The inevitable finally happened as financially-troubled Formula One racing team Marussia finally threw in the towel, sacked its staff and quit the Formula One circuit after a financial arrangement allowing it to compete in 2015 did not magically appear on the horizon.
Marussia first suffered a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka that severely injured their lead driver, Jules Bianchi, then ran only one car at the subsequent 2014 Russian Grand Prix and finally pulled out altogether of the remaining race schedule.
Originally begun as Virgin Racing by Richard Branson in 2010, the team was sold to Russian businessman Andrey Cheglakov. Marussia scored two points in the 2014 Formula One season – with Bianchi’s ninth-place finish at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix.