Unlike what happened in 2015, Manor will be able to take part in this year’s pre-season testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after passing the final FIA crash test.
In the wake of its late rescue and exit from administration, the small British outfit did not race a new car last season. Instead, Manor fielded a modified version of its 2014-spec, Ferrari-powered MR03, and only introduced several updates.
The F1 minnows are tipped to improve in 2016, having secured Mercedes engines as well as a technical partnership with Williams. The team has also appointed former Ferrari man Nikolas Tombazis as its new chief aerodynamicist.
“Our next instalment: today we completed our final crash test, so we now have a fully homologated chassis. Next stop Test 1 in Barcelona,” Manor tweeted on Friday.
The opening four-day pre-season test will kick off on February 22 at the Spanish Grand Prix venue. Manor has yet to reveal its driver pairing for 2016, with potential candidates including last year’s drivers Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi, but also GP2 Series frontrunner Rio Haryanto.
F1i’s Chris Medland recently learned that former McLaren-Honda reserve driver Kevin Magnussen was also in the running.
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