Marussia needs a KERS system to catch up with its direct rivals.

That is the admission of team boss John Booth, who told the Russian website championat.com that he is looking into adding the energy recovery technology to next year’s Marussia package.

“First of all, I want to say that while it is said it (KERS) is a ‘green’ technology, in reality it’s just a serious waste of money,” he said.

“But in our situation it’s time to start thinking seriously about KERS. Of the gap to Caterham, five or six tenths is due to KERS,” added Booth.

“So we are thinking seriously about it for 2013, but so far there is no decision.”

Both admitted the start of the 2012 season has been a disappointment so far for Marussia, which in its first two years was called Virgin.

He said the team has recently completed a phase of serious restructuring.

“We had a good team of people before, but now we have a good team of designers. Though we have been in F1 for three years, I have the feeling that we were actually born in July 2011.”

Both is undoubtedly referring to the split mid last year with former technical chief Nick Wirth, and the relocation to a new headquarters.

Marussia intends to keep Charles Pic, the team’s new French rookie, for more than a single season.
When known as Virgin, the team ousted Timo Glock’s 2010 and 2011 teammates – Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d’Ambrosio respectively – after a single season each.

The latest in the pay-driver hotseat is GP2 driver Pic, 21.

“I think there is some long term potential for him,” said team chief executive Andy Webb.

“I’m looking really to see if he can go forward for more than one year,” he told the Daily Mail.

With its 2012 car not yet ready, Marussia is the only team sitting out this week’s Jerez test.

Although also without new single seaters launched yet, Mercedes and HRT are running this week with their 2011 cars.

“I think it is a setback,” admitted team boss John Booth.

“We’ve taken on a huge challenge following the exit of Nick Wirth and to build a new car from scratch is demanding, but we are certainly up for that challenge.

“We have decided that it is the best thing for us to reach Barcelona initially with the 2011 car, and then for the second Barcelona test with the 2012 car. That’s the plan.”

 Timo Glock is already pressing the throttle for the 2012 season.
He revealed to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport that, this week, he has been working on McLaren’s driver simulator for the very first time.

It is part of struggling Virgin’s new tie-up with the famous British team, including use of the Woking wind tunnel.

German Glock says he is also buoyed that, in the wake of technical boss Nick Wirth’s departure, the appointment of veteran Renault engineer Pat Symonds is already bearing fruit.

“My feeling is that we have definitely improved,” he said. “It can’t be easily seen because Lotus have also brought improvements which equalised our step.

“But the data has confirmed what I have felt in the car,” said Glock, referring to the current 2011 single seater.

For 2012, the McLaren simulator tests are now taking place and Virgin’s new wind tunnel programme is back on track.

“There was a little delay but we have caught up now,” Glock revealed.

“We went to Korea with new setup directions, since we have nothing to win or to lose now we can afford to do some development work for next year.”

Timo Glock hopes Virgin will be a better shop window for his talents next year.
The German was earlier critical of the struggling team’s direction but Virgin recently split with its designer Nick Wirth and inked a technical and wind tunnel deal with McLaren.

Even so, the 29-year-old confirmed he would jump ship to Red Bull if offered a seat.

“Every driver would answer the same,” the former Toyota driver told Die Welt. “But that’s a dream. I have to do it the hard way, fighting to go towards the front with my team.”

Glock is set to stay with Virgin in 2012, when he hopes the next red and black car can move into the midfield.

The deal is expected to be announced before Sunday’s German grand prix.

“I have to show that what I can do with a car like the Virgin is deliver quality services,” he continued.

“I will probably not be winning races or getting podiums very soon, but technically we have to try to move ahead and that will make me more visible as a driver.

“This is extremely difficult. If we cut the gap by half a second from five seconds, hardly anyone notices. But on a drivers’ track like Monaco for example, if we have a better car in 2012, then you can really stand out,” added Glock.

