Friday: Studious day for Bianchi, Rossi and Chilton at Marussia
The three drivers of the Marussia F1 team had the opportunity to drive today, Jules Bianchi is happy with his day, Alexander Rossi is satisfied to have tested the MR03, and Max Chilton is glad to have been able to work for the rest of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Jules Bianchi (No. 17) – 19th and 16th
The Frenchman is happy with his first day at Spa because the MR03 seems competitive on the Ardennes track: « I’m delighted to finish 16th after a good start to the weekend. It’s always nice to race here at Spa, and obviously this track is special to me, so it’s nice to be back competing here and to see positive signs for the days to come. I’m pleased with my position today, given the cars around me. »
Alexander Rossi (#42) – 20th [FP1]
The American driver had the opportunity to drive during the first free practice and he wished to thank the Marussia team for this opportunity, even if he will not have the chance to participate in the race as initially announced: « The main point for me today is to reiterate my thanks to the Marussia F1 team for this chance to drive the MR03 for the first time. It’s obviously disappointing not to race, but I wasn’t even aware of the opportunity before arriving here whatever happens, so it passed almost as quickly as it came. »
Rossi expressed satisfaction with his run and believes he has proven his qualities to the Russian team: « I really enjoyed my first practice session. I felt comfortable in the car and am thrilled with my performance considering I had never driven the MR03 before today. I found my rhythm quite quickly and even though it’s only the beginning, I hope I’ve shown the team that I can help. They seem pleased with my progress and feedback, and I look forward to my next FP1 session. »
Max Chilton (#4) – 18th [FP2]
The Briton will indeed participate in the Belgian Grand Prix and had the opportunity to drive the MR03 to prepare best and was able to benefit from the work done by Alexander Rossi this morning: « It was good to be back in the car and focus on the upcoming weekend. It was a positive session for me this afternoon, following Alex’s program, who drove this morning and did a good job. The car seems better with the changes made, and I am confident that we can continue to improve the car tomorrow and have a good race on Sunday, hopefully with both our cars reaching the finish. »
