Official: Rossi replaces Chilton at Marussia F1 for the Belgian GP

New surprise announcement in F1: after the replacement for the Belgian race of Kamui Kobayashi by André Lotterer at Caterham, it is now Marussia’s turn to announce on its site that its reserve driver, American Alexander Rossi, is replacing Max Chilton for the Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

« We are offering Alexander Rossi the opportunity to make his Grand Prix debut this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, » begins the statement published on the Marussia website. « Alexander will drive alongside Jules Bianchi, replacing Max Chilton while contractual issues are resolved. »

These contract issues propel Rossi, who joined the team since July during the Hungarian Grand Prix, into the MR03 seat: « It goes without saying that I am thrilled to have the opportunity to race in Formula 1 for the first time, and I can only thank Marussia F1 for the trust they have shown me. This is a big moment for me, and there is a lot to prepare in a short time, but on the other hand, I feel ready for this for a while. It is also exciting to have this opportunity on such a fantastic and historic circuit as Spa. I am looking forward to driving the MR03 tomorrow and hope to reward the team with a good race weekend. »

John Booth, the director of the Russian team, wished the best to the young American but hopes to see Chilton back soon: « Even though it was not our intention to offer Alexander the opportunity to race this season, in light of the circumstances, we are delighted to offer him the opportunity to make his Grand Prix debut this weekend at the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Naturally, we hope to return to normal as soon as possible regarding our driver duo, but for now, we wish Alexander the best for this weekend and look forward to seeing him in action. »

More information to follow…