Mexican GP: Manor bosses Booth & Lowdon set to quit

Manor president Graeme Lowdon (left) and team principal John Booth have been at the helm since 2010

Manor Formula 1 bosses John Booth and Graeme Lowdon are set to quit the team at the end of the season.

Booth, the team principal, and Lowdon, the president and sporting director, have run the team since its debut as Virgin Racing in 2010.

Both men refused to comment on their prospective departures, which have been confirmed by sources close to the team.

Manor were taken over by businessman Stephen Fitzpatrick at the start of 2015, saving the outfit from oblivion.

They had collapsed three races before the end of the 2014 season, in which they competed as Marussia, with financial problems.

Sources say Booth and Lowdon will not be the only departures from the team, which has strong foundations for next year after concluding deals for a supply of the standard-setting Mercedes engines and for gearbox and transmission from Williams.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "I knew a while ago there was something cooking. John Booth is Manor and I have known him for many years, since Lewis [Hamilton] was in Formula Three. And Graeme has done an awesome job in picking the team up.

"It is not a good situation and it is unfortunate because these guys are real racers.

"I am an interested spectator at the moment. I can't have an opinion yet. There are many good people in the team. If those two guys really leave it is really unfortunate but it is not for me to judge or not. I will just watch and see."

Booth has run racing teams since 1990 and had a long and successful track record in junior categories before making the step up to F1.