Virgin Racing launch their car….sort of
February 3, 2010Virgin Racing finally became the first of the four new teams to unveil their 2010 challenger – the VR-01.
However due to technical troubles, the car wasn’t unveiled live on the website as promised leaving many people furiously refreshing their internet browser. The team eventually revealed the car later in the day.
The car boasts a distinctive red and white livery and is the first of a new breed of race car designed entirely on a digital platform using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) rather than the traditional but expensive use of wind tunnels.
“Today is a very proud day for everyone involved with Virgin Racing, 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,” said Nick Wirth, Virgin Racing’s Technical Director.
“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 approach.
“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,” said Wirth.
The car is currently at Silverstone in preparation for a two-day shakedown starting on Thursday. It will hit the track for its first scheduled test in Jerez next week.
Check back soon for more images…
