Still no commercial F1 contract for Marussia team

Jules Bianchi, Marussia MR02

The first race of the 2013 season came and went without Marussia signing a commercial agreement with the sport's owners.

In the days before Melbourne, team boss John Booth denied Bernie Ecclestone's recent claim that the F1 chief executive had agreed a new deal with the Banbury-based backmarkers.

"It's vital for Bernie because he won't be able to film us without it," Booth had said.

Sporting boss Graeme Lowdon has now told PA Sport that, now in the days before round two in Malaysia, Marussia is still yet to ink a new deal, whose main element is an agreement about how much CVC will pay the team in 2013.

"It does seem a little strange to treat one team so differently, but then again I don't work for CVC so I assume they have some reason for this," he said.

"The real question is: why us? We would argue we're a pretty good team and we're making good strides."

Lowdon claims that if the situation continues, sponsors may be deterred from backing Marussia.

"The other teams have an agreement (so that) will come into discussions with sponsors," he said.

"It unsettles them that we should be treated differently to other teams. There is a knock-on effect, there is no question."

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