Virgin Racing

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2010 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews

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Post by Ed » Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:06 am

Bahrain Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 & 2Virgin Racing’s debut Grand Prix preparations got underway in Bahrain today for the first two practice sessions for Sunday’s 2010 season opener.

Another long night of preparation at the Bahrain International Circuit really tested the race team’s mettle as they took to the track for this morning’s session. With that in mind, the emphasis was on a slow steady start to the long list of set-up and tyre evaluation items that defines the Friday programme.

Once the team were up and running, Lucas was able to get some reasonable running under his belt. He ended the day 21st with a best time of 2:02.188 after 21 laps. Timo on the other hand was confined to the garage for most of the afternoon session due to a gearbox issue. He ended the day 20th after his limited running meant that he was unable to improve on a lap time of 2:02.037.

Timo Glock #24
“Today hasn’t been the start to the weekend that we hoped for. We always knew it was going to be tough but we’ve had too many technical problems which have prevented me getting track time today. We already had two tough nights but we have another one ahead, I’m afraid, to get us to a point where we can feel confident going into the rest of the weekend. On the positive side, if we can get on top of the issues we have we’ll be in an okay place because with the brief amount of running I have had, I can see that the car isn’t bad. I hope we can be ready to get some proper work done tomorrow.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“Although a tough day, we actually had a good session this afternoon and got through a lot of things. For me everything is new. I wasn’t able to run this morning so the afternoon laps were key to my performance and helping us get started this weekend. The mechanics did a great job running the car and everything seems fine so far. Now we just need to work on car performance, which we clearly haven’t been able to optimise at the moment.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“Due to the late arrival of some key new components, we had to work all through last night to have the cars running today, which is not ideal. Thankfully, we haven’t had a reoccurrence of any of the problems that blighted our winter testing. However, we found some interesting new challenges today, ranging from some engine set-up issues which caused handling problems, to the high ambient conditions bizarrely causing off-car electronics to overheat, affecting our ability to communicate with the car. In addition, we had a small gearbox issue on Timo’s car that hampered his running. Having said that, neither car ran low fuel and Timo was unable to test the super-soft tyre. We’ll do a thorough race preparation tonight and focus our attention on qualifying tomorrow.”

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Post by Ed » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:54 am

Round 1 - Bahrain Grand Prix - Qualifying 13 March 2010

Virgin Racing emerged from their very first qualifying session as the best of the new boys in Bahrain this afternoon. Timo Glock ended the day exactly where he said he wanted to be, as the fastest new team driver of the Q1 session and just 2.7 seconds away from the established teams.

His team-mate Lucas di Grassi also had a solid debut qualifying session, ending Q1 in 22nd position.

After a tough few days of round the clock preparation, today’s result was a much-deserved boost for the race team in Bahrain and the rest of the team back in the UK who have all worked tirelessly to ensure Virgin Racing’s first race gets off to the best possible start tomorrow.

Timo Glock #24
“It’s great to be the best of the new teams here today and I’m very happy with what we have achieved. This is a Team result and a credit to everyone who has worked so hard in really difficult circumstances to get the best out of our first race package. To also be just 2.7 seconds away from teams with many more years of experience is even better. We have a big mountain to climb but we go into our debut race having achieved our first target and I think this will give us the momentum we need to keep on pushing. It just goes to show we are going in the right direction and all we have to do is focus on overcoming the hurdles we were bound to come across along the way. Thanks to everyone at Virgin Racing.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“First of all I’d like to say a big thanks to the team. They have put in so much effort to make this team and today happen for us. For us to be here with a healthy car is fantastic. For me it was still the very beginning, I only did three laps in the session this morning due to the issues we had. I’m quite happy to have done my first qualifying in F1. I know there are a lot of opportunities for us and plenty of scope for improvement.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“For the first time in a while, Timo managed to complete his full planned programme in Free Practice 3 this morning. We had a problem with one of the wheel guns, which meant the left front and rear wheel nuts were not correctly torqued. Unfortunately Timo lost the front wheel, which thankfully didn’t hit anyone and he managed to get the car round without any further damage. We were pretty confident that the car was capable of a mid to low 1min 58s lap in qualifying, but our early runs and tyre choice was affected by the rubber from the previous race, which changed the track conditions early in the session. Nevertheless, he managed to use the slower prime tyre to secure the top qualifying slot for the new teams, which was our target.

