PlanetF1

Chilton confident he's up for F1

Wednesday 30-January-2013 16:15

Max Chilton insists that he is ready to compete in Formula One, despite his tag of a pay driver.

The Briton has been promoted to a race-seat by Marussia after serving as the team's reserve driver for the last six races of 2013.

"I wouldn't have wanted to make the step up if I wasn't ready," Chilton told Sky Sports News.

"I believe after my last year in GP2 with two wins and two pole positions I am ready and when I got behind the wheel in Abu Dhabi for practice I felt comfortable and that is the main thing - I know I can do it.

"After three long, hard seasons in F1 the team are yet to score a point and if I can score their first points then that will be an incredible feeling. Hopefully if testing goes well we can get that done early on in the season and then I can change my targets as we go."

The 21-year-old believes that fitness will be key to being successful at the highest level and as such as spent much of the off-season focusing on this.

"You are at the top of the sport - so everything has to be perfect," he explained.

"You have to focus on every little bit of fitness as F1 is very physical so you have to build up the neck muscles more because of g-force and the races are about 40 minutes longer than what I am used to, so I have to build up the endurance levels."