05-Feb-10: Virgin Racing Debuts Car at Silverstone
February 5, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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Launched For the Very First Time
February 3, 2010 by Christine
Filed under F1 Big Picture
The brand new VR-01 was revealed to the world today, after a short delay. Virgin had planned an online launch, but their virtual photos took a while to be released due to technical difficulties. Nevertheless, the black and red livery was finally available to view with Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock on hand in their matching overalls. The car is due for a shakedown at Silverstone next week.
Credit: Virgin Racing
Tweets of the Week – 31st January 2010
January 31, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Tweets of the Week
We’re starting a new feature on F1 Minute to complement the Quotes of the Week post. As Twitter takes off as a real means of communication, we’ve seen drivers, journalists and team members embracing 140 characters to connect with the fans. Each week, we’ll pick out the top ten F1 tweets for an added insight into life in the fast lane.
- Mercedes launch kicked off with video of Schumacher driving a red SLR and opening door with a wink. A cheeky nod to his Ferrari past. Alan Baldwin
- Mid chat with Nico Hulk who is extremely over excited about the start of the season, and looking v fit following his Malaysian boot camp. Claire Williams
- I’m here at Virgin Racing team having a look at the car. Everybody is pushing really hard to do the best work possible. Lucas di Grassi
- Doing an interview with Nico for Autosport now. Photoshoot in reception; don’t think I’ll get him outside, too cold for racing drivers! Claire Williams
- Down at MTC preparing for the launch on Friday.. Watching Lewis doing some interesting poses on a tyre! ;-) Jenson Button
- Not only is Montreal back on the F1 calendar, but LG and F1 ROCKS event could be taking over Crescent Street! Watch this space! Emma Buxton
- Photographers are in place, media are starting to arrive…and it has stopped raining! #vodafone #mclaren# mercedes The Fifth Driver
- No filming day for the F10 at Fiorano. Track conditions are still bad. Felipe must wait until Monday at Valencia to run the new baby! Inside Ferrari
- Gunning it back to London(at 70 of course!). Interviewed a VERY relaxed Lewis and happy JB, confidence at McLaren is sky high! Jake Humphrey
- Renault will make a second driver announcement today. Vitaly Petrov is inside the Renault motorhome. Now…let’s all guess what may happen. Jonathan Noble
Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 20th December
December 21, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Weekly Quotes
The very best from the mouths of those in the know.
Virgin Announcement
A pre-launch launch from Virgin…
- “It feels great to be here, it’s a dream come true for me after two years of being a test driver, and from that and from GP2 I feel I’m ready and am very confident in this team. We’re here to race, not to do politics or mess around, we’re here to race.” Lucas di Grassi
- “”I have 20 years’ experience working with drivers. I have been privileged to work with some fantastic drivers in that time and I hope that’s helped in giving me an eye for a good driver. The four drivers we have here are the four we wanted in our line-up, they’re the perfect drivers.” John Booth, Sporting Director
- “I am immensely proud to be part of a team that isn’t simply ‘making it to the grid’, but which has surpassed even our wildest expectations – technically, in our racing operation and also commercially.” Nick Wirth
Genii Capital Buy Into Renault
Renault find a way to stay in the sport…
- “Altogether, we look forward to competing again at the highest level in Formula 1. Today’s announcement also confirms Renault’s commitment and trust in the sport’s governing bodies to improve the green credentials of Formula 1.” Bernard Rey
- “Together with Renault, we intend to run the team with the same values as any of our other investments, prioritising ambitious performance targets without neglecting cost efficiency. We strongly believe that on-track performance can be compatible with business performance, and we will use all our entrepreneurial spirit and commercial know-how to achieve this goal.” Eric Lux
- “We would like to know about Genii Capital and who is doing what in the team – a partner can be a sleeping partner or a controlling partner. The cards have changed in respect of when we signed and it’s important Renault give us full information.” Daniele Morelli
Briatore vs. Mosley
The pair hit the headlines once more…
- “It is difficult to ascertain whether Mr Mosley is just losing his temper while waiting the decision to be issued by the French courts or if, after having lost his position as a key person in Motor Racing, he is just eager to regain media coverage by making provocative attacks against myself, amongst others.” Flavio Briatore
- “Briatore should be the last person to complain that the FIA has not treated him fairly. The FIA has repeatedly given him the benefit of the doubt.” Max Mosley
- “Once the FIA had a sworn statement from Nelson Piquet Jr confirming that he was ordered to crash, a full professional inquiry conducted by outside lawyers was inevitable. That inquiry, like Renault’s own investigation, established Briatore’s responsibility beyond question. The suggestion that all this was somehow manufactured for reasons of personal vengeance is a desperate and unsustainable argument.” Max Mosley
Di Grassi Heading for Virgin Racing
December 16, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Lucas di Grassi celebrates a successful outing with the Renault demonstration team. The Brazilian has been confirmed alongside Timo Glock at the new Virgin Racing team – formerly Manor Grand Prix. di Grassi is adamant that he is moving in to Formula 1 to race and has no interest in the politics.
Credit:Renault F1
15-Dec-09: Manor Become Virgin Racing with Added di Grassi
December 15, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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It’s the 15th December 2009 and this is F1 Minute.
After Lotus’ announcement yesterday, it was time for Manor Grand Prix to take centre stage – officially confirming that they are now called Virgin Racing. With Timo Glock already on board, the team also announced Lucas di Grassi as their second driver. The Brazilian said: “It feels great to be here, it’s a dream come true for me after two years of being a test driver, and from that and from GP2 I feel I’m ready and am very confident in this team. We’re here to race, not to do politics or mess around. We’re here to race.” Easy to say, isn’t it?
The team are very optimistic, though, Richard Branson spoke at their event today in London and said: “This team will be the lowest budget team in F1… but money is not everything and we are determined to prove that through engineering prowess, great drivers and great affinity with the public, we can do well.”
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
Renault F1 Team completes Jerez test with Lucas Di Grassi
December 3, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Conditions were overcast for the morning with a light rain shower just before lunch leaving the track damp for the middle part of the day. However, conditions improved in the afternoon, allowing Lucas to complete the team’s technical programme. The priority for the day was to continue evaluating developments for 2010 and to add mileage to new components.
Lucas Di Grassi: “Today was a busy day and I completed over 120 laps. We did lots of different things including some performance work, some long stints and simulations for 2010. It was good for me to get back in an F1 car and the programme over the last couple of days has given me a lot of valuable experience. We managed to complete the most important tasks for the week and hopefully everything we have learnt will help with the development of next year’s car.”
Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: “We had a productive day of testing with Lucas with the programme based around preparation for next year. We ran the car quite heavy in the morning as we did some work on the brakes and then in the afternoon we completed some back-to-back testing on the front and rear suspension. While the track was damp we put Ho-Pin back in the car to give him the chance to experience an F1 car in wet conditions. Overall it has been a successful week for us: the team has worked hard and we’ve come away with a lot of valuable data which will be useful for the development of next year’s car.”
Renault F1 Team continues young driver test in Jerez
December 2, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Ho-Pin Tung spent the morning in the car as he sampled the R29 for the first time. The 26-year-old covered a total of 67 laps during a busy morning as he continued to evaluate new parts for the team ahead of the 2010 season.
In the afternoon Lucas Di Grassi took over the cockpit of the R29 and went on to complete a further 54 laps.
Ho-Pin Tung: “This was my first proper test in an F1 car and it was a great experience. To begin with I concentrated on finding a reasonable set-up and then got down to working through the programme with the engineers as we tested some parts for the 2010 car. The morning went by so quickly, but it was good to cover 67 laps and the track really improved throughout the morning. What impressed me most was the speed you can carry through the corners and the braking performance of these cars, which takes some getting used to. I learnt a lot today and really enjoyed working with the whole team. I will stay here tomorrow so that I can sit in on all the debriefs and continue learning.”
Lucas Di Grassi: “It was a productive day and good for me to get back in a current F1 car for the first time in almost a year. It felt quite different to drive this car with slicks but I quickly got used to it and the systems on the car. Our programme was focussed on looking ahead to 2010 so we were running with high fuel loads and doing quite long runs. The track conditions were not too bad, but I think it will be even better tomorrow so we should be able to complete some more important work.”
Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: “We ran Ho-Pin for the first half of the day, starting off on scrubbed tyres before giving him a couple of new sets later in the morning. I was impressed with Ho-Pin as he settled into the car very quickly and worked well with the team. His driving style is quite well suited to an F1 car as he used the tyres well, had a good feel for the car and gave us precise feedback. The afternoon was mainly about getting Lucas comfortable in the car ahead of his full day tomorrow as this was his first time in the R29. Overall, we managed to complete our objectives for the day and we’re well prepared for another productive day tomorrow.”
27-Nov-09: Force India Confirm Sutil and Liuzzi for 2010
November 27, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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This is F1 Minute for the 27th November 2009.
Lots of news today, starting with the fact that Force India have confirmed Liuzzi and Sutil for 2010. The team will be running the same drivers they finished this season with in an attempt to keep some consistency and continue their upward trend. Mallya says: “I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.”
Elsewhere, BMW have confirmed they will sell the team back to original owner Peter Sauber, who will buy on condition that they have a grid slot for 2010. This is by no means an easy feat as they don’t at the moment, but it is a piece of good news for the team after the Qadbak investment fell through.
Finally, Renault have announced their young drivers for next week’s test in the shape of Renault 3.5 champ Bertrand Baguette, test driver Lucas di Grassi and China’s Ho-Pin Tung.
That’s all for now, have a fabulous weekend, and I’ll be back on Monday with another F1 Minute.
Renault F1 Team Gets Set for Young Driver Test in Jerez
November 27, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under Press Releases
The Renault F1 Team is gearing up for the young driver test which will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of December in Jerez, Spain. Bertrand Baguette, Ho-Pin Tung and Lucas Di Grassi will share driving duties across the three days.
The provisional schedule will see 23-year-old Belgian driver, Bertrand Baguette, get behind the wheel of the R29 on Tuesday 1st of December as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category. This will be Bertrand’s first chance to sample F1 power and an opportunity to complete representative mileage as the team evaluates up and coming young drivers.
The team will also evaluate young Chinese prospect, Ho-Pin Tung. Having previously tested for Williams, the 26-year-old will relish the chance to get reacquainted with an F1 car and will draw upon his recent experience in GP2, A1GP and the Superleague Formula.
The team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi, will also have the chance to complete further F1 mileage as he drives the R29 for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the test, Team Principal Bob Bell commented: “Testing is so restricted nowadays, but this young driver test is the perfect opportunity for us to assess rising stars such as Bertrand, Ho-Pin and Lucas. All these drivers have shown great promise and we look forward to seeing what they are capable of as we complete our test programme for the year.”
