Max Chilton to race for Marussia next season

“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…We saw just how much he has progressed even since the Silverstone test in the summer and through the succession of GP2 races thereafter, when he achieved two pole positions and two race wins.”

Max, whose brother Tom Chilton is currently racing in the World Touring Car Championship, added:

 “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 was personally disappointed when the Caterham team’s result in the last race of this years F1 season narrowly won them the £10 million bonus awarded to the 10th team in the constructors championship, as Marussia had fought so hard to win the money that would have had a huge impact on their development for next season. However, it is understood that the Chilton family has invested a large amount of money into the Marussia racing program, so although Max is not there purely because of his talent, he is a very promising driver and I look forward to seeing how he and the team progress next season.