“Lucas did a great job in qualifying today given that we had a sequence of overnight problems on his car which resulted in him losing any meaningful running in - not an ideal way to prepare for your Formula 1 qualifying debut. However, he did a solid and professional job under that extra pressure and we’re so happy to give him his deserved debut as an F1 driver.

“All in all a good day and we hope to carry that momentum through to our first race tomorrow and leave Bahrain with smiles on our faces.”

Sir Richard Branson
“Both the car and the team are in their infancy and like all infants some of our first steps may falter. But unlike other teams when things go wrong we won’t be throwing our toys out of the pram, but we’ll pick ourselves up and get right back into the playground! That’s exactly what the team did here in Bahrain today after the setbacks they experienced over the weekend. Not only did we qualify as the fastest of the new teams, we came so close to the more established teams and on a fraction of their budget. This not only shows the technical brilliance of Nick Wirth and his team but true grit!”

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Post by Ed » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:56 am

Round 1 - Bahrain Grand Prix - The Race 14 March 2010

After a positive result in qualifying yesterday, Virgin Racing’s Grand Prix debut ended in disappointment in Bahrain after both cars were forced to retire in the early part of the race.

Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi both got off to a great start, Timo gaining a place and Lucas making up three positions on the opening lap of his own F1 racing debut. Just three laps into the race Lucas pulled over into turn 9 after losing hydraulic pressure. All hopes rested on Timo Glock. After spending a lot of time behind Kovalainen, Timo finally made his move in a deft overtaking manoeuvre and was going great guns. In the space of just a few laps he went on to lose 3rd gear then 5th gear. He pitted in the hope that the problem could be diagnosed and fixed so that he could return to the racetrack and clock up crucial mileage. Sadly it was not to be and the team reluctantly retired Timo’s car from the race.

Timo Glock #24

“The race was going quite well for me after I managed to overtake Heikki. We were having quite a good battle for where we were and it was nice to have that racing feeling again. But first I lost 3rd gear and I was having to drive around it. Then 5th followed and it was impossible to continue. We tried to find a fix but there was no way of getting back in the race, not even to get some important development mileage. It’s disappointing but we have to take the rough with the smooth at this stage. We just need to focus now on doing whatever we need to do to come back stronger in Melbourne. My personal thanks to everyone in the team here in Bahrain and back in England. It has been an epic battle for us to reach this point and the single biggest thing we can take as a reward was our qualifying result yesterday, which showed what we can do if we continue to keep pushing.”

Lucas di Grassi #25

“I got a great start and the car was feeling pretty good. I think we could have had a good race with the car that we had but then just a few laps into the race I had to pull over in turn 9 and my race was over before it had really begun. There’s no point being downhearted. We’ll be back in Melbourne with some new developments and a fix for the problems we experienced here. It’s race one of 19 and there’s a long way to go yet. I would like to thank the team for an incredible job here and over the past few months. It’s been a huge effort and I hope for a better result for the whole team in Australia in two weeks’ time.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“Lucas retired due to a hydraulic fitting failure, which has occurred at other points during this weekend. After some laps in the race Timo’s car experienced an unexpected rise in gearbox temperature followed by a gradual loss in the number of gears he could select, which ultimately caused him to retire. We’re still currently investigating the cause of the high gearbox temperature. So we leave our first Grand Prix disappointed that we did not manage to get either car to the finish but at least we haven’t had a repeat of any of our winter testing problems. Most importantly, we now know that our faith in the all-CFD design approach was justified, as we have demonstrated that we have built a competitive Formula 1 car. That is one reward that we can take away from this weekend. Finally, congratulations to Lotus Racing on achieving a two-car finish in their first race. It is a fantastic achievement for a new team and I hope we can get Timo and Lucas to the flag in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.”

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Post by Ed » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:58 am

On the Up, Down Under?Sun, sea, surf, sand and Melbourne’s sensational Albert Park street circuit. What more could an F1 team ask for?

Race number two of the FIA Formula One World Championship takes the F1 fraternity down under - a mere 10,600 mile hop from Dinnington, South Yorkshire, to this much-loved metropolis in the state of Victoria, for the 2010 Australian Grand Prix on 26/27/28 March. A 3.295 mile lap bordered by beautifully manicured Albert Park-land and basking in perfect late summer temperatures of around 28°C - bring it on!

It’s all a far cry from the scene of Virgin Racing’s debut in the desert two weeks ago. Lucas di Grassi summed up the weekend perfectly when asked if it was likely to be a race the team would always remember. Surrounded by Virgin Racing’s trusty team of mechanics, for whom sleep was now just a dim and distant memory, he replied, with a just a small hint of irony, “How could we forget?!”

Race one was a momentous occasion, but one that ultimately ended with disappointment after a positive qualifying debut gave way to the retirement of both cars in the race. The team have been working overtime - just for a change – to ensure there isn’t a repeat of the hydraulic and transmission problems which blighted their weekend. Parking it in the Park is not an option - all Virgin Racing hearts are set on taking the chequered flag.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“Australia is usually a good race. It’s a great city and I look forward to it every year. It’s one of the best weekends on the Formula One calendar. The track itself is a street course, very different from a race track, and quite special. I got a bird’s-eye view of it on Wednesday when I flew over the track in a heli - a bit of fun and a great way to recce the track layout. It’s a fantastic circuit and I’m hoping it will bring us good luck.

“We had a tough time in Bahrain but there were some positives too. We learnt some good lessons which can only make us stronger. The main target is to do everything we can to ensure reliability doesn’t stop us from making it to the flag. Hopefully we’ll get another strong qualy in the bag too.”

Lucas di Grassi, Race Driver #25
“I’ve been to Australia a few times but I’ve never raced at Albert Park before, so it will be an interesting weekend! Basically, I can’t wait to get back in the car again and experience the track. Australia as a destination actually reminds me of Brazil - the weather is nice and the people are warm and friendly. I’ve been out here for a few days now, acclimatising to the time difference and ensuring I’m relaxed for the weekend ahead. As for the relaxation part, I went surfing with Championship winning surfer Damien Hardman along the Great Ocean Road on Wednesday. I’m a big surfer – and pretty good, if I say so myself – so it was fun to head out of the city to catch a few waves before we get down to the serious stuff.

“We’re hoping to make a few waves on track this weekend also. We obviously want to build on what we saw in qualifying and reach the finish. I was really pleased with my debut qualifying and race start but obviously I want to carry that through to the race now. I’m looking forward to it.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“It was disappointing to end our debut race with two retirements, but we take a lot of encouragement from knowing that our issues are specific and isolated, which means they are easily addressed. No one said the first few races would be easy and Bahrain was gruelling to say the least. But far better to flush out the problems early on and deal with them and that is exactly what we have been doing in the two week gap between these two races. We have some new parts which we hope will provide a robust solution to the new hydraulic problem and transmission issue we experienced in Bahrain.

