Virgin MVR-02
Encyclopedia
The Virgin MVR-02 is a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 racing car designed by Nick Wirth
Nick Wirth
Nicholas John Peter "Nick" Wirth is an automotive engineer and the founder and owner of Wirth Research.He is also the former owner of the Simtek Formula One team, a former aerodynamicist at March and former technical director at the Benetton, and Virgin Racing teams.- Education and early...

 for the 2011 Formula One season
2011 Formula One season
The 2011 Formula One season was the 62nd FIA Formula One season. The original calendar consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over...

. Like its predecessor, the Virgin VR-01
Virgin VR-01
The Virgin VR-01 was a Formula One motor racing car designed by Nick Wirth for Virgin Racing in the season. It was driven by former Toyota driver Timo Glock and Brazilian ex-GP2 driver Lucas di Grassi. The car was the first Formula One racing car designed entirely with computational fluid dynamics...

, the MVR-02 will be designed entirely with computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...

, with Nick Wirth's Wirth Research design studio doubling their CFD capacity ahead of the 2011 season. The addition of the "M" in the car's chassis designation is to reflect the team's new owner, Russian
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 sports car manufacturer Marussia. The car was unveiled in London on 7 February 2011, and is being driven by returning driver Timo Glock
Timo Glock
Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship...

 and debutant Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio is a Belgian racing driver of Italian descent. He is driving for Marussia Virgin Racing during the 2011 Formula One World Championship.-Karting:...

.

Design

The MVR-02 has followed the VR-01's design principle of exclusively using computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...

 instead of the more traditional approach of a windtunnel. The car will not use KERS, with chief designer Nick Wirth
Nick Wirth
Nicholas John Peter "Nick" Wirth is an automotive engineer and the founder and owner of Wirth Research.He is also the former owner of the Simtek Formula One team, a former aerodynamicist at March and former technical director at the Benetton, and Virgin Racing teams.- Education and early...

 commenting that the gains offered by the system did not justify the expense in developing it; instead, the team concentrated on improving the car's hydraulics and gearbox, both of which had been the frequent source of problems in 2010. After being forced to re-design the VR-01 when it was discovered the fuel tank was not large enough to finish races with a high fuel consumption, the MVR-02 was designed to be the same length as the original VR-01 chassis whilst retaining the full-size fuel tank. The air intake on the front nose has been designed to resemble the one on Marussia's road car, the Marussia B2.

It was announced in June 2011 that Marussia Virgin Racing had ended its relationship with technical partner Nick Wirth and his company, Wirth Research, who designed their 2010 and 2011 contenders. The reason for this was cited as being a disappointing start to their 2011 season.

Racing history

The MVR-02 ran its first race at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix
2011 Australian Grand Prix
The 2011 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 March 2011 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. It was the 76th race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...

 with several problems that included rain and the 107% rule. The car was performing poorly due to the condition of the track and speculation rose up that Virgin was not going to be able to race. However, both Timo Glock and Jérôme d'Ambrosio made it through, taking the last spots on the grid. Once the race went under way, Glock was forced into the garage for a mechanical failure. As such, Glock completed less than 90% of the race and was not classified in the standings. D'Ambrosio, however, finished sixteenth at first, but the disqualification of both Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....

 cars bumped him up to fourteenth.
However, fates changed at the Malaysian Grand Prix
2011 Malaysian Grand Prix
The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 April 2011 at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia. It was the second round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel after starting from...

 as d'Ambrosio suffered from a mechanical failure during free practice. Qualifying was a repeat of Australia, with the drivers taking twenty-first and twenty-second. When the race began on Sunday, things did not work out for d'Ambrosio as he retired due to electronic problems. Glock finished sixteenth, his first classified finish of the season. This trend of low qualifying and high finishes was undone at China
2011 Chinese Grand Prix
The 2011 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 17 April 2011 at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It was the third round of the 2011 Formula One season...

, as both drivers finished just one place higher.

Turkey
2011 Turkish Grand Prix
The 2011 Turkish Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 DHL Turkish Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race held on 8 May 2011 at Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fourth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by the championship leader,...

 was the location of the team's first upgrade for the season. Timo Glock was given an "extreme" update, while d'Ambrosio was to wait until Spain
2011 Spanish Grand Prix
The 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Santander 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 22 May 2011 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the fifth round of the 2011 Formula One season...

. Surprisingly, d'Ambrosio was faster than Glock for the whole weekend and proved that the upgrades needed more work. The stewards awarded him a five-place grid penalty after ignoring yellow flags on Friday. As such, his starting place was twenty-third, while Glock's was twenty-first. When it came time for the cars to take their positions, Glock's pit crew noticed a mechanical fault and set to correct it. However, the repair proved so drawn out that Glock ended up not racing, his second unclassified race of the season. D'Ambrosio suffered from no problems and drove the car home for twentieth.
Spain
2011 Spanish Grand Prix
The 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Santander 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 22 May 2011 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the fifth round of the 2011 Formula One season...

 was a relief as the upgrades allowed the cars to finish nineteenth and twentieth, with both drivers not complaining of any faults. At Monaco
2011 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2011 Monaco Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2011, was held on 29 May 2011 at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Sixth round of the 2011 Formula One season, the 78 lap race was won by the championship leader, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel who started from...

