The Marussia Formula One team’s drivers were split over the car’s performance in Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix with Charles Pic proclaiming himself happy, but Timo Glock lamenting severe handling trouble.
Despite significant recent upgrades to the car, Marussia occupied their usual place in practice, comfortably ahead of backmarkers HRT but almost a second behind the Caterham team except when Caterham gave third driver Alexander Rossi a rare run in the first session.
“To be honest we’ve had two pretty difficult sessions today as we’ve struggled with the balance of the car,” Glock said on the Marussia website.
“It’s been very nervous on both sets of tyres so a little disappointing that we seem to still have this problem.”
The updates applied to the car are having a positive effect, Pic said.
“I am quite happy with the way today has been. We made good progress across the two sessions and I feel the benefit of the new update.”
Marussia’s best results this season came in the first race in Australia in March, when Glock finished 14th, with Pic one place further back.
Formerly known as Virgin Racing, Marussia is part-owned by Nikolai Fomenko, a Russian TV presenter who also manufactures supercars. The team finished last in the constructors’ standings in both of its first two seasons, but has signaled greater ambitions for 2012, signing a co-operation agreement with championship challengers McLaren.
