US Grand Prix set for smallest F1 grid since 2005
The 2014 United States Grand Prix will see the smallest grid for an F1 race in almost a decade following the confirmation that both Marussia and Caterham have been placed into administration.
Caterham went into administration on October 24th in the wake of a public spat over ownership between former helmsman Tony Fernandes and buyers Engavest, while Marussia confirmed today it is also in the hands of the administrators after owner Andrey Cheglakov was unable to supply investment.
With both teams - which debuted in 2010 under their previous Lotus and Virgin Racing guises - not making the trip to Austin this weekend for the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, a grid of just nine teams and 18 cars is set to be present.
As such, this weekend's event is destined to see the lowest number of cars to line up for an F1 race since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when BAR Honda was serving the second of its two-race ban from the FIA for weight irregularities.
Looking ahead into 2015, though the FIA has floated the idea of three-car teams as the financial situations of Caterham and Marussia became increasingly perilous, McLaren-Mercedes racing director Eric Boullier has already suggested it is too late for teams to consider a third machine with less than six months before the start of next year's season.
