Just before the start of the race Virgin announced that Timo Glock had renewed his contract with the team. Although both parties aren't clear on the exact length of the deal it's rumoured to run through the 2014 season. Glock said in response to the news that he was very pleased to extend his contract with the team: "I am very happy to confirm that Marussia Virgin Racing will be my home for the next few years of my Formula One career. I’m especially pleased to be able to announce this news ahead of my home Grand Prix in Germany today, where my career began."

He explains that he believes that despite the poor results so far the team has a bright future: "The past 18 months of racing have been quite tough, although this was always to be expected. Now we have tasted the difficult times together I can’t wait to be with the team when we start to enjoy the good times. With the additional steps we have taken – the technical partnership with McLaren and bringing the whole team together – I believe we can achieve our goals together. This year we’ve demonstrated that we know how to build a reliable car, and with the resources we now have we should be able to add to that a high-performing car. After that it’s all about gradual but significant steps forward."

Andy Webb, CEO of Marussia Virgin Racing was also very happy with the renewal: "We are delighted to have agreed a new long-term contract with Timo, which represents another significant step in our plans for Marussia Virgin Racing. Timo’s contribution to the team over the past 18 months has been immeasurable and he has certainly lived up to his commitment to help build a team from within. It has been a tough climb at times, and for a driver of his unquestionable record it must have proved frustrating at times. Both he and the team are fortunate to be faced with the opportunities we have now created for ourselves when we are still very much in our infancy."