Haas buys Marussia HQ, Caterham hopes to survive

Dec.24 (GMM) Haas, the new American F1 team for 2016, has reportedly acquired Marussia's factory in Banbury, UK.

Although the cars will be designed and manufactured at a bespoke facility alongside the Stewart-Haas Nascar team in North Carolina, owner Gene Haas has also been looking for a separate UK base for his F1 outfit.

"I guess it might be a possibility to take a look at the Marussia HQ," he told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt in the Guardian last week.

Racecar Engineering is now reporting that Haas has indeed acquired the Marussia facility, having also declared his interest in bidding for some of the ailing backmarker's assets.

The report added: "It is thought that Haas has also acquired the data and designs for the 2015 Marussia."

It is a different story for the similarly-troubled 2014 backmarker Caterham, whose administrators are still hopeful the team can race on next year.

Sky reports that a meeting with creditors on Monday was promising, with joint administrator Henry Shinners declaring afterwards: "Our dialogue with prospective interested parties continues.

"We remain hopeful that the Caterham formula one team can be saved and be on the grid in Melbourne for the first race of 2015."