MOSCOW, July 16 (R-Sport) - Russian-owned Formula One team Marussia are to use Ferrari engines next season under a deal announced Tuesday but have lost influential technical consultant Pat Symonds to Williams.
Marussia are desperate to lose the tag of backmarkers they have held since joining the sport as Virgin Racing in 2010, but there has been little sign of progress this season.
For next season, Ferrari powerplants and gearboxes will replace the current Cosworth engines, along with the Italian giant’s KERS power-boost system.
“The Marussia F1 Team is delighted to be entering into a technical partnership with Scuderia Ferrari for the supply of a full powertrain from 2014,” Marussia chief executive Andy Webb said in a website statement.
“The importance of this development to our team cannot be overstated. Not only will we benefit from a customer supply from the most successful engine manufacturer in Formula One’s history, but this also provides further confirmation, if it were needed, of our commitment to the sport and determination to maintain our progression towards our long-term ambitions.”
Meanwhile, Symonds leaves the team after more than two years, to take up a role as chief technical officer with Williams, who are struggling this season and have parted company with design chief Mike Coughlan.
Symonds was only allowed to attend races from the start of this season after serving a five-year ban for race-fixing.
Symonds said on the Marussia site he was leaving a team that had “developed immeasurably during that time and it now has all the right people and resources in place to achieve great things.”
Last week, he expressed dissatisfaction with Marussia driving duo of Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton, who he said put the team further off the pace of other teams because of their inexperience. Marussia needed the pair for the sponsorship money they bring in, he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
Marussia are 10th of 11 teams in the constructors’ standings, only ahead of Caterham. Bianchi’s best finish is 13th at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March, while Chilton’s best result is 14th at Monaco in May - neither have scored any points.
