Chilton tributes his win to Bianchi

Max Chilton broke through to claim his first Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires victory on July 18 at Iowa Speedway following a thrilling duel with Carlin teammate and fellow Englishman Ed Jones.

Chilton took advantage of the clear track ahead of him at the restart to cement his authority on the proceedings, taking the checkered flag a comfortable 6.1172 seconds clear of Jones who was content to cruise home to the finish. “I’ve learned a lot from him and he was part of that win”, the 24-year-old Chilton was quoted as saying by BBC.

It’s been a troublesome 9 months, to be brutally trustworthy with you.

“I’m throwing that one to Jules”, said the Carlin driver. Chilton said he found out Friday night about his friend’s death and dedicated the race to Bianchi after winning the pole. His raw speed and likeable persona left a lasting impression on the paddock. They competed together in karting before they were both handed their chance by Marussia.

Bianchi was hailed as “one of the most talented drivers of his generation” by Formula 1’s governing body.

“Words can not describe the enormous sadness within our team, as we come to terms with losing Jules, ” said Marussia team principal Booth. I learned a lot from him, and even though he never raced on ovals I’m sure that I took a lot of what I learned from him out there today.

He is the first F1 driver to die as a result of injuries sustained at a grand prix weekend since Ayrton Senna.