Virgin has dismissed speculation it may lose Jerome d’Ambrosio’s services and backing for the 2012 season.
The Belgian rookie’s manager, Renault team boss Eric Boullier, said at Silverstone that he will talk about the 25-year-old’s future with Virgin “and another team at the Nurburgring”.

But Virgin team president Graeme Lowdon dismissed the reports.

“I spoke to Jerome’s manager at Silverstone and that is simply not the case,” he told The Star. “We are happy with the guys we have got and it would be nice to continue with the same lineup next year.”

D’Ambrosio’s 2011 teammate is German Timo Glock.

“We are extremely happy with the drivers we have got and we have no plans to change,” added Lowdon.

He said Glock, who is reportedly happy with Virgin’s split with Nick Wirth and the new tie-up with McLaren, has shown no signs of making alternative plans for 2012.

“We have an extremely open relationship so if anyone was talking with him then we would be the first to know,” said Lowdon.

The decision to tie-up with McLaren and enter a wind tunnel might have convinced Timo Glock to stay at Virgin in 2012.
The German driver has had a frustrating season and a half with the struggling 2010 start-up outfit, but Virgin recently split with designer Nick Wirth and ended the policy of building its cars exclusively with computer modelling.

Glock, 29, happily told Auto Motor und Sport that a scale model of the Virgin car will soon enter the McLaren wind tunnel.

He also said he will try McLaren’s state-of-the-art driver simulator “as soon as possible”.

Asked if the developments could affect his plans for 2012, Glock smiled: “It is quite possible.”

As for any hope of a dramatic improvement when the McLaren tunnel programme begins, he explained: “Unfortunately we have the two week summer break coming up, where the factories are closed.”

And Wirth’s scheduled Silverstone development has been called off.

“Maybe we’ll do something for Singapore,” said Glock. “This is still not decided.

“Only if we find something in the straight line testing or the wind tunnel that can be a big step forward without much effort, we will act now. Otherwise, I do not expect any big jumps (this year).

“Our direct competition, unfortunately, is already far ahead.”

After splitting with Nick Wirth, the next rumour at Virgin is that the struggling team is set to move into the former Arrows and Super Aguri facility in Leafield (UK).
Since entering formula one based on the F3 team Manor, the outfit has been located at Dinnington, but with the crucial technical headquarters at Wirth Research in Banbury.

It is rumoured Leafield has been proposed as the ideal base after the Wirth split by team consultant Pat Symonds.

Symonds is the previously highly-respected engineer who was banned from a direct operational role in F1 following the Renault crashgate scandal two years ago.

Virgin Racing chief executive Graeme Lowdon told the Sheffield Star newspaper: “We are always evaluating our options but we have had no discussions with them (Leafield).

“It is way too early to make any decisions on that. We are reviewing everything and looking at what the best solution is going forwards.”

Virgin on Thursday confirmed reports Nick Wirth has left the struggling team.
Chief executive Andy Webb told us in a statement that the decision followed a “comprehensive review” in the wake of Russian carmaker Marussia’s arrival as title sponsor and investor.

The statement said “it is readily apparent that the team must take major steps in order to accelerate its rate of improvement”.

“Consequently, the decision has been taken that the team will take greater control of its own destiny,” added Webb, revealing Virgin has therefore been “obliged to terminate our relationship” with Wirth and his company Wirth Research.

“Looking ahead, we will now be pursuing an alternative technical path and look forward to announcing our plans in more detail over the coming weeks,” he said.

Webb however denied suggestions the split with Wirth means the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach has proved a failure, but left the door open to new options.

“At this stage I would like to underline our continued commitment to a cost-efficient commercial model,” he said.

“We maintain our absolute belief in CFD as a technology, especially since it continues to become more cost-effective with every year.

“Naturally, we will continue to use every means at our disposal to improve the aerodynamics of our car with immediate effect.”

