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Virgin reveals 'all-digital' car

3 February 2010

The brand-new Virgin Racing has unveiled its first car as it becomes one of Formula 1's four new teams for the 2010 season. The VR-01, to be driven by Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, has been dubbed F1's 'first all-digital' car due to designer Nick Wirth's sole use of computer technology as opposed to wind tunnel development.

With John Booth's Manor GP entrant having been renamed Virgin Racing following the buy-in from Sir Richard Branson's worldwide group, the official team launch was held in London's Notting Hill last December ahead of Wednesday's gathering in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.


Virgin's online launch was not broadcast on its website due to technical problems
Virgin's online launch was not broadcast on its website due to technical problems

Nick Wirth's return to Formula 1 sees the welcoming back of the man who was owner of the Simtek team in the mid-1990s as well as being an aerodynamicist and Chief Designer at Benetton. The Cosworth-powered car will be shaken down on-track in a private test at Silverstone on Thursday and Friday of this week.

"Today is a very proud day for everyone involved with Virgin Racing," Technical Director Wirth commented. "However on this occasion, where the car is the star, I want to pay tribute to all the amazing people at Wirth Research who deserve so much of the credit for the VR-01.

"Putting together an F1 team, assembling an engineering group and designing a new car from scratch is an epic task in the timeframe we have been working to.


"I have been fortunate to have worked with the very best designers in F1 and I am well aware of exactly what it takes to be successful in this sport. When you see what the existing teams have achieved - using the conventional but proven design approach - it is unsurprising that there is a great deal of scepticism about our all-CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) approach.

"But we are competing in a sport that is undergoing significant change, having come face-to-face with today's harsh economic realities. Under resource restriction, convention will become too costly and necessity really will be the mother of invention. I have absolute belief in the digital design process and the opportunity to put the all-CFD approach to the test at the highest level - to demonstrate that this could be the way for the future of F1 - is very, very exciting."


More on Virgin Racing:

- Branson 'very excited' over first Virgin car
- Booth proud of Virgin personnel
- Wirth remaining realistic for 2010


A behind-the-scenes look at the Virgin Racing VR-01 can be viewed below:

More news

More news

Virgin Racing
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3 SepSenna , di Grassi and Button to enter Monaco triathlon
1 SepDi Grassi becomes shareholder of Addax GP3 team
Team Launch Virgin Racing
3 FebWirth remaining realistic for 2010
3 FebBooth proud of Virgin personnel
3 FebBranson 'very excited' over first Virgin car
Timo Glock
29 AugGlock pleased to prove his worth
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27 AugGlock hoping for more rain despite crash
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28 AugTrulli annoyed by di Grassi ‘blocking’
2 AugVirgin head into summer break on high
31 JulFour drivers reprimanded for qualifying in-laps
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8 SepFerrari escapes further punishment

Photos

Virgin Racing
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Team Launch Virgin Racing
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Timo Glock
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Lucas Di Grassi
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Formula 1
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