Roberto Merhi Is Harming His Prospects of a Long Formula 1 Career with Manor

The abnormally long summer break in 2015, due to the cancellation of the German Grand Prix, has left Formula One drivers kicking their heels.

With three weeks separating the British and the Hungarian grands prix, and a further four until the Belgian GP, they have plenty of time to analyse their performances over the first phase of the campaign, to identify areas for improvement and, most importantly, to relax and escape the F1 bubble.

But while some of his peers spent the first of five free weekends working in the simulator and being denied access to Centre Court at Wimbledon, Roberto Merhi, the Manor Marussia driver, was busy keeping fit, keeping fresh.

Just three weeks after finishing three laps behind race winner Nico Rosberg in the Austrian Grand Prix, the Spaniard returned to the Red Bull Ring to participate in the fifth round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, which must surely be considered one of the worst days of his motor-racing career.

As he crossed the finish line to claim fourth place in the first of two races at the Spielberg track, Merhi significantly eased his pace and was promptly hit by Nicholas Latifi, sparking the most frightening of accidents.

Team members and mechanics, who traditionally lean over the pit wall to cheer their drivers across the line, recoiled behind the protective fencing and those behind were forced to weave their cars through a chicane of debris—including a loose wheel—as the two cars came to a halt on the main straight.

Both men emerged unscathed from the wreckage, but the damage done to Merhi's reputation was beyond repair and the championship's supposed star attraction—who, per Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde, blamed his slow speed on a suspension issue—was not only disqualified from Race 1 but banned from taking part in the second race.

Merhi's continued participation in the stepping stone that is Formula Renault 3.5, in which he currently sits a distant 12th in the drivers' standings having secured just one podium finish in 2015, is counterproductive.

Unlike Nico Hulkenberg, who was saluted for his decision to combine his F1 commitments with an appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours—Bob Fernley, the German's boss at Force India, told Autosport's Lawrence Barretto and Ben Anderson that Hulkenberg's triumph in the legendary race highlighted "the quality" of F1 drivers—Merhi is doing the pinnacle of motorsport a disservice.

And it is hurting the 24-year-old's chances of forming a long, respectable career in F1.

Merhi's "race by race" deal with Manor, as he admitted to Autosport's Barretto, means it is the worst-kept secret in motorsport that the Spaniard will be replaced at some point this season, with 2013 GP3 champion Fabio Leimer—who became the team's reserve driver in June—telling ESPN F1's Nate Saunders how he expects to make his debut with the backmarkers in 2015.

Formula Renault 3.5 represents a decent fall-back option for the Spaniard, who finished a strong third in the championship in 2014. But Merhi's master plan would only have worked if he had been in contention for the title, with a chance of following in the footsteps of Robert Kubica, Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz Jr., the reigning champion.

As it stands, however, Merhi is not just one of the lesser competitors on the F1 grid but a minor runner in the junior category, which has the unfortunate effect of undermining anything he achieves alongside Manor team-mate Will Stevens, who wisely opted to leave his 3.5 career behind.

Prior to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where Manor failed to even take to the track, Merhi explained his reasons for remaining in 3.5, telling Autosport's Anderson and Matt Beer how he felt compelled to repay Pons Racing's efforts to secure his signature for 2015.

Such loyalty, though, is misguided when the dream of reaching the F1 grid, no matter how competitive the seat may be, is realised.

When a young, emerging racing driver is offered the opportunity to become one of 20 people to compete at the summit of the sport, surely their other plans—as long as their arrangement is not akin to that of Andre Lotterer, who drove a Caterham purely for fun at Spa last year—must be cast aside.

They must be consumed by F1 and only when their time on the grid comes to an end should they seek employment in alternative categories.

Despite Manor team principal John Booth telling the official F1 website how Merhi is "doing a great job" and "getting the hang of it now"—tellingly dodging a question over his future—the Spaniard gives the impression of a driver without the required commitment.

For Merhi, Formula Renault 3.5 is his day job, F1 is a mere hobby and his time at Manor is a sneak preview for what is to come in the years ahead.

Yet when the announcement finally arrives, and Merhi is succeeded by Leimer—or, indeed, any other driver to catch Manor's eye—and fades into obscurity, it will be difficult to envisage a way back.

That's the price Merhi may have to pay for failing to seize his opportunity with both hands, for failing to live in the moment, for failing to become the F1 driver he would have always dreamed of being.

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