“Melbourne represents a new and different challenge. This isn’t an easy track to contend with because it’s a street circuit. It lacks grip on Friday before its starts to rubber in, but the track conditions can change from session to session. The lap is full of stops and starts, so we have to manage the brakes and also the track surface is quite bumpy. All of these factors conspire to make car set-up quite a challenge, but it’s one we’re looking forward to. We saw some very positive signs in terms of our qualifying and race pace, and the drivers and engineers have done their homework on our Simulators back at Wirth Research, so we are looking to build on the performance level seen in Bahrain and ensure that both cars get to cross the finish line.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:47 am

Round 2 - Australian Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 & 2

Virgin Racing’s Australian Grand Prix weekend got underway in Melbourne today as they took part in the first of the Free Practice sessions in Albert Park.

As is always the case on this temporary circuit, the track was very ‘green’ this morning, which is why Virgin Racing joined the other teams in sitting out the early part of the session for the track to come good. In fact, in contrast to the last few days, it did the opposite. The track temperature started to tumble midway through the session and had dropped 5°C by the end of the morning.

Lucas di Grassi had a positive morning’s running, clocking up 25 laps of the 3.295 mile circuit. Timo’s first session was curtailed by a gearbox oil leak.

This afternoon Lucas completed two installation laps, by which time the overcast skies gave way to rain. He then experienced a telemetry box problem which confined him to the garage. The fix to Timo’s car was effected in time for him to secure at least some running towards the end of the session but the combined problems meant that neither he nor Lucas were able to set representative lap times at any point during the day.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been a tough day for sure. We had a gearbox oil leak this morning – a new problem which arose and we had to spend a lot of the day fixing it. This afternoon I managed to get back out on track at the end of the session but it was frustrating to lose so much track time. I think we will be playing catch-up in the morning so we have to hope things go our way in time for Qualifying.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“Today was a mix of a very good session in the morning and some problems in the afternoon. In P1 I was just looking to get the first feeling of the track and everything went as planned. This afternoon was a bit more troubled and as soon as we went out we experienced some problems with the telemetry box and I lost the rest of the second session. Not the perfect situation to go into a race weekend at a circuit that is new to me, but we will keep our heads up, fix the problem and go for it tomorrow.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“With Lucas this morning we had a good session. The target was to test the car and give Lucas plenty of acclimatisation laps - which we achieved successfully. This afternoon he had a problem with a gearbox oil line which delayed us at the start of the session. Once he got going again he was further delayed by a failed real-time telemetry sensor, and as it isn’t possible to run the car without it, we had to change it. We tried to get out again before the end of the session, but unfortunately just missed out.

“For Timo the morning was unfortunately dominated by a problem with the gearbox oil system. We managed to solve our issues over the lunch break, but it required a lot of work and caused a delay to the start of his second session. He went out towards the end of the afternoon and was quite happy with the car, considering his lack of running.

“Obviously today was not as smooth as we would have liked but we’ve made progress since Bahrain so the team will stay focused on the positives.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:48 am

Round 2 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi ended their second qualifying session of the 2010 season in 21st and 22nd positions respectively in the timesheets.

In this morning’s session, Timo and Lucas achieved 12 and 18 laps respectively. Together with their engineers they were able to refine the set-up for Qualifying and the Race, with Lucas managing to fit in a run on the softer option tyres in order to collect valuable data. Timo’s last run was compromised by a filter blockage, but generally both drivers were more comfortable with the car today.

Timo Glock #24
“We had another tough morning so all I could do is try to get the best out of the car in Qualifying. We were carrying more fuel than we would have liked because of a pick-up problem, otherwise I think we would have been able to have more of a fight with Lotus. Anyway, we’ll do what we can to prepare for tomorrow and see what the race brings.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“Free practice was okay for me and the car was feeling quite good. I was certainly feeling some improvement. I didn’t manage to maximise the performance of the car in qualifying as I made a mistake on my quick lap. I’m looking forward to the race as the car is behaving quite well with heavy fuel.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“Lucas had a trouble-free morning although he had an unexpected low fuel pick-up problem, which ultimately badly affected both himself and Timo in Qualifying. Timo had another blocked gearbox filter, which meant he went into Qualifying having not tried the option tyre and with a similar fuel pick-up issue. So in the end I think both guys did a good job in Qualifying considering the extra fuel they were carrying and the lack of practice time during the weekend. Sometimes it may not seem like it, but we are getting on top of the issues as they arise and we’ll see if we can make further progress in the race tomorrow.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:31 pm

28 March 2010
Round 2 - Australian Grand Prix - The RaceVirgin Racing experienced a tumultuous race in today’s Australian Grand Prix, one which ultimately ended in retirement for both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi.

