Friday: Chilton had more work to do after Bianchi’s accident
Jules Bianchi completed only 8 laps this morning before going off the track at turn 9, damaging his chassis. The Marussia team has therefore decided to work on the spare chassis to ensure the Frenchman can drive as early as tomorrow. With only one car on track during free practice 2, the Russian team heavily relied on Max Chilton, who was delighted with the progress made.
Max Chilton – 22nd and 21st:
« It was really nice to take my first steps on the famous Suzuka circuit today, but as we saw, it is quite a difficult circuit to find grip. From the beginning of this morning’s session, it was clear that setting up the car for this circuit and achieving a good balance was going to be a challenge. This challenge increased when Jules was unable to take part in this afternoon’s session, and we had to make every lap count for the data. I am delighted with how my session this afternoon went in terms of improving the car’s balance and my overall pace, so I look forward to continuing this progress tomorrow. »
Jules Bianchi – 20th and 22nd (No time):
« It has been a difficult day and with only 8 laps completed, it’s not how I had hoped my first sessions at Suzuka would unfold. My chassis was too damaged to allow me to take part in the second free practice, so the team is working on the spare chassis and I will drive again in the third free practice tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do now – me and my engineers, but also the mechanics to build the car for tomorrow – so all we can do is work hard and hope for a better day tomorrow. »
