Friday: Bianchi confident, brake issue for Chilton at Marussia
Mixed day at Marussia: while Jules Bianchi was spared from problems and remains confident for the rest of the weekend, Max Chilton suffered a brake failure that ended his long-run program.
Jules Bianchi (No. 17) – 17th and 19th
For the Frenchman, the day was quite interesting, and he notes progress since Sepang: « I think we have seen promising signs from our day of running which suggests that we have made some good progress in understanding our package since Malaysia. »
He is waiting for tomorrow to be able to further exploit his Marussia MR03: « The stint on soft tires seemed good, so we are eager to explore the car’s performance a bit more tomorrow. »
The second session was marked, for Marussia, by a problem with Max Chilton’s car. As a precaution, the car of driver n°17 was also checked: « Obviously, we had to end the day prematurely to look into the brake disc problem that Max experienced, but it’s a good start. »
Max Chilton (No. 4) – 20th and 20th
The Briton did not have a perfect day, due to a mechanical failure that cost him part of the second session: It wasn’t the calm day of testing and preparation we had envisioned, but we were making good progress nonetheless and things were quite promising during the first part of the second session in particular.
« We were just starting the long stints when I felt something go at the front left and it sent me into a spin. It seemed like a brake disc failure and that’s actually what happened, so it’s something we’ll have to be very careful about tonight, » he warns.
Like many, even if this track is not new, the nighttime aspect offers a new perspective on things: « It’s interesting to be back here with winter testing, but obviously the lights give a different dimension to the action. I love night races. »
