17/05/2013
NEWS STORY
The Marussia F1 Team is gearing up for one of the highlights of the Formula 1 season - the Monaco Grand Prix - next weekend (23-26 May), where Jules Bianchi will also celebrate his home race.
Jules was born in Nice, France, just a little further along the coast from the principality and still maintains close ties to the area. He has raced in Monaco previously in the junior formulae but he will be especially proud to line up on the grid in a Formula 1 car for the first time in front of close friends and family.
Jules Bianchi: When I was nine or ten years old and used to go to watch the Monaco Grand Prix, I could never have imagined that one day I would be racing here myself. So much of this season is a dream come true but next weekend is certainly one of the highlights for me. It's a unique race, a fantastic experience on and off the track and the atmosphere is very special. I would like to think that we can have a strong weekend after some positive signs with the new upgrade in Spain. We were not able to make the best of it on race day there but I hope for better things in Monaco.
Max Chilton: I can't wait for my first Monaco Grand Prix experience at the wheel of a Formula 1 car. It's shaping up to be quite a weekend so I hope we can put on a good show for the benefit of all the partners and guests who are making the trip there. It's a fascinating track and everything can turn on a knife-edge because of factors like the close proximity of the barriers and the importance of qualifying ahead of our immediate competitors. Although this is a very different challenge to Spain, I hope we can carry through some of the benefits we saw from the new developments last time out and have a better showing in Monaco. I have been preparing in the simulator this week and I'm feeling positive about our potential there.
John Booth, Team Principal: The Monaco Grand Prix is always one of the highlights of the season, for our Team, our Partners and the fans. Racing around the tight and twisty streets is an unparalleled experience for any driver and Jules and Max are both very excited and looking to the race weekend with confidence after spending time in the simulator. Jules is also very fortunate to count this as his home Grand Prix and racing so close to the place he grew up in will no doubt be very special for him. It's a track which really showcases a driver's ability so we look forward to seeing more of the obvious potential of both of our drivers shining through again. Monaco will not be without its challenges I'm sure and there will be the same heavy focus on tyre management. We do have a few minor developments however, which we hope will keep us moving in the right direction.