Another season of Model F1 is in the books, as Nico Hülkenberg and Mercedes take the World Drivers and Constructors Championships, respectively. Hidden amidst the championship chaos lies a small garage in Banbury, where the Manor Mercedes team is hosting a quiet celebration of their own. After a tough 2015 season, the team has firmly established themselves as a perennial threat week in and week out.

Entering the Season

2015 was a year of potential for Manor, then powered by Ferrari, as they scored their first ever points at Monaco with Max Chilton. After recording further points at Mexico, the team ended the year with 5 points.

Over the course of the late 2015 season and early offseason, the team saw a shift in image. Gone were the days of Porter Manor Ferrari, the Dinnington headquarters, Manor Motorsport Weekly on Photoshop and various team members, and in their places came Manor Mercedes, a Banbury HQ, a new website and the arrival of Macus16 as the new team principal.

Chilton left the team for newcomer Haas F1, while second driver Sergey Sirotkin remained with the team in a test driver position. With some shrewd strategy by Macus, the team acquired McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, dealing him to Sauber in a three-way deal with Williams, picking up Pastor Maldonado and former BRM driver Felipe Massa in the process. With a new lineup, new engines from Mercedes and tires from Yokohama, it was only fitting to unveil a brand-new livery for the MM2. Even before the season began, team manager Splendidtree got to work on the car, preparing for a long year ahead.

As Melbourne loomed, Macus expressed his confidence in the team, stating, “We’re coming back a stronger team than last year. We aren’t the little boys anymore which is nice so we’ve had to put a lot of work in to match expectations.”

Making the Magic Happen

In 2015, it took six races for Manor to record their first points. In 2016A, it took just one Maldonado finished 8th to kick off the season in Australia, and this proved to be no fluke when Massa finished 7th the following week in Malaysia. China featured a double points finish for Manor, while Turkey, Spain, Monaco and Canada were all points-paying days.

Sadly, the magic of the MM2 seemed to fade during the middle portion of the season, as neither driver finished at Austria and Britain. Despite such struggles, the team refused to give in, fighting to stay in the championship battle. All of this paid off in Italy, when Massa finished 3rd to record the team’s first-ever podium, a moment which can be summed up in three words: “simply just unbelievable”.

However, everything seemed to fall apart after Monza, failing to score points at Singapore, Austin, Abu Dhabi and Brazil. Despite the rough end to 2016A, the team still finished with an impressive 99 points (Massa: 64 points, Maldonado: 35 points).

At the end of the season, Macus16 commented: “I am rather pleased with this one. I would say we are probably along with Sauber one of the most improved teams. And I can gladly say to the doubters who said it would be a close one with us and BRM that you were completely wrong.”

Manor: Masters of 5th Place

If there were any recurring themes in MF1, they would be: drama among BRM, the see-saw finishing results of Ferrari, and Manor qualifying (and finishing) in 5th.

For those unfamiliar with what possible shenanigans Macus and Splendid were up to, it’s not witchcraft or anything of the sort. Rather, the results can be attributed to the effort of the latter to develop the MM2 to push itself to the limit. As a result, that limit usually lies around 5th place. As Splendid eventually responded, “They hate us cause they ain’t us.”

Chasing Lotus

Prior to the start of the season, Macus made it the team’s goal to beat fellow Band C BRM in the championship. However, with BRM’s eventual struggles, the team turned their attention to Band B and Toro Rosso. That goal was easily shattered, though in an unfortunate way, as STR failed to show up for four races and was disqualified from the Championship.

With enough distance from Red Bull, the team focused on Lotus and McLaren. The three battled for 5th in the Constructors Championship, each team claiming that position at least once throughout the course of the season. However, the late season stumble by Manor proved to be their downfall, dropping behind the two and settling for 7th.

It wasn’t the underdog ending we all wanted, but 7th is still a vast improvement over being a cellar-dweller last year.

By the Numbers

99: Points recorded by the end of the season.

94: The difference in points between 2015 and 2016A.

60: Long working days.

25: The number of editions that Manor Motorsport Weekly has released.

20: The number of team members in the /r/MF1Manor garage.

15: Top 10 qualifying efforts.

11: The number of off-track shenanigans that Massa and Maldonado got themselves involved in throughout the course of the season.

9: Finishes in the points.

7: The number of consecutive points-recording races for Manor to start the season.

6: Retirements by Maldonado.

3: The best-finishing position by a Manor (Massa at Italy).

1: Amount of races it took to record points.

Looking Ahead

2016B is a distance away, but many has changed during the offseason. The departure of wwesmudge as FIA President saw the rise of McLaren TP Ubuntuz in his place. For Manor, many questions remain unanswered. Will they finish on a podium? Can they beat Lotus? Will they finally win a race? What will happen to Massa and Maldonado?

One of them can be answered as the offseason continues, but for the rest: We’ll just have to wait and see.

Acknowledgements

The Manor Motorsport Weekly team would like to acknowledge the following people for making this season such a fun one:

ZappaOMatic: Team writer

Macus16: Team principal

Splendidtree: Team manager

Labradooodle: Rear jackman

Sbalunis: Team media and website creator

ScariestLlama: Former team simulator engineer

wwesmudge: FIA President

It’s been fun working with you guys, and here’s to a great 2016B season!

Manor Motorsport Weekly, © 2016 MF1 Manor Mercedes