As the 2015 season nears to a close, Britain’s Will Stevens will be relieved to have beaten teammate Alexander Rossi as the fight for a 2016 seat continues.
Stevens faced off against his American teammate for the last time this season, as Roberto Merhi will return to the cockpit for the season finale in Abu Dhabi, and so far the young American has been more than a match for the 24-year-old from Essex.
It was Stevens who was on top in Brazil as his teammate struggled with car balance issues and the Brit was delighted to take the position as the leading Manor driver.
Stevens stated, “I think the focus on race balance has really paid off for me this weekend. It wasn’t an easy race because of having to look after the rear tyres, but I knew that if I could get past Alex I would be able to pull away. I’m pleased to regain the advantage over my team-mate and bring the car home in 18th place. Yet another two-car finish for the team, which is good news, so we go into the final round in Abu Dhabi eager to end the season on a high note.”
Stevens has managed a best finish of 13th place at the British Grand Prix since his debut in 2014 for the now defunct Caterham outfit, as their crowdfunded campaign to get to the season finale was successful.
Departing Team Principal John Booth commented: “I think Will had a much more enjoyable day than Alexander and he is pretty happy, having focused rather more on the race throughout the weekend. Everything came together for him today.”
With Mercedes Power Units and a partnership with Williams on the line, Stevens will be determined to impress in the final round of the season to keep his seat at Manor next year, as he returns to the place he made his GP debut 12 months beforehand.