The Virgin Racing cars lined up for the start of the 58-lap race in the pit lane, after changing the collectors in both fuel systems following yesterday’s fuel pick-up problem. The ‘will it? – won’t it?’ weather conditions fired enough of a warning salvo to make most of the field decide to opt for intermediate tyres and it was definitely raining as the race got underway, although a full-blown downpour never materialised.

The start procedure worked well and Timo and Lucas avoided getting caught up in the first lap mayhem. The highlight of the opening laps was most definitely a lap 5 tussle with Michael Schumacher as he was working his way back up the field after an early pit stop. Timo in particular fought hard to keep him at bay and having been passed once he decided to have another go and retook Michael until giving way to the seven time world champion became inevitable. It was fun while it lasted!

Timo Glock #24
“The start of the race was okay. After leaving the pit lane I was able to catch up Chandok and some other cars and we had a bit of fun fighting with Michael. The car felt reasonably good in the wet and dry conditions. It was a little busy with all the traffic when we became lapped. So it was a real shame that we had a problem just 15 laps from the end of the race when I started to feel that there was something wrong with the way the car was feeling. I came in and we found a problem which we now know to be a camber shim having worked loose, and this was causing the suspension to move around on the left rear. Had we not had the suspension issue I think we would have been looking good for our first chequered flag. So we have to take the positives and see that in some ways we have made progress, albeit there is still a lot of work ahead.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“The early part of the race was okay for me. The car was behaving quite well at the beginning. Unfortunately, we didn’t time the strategy well to change to slicks but otherwise things were going okay. So it’s a shame that we were hit by another problem - a hydraulic problem – and we had to retire after 26 laps. For sure we will find the problem, fix it and be better for the next race. These are small steps that maybe other people can’t see but they are good steps for us. We are working very hard to improve our situation and I have confidence that we will.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“With the fuel pick-up problems we’d seen on Saturday, it was unfortunately necessary for us to break Parc Ferme this morning and convert our fuel system back to the specification that we had tested on Friday, albeit with further modifications. The team did a great job to get that done in time as we weren’t allowed to start that work until midday today. Both cars therefore had to start from the pit lane and we were immediately into a very aggressive fuel-saving strategy, which we’d practised in the Simulators last week. The drivers and the team coped well with the unusual driving style that this called for, as well as the tricky conditions, and overall they both did a brilliant job for the team today. Lucas’ race ended with an internal hydraulic leak, the cause of which we have yet to identify. We got to 70% distance with Timo and were on target to finish the race fuel-wise when it seems that a rear suspension bracket came loose and allowed some setting shims to eventually fall out, which ended his race. So ultimately we leave here yet to finish our first Grand Prix but with clear signs that our performance is improving.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today I’d like to applaud the team on a terrific job in the face of a challenging set of circumstances, at the end of a difficult weekend. The start from the pit lane was seamless and the boys were ‘on it’ in our first live pit stops. We got to almost half distance with Lucas and nearly three-quarters of the race with Timo and with the problems we’ve had I am very proud of the way the team have coped. We can go into Malaysia with our heads held high and knowing that things will get better as we get more of the season under our belts.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:32 pm

2 April 2010
Round 3 - Malaysian Grand Prix - Preview

SOME LIKE IT HOT!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Some like it hot! And it’s just as well, because on that score the Malaysian Grand Prix never fails to deliver.

