Sky Sports exclusive: Max Chilton on his season, British GP debut & chances of a point

Max Chilton insists his focus has to remain solely on delivering consistent performances in his debut Formula 1 season - continuing with his maiden British GP this weekend - if he is to secure his long-term future in the sport.

An achievement that would likely aid Chilton's nascent attempts to establish himself as a permanent fixture on the grid would be to become the driver who finally breaks Marussia's points duck after three-and-a-half seasons in F1. Asked about the likelihood of doing that on home soil this weekend, an upbeat Chilton replied: "The chances here are pretty good because of the weather. For us I think we need a bit of mix in weather to have the luck to get the job done. "Obviously races like Monaco and Singapore, which are street circuits, there's more attrition and cars can crash out more. But at Silverstone we've got a good chance and I think our car's getting quick enough now that we don't always need the luck on our side to get the job done, we just need everything to run smoothly and I'd love to grab that first point for Marussia." Irrespective of both the weather and Marussia's competitiveness around the fast-flowing Northamptonshire circuit, Chilton admits he is just thrilled to be a part of the occasion. "It was a fantastic moment getting into Formula 1 and having my first race in Australia but every driver wants to race at their home grand prix and Silverstone's very special one because it's a big venue, we get over 100,000 people in the weekend come and spectate, so hopefully I can do the British fans proud and get the job done," he said. "I've driven Silverstone for plenty of years but they had a big revamp three years ago and changed the circuit and it's now bigger and has more overtaking which is really good for the spectators to watch because there's more grandstands. So for everyone it's a win-win. "I've driven the circuit for the last three years and now I'm going into my first Formula 1 race, so it's good to know the circuit." Sky Sports News Radio have a special Silverstone preview hour on Thursday night from 7pm. Special guests include Max Chilton, Johnny Herbert and David Croft. Listen at skysports.com/radio or via the Sky Sports Apps