Marussia considering Magnussen

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Kevin Magnussen could find a seat in Formula One next season with Marussia, according to sporting director Graeme Lowdon…

Kevin Magnussen could find a seat in Formula One next season with Marussia, according to sporting director Graeme Lowdon.

Backed by McLaren as part of their young driver programme, the Woking team has expressed their desire for Magnussen to make next season’s grid.

However, unwilling to put the 21-year-old Dane in their own car, the team is hoping someone else steps forward.

And that someone else could be Marussia.

“Like any team that hasn’t confirmed drivers, there are a number of possibilities,” Lowdon told Press Association Sport.

“Certainly Kevin has impressed in the tests he has done, and as a team that has brought young drivers into Formula One, he is in the frame.

“But there are probably three or four drivers with good potential looking to get into Formula One, and we’re talking to a number of them, along with other teams.”

However, should Magnussen that would spell the end for Max Chilton as Marussia have already confirmed Jules Bianchi for next season.

Lowdon, though, insists Chilton’s chances of retaining his seat are not over.

“Max is definitely an option because on the driving side he is doing a really good job.

“There has been real progress in a number of areas, and he has formed part of a tightly-knit team.

“We’re really quite keen to see continuity for next year because of the big technical change.

“If we decide to retain the current line-up it would be the first time we go into a new season with two drivers with some experience, so there’s something to be said for that.

“At the moment there is no particular rush. We’re just going through all the normal discussions we go through.”

The sporting director also took the time to defend Chilton’s qualifying record which has seen him come second to Bianchi on 13 out of 15 Saturdays.

“There is always a story behind qualifying, some reason or another.

“Jules has that bit more experience, but Max has shown he can learn from where Jules has been quick.

“In free practice we’re often asking drivers to do different things, so on the face of it the timesheets can look radically different.

“The key thing from our point of view, knowing for both drivers it’s their first year in F1, you expect to see progress.

“It’s a case of: are we happy with the rate of progress and the form that progress takes? I would say we’ve been really happy with both drivers.”