner, is also owed millions, but the Woking team told us it is also allowing the team to "continue to benefit from affordable support".

And now, it emerges that the FIA is also playing a role in helping Manor as the team scrambles to prepare a 2015-compliant car.

Normally, a mere two weeks before scrutineering is set to take place at the championship season opener, an official and binding entry list would have long been published.

But according to the blog of German insider Ralf Bach, the FIA is delaying the finalisation of the 2015 list to give Manor crucial extra time.

By next Friday - the air freight deadline for Melbourne - not only does Manor need to complete its 2015 car and pass the crash tests, it also needs to convince the governing body that it has the financial means to return to the grid.

"We are trying to help," an FIA spokesman told Bach’s f1-insider.com, "but at the same time they need to demonstrate that the project is financially and legally sound.

"Above all, they must prove that the new car corresponds to the 2015 regulations, which is not easy.

"We are holding the entry list open for as long as we can, in order to give them at least the possibility to convince the FIA of their project," he added.