No sooner had the chequered flag been waved in Australia than the F1 Paddock was packed up and sent on its way to Kuala Lumpur for Round Three of the Formula 1 World Championship, which takes place just seven days later.

The 3.444 mile, 15-turn Sepang circuit near KL is where it’s at, a venue renowned for its tropical conditions and heavy downpours. These often have a hand in the outcome of the race and this time last year, the race had to be stopped when the track became more of a sea than a river. When it’s not raining, the intense heat can really put the car’s cooling systems to the test, not to mention the drivers, for whom Malaysia is one race that provides the acid test of their fitness levels.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“For me, Sepang is a good track when the weather is dry. The heat and humidity are quite punishing and we would normally have two weeks to fully acclimatise to be ready for track and cockpit conditions of over 50°C. Plus you have the additional factor of humidity, which can be around 70%, so the cockpit can be a pretty uncomfortable place to be. It’s one race where you don’t want your drinks bottle to run out, although it’s a bit like drinking English tea anyway because, try as we do, we can never get the liquid to stay cool. When we have weather like we saw last year through the practice sessions, it’s impossible to prepare well and obviously if it rains during the race on that scale, you’re just a passenger in your own car.

“It will be interesting to see how different it is to race here with the heavy fuel, especially through the nice quick corners, although there are mix of low, medium and high speed corners which make this a challenging track generally. Apart from that I’m hoping we can have a better weekend. Everything was going well until I had my suspension problem, and we are starting to get on top of our issues as they arise. We have good pace and if we can continue to improve our reliability then I’m confident we will be in a better place by the time we get to Europe. In the meantime, every session at every race weekend counts and we have some good developments to evaluate here in Sepang this weekend.”

Lucas di Grassi, Race Driver #25
“Last weekend was disappointing for me because of the reliability problems we had. However, we have to move on and focus on better things to come. The guys are pushing really hard and we are improving all the time, sometimes in ways that may not be visible to anyone outside of the team because the problems are what other people see.

“Our obvious target here is to finish the race and we will be doing everything possible through the weekend to work towards achieving that. It will be an interesting challenge for the car and for me, as it’s a real test of what heat and humidity can do to both of us! On my side it’s the tougher races like this that make all the physical training worthwhile and it really brings home to us why we push ourselves so hard. For the car I think Bahrain was a good test of the cooling and we don’t expect any problems. I’m looking forward to my first Malaysian Grand Prix.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“We’re looking forward to Malaysia as it provides us an early opportunity to put to the test our continual development of the VR-01. It’s been quite a challenge with the quick turnaround from the Melbourne race – for instance we had just five hours to strip the cars and the garage after the last race before the freight departed, which meant that we had to work quickly to diagnose the issues.

“Nevertheless, we’re ready to start Sepang with further revisions to our car to cover the recent problems, with the total focus on getting to the chequered flag, via a smooth weekend on both cars. The track itself is very different to the first two races with a different demand on car performance, so it’ll be interesting to see how we get on in this respect. As ever, we’ve prepared our drivers well on the Wirth Research Simulators, although their driving skills may well be tested to the limit with the prospect of afternoon rain for qualifying and the race.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:49 pm

2 April 2010
Round 3 - Malaysian Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 & 2Virgin Racing enjoyed two very productive free practice sessions in Sepang today as running commenced in preparation for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Conditions were hot and humid, punctuated by a brief shower during the break between sessions with ominous storm clouds gathering from midway through the second session, although they didn’t actually deliver any rain.

The day panned out exactly as per the run plan and, without wishing to tempt fate, there were no major issues to contend with. The team were able to establish a good baseline for the car and work on various strategic options in preparation for both qualifying and the race.

This morning, Timo and Lucas ended the day 20th and 21st after 17 and 25 laps respectively. This afternoon, they were 21st and 22nd on the timesheets having notched up a further 23 laps and 29 laps respectively.

