Graeme Lowdon admits the Manor F1 Team have nowhere to hide when they begin their engine partnership with Mercedes-Benz from the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The Manor Sporting Director knows the power unit that will be supplied by Mercedes will be reliable and should bring the perennial back-marker team forward, as will the transmission and suspension components from their technical partnership with Williams.
The team should be looking to have their most competitive season to date in 2016, and Lowdon knows they will be more in the spotlight.
“It’s a definite step forward because it’s going to be a few seconds the aero guys don’t have to find, and it’s also a reliable package,” said Lowdon to Autosport.
“There is still a lot for us to do, but having a new car – chassis and engine – is a step in the right direction for us, without a doubt. You have to consider we’ve done virtually an entire season now with a car that was designed quite some time ago.
“At the minute we’ve kind of got a place to hide, if you like. Right now it’s quite easy to blame something on the engine, but that is removed. Effectively we’ll have the same engine, gearbox and rear suspension as Williams, so there is a benchmark there.
“Aerodynamically they are more mature than we are, but it will certainly be a big step forward.”
