Marussia have finalised their 2013 line up with the signing of British driver Max Chilton.
The 21-year-old will replace Charles Pic at the Banbury squad and will race alongside the experienced Timo Glock. Chilton finished fourth in the 2012 GP2 championship and took up the role of reserve driver at the team from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.
Earlier in the year Max revealed he had the budget to take up the seat, but the move depended on Pic's future at Marussia. The Frenchman decided to switch to rivals Caterham, opening up a seat at the squad.
The confirmation means that their will be four British drivers on the grid in 2013. Chilton's future at the squad was hinted at by Marussia President Nikolay Fomenko over the weekend but their line up was officially confirmed by the team on Tuesday (19th December).
Max said on the good news "It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling today, with the announcement that I will be racing for the Marussia F1 Team in 2013,"
"It comes at the end of what has been a fantastic year for me, and those steps - my GP2 pole positions and wins, my performances in the F1 Young Driver Test and in FP1 at Abu Dhabi - have given everyone the confidence in my ability to compete at the highest level of motor sport.
"I am very fortunate to have spent the last six races with the
Marussia F1 Team as Reserve Driver, which means that instead of a
standing start, I am already up to speed and at ease with the people,
the culture, the systems and of course, the 2012 package.
"During the period since the Japanese Grand Prix, I have watched at very close quarters the incredible commitment and determination to succeed that saw everyone in the team pushing until the very last race. I feel very lucky to be able to embark on my F1 racing career with this group of people.
"Pre-season testing is just a few weeks away, so my focus now is to continue my physical preparation whilst spending as much time as possible working with the technical team to help develop the car I will drive in my debut F1 season."
Team Principal John Booth said "We are delighted to welcome Max to the role of Race Driver with the Marussia F1 Team for the 2013 season,"
"We have spent a significant amount of time evaluating his performances during 2012, both in our own car in a testing situation and also from the pitwall as we monitored his progress alongside the other members of our junior talent pool during Grand Prix support races.
"We felt confident enough in his ability and potential to appoint him to the role of Reserve Driver in September and since that time his development has been rapid in all aspects. First and foremost, he has shown himself to be extremely capable in the car."
Max gained his super license earlier in the year after completing the required mileage at the Silverstone Young Driver Test. He then went on to drive in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 21-year-old will replace Charles Pic at the Banbury squad and will race alongside the experienced Timo Glock. Chilton finished fourth in the 2012 GP2 championship and took up the role of reserve driver at the team from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.
Earlier in the year Max revealed he had the budget to take up the seat, but the move depended on Pic's future at Marussia. The Frenchman decided to switch to rivals Caterham, opening up a seat at the squad.
The confirmation means that their will be four British drivers on the grid in 2013. Chilton's future at the squad was hinted at by Marussia President Nikolay Fomenko over the weekend but their line up was officially confirmed by the team on Tuesday (19th December).
Max said on the good news "It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling today, with the announcement that I will be racing for the Marussia F1 Team in 2013,"
"It comes at the end of what has been a fantastic year for me, and those steps - my GP2 pole positions and wins, my performances in the F1 Young Driver Test and in FP1 at Abu Dhabi - have given everyone the confidence in my ability to compete at the highest level of motor sport.
"During the period since the Japanese Grand Prix, I have watched at very close quarters the incredible commitment and determination to succeed that saw everyone in the team pushing until the very last race. I feel very lucky to be able to embark on my F1 racing career with this group of people.
"Pre-season testing is just a few weeks away, so my focus now is to continue my physical preparation whilst spending as much time as possible working with the technical team to help develop the car I will drive in my debut F1 season."
Team Principal John Booth said "We are delighted to welcome Max to the role of Race Driver with the Marussia F1 Team for the 2013 season,"
"We have spent a significant amount of time evaluating his performances during 2012, both in our own car in a testing situation and also from the pitwall as we monitored his progress alongside the other members of our junior talent pool during Grand Prix support races.
"We felt confident enough in his ability and potential to appoint him to the role of Reserve Driver in September and since that time his development has been rapid in all aspects. First and foremost, he has shown himself to be extremely capable in the car."
Max gained his super license earlier in the year after completing the required mileage at the Silverstone Young Driver Test. He then went on to drive in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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