Virgin unveil the innovative VR-01

Virgin Racing unveiled a new breed of F1 car at Silverstone on Wednesday as the VR-01 is designed entirely in the digital domain using CFD.

One of the four newcomers to F1 this season, Virgin Racing was officially launched in December when it was confirmed that Manor GP had teamed up with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand to embark on this F1 adventure.

But it wasn't until Wednesday that the team's first challenger, the VR-01, was unveiled to the world with its distinctive red and black livery.

Designer Nick Wirth revealed that the car was designed entirely using Computational Fluid Dynamics computer modeling. And although this new to F1, Virgin have relied solely on it rather than using a windtunnel.

"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 Wirth.

"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 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."

Team boss John Booth admitted he was proud of the car, which will be powered by Cosworth and raced by Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi.

"Not only do we have a great bunch of people at Virgin Racing, we also have a great-looking car," he said.

"We are delighted with our fantastic new livery which provides a fitting integration of our racing brand with our important commercial partnerships. All in all, we have a lot to look forward to as we progress towards our racing debut in Bahrain next month."

Virgin unveil the innovative VR-01 - Planet-F1 News from planet-f1.com

Virgin's VR01 technical specs

Virgin Racing took the covers off their VR-01 on Wednesday, releasing the following technical specifications for their first-ever F1 car.

Chassis
* Construction - Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction monocoque and nosebox
* Wishbones - Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction with titanium flexure joints
* Uprights - Virgin Racing aluminium alloy construction
* Dampers - Penske
* Wheels and Tyres
* Wheels - BBS
* Tyres - Bridgestone Potenza
* Fuel cell - 'FT5' safety specification
* Fuel capacity - In excess of 200 litres
* Brake Calipers - AP Racing 6 pot calipers
* Discs/pads - Hitco Carbon-Carbon
* Steering wheel - Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction
* Power steering - Virgin Racing hydraulic steering assist
* Driver seat - Anatomically formed carbon composite
* Seat belts - Six-point harness (75mm shoulder straps with HANS system)
* ECU and logging system - FIA standard ECU & FIA homologated electronic & electrical system
* Gearbox - Virgin Racing precision aluminium construction with 7- speed, longitudinally mounted Xtrac internals
* Differential - Electronically controlled hydraulic differential
* Gear Selection - Paddle operated hydraulic shift system with "seamless shift"
* Clutch - AP Racing
* Driveshafts - One-piece driveshafts with integral tripod joints
* Overall Length - Approx 5500 mm
* Overall Height - Approx 950 mm
* Overall Width - Approx 1800 mm
* Wheelbase - Approx 3200 mm

Virgin's VR01 technical specs - Planet-F1 News from planet-f1.com

cosworth engines.. lets see how they do this season