As Red Bull Racing aptly proved this season, you don’t need an automaker’s backing to rise to the top of the Formula One ladder. Any consumer company with a popular image will do the trick. Virgin has been trying to follow in Red Bull’s footsteps with the launch of its own F1 team, but as Richard Branson and company have discovered, it’s more than most can chew. So it should come as little surprise that the upstart team has pursued – and secured – an automaker’s support for next season and beyond. The surprise is at which company that is.
You may be familiar with Marussia Motors for such quirky creations as the B2 sportscar and the F2 crossover. Now the niche Moscovite automaker has teamed up with Virgin for an undisclosed stake in the F1 team. The long-rumored deal is expected to secure space for the newly christened Marussia Virgin F1 Team for several seasons to come. Since Marussia’s road cars are powered by Cosworth-developed engines, that deal is likely to remain unchanged for the F1 team as well.
The partnership is only the latest step in Russia’s increased involvement in Formula One, a trend that previously resulted in the Midland F1 team, the signing of Vitaly Petrov at Renault and the upcoming Russian Grand Prix. For its part, Virgin has yet to announce its driver line-up for next season, and with Petrov’s seat at Renault still yet to be confirmed, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Russian rookie in red and black next season. Follow the jump for the official announcement.
