Virgin Racing concluded its three-test, pre-season program at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, the team’s final day of running ahead of the season curtain-raiser in Bahrain in two weeks’ time with Lucas di Grassi completing 49 laps and set a best time of 1:26.160, twelfth and last of the drivers on track and over five and a half seconds slower than pace setter Lewis Hamilton.

The past three weeks have witnessed a monumental effort by the whole team to ensure Virgin Racing arrives in Bahrain in the best possible shape. Despite a few mechanical trials and tribulations along the way, the team takes away many positives from the programme, particularly in the areas of aerodynamic performance and validation.

However, they continue to be hampered by hydraulic issues....

“Once again, our running has been heavily compromised by the reoccurrence of the hydraulic leak,” explained Nick Wirth, Technical Director. “We have new components designed to fix this issue on their way for the Bahrain race and we’re looking forward to putting that particular story behind us.”

“Lucas did manage to conduct some productive race work but we leave Barcelona having never run a qualifying simulation or the super soft tyres that all our competitors are likely to have set their times on. Now both Virgin Racing and Wirth Research have a busy two weeks preparing both race cars and spares for our debut in Bahrain.”