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Marussia signs Stevens as reserve driver

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Marussia has announced the signing of Will Stevens as its second reserve driver, though the Brit missed his planned FP1 debut at Suzuka due to paperwork complications.

On Thursday Marrusia had confirmed Stevens would drive in FP1 but industrial action meant relevant documentation could not be completed, meaning Max Chilton returned to the car for the morning session. Despite this, in Friday's announcement Marrusia stated its hope Stevens will "take part in a number of FP1 sessions during the remainder of the season".

Stevens - who joins Alexander Rossi as the team's second reserve driver - previously had ties with Caterham, completing the 2013 Young Driver Test and the Silverstone test earlier this year. He is currently in his third season of Formula Renault 3.5, taking his first series win at the start of the current campaign.

Marussia team principal John Booth says it is Stevens' performances in Formula Renault 3.5 which have caught the eye.

"Will is a driver we have been watching since he arrived in Formula Renault," he said. "We have admired his ability to learn quickly and compete in the thick of the action, so we are very pleased to add him to our roster of Official Reserve Drivers, which is now looking very strong indeed. It is great to be able to take such promising talents as Will and Alexander under our wing and help them progress to the next level. We look forward to seeing Will perform in the MR03, when I am sure he will demonstrate some further signs of his obvious potential."

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