F1 team Manor appoint Mayer as chief executive

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Formula One team Manor have appointed Thomas Mayer, the chief operating officer at Renault Sport F1, as their new CEO, the outfit said on Thursday.

The appointment, aimed at strengthening the leadership as the team bids to move up the grid, takes effect on Aug. 1.

“This is a time of growth and development for Manor Racing,” said team owner Stephen Fitzpatrick in a statement.

“We’ve been pushing hard to get the team back on track – figuratively and literally – and our recent point-scoring performance in the Austrian Grand Prix shows that we’re making progress,” it added.

Manor’s Mercedes reserve, German rookie Pascal Wehrlein, finished 10th in Austria two races ago.

Manor were born out of the ashes of the struggling Marussia team, which slipped into administration at the end of 2014, after being handed an 11th-hour lifeline by Fitzpatrick who runs independent British energy supplier Ovo.

They have since made high-profile appointments, with former McLaren stalwart Dave Ryan joining as racing director last year.

“I am excited to join Manor Racing, a team with the capability to fight for points and push the boundaries,” said Mayer in the statement.

“I am looking forward to making the name Manor Racing synonymous with an unconventional and innovative approach to achieving performance.”

Manor endured a tough season last year finishing last without any points.

The team switched to Mercedes engines for 2016 and are 10th in the constructors’ standings with one point ahead of Sauber following their points finish two races ago in Austria.

Wehrlein to secured the team’s first top-10 result since the late Frenchman Jules Bianchi scored points for what was then Marussia with a ninth-place finish at Monaco in 2014.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)