Max Chilton won the Singapore GP2 sprint race and will be the Marussia reserve driver for the rest off the season © Sutton Images
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Marussia's new reserve driver Max Chilton is eyeing a race seat with the team after revealing there will be one available in 2013.

The team's current driver line-up of Timo Glock and Charles Pic has fared Marussia well, with Glock securing a crucial 12th place in Singapore that leaves the team in 10th in the constructors' championship and Pic impressing during his debut season. With Marussia having run Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d'Ambrosio for one year each alongside Glock, however, it appears that Pic will only get one season as well.

Speaking exclusively to the ESPNF1 Podcast, Chilton confirmed that he sees his new role as an opportunity to secure a race seat with Marussia for next year, but has not had any confirmation from the team.

"I think there's [a race seat] available, but whether it's me or not we haven't had any indication," Chilton said. "I think there's discussions going on but there's nothing as yet; I think the team are kind of focusing on trying to hold on to their 10th place in the championship at the moment more than anything else so we'll just wait and see.

"I believe in myself that I'm ready to do it. I think there are people that have stepped up with the same experience as me and I think I can do just as good a job if not better."

Chilton also revealed that he expected to get some track time in at least FP1 session this year, having driven in Abu Dhabi in both GP2 and the Young Driver Test for Force India last year.

"It's not confirmed but I'm very likely to get in the car at one of the circuits. Hopefully I'll get more free practices than just one but one would be amazing just to have the experience of being on the track with all the other F1 drivers.

"I had the Young Driver Test at Silverstone which went really well and I got to grips with the car quite quickly and really enjoyed it. So I'm not going in to free practice blind, but it'll still be quite a big moment trying to put it all together with the cameras watching in a Free Practice 1 session."

Chris Medland is assistant editor at ESPNF1

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Chris Medland is assistant editor at ESPNF1 Chris Medland, who in his youth even found the Pacific GPs entertaining, talked his way in to work at the British Grand Prix and was somehow retained for three years. He also worked on the BBC's F1 output prior to becoming assistant editor ahead of the 2011 season