Rodolfo Gonzalez reserve driver at Marussia in 2013

The Marussia team embarks on a complete renewal in 2013, with the arrival of two new drivers – Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi – as well as a new reserve driver in the person of Rodolfo Gonzalez. The Venezuelan driver is not, however, a stranger in the F1 paddocks as he served as a test driver at Caterham last year.

Gonzalez will begin his new role this weekend in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix. He will be present at all race weekends alongside the Russian team to fill in for any potential absence of one of the two main drivers. He might also drive on several Fridays, as John Booth, the Marussia team director, mentioned: “We welcome Rodolfo to the Marussia F1 team and are encouraged by the fact that he has the necessary experience for his role as a reserve driver should he need to step into the car. To prepare him further, we look forward to seeing him participate in a number of first free practice sessions throughout the season, where we will also have the opportunity to assess his performance for the future.”

Gonzalez also joins the Marussia Young Driver program and will thus have the opportunity to drive with the Russian team during the young driver tests that will take place later in the year. The Venezuelan driver expressed his delight at this new step in his racing career: « I am thrilled to join the Marussia F1 team. Working closely with the racing drivers and engineers at each race weekend is a fantastic opportunity for me to learn outside the car and I hope that I can make a significant contribution to the team. I look forward to being part of the team, starting with this weekend in Melbourne, and I would like to thank the team for their trust in me and this fantastic opportunity. »