2014 Review – Marussia F1: From Joy to Tears

The season /f1/actualite/19173-bilan-2014-caterham-f1-plus-detincelles-en-coulisses-quen-piste.html was one of all states for the Marussia team. From the first points to disappearance, including the terrible accident of Jules Bianchi, the British-Russian team experienced a true concentration of emotions.

THE DRIVERS

Jules Bianchi – 17th in the overall standings (2 pts)

Author of a relatively challenging start to the season, with three difficult opening Grand Prix, the Frenchman is set to make a significant impact with the start of the European tour. By the end of the Monaco GP, capitalizing on an eventful race, he uses all his aggressiveness and takes advantage of race circumstances to finish in an unexpected top 10, despite a 5-second penalty. Ninth in this race, he scores his first two points in the premier category and, above all, the first two in Marussia’s history. At 24, the Nice native fulfills and even exceeds the hopes placed in him by achieving what is considered by the paddock as a true feat.

The rest of the season will be more in line with expectations. While Marussia is often superior to Caterham and Bianchi clearly dominates Chilton, the progress is not sufficient to consistently reach the level of Sauber. Just as Caterham seems capable of competing again, the Japanese round arrives. During a Grand Prix held in the rain, at the end of the race, the Marussia No. 17 skids off in the 7th turn of the 43rd lap and crashes into a recovery vehicle that was clearing Adrian Sutil’s car.

Unconscious since his accident, Jules Bianchi remains in a critical condition today.

Max Chilton – 21st in the overall standings (0 pts)

Like in his first season, the Briton suffered in comparison with Jules Bianchi. The start of his season would be the best part of his year as he managed two 13th places, in Australia and Bahrain, taking advantage of multiple retirements and issues faced by his teammate. Subsequently, his standout performances were rare and seldom positive, such as in Canada, when he caused the collision of both Marussia cars on the first lap, also ending his streak of 25 consecutive finishes in 25 races.

Outpacing his teammate only once since the Chinese GP, when both cars reached the finish line, he will bear the weight of sadness and dejection of the Marussia team, which was at the end of the track during the Russian GP, his last appearance of the season.

L’EQUIPE

Marussia-Ferrari – 9th in the Constructors’ Championship (2 pts)

By retaining its driver duo, the team was betting on continuity. A rather successful gamble overall against the fluctuating competition of a Caterham team that was often inferior. The two points scored by Jules Bianchi in Monaco are celebrated as a victory by the small structure, which remains, to this day, the only team of the three newcomers in 2010 to have achieved this performance. Like Caterham, however, and despite the support of Ferrari, Marussia is suffering financially.

The second half of the season starts on the same footing as the first, even though the greens give more of a challenge to the whites, reds, and blacks starting from the Belgian GP. In Japan, the team is hit hard by Jules Bianchi’s accident and its aftermath. The team leaders, with John Booth at the forefront, stay by the driver’s side while preparing for the Sochi race. During this event, Marussia decides to race with only one car but, as a tribute, builds and prepares the Frenchman’s car in the section of the garage that should have been his. Max Chilton and the entire team stand on the grid with a panel reading “Racing for Jules”. The event ends with a retirement.

A few days later, Marussia announces its placement in administration. The team misses the United States and Brazilian Grand Prix but tries, in vain and after announcing its cessation of activities, to compete in the Abu Dhabi race. Shortly after the end of the season, the team, which finished ninth in the constructors’ championship, is forced to sell its assets at auction.

PERSPECTIVES

Registered for the 2015 championship, the Manor team, which was running Marussia, is unlikely to be present on the grids in 2015. Max Chilton, on the other hand, is already considering other options beyond F1 after two unconvincing seasons.

Find all our reviews, team by team, of the season /f1/actualite/19173-bilan-2014-caterham-f1-plus-detincelles-en-coulisses-quen-piste.html:

– Caterham: Plus d’étincelles en coulisses qu’en piste

– Sauber: Une saison vierge de résultats

– Lotus: Une saison dans les bas-fonds

– Toro Rosso: Des progrès malgré les défis à relever

– Force India: Une saison en net progrès

– McLaren: Année de transition après 20 ans avec Mercedes

– Ferrari: La fin d’une ère

– Williams: La saison du renouveau sportif