The track temperature peaked at 52°C and the ambient high was 33°C, with humidity running at 58%.

Timo Glock #24
“We had a good Free Practice day today without any major problems, which is good for us and it’s encouraging to have such a good start to the weekend. We had a little trouble at the end with a minor power steering issue, which meant we couldn’t get a good run in to finish the day, but generally the team did an excellent job so I’m pleased and optimistic that this is a good sign for the rest of the weekend.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“A really good day for us with no issues. The car is running smoothly and there is a lot more performance to come, but we are very happy with our best Friday so far. It means we are evolving both as a team and in terms of developing the car.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“In the context of our winter testing and the first two races, today was a clear step forward for the Virgin Racing team. Both Timo and Lucas managed to work through good programmes and we seem to have a clear direction to follow tomorrow on set-up. The high-speed corners of Sepang highlighted a small set-up issue on the power steering on Timo’s car, which we’ll correct tonight. Overall a solid start to the weekend.”

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Post by Ed » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:49 am

Round 3 - Malaysian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Virgin Racing enjoyed their first Q2 session in Qualifying today at a rain-soaked Sepang, in which Timo Glock secured 16th position. He will line up on the eighth row of the grid for the start of tomorrow’s 56 lap Malaysian Grand Prix with three world champions, two Ferraris and two McLarens in his mirrors.

On the other side of the garage it was a less happy tale for Lucas di Grassi. The team suspected a blocked filter in his VR-01 during this morning’s session and had to remove the rear end during the two sessions to investigate ahead of tomorrow’s race. The turnaround time being so tight, the car was still being put back together when the Qualifying hour got underway and there were heroic efforts from Lucas’ team to get the car out at all in Q1. This they managed four minutes from the end of the session, by which time the track was so wet that there was no way that Lucas would be able to establish a representative time against those who completed laps on Intermediates.

In this morning’s Free Practice 3 session the track was dry and Timo was able to do a couple of sessions using the Option tyre. He set the fastest lap so far of the new teams - 1:37.299 - which was only 3.757s away from the fastest lap of the session. Lucas also had a good session, completing 13 laps and setting his fastest time - a 1:38.783 - using the harder Prime tyre.

Timo Glock #24
“It’s been a very good weekend for us so far. We’ve had no real problems with the car and we’ve been able to do proper work during every session. Qualifying went quite smoothly considering the rain at the start of the session. It was critical to get out on time and my lap in Q1 was really good, getting me into Q2. It was good to see us do a better job than some of the top teams and as a result they will be starting behind us. Q2 wasn’t perfect though as we came in too early and that cost us the place against Heikki. In general though we have to be happy with what we have achieved today. It’s great for the team and there is now a lot of motivation for tomorrow. It looks like it could be a crazy race tomorrow, so we have to stay focused - and stay on the track - and we’ll see how it all ends.”

Lucas di Grassi #25
“Once more some problems affected us today and we had to rebuild parts of the car between Free Practice and Qualifying. It was touch and go whether we would even get the car out at all for Qualy, but the mechanics did an incredible job and because of that we were able to do at least a couple of laps to make sure the car was working well. While it has been a disappointing day for me personally, it has been a good day for the team so we all have to be pleased for that. We look forward to the race tomorrow and hope that brings better things, including achieving our target of finishing our first race.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“Today has been a great day for everyone involved in Virgin Racing - a clear step forward for the team. P3 this morning was yet another smooth session with both cars, during which we continued set-up work with encouraging results. Despite still not running Qualifying fuel loads, it was nice to again demonstrate the underlying potential of this car and its unique design process. At the end of P3 we were unhappy with the consistency of fuel pressure on Lucas’ car and we elected to perform a very challenging fuel filter change before Qualifying in order to maximise our chances on Sunday. Lucas’ crew did a great job in getting the car out to record at least some timed laps in Q1. I’m just sorry for Lucas that we didn’t get him out at the beginning of the session when the track was drier. Timo continued to demonstrate our potential in Q1 and whilst some of our more experienced competitors elected to stay in the garage at the optimum time, Timo made it through to Q2. The Q2 session was tricky. We were running with all our weather prediction services warning us of an imminent downpour, so unfortunately we ran our last set of Intermediates a little bit early, which costs us a place. Looking at our times from earlier today though, that won’t matter in the race.”

