Manor: We’re capable of being 14th or 16th

After excitement surrounded Manor Racing when they agreed a deal to use a Mercedes power unit and Williams transmission, Racing Director Dave Ryan admitted that they are not where they wanted to be.

However, despite finishing at the back of the grid at the Australian Grand Prix, Ryan was pleased to see that they were not too far from the pack, since there were a couple moments where they could have overtaken other cars ahead of them.

"I think it's fair to say we are not quite where we expected to be, but I'll qualify that," he told Autosport.

"We were always going to be on the back of the grid [in Australia]. That was the minimum expectation. Beyond that, I'd like to think we were capable of being 14th, 16th, which would have been a very respectable position to be, but we weren't.

"At least we're attached to the back of the grid, not detached from it."

Not feeling settling for the current position, Ryan has remained optimistic that they have necessary resources to close the gap teams that are more or less in their category in terms of power and pace.

“We're in a great position, a far better position than we have been in the past," he added. There is a big desire to do well and resource available to improve in lots of areas.

"We know the areas where we are weak, we know the areas we need to work on, but you can't go down the shop and buy it.

"You have to either create it in house or invest a lot of time looking for the right solutions. They are not quick fixes, but I recognise them."