Sunday: Marussia moved ahead of Caterham in pure performance
Jules Bianchi was smiling at the end of the race in Texas, which he finished 18th and ahead of both Caterham cars. As for Max Chilton, he owed his final last place only to the penalty he received for blocking Pastor Maldonado during qualifying, which shows that the improvements made by the team are bearing fruit compared to its direct rivals.
Jules Bianchi – 18th
« I can say that this was the toughest race of the season for me. With only one pit stop, switching from mediums to hards, it was a really long race with so much of my focus on tire management. Despite everything, the start was good enough to get me ahead of van der Garde. Then, I was very happy with my race because we easily kept both Caterhams behind. I have to say a big thank you to the whole team because there was a lot of work not just to help us solve our weekend’s problems but also to bring new parts to the car and make them work properly at such a late stage of the season. A really good race for us today and we can go to Brazil more confident. »
Max Chilton – 21st
« Starting this race with a penalty to respect, I was aware that it would be a difficult and lonely race for me. I lost 15 seconds in the pit lane, and the reality is that you’ll face blue flags much earlier and pay a heavy price in the second part of the race. I’m happy with my effort to try to catch up, and I think my best lap shows it. Unfortunately, other factors defined my race. On the positive side, I have finished another race, my 18th out of 18, and the car is performing well compared to the Caterham. So, we will give it our all during the last race next weekend. »
