The FIA has demanded that the new Manor team must explain why they did not try to qualify for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

The constructor formerly known as Marussia were not expected to make it to Melbourne after a turbulent winter, but announced their intention to compete a couple of weeks ago.

However, they did not make it out of their garage either yesterday or today, and will not race tomorrow.

An FIA statement said: "The stewards request that you provide a written statement explaining why the team did not participate in qualifying for the 2015 Australian Grand Prix after receiving a letter from the FIA on the 20th February".

Team boss John Booth told reporters: "We knew that there was only a slim chance of making quali when we set off."

Mercedes's defending champion Lewis Hamilton will start on pole for the first race of the new season.