Marussia Confirm F1 Drive for Razia

GP2 2012 Series Runner-Up Luiz Razia has clinched the second F1 seat at Marussia.

(c) Marussia F1 Team

The Brazilian was confirmed on Wednesday (6^th February) by the team, and will partner fellow rookie Max Chilton at the Banbury based squad.

The move had been rumoured last week after Razia posted confirmation on his official website, but the team have now confirmed their new addition to the team. The 23-year-old graduates from the GP2 series alongside Max Chilton and replaces Charles Pic at the team.

Razia was in the hunt for the 2012 GP2 title, but just missed out to newly signed Lotus F1 Team Test/Reserve driver Davide Valsecchi. After four seasons in the series, like fellow rookie Giedo van der Garde, last season was by far his best. Racing for the Arden team, he won five times and backed that up with five other podium appearances. He clinched victory in the Valencia sprint race, after overtaking for the lead on the final lap. With 222 points overall, he just missed out on the title after a few difficult rounds towards the end of the season.

Razia will join fellow GP2 graduates Chilton, van der Garde and Williams’s protegee Valtteri Bottas as the 2013 Formula 1 Rookies. 

He said on the confirmation "It is fantastic to be back with the Marussia F1 Team and with pretty much the same group of people I worked with back in 2010 when I was Reserve Driver,"

"Having been in that position, I know this Team rewards determination and success in its young drivers, the intention of its programme being to school the next generation of racing drivers.

I am very proud to take the step up to a Formula 1 race seat, particularly with the team I began this journey with, since they helped show me what it takes to progress to the highest level. The past two seasons in GP2 have been all about proving that I have what it takes and that I'm ready. This coming season will be about rewarding the faith the Team have shown in me. I am looking forward to beginning that process in Jerez where we are testing the MR02 for the first time.

"I am also looking forward to the first race in Melbourne and I'm excited to be racing alongside Max, who I competed 'against' last season. This is an important year for the Marussia F1 Team in terms of maintaining the momentum from a very position 2012 season. I look forward to making a valuable contribution to that."

Team Principal John Booth said on his new signing "We are pleased to have concluded our driver line-up, which means that we can now focus all our attentions on what looks set to be a very promising 2013 season,"

"Luiz isn't new to our Team of course, having been Reserve Driver in our debut season in 2010 and part of our Young Driver Programme. It is therefore very pleasing to have not one but two graduates of that programme driving for is in 2013, and also very exciting, since both Luiz and Max demonstrated a great deal of potential competing alongside each other in GP2 last season.

He continued "When Luiz moved to GP2 in 2011, we had every expectation that he would progress to the extent that he has,"

Marussia have already said that they are in their best financial position yet, despite not clinching 10th in the 2012 constructors championship. Razia and Chilton both bring investment and sponsorship to the team, but they are both very fast too.

The teams latest challenge will be tackling two rookie drivers, who have little experience developing a car. They will have to be patient but are experts at developing young drivers. A challenge that shows lots of promise.

Luiz jumped straight in to the car on Wednesday (6th February) to test the MR02 at the Jerez circuit.