Ed
NewsOnF1 Editor
NewsOnF1 Editor
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Post by Ed » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:49 am

Round 3 - Malaysian Grand Prix - The Race

Virgin went all the way today as Lucas di Grassi brought his VR-01 home in 14th position, helping his Virgin Racing team to achieve an important first race finish. Lucas drove a very mature race to see his own maiden chequered flag. He beat the other new teams into submission at the same time as having to contend with a missing front wing end-plate after an unsuccessful 11th lap challenge from the Lotus Racing car of Heikki Kovalainen.

Timo was less fortunate on a day where both cars were looking good to make it to the finish. He was going great guns at the start, but was losing time behind Jarno Trulli. In a bid to dispense with the Lotus he was about to execute a crucial overtaking move when he locked his rear wheels into the corner, the back end of his VR-01 stepped out and he inadvertently struck Jarno’s car, which resulted in Timo’s race coming to an end after only 2 laps.

Nevertheless, everyone at Virgin Racing is delighted that their season is now properly underway and both drivers will be heading straight back to Bicester for some all-important race preparation on the Wirth Research Simulators in readiness for their next challenge - the Chinese Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Lucas di Grassi #25
“It was a very tough race today - physically and mentally - but I’m so happy to bring the Virgin Racing car home to the finish. I had a great start and was able to make up five places on the opening lap. We had very good early pace and continued to be strong, despite losing my front wing end-plate when Heikki tried to overtake me. We had a good pit stop and we were still looking very strong in the second part of the race. We were well ahead of the other new teams, which meant that we could afford to ease off a little to make sure nothing got in the way of our result today. It has been a long wait and we’ve had some tough times in the past few months, but we know that we’re making progress and we can go on to achieve better things. Today showed that we are truly competitive and it’s a great feeling that our fight has really started now. Timo’s DNF was a real shame but I think we can start to look forward together to some great racing now.”

Timo Glock #24
“I had a pretty good start and the first laps were quite fun with a lot of fights going on. I dropped behind Jarno and in general I was quite a lot quicker than him. I tried to overtake but locked the rears and for some reason the anti-stall didn’t kick in. Unfortunately I hit Jarno and it was my mistake. But it’s great that Lucas finished the race, and ahead of Lotus, which is good for the team. I hope that in the next race we can get both cars to the finish.”

Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“Finally getting one of our cars to see the chequered flag is a great reward for everyone at Virgin Racing and Wirth Research and I want to thank all of our partners, sponsors and supporters for their patience and understanding during the last few months. The race was quite stressful on the pit wall as we left the grid assuming that it was going to rain. It took a little while for us to be really sure that it wasn’t and then, being mindful of our fuel tank limitations, it was really just a case of the team and Lucas deploying our well-practised fuel-saving techniques to excellent effect. Timo was very fired up for the race and it was unfortunate that he didn’t manage to get a finish but his time will come very soon. This weekend has been, from start to finish, a clear step forward and comes as a result of diligent hard work from a great many people and I dedicate this result to them. We’ve come in for heavy criticism for our radical low-cost design approach and relative inexperience in F1, which makes our performance throughout the weekend all the more satisfying. Finishing our first Grand Prix as the leading new team will give us lots of information and we’ve got some clear direction on issues to address for Shanghai, which will allow us to perform better all round, without distracting us too much from the bigger Barcelona upgrade. So once again, well done to everyone at Virgin Racing and we now looking forward to building on this platform.”

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