Charles Pic (front) and Marussia team-mate Timo Glock do battle on track in the Chinese Grand Prix - Photo Credit: Marussia F1 Team
Marussia are leaving China in a positive mood this evening after picking up a third consecutive two-car finish in as many races and sitting pretty above Caterham and HRT in the constructors’ championship.
Timo Glock and Charles Pic finished the Chinese Grand Prix in P19 and P20 respectively, and both drivers can see that there is more to come from this car in future races.
“It wasn't a straightforward race for me,” said Glock, looking back on his afternoon in Shanghai. “The start was good and I could get in front of a couple of other cars, but they got by again with the DRS and KERS. Then I was racing with my team-mate and I was able to pull out a bit of a gap from him.
“For some reason though, my front left tyre just dropped away too early each time. Charles seemed to have the better car over the race and he was able to close the gap. I had to come in early, but I had some good in and out laps and could use the tyre well. In the second stint I just managed the gap to him and helped the tyre over the distance, but it dropped again and I had a lot of understeer. From the second stop I had good pace and could open the gap again until the blue flags started to come out.
“Suddenly the engine dropped as I was low on fuel, so I had to cruise in 6th and 7th gears and my focus then was getting the car home. Some things to look at and learn from the race because they held us back quite a bit. On the positive side, this means there is a lot more to come from the car. Well done to the team. A good job again, especially in the pits today.”
Pic seemed to enjoy his afternoon more than his team-mate did, and is optimistic for future races. “It was a good race for me I think,” said the French rookie. “We have reduced the gap to the Caterham cars yet again, so this is very good. I was also lapping round the same pace as Timo today, so again this is another step forward for me.
“We have to keep this up now and continue pushing because the potential is there in the car for sure. I think we can do some good work with the strategy because, now we have reduced the gap, maybe we can try some other things to get ahead on the track.
“It has been another good weekend for me so thanks to the team and my crew, who have all done a great job. I hope to see another improvement in Bahrain next weekend where I will be racing on a circuit that I know for the first time this season.”
Marussia team principal John Booth was full of praise for the team, and clearly delighted with their performance. “We are naturally very pleased with how the weekend has gone for us again here in Shanghai,” he said. “To bring both cars home in their third consecutive race is very encouraging, as is the pace of the cars, which is improving with every race.
“We are also delighted to still hold 10th place in the Constructors' Championship after the third Grand Prix, which provides a further boost to the team, the drivers and our Partners. There's so much to be pleased about at the moment but we have to remain focused because there is a lot of work to do, some real potential in the package and a few areas where we can continue to improve as a team.
“All credit to everyone trackside and back at the factory though. It has been very rewarding watching the race performances in particular unfold and we can feel proud of how far we've come in such a short space of time. The races ahead look very exciting too as Timo now has a car he can work with and we wait with eager anticipation to see how Charles will perform at circuits he is better acquainted with.”
