Marussia is planning to run its 2012 car at the second preseason test at Barcelona, with technical consultant Pat Symonds revealing it will be virtually an all-new design from last year's chassis.
With Symonds having taken over the technical direction of the outfit following the departure of Nick Wirth, the team has been making the most of a tie-up with McLaren to produce a car that will deliver a good step forward.
In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Symonds says that the team will use its old car at the first test in Jerez – to give rookie Charles Pic some valuable mileage – before unveiling its 2012 challenger at Barcelona.
"We are aiming for the second [test]," explained Symonds. "We are going to be at the first test, anyway, because I think it's important for Charles to get some miles under his belt and it shakes some of the cobwebs off of the team."
Speaking about the design evolution of the car, Symonds said that there was very little carryover from the Marussia Virgin Racing car that raced last season.
"You always carry over something, but I think we have probably carried over less than normal," he said. "The whole of the suspension design is different, even the pedal assemblies are different. There is probably a smaller amount of carryover on this car than almost any car I have worked on."
However, despite the all-new design, Symonds says that the team is not being radical in its approach.
"I don't think it is the time for us to be innovative," he said. "When you are that far off the front, it's the time to really just do your job properly and to make sure that what you are doing, you are doing well. So, no real innovation; it's much more about looking at each area and trying to improve each one."