Red marquis at 06:46, 4 February 2010

2010-02-04T06:46:23Z

New page

[[Image:Virginracing.png|right|frame]]
'''Virgin Racing''' is a [[motor racing]] team that will compete in the [[2010 Formula One season]]. They were granted entry as '''Manor Grand Prix''' on 12 June 2009, as one of four new teams selected as of November 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76045 |title=autosport.com |publisher=autosport.com |date= |accessdate=2009-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1244801351/formula_one/F1headlines/FIA-release-2010-entry-list/view.html |title=UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > FIA release 2010 entry list |publisher=Formula-1.updatesport.com |date=2009-06-12 |accessdate=2009-11-01}}</ref> On 30 November, the FIA released a revised entry list that stated the team's name as Virgin Racing. Richard Branson's Virgin Group is the title sponsor of the team, which was launched on Tuesday 15 December 2009.

== History ==
===Formation===
The team was formed as Manor Grand Prix as a tie-up between [[Manor Motorsport]] and [[Wirth Research]]. Initially, Virgin's [[Alex Tai]] was the Team Principal, while [[Graeme Lowden]] was the team's Director of Racing. Manor Motorsport boss [[John Booth]] was the Sporting Director, while former [[Simtek]] team owner [[Nick Wirth]] was the technical director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76058 |title=autosport.com |publisher=autosport.com |date= |accessdate=2009-11-01}}</ref> Less than one month after the Virgin partnership was officially launched, Tai left his position and Booth took over as team principal, with Lowden becoming the CEO.<ref>{{cite web|last=Noble|first=Jonathan|title=Booth replaces Tai as Virgin Racing boss|publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]]|work=autosport.com|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80823|date=2009-01-12|accessdate=2009-01-12}}</ref> The team will use engines supplied by [[Cosworth]]. Manor Motorsport are best known as a [[Formula Three]] team, currently running in the [[Formula Three Euroseries]], and helped launch the careers of World Champions [[Kimi Räikkönen]] and [[Lewis Hamilton]]. Car preparation and racing operations will be run from its headquarters in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, while Wirth Research will design, develop and build the cars from its base in Bicester.

The teams also have plans to create a "Driver Academy", a series of racing teams starting in the [[GP3 Series|lowest formula]] and advancing all the way up to Formula One.<ref>{{cite news|title=Virgin Racing to launch Driver Academy|url=http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/virgin-racing-to-launch-driver-academy/|first=Will|last=Buxton|date=2009-12-15|accessdate=2009-12-16}}</ref>

===2010===
:''See also: [[2010 Formula One season]]''

Virgin's car for 2010, the [[Virgin VR-01|VR-01]], is the first F1 car designed entirely using CFD computer simulation technology.<ref>Edd Straw, Autosport (p10)(2009-06-18)</ref>
On 17 November 2009 it was announced by the team that former Toyota driver [[Timo Glock]] would be the team's lead driver for the 2010 season. The driver was signed for two years and has a one year extension offer as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363770.stm |title=BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula 1 | Glock to lead new Manor F1 team |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-11-17 |accessdate=2009-11-27}}</ref> Long-time Brazilian [[GP2 series|GP2]] regular [[Lucas di Grassi]] will join him, while fellow GP2 drivers [[Álvaro Parente]] and [[Luiz Razia]] will fulfil testing and reserve duties.The 2010 car was officially launched on their Website on 3 February 2010,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8495435.stm BBC news, retrieved 3 february 2010]</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Virgin to launch car online|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81131|work=autosport.com|publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]]|date=2010-01-29|accessdate=2010-01-31}}</ref> before running the car at a private event at [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]] the following two days.<ref>{{cite news|title=Virgin set for Silverstone shakedown|first=Matt|last=Beer|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81143|work=autosport.com|publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]]|date=2010-01-31|accessdate=2010-01-31}}</ref>

====Sponsorship====
Virgin purchased twenty percent of the team, as part of sponsorship arrangement.<ref>[http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76653 Virgin set for Manor GP move]</ref> The official FIA entry list for 2010 announced on the 30th November 2009 showed that Manor GP had been entered as Virgin Racing <ref>http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/11/10251.html</ref> The team's partners for 2010 include tyre supplier [[Bridgestone]], environmental technology company Carbon Green, shampoo brand Clear, information technology firm CSC, foreign exchange traders FxPro, clothing company Kappa, the Oxigen investment group and Russian sports car manufacturer [[Marussia]]. On 13 January 2010, reports emerged revealing that Virgin had paid an extra one and a half million pounds to [[Cosworth]] to have the CA2010 unit rebranded as a Marussia, though both Virgin Racing and Cosworth have allegedly denied the story.<ref name="Virgin Marussia">{{cite news|title=Marussia to brand Virgin engines|url=http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns22026.html|work=GrandPrix.com|date=2010-01-13|accessdate=2010-01-13}}</ref>

On 14 December 2009, Lloyds Banking Group announced that it had invested ten million pounds in the team,<ref>{{cite news|title=Lloyds invests in Manor F1 team|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80571|first=Matt|last=Beer|publisher=Autosport.com|date=2009-12-14|accssdate=2009-12-14}}</ref> reversing the recent trend of financial institutions such as ING and RBS withdrawing sponsorship. However, it remains unclear as to whether or not the Lloyds logo will appear on the cars. FxPro has also signed on as a team sponsor.

==See Also==

{{Formula One teams}}
{{Formula One constructors}}
{{Virgin Racing}}

==External links==
* [http://www.virginracing.com/ Official website]

[[Category:Formula One constructors]]
[[Category:Formula One entrants]]
[[Category:British auto racing teams]]
[[Category:British racecar constructors]]

Virgin Racing - Revision history

Red marquis at 06:46, 4 February 2010