Manor MRT05 breaks cover in Barcelona

Manor have taken the wraps off the car which F1 rookies Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto will campaign in 2016 - the MRT05.

The new machine, which was revealed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on the opening morning of pre-season testing, is described by Manor Technical Director John McQuilliam as “the best car we’ve ever launched. Certainly the most developed, the most ambitious and the most aggressive.”

Featuring some 3,393 new parts compared to its predecessor, as well as a brand-new Mercedes power unit, Manor are hopeful that the MRT05 will move them up the grid in 2016.

“The overall package is a very significant step forward, not just from last year, but from any of the cars from our stable,” said McQuilliam.

“We delayed the monocoque programme to wait for the new power unit, which was well worth waiting for of course. The Mercedes-Benz PU106C Hybrid Power Unit is a magnificent feat of engineering and we’re proud and excited to be powered by championship-winning technology developed by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. We also have a very competitive transmission package thanks to our technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering, who supply our gearbox and other rear-end components. Together with the efforts of our accomplished aero and mechanical design teams, that’s a pretty impressive package.

“The MRT05 is a contender. We really believe that. The design team have focused almost exclusively on it since the middle of last season and it’s just a whole different ball game to any of its predecessors. We haven’t left any performance on the table and right now I can say there’s not a single part of the car we’d have designed differently.”

New racing director Dave Ryan explained that Manor’s targets for the forthcoming season are twofold: “Respectability and competitiveness,” he said. “We are done with just turning up just to make everyone else look good and every single person in this team is looking forward to the first race in Melbourne in a few weeks’ time.

“We know we have to improve in every area and in no way do we underestimate the opposition, but we have assembled a great group of people, we have a fantastic technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Williams Advanced Engineering and now it’s up to us to deliver.”

“The team did a laudable job last year given its circumstances over the previous winter. This year, with the package we have, we need to be every inch the professional racing outfit.”

Mercedes protege Wehrlein was tasked with giving the MRT05 its track debut in Barcelona, with the German, who won last year’s DTM title, expected to hand the car over to new team mate Haryanto - who signed with the team less than a week ago - later in the test.

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