Roberto Muntan, born 22 March 1991 in Castellón, Spain, is a versatile Spanish racing driver who had a brief stint in Formula One during the 2015 season. Though his time in the sport’s top tier was short-lived, Merhi’s career has seen him race in single-seaters, sports cars, and Formula E.
| Nationality | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Born | Roberto Merhi Muntan 22 March 1991 Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain |
Best known for his 14 Grand Prix starts with Manor Marussia, Merhi brought with him an impressive junior résumé, including a Formula 3 Euro Series championship, a stint in Formula Renault 3.5, and experience in Formula E and Formula 2.
Before Formula One came calling, Merhi made his way through the junior categories. After standout performances in karting and Spanish F3, his big breakthrough came in 2011, when he won the Formula 3 Euro Series title with Prema Powerteam, beating a highly competitive field.
In 2014, he competed in Formula Renault 3.5 with Pons Racing, finishing third overall—ahead of several future F1 stars. His performances that year caught the attention of F1 teams and led to his first Grand Prix weekend appearance, during Free Practice 1 at the 2014 Italian Grand Prix for Caterham. Though lacking a super licence at the time, Merhi was being evaluated as a potential stand-in for Kamui Kobayashi.
Manor Marussia (2015)
On 9 March 2015, it was announced that Merhi would join the newly revived Manor Marussia F1 Team for the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, lining up alongside Will Stevens. However, a technical failure meant neither car made it to the grid in Melbourne.
Merhi’s official F1 debut came at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, where he was granted permission to start despite missing the 107% time in qualifying. He brought the car home in 15th place, a credible result in the modest Marussia MR03B—essentially a 2014-spec chassis hastily adapted for the new season.
He continued to race regularly through the first half of 2015, finishing every race he started, often locked in a private duel with Stevens at the back of the field. Notable highlights included:
- Monaco GP: Finished ahead of Stevens in tricky conditions.
- Canada GP: Outqualified Stevens, but retired due to a driveshaft failure—his only mechanical DNF.
- Austria GP: Finished 14th, one of the best-placed finishes of his F1 career.
In the second half of the season, the team brought in American driver Alexander Rossi for five of the remaining seven races. Merhi retained his seat for Russia and Abu Dhabi, but his momentum was lost. Despite this, he finished ahead of Stevens in the final standings.
After F1: From Formula E to Super GT
After his time with Manor, Merhi didn’t vanish from racing. In 2017, he joined Mahindra Racing in Formula E, though his time in electric racing was short-lived. He returned to F1 as a development driver in 2019 and 2020, though the team affiliation was never officially disclosed due to contractual limitations.
In parallel, Merhi raced in Formula 2 with MP Motorsport and Campos Racing in 2018, while also launching a sportscar career. He competed in the Asian Le Mans Series, finishing third overall in the 2019–20 championship.
In 2024, Merhi raced in the Super GT GT300 class for LeMans Racing.
Roberto Merhi Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Marussia F1 |
| Driver number | 98 |
| Entries | 14 (13 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2015 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Roberto Merhi Teammates
| 4 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Ericsson | 3 | 2014 | |
| Kamui Kobayashi | 3 | 2014 | |
| Will Stevens | 14 | 2015 | |
| Fabio Leimer | 1 | 2015 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT05 | Renault Energy F1‑2014 1.6 V6 t | AUS | MAL | BHR | CHN | ESP | MON | CAN | AUT | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA TD | SIN | JPN TD | RUS TD | USA | BRA | ABU | – | – |
| 2015 | Manor Marussia F1 Team | Marussia MR03B | Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t | AUS DNP | MAL 15 | CHN 16 | BHR 17 | ESP 18 | MON 16 | CAN Ret | AUT 14 | GBR 12 | HUN 15 | BEL 15 | ITA 16 | SIN | JPN | RUS 13 | USA | MEX | BRA | ABU 19 | 19th | 0 |