Virgin is in talks with McLaren and Mercedes about a technical collaboration for 2012.
That is the claim of the Italiaracing magazine, saying the situation could be similar to Force India’s current McLaren/Mercedes alliance.

The report said struggling Virgin’s package would include the engine, transmission, KERS and rear suspension.

It is the latest rumour suggesting the team is seeking a change of direction after two years with Nick Wirth leading the technical strategy.

It would also be a big blow to Virgin’s current engine supplier Cosworth, who it is rumoured could also lose Williams to Renault power.

“The reality is, competition on the track technically is always matched by competition off the track commercially,” said the British supplier’s Mark Gallagher.

“We are well used to that at Cosworth and we believe we have an extremely good product and we don’t really fear competition from anyone.”

Virgin’s heavily updated car is visibly different to the one that raced in China three weeks ago.

With the full package available only to Timo Glock this weekend, it has a much higher nose than before and a Red Bull-style blown exhaust following a dire start to the team’s second F1 season.

Auto Motor und Sport said the car is 1.5 seconds quicker than the Shanghai version, with the high nose “a bit like the Mercedes”, admitted Glock.

Other teams, however, have had problems with such radical improvements, moving the German to play down reports Virgin could beat Lotus this weekend.

“We can’t expect the exhaust to work right away. Williams tried it in Shanghai and had to pack it up again,” insisted Glock.

He denied on Thursday that he is critical of designer Nick Wirth’s aversion to wind tunnels, confirming only that he is unhappy “with the car, that’s the main point”.

Now working as a consultant to the team is Pat Symonds, who is still banned from having a direct operational role due to the 2008 ‘crashgate’ scandal.

Virgin has confirmed that its newly launched MVR-02 car is not designed to accommodate a KERS system.
Along with Lotus and HRT, the three teams are the only ones in formula one who will not benefit from the energy-recovery technology in 2011.

Car designer Nick Wirth defended the decision on the basis that Virgin has other priorities.

“The fact is it (KERS) is extremely expensive and extremely heavy and it is worth about three tenths of a second — we’re after three seconds,” he said at the car’s launch in London on Monday.

And continuing driver Timo Glock agreed that Virgin is not going to be pushing the frontrunners in 2011.

“Realistically you do not make up three or four seconds over the winter, but hopefully we can be closer to the midfield teams,” said the German.

Wirth said the design team’s biggest focus has been reliability, with hydraulics proving the achilles heel in 2010.

He confirmed that while Virgin tried a radical Renault-like forward-exiting exhaust in its computer simulators, the team ultimately opted for a more conservative solution.

“We understand why they (Renault) are doing it, but you need to be a team like Renault from the financial, human and technical resources standpoint to implement it.

“So we’re happy with our solution,” German reports quote Wirth as saying.

Glock told Auto Motor und Sport: “Compared to our competitors we can’t afford to have such radical solutions.”

And the 28-year-old smiled as he confirmed that the fuel tank will be big enough this season.

“That’s not going to happen to us again,” he said. “This time our tank is too big!”

Vitaly Petrov is currently being left out of talks about being Robert Kubica’s Renault teammate in 2011.

Despite being initially labelled little more than a pay-driver, the Russian rookie has been a solid performer this season.

But the Enstone based team’s management, targeting a return to the top of the podium in the wake of the crashgate scandal and change of ownership, is openly contemplating its options for next year.

Asked about 2011, Petrov said at an F1 demonstration event alongside Jenson Button in Moscow at the weekend: “Next year is in hand, the talks will be held later.”

Several experienced drivers are reportedly being considered for Petrov’s seat, including Kimi Raikkonen, Nick Heidfeld, Heikki Kovalainen, Christian Klien and Adrian Sutil.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Sauber rookie Kamui Kobayashi is also on the list.

“Some are fanciful, others are realistic because there are already discussions,” boss Eric Boullier is quoted by France’s Auto Hebdo when asked about the reported candidates.

