Virgin to take Manor name
"FIA entry list shows Manor GP rebranded as Virgin Racing"
The Manor GP team are to be rebranded Virgin Racing ahead of their Formula One debut next season.
The effective confirmation, which has long been an open secret in F1 circles, came on Monday as the FIA announced its entry list for the 2010 World Championship.
An announcement from the team will come on Tuesday when team boss John Booth and Virgin supremo Sir Richard Branson officially reveal their plans.
The FIA's entry list reveals the names of 12 teams, with the name Virgin Racing amongst the newcomers, joining Lotus F1 Racing, Campos Meta 1 and US F1 Team.
The 13th entry remains unresolved, although Sauber are widely expected to be granted a place on the grid following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco on December 11.
Last week, Peter Sauber regained control of the team he founded, four years after selling out to BMW.
The German manufacturer, which announced its withdrawal from the sport in July, reached a deal with Sauber having pulled out of an earlier agreement with Qadbak Investments.
However, the deal will only go through if Sauber is awarded the 13th and last place.
"I am very relieved about that development," said the 66-year-old Swiss. "It would have been a crying shame had one of the best Formula One factories closed down.
"Regarding the slot on the grid, I am very confident we will be given a final confirmation very shortly."
If they are granted the place, Sauber will rejoin at the expense of Toyota, which in turn announced the withdrawal of its team at the end of last season.
Complicated
The situation is complicated by the fact that Toyota withdrew despite having earlier signed up to the sport's latest Concorde Agreement, which in effect committed it to F1 until 2012.
There remains speculation of a potential takeover, yet it is unclear whether a buyer would automatically be granted an entry on the basis of Toyota's prior commitment.
The Formula One Commission are due to discuss the matter in Monaco on Wednesday.
An FIA statement said: "Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so.
"An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course."
(source)
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