Chilton has assets for a starting position at Marussia in 2013

The new reserve driver for the Marussia team, Max Chilton, believes he has a chance to secure a permanent race seat with the Russian team in 2013.

The current duo of drivers for the Marussia team seems to fully satisfy the team. Timo Glock has considerable experience, which greatly aids in the car’s development, and his twelfth place finish in Singapore has further solidified his role as an indispensable driver for the team. On the other hand, Charles Pic has surprised many observers who have discovered in him a fast and consistent driver, capable of beating his teammate on several occasions.

But if we refer to previous years, Lucas di Grassi and Jérôme d’Ambrosio only had their chance for one season. Therefore, Pic’s seat might be available for 2013, and that’s what Max Chilton is counting on to make his debut in Formula 1: « I think there will be a seat available next year. But I have no indication of whether I will occupy it or not. Discussions are ongoing, but nothing is decided yet. For the moment, the team is focusing on the championship to maintain its tenth place. We will wait and see. »

It would even seem, according to the Italian site OmniCorse.it, that Chilton’s father, Graham, has acquired 49% of the team’s shares in recent weeks. This information has not yet received official confirmation. However, in the past, Graham Chilton had already purchased a stake in the Carlin team, for which his son raced in GP2 during the 2012 season.

Chilton feels ready to step up and make his debut in the premier class as early as next year, as he explains to our colleagues at ESPNF1: “I believe in myself and I’m ready to do it. There are drivers with the same level of experience as me who have taken the leap, and I think I can do as good a job as them, if not better.”

The young 21-year-old British driver expects to get track time during free practice on Friday in the last races of the season. Indeed, he will take on his role as reserve driver starting from the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka this weekend: « This remains to be confirmed, but there is a strong chance that I will drive the car in the upcoming races. I hope to have more than one chance to drive, but participating in just one session would already allow me to gain experience on the track with other Formula 1 drivers. The tests for young drivers at Silverstone went very well, so I wouldn’t be going in completely blind if I have to take the wheel of the car during a Grand Prix weekend. »

The German driver Timo Glock is the only one confirmed by Marussia for the 2013 season. Rumors suggest Charles Pic may go to Caterham in place of Vitaly Petrov for next year.