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Razia shocked after losing Marussia drive

ESPN Staff
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Luiz Razia: "I'm in a kind of shock" © Sutton Images
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Luiz Razia said he was in a state of shock after learning he would not be driving for Marussia this year.

Razia was named as the team's race driver at the first test in Jerez and completed two days in the car, but was sidelined at the second test amid rumours about his funding. He attended the final test but again did not drive the car and on the second day tweeted: "I'm doing absolutely everything possible to resolve the situation."

However, just a matter of hours later Jules Bianchi was named as Razia's replacement, leaving last year's GP2 Series runner-up without a drive for 2013.

"I'm in a kind of shock, because you expect to be in F1, you are there, announced, testing, and then you are out - and not because of a driver fault," he told Autosport. "I did everything right in what I could do, but it was really just a circumstantial thing that happened, and that was it.

"But I still am here. My career is still shining and I can overcome this difficult situation. It is just something that has happened to me. Sometimes life does this to you. My main goal is to be in F1, so all my effort is there.

"I am now without any grounds, but I will go with my family, and we will be sad for a while, but I will get back to the category. I was there two weeks ago, and I didn't feel I shouldn't be there for this season."

Razia said he does not blame the team for the situation and believes Bianchi also deserves to be in Formula One after narrowly missing out on a Force India drive earlier this week.

"I could be angry. I could be very selfish, but I am not. I am really tolerant with these things. I understand the position of Marussia and I like the team. They treated me very nicely there and, to be honest, they were trying to sort out the situation for me.

"They chose me because they wanted me there in the first place, so there are no hard feelings. It is also fair to say that Bianchi had a difficult situation and, to be honest, he deserved the drive."

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