Marussia wants to resume their progress in Montreal

After a promising start to the season, the Marussia team has faced some difficulties in recent races, surrendering the valuable tenth place in the constructors’ ranking to Caterham, following Heikki Kovalainen’s 13th place in Monaco, and sometimes finding themselves having to battle against HRT: « We hope Canada will be a turning point that allows us to get back on track. The disappointment has been less about the car’s performance and our pace than about some minor setup issues and reliability problems that have arisen, especially for Charles. We need to see both our cars qualify well and reach the checkered flag, » aims John Booth, director of the Anglo-Russian team.

Handicapped by a problem with his MR01, Timo Glock saw Charles Pic close the gap and even surpass him twice, in Bahrain and Spain. However, the Frenchman also had his share of misfortune, as he suffered three consecutive retirements due to mechanical issues: the engine in Bahrain, the transmission in Spain, and an electrical problem in Monaco, to which one could also add an oil pressure issue in Melbourne at the very start of the season. The native of Montélimar intends to move on in Montreal: « The car has potential, that’s for sure. Considering the performances, I am quite happy with the last three races, but unfortunately, we didn’t finish them because of problems with the car. We need to put this behind us and approach Canada with a positive mindset. » Olivier Panis’s protégé is also enthusiastic about the prospect of discovering the Gilles Villeneuve circuit: « I am excited about my first racing experience in Canada next weekend. It’s a great circuit and another challenge, new and different. My first goal is to learn the track quickly. It’s a circuit that Timo knows well, so he will be a good point of reference for me. »

The German will be even more so as he particularly appreciates the Gilles Villeneuve circuit: “I really look forward to this race since it was the scene of my first Grand Prix where I scored two points. Every time since, Canada has been very good to me. It’s another quite special circuit. Once again, it’s an urban circuit, even if you can’t compare it to Monaco. There are a lot of straights there, so you have to find a compromise in terms of downforce,” says Timo Glock.

For his part, John Booth emphasizes the importance of brakes and tires, but especially the fact that Montreal can be just as tricky and unpredictable as Monaco: The circuit shares with Monaco the proximity to the walls and drivers must be cautious with “that wall.” In the past, Montreal has not been short of surprises: we’ve had everything there, from small animals -on the track- to torrential rain during the race. According to early forecasts, the weather is expected to vary from very hot to very wet over the weekend. However, it’s a trip we all love to make because Montreal is such a fantastic destination for a Grand Prix and the fans are very warm and welcoming.

Timo Glock also shares his team director’s speech: « It’s also a place where you never know what might happen. We’ve had a lot of rain in the past and the “Wall of Champions” often plays a decisive role in the race result or in its preparation. It should be an exciting weekend and hopefully, we will continue the excellent work we did in Monaco. »