Exclusive Max Chilton Q&A: On Marussia's fight for survival and his own future

The plight of Marussia has proved one of Formula 1’s most gut-wrenching stories of the 2014 season.

From the high of scoring their first points in Monaco, the popular team were hit within the space of a grim month by Jules Bianchi’s horrific accident in the Japanese GP followed by news the company had gone into administration.

As a result, Marussia missed the final three rounds of the season and their future is on the line heading into the winter. Sky Sports Online caught up with Max Chilton ahead of his appearance on The F1 Show to discuss the events of recent weeks, where Marussia’s troubles leave his racing career for 2015, and why the success of British motorsport is not yet translating into more seats on the F1 grid.

For several reasons, it’s been a traumatic few months for you and the team since Japan. Firstly, just how are things?

Max Chilton: “It’s been a very difficult time for the team, made worse by the situation the team’s going through themselves. We did well to get through the week after the accident and get to Russia, I think we handled that weekend pretty well, considering.

“Then obviously after that we started going into administration and it’s been pretty tough since. We have been working on deals, we have been for quite a long time, and the team have been very close a number of times. But there’s a point where you have to call in the administrator. He’s doing his best but then obviously now there’s a point where, if he can’t see an outcome, then you have to then put it into liquidation. But we’re hoping we can stay away from that.

“He’ll try his best and the team will try their best to get some investors because now we’ve got ninth [in the Constructors’ Championship] that’s a big bonus for the team. It’s not like we finished 11th where you only get the 10 or so [million] from FOM, it’s now proper money which neither Marussia nor Caterham have experienced because you have to finish in that position two years running. We finished 10th last year, now we’ve got ninth, we’re going to get that money but we only get that if we get to the start of next year and you get it in monthly instalments.

“So it’s going to be difficult to get through the winter without an investor. If we get that then I think we’ll do an even better job than we did this year because for us to finish ahead of the Sauber and Caterham this year with the funding we had, I think it proves what we could do. So we’re just trying our best to make sure we get the team through the winter and avoid liquidation, and then I think the road’s good. But we are running out of time.”

So you’re being kept right up to date with the situation?

MC: "Yeah. Obviously I want to know exactly what’s going on. It’s a big part of my career if I can get back into Formula 1. I feel I’ve got more to show and I think the team have got a lot more to show and I’d love to be part of that journey.

“I’ve helped them in the last couple of years so we’ll try and get something resolved.”

The team and administrators have obviously got their own deadlines, but looking at your career, do you have a deadline in your own mind for when you need your plans for 2015 confirmed?

MC: