Marussia entering only one car for Russian GP
Sochi, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) – Marussia Formula One Team revealed on Friday that it will field only one car, for Max Chilton, in this weekend’s inaugural Russian Grand Prix, doing so out of respect for the injured Jules Bianchi, who was involved in a horrifying accident last Sunday in Japan.
Bianchi remains in critical but stable condition in an intensive care unit at Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, Japan after suffering a severe head injury during his crash in the closing laps of last Sunday’s rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Frenchman slid off course and collided with a recovery vehicle that was removing Adrian Sutil’s car after Sutil went off course and crashed into the barrier.
On Thursday, an official FIA (the governing body of F1) entry list had Alexander Rossi, an American, listed as the replacement driver for Bianchi. Rossi, a 23-year-old Auburn, California native, has been a test and reserve driver for Marussia since July. Marussia said that would it would announce its driver lineup for the Russian GP on Friday.
According to a statement from Marussia, “We have written to the (FIA) stewards of the meeting to inform them that we have withdrawn our second car. Notwithstanding the presence in Sochi of Alexander Rossi, the nominated official reserve driver for the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, the team feels strongly that fielding a single car, that of driver number 4, Max Chilton, is the appropriate course of action under the difficult circumstances of the weekend.
“Jules’ car crew have built a second car, which has been scrutineered and is ready to race, and this will remain on his side of the garage throughout the weekend. In support of Jules and his family, the team and its cars will carry the familiar #JB17 graphic, to ensure that, although Jules is not with us in Sochi this weekend, he is, nonetheless, racing on with the Marussia F1 Team.”
All F1 drivers, including Bianchi’s teammate, Chilton, will be racing with heavy hearts in Russia throughout the weekend.
“I don’t know how to put into words how truly devastated I am by what has happened to Jules,” Bianchi said in a team statement. “The support from the F1 family has been incredible, and all we can do is be there to support Jules’ family at this difficult time. It is going to be a very emotional weekend for the whole Team, but we will try to get through it and keep praying for Jules.”
Categorized in: FIA