Boullier had said Sebastien Buemi was also on the list, but Toro Rosso has now confirmed him for 2011, even though the Swiss youngster was not initially told.

Switzerland’s Sonntagsblick newspaper explained the discrepancy by revealing that Toro Rosso had the right to retain Buemi due to his ongoing Red Bull contract.

And the 21-year-old is now quoted as saying he is “very happy” to be staying at the Faenza based team.

Italy’s Autosprint is also linking Timo Glock with the Renault seat, even though Virgin’s Nick Wirth said the struggling British team wants to retain the German.

Jun.11 (GMM)  Virgin on Friday took over from HRT as the slowest team in formula one.

For the first time in 2010, the new Spanish team was clearly faster than the Virgins as the field practiced for the Canadian grand prix.

Virgin, one of F1′s three new outfits this year, travelled to North America with a special low-downforce bodywork package for the unique Circuit Gilles Villeneuve layout.

“We have a nice Montreal aero package which consists of new aero parts all over the car, specifically for this track,” technical director Nick Wirth said earlier this week.

But Timo Glock trailed the pace of the leading new-team Lotus by a full second in the morning, before the gap blew out even further in the afternoon as both he and teammate Lucas di Grassi brought up the rear of the timesheets.

“I think we were a bit optimistic with our package for here,” said German Glock.

Virgin, however, is confident of making a step forward in Canada, as the VR-01 cars were fitted with the less competitive Turkey-spec Cosworth engines on Friday.

Timo Glock is looking for an improvement from Virgin Racing before committing long-term to the new British team.

Despite interest from established teams for this year, the German signed with Virgin with a contract that is believed to be for a multiple-season term.

The team has notably struggled for pace and reliability, with Glock only notching up his first finish of the season last weekend in Spain.

That was with the much-vaunted updated VR-01 car featuring a bigger fuel tank, which was not substantially faster in Barcelona than the older model still driven by Lucas di Grassi.

Asked if he is already contemplating how to extract himself from his long contract, 28-year-old Glock said on Tuesday: “If the situation never changed, eventually you would have those sorts of thoughts.

“But at the moment I’m not thinking about that, and neither am I walking around looking for somewhere else (to drive).  We have to wait for a few more races and then see,” Glock told motorsport-total.com.

He admitted that the updated car did not work “as expected” around the Circuit de Catalunya.

“Especially on Friday it was a disaster because I was even slower than the old car.  What’s going on, I don’t know.

“At least we have sorted out the tank.  The fuel supply (issue) for qualifying is significantly improved, but the aero updates have not worked in the way we wanted.”

Virgin’s technical boss Nick Wirth is famously developing the VR-01 car with only computer technology, and asked if the lack of a wind tunnel is hurting the team, Glock answered “I don’t know.”

(GMM)

May 3 (GMM)  Virgin on Monday confirmed reports that the Icelandic volcano spoiled the new team’s preparations for the Spanish grand prix.

We reported two weeks ago that because team personnel were stranded in Shanghai, the teams plans to debut two heavily modified cars in Barcelona this weekend might be affected.

With FIA clearance, Virgin has been busily designing a new chassis to accommodate a fuel tank big enough to take its cars to the end of races.

Because the sport’s freight was held up for several days in China, the new British team only had a single VR-01 monocoque to work on at its UK factory.

In a statement on Monday, Virgin said it would have needed the “three full weeks of manufacture, homologation and race preparation” to get two modified cars up and running for both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi in Spain.

“As a consequence, Virgin Racing will debut only one revised chassis in the Spanish grand prix this weekend, which Timo Glock will put through its paces,” read the statement.

Glock commented: “I have done some work in the simulator in preparation for this race and we have a good idea of what to expect from the modified chassis, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we shape up when we hit the track in Barcelona this week.”

Technical director Nick Wirth admitted that running the two fundamentally different specifications of cars in Spain “will certainly challenge the team”.