, the MVR-02 proved to be unable to catch the other cars, once again taking the eleventh row on the grid. A minor concern that Virgin shared with other teams was the DRS zone, as Monaco is a tight, slow track, the cars might not be able to negotiate the course. The pace the cars ran in qualifying proved otherwise. The start of the race showed promising signs for both drivers until Glock suffered a suspension failure. After the dramatic and unprecedented end of the race, d'Ambrosio finished fifteenth, bringing the MVR-02 to another classified finish.

Canada
2011 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2011, was the seventh round of the 2011 Formula One season and was held on 12 June 2011 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve...

 was the last place the MVR-02 was expected to have finished so well. Their pace in qualifying - plus d'Ambrosio's failure to post a fast time - convinced people that Virgin was going to finish low. However, it was the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix
2011 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2011, was the seventh round of the 2011 Formula One season and was held on 12 June 2011 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve...

, which gave the MVR-02's enough pace to finish fourteenth and fifteenth. During the course of two weeks, however, the team fell back to their familiar pace in the European Grand Prix
2011 European Grand Prix
The 2011 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain on 26 June 2011. The race, which was the eighth round of the 2011 Formula One season, was won by defending world drivers' champion and championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who was...

, with qualifying and race day placements towards the back of the grid. During the event, Virgin put out a form of complaint as their cars are powered by Cosworth engines and the new diffuser rules appeared to have hampered their chances of winning. Yet, to the liking of the team, both Glock and d'Ambrosio qualified in good position (20 and 22) for the race. Then came the British Grand Prix
2011 British Grand Prix
The 2011 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 10 July 2011, at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, and won by Fernando Alonso....

, which was the first race with full diffuser bans. The track conditions were in between dry and damp, a condition that hampered the team in Australia. The result was Glock with sixteenth and d'Ambrosio with seventeenth.

In Germany
2011 German Grand Prix
The 2011 German Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 24 July 2011, at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany. It was the tenth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won...

 the two cars qualified twentieth and twenty-second on the grid, with Glock ahead of d'Ambrosio. Glock commented to his engineers on the car-to-pit radio that they were making it "difficult for him" after this. Glock later tried to cover up his comments by saying they were meant in a joking way. Glock announced the following day he would be staying with the team until 2014. The two cars finished the race in the same order, in seventeenth and eighteenth places. The MVR-02s sandwiched the HRTs in Hungary
2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix, formally the XXVII Eni Magyar Nagydij, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 31 July 2011, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary It was the eleventh round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 27th Hungarian Grand Prix...

 qualifying twenty-first and last. Glock finished the race of mixed weather conditions seventeenth and teammate d'Ambrosio was ninteenth.

The car was not expected to do well in the power circuit of Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...

. The cars were twentieth and twenty-first, with d'Ambrosio outside the 107% rule for his home race
2011 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2011 Belgian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 28 August 2011, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium. It was the twelfth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 67th Belgian Grand Prix to be held...

. He was however, allowed to race because it had been a mixed weather qualifying, and with no such weather in the race he brought the car home in seventeenth, one place above Glock. Despite outqualifying and out-racing HRT, the at Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....

 was quite disappointing for the MVR-02. Qualifying on the second-back row, d'Ambrosio suffered a gearbox failure on lap 1, and although Glock managed a fifteenth place finish - this was last place. It was the same Q1 result in Singapore
2011 Singapore Grand Prix
The 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 September 2011 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. It was the fourteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the twelfth time the Singapore...

, although Glock crashed out on lap 9 whilst d'Ambrosio finished a reasonable eighteenth. It was positions 20 and 21 in both Qualifying and race in Japan
2011 Japanese Grand Prix
The 2011 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 9 October 2011 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. It was the fifteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the thirty-eighth time the Japanese Grand Prix had been held...

 - beating the HRTs and Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg is a racing driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...

's hydraulics failure in Qualifying, before beating the HRTs and the retirement of Sebastien Buemi
Sébastien Buemi
Sébastien Olivier Buemi is a Swiss racing driver, who competes for Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One.-Formula BMW:...

 in the race. At the , Glock and D'Ambrosio qualified twenty-first and twenty-second before finishing twentieth and twenty-second in a seemingly typical race for the team.

Complete Formula One results

(results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Points WCC
Marussia Virgin Racing
Virgin Racing
Marussia Virgin Racing, the trading name of Virgin Racing Limited, is a Russian owned Formula One racing team based in the United Kingdom and racing on a Russian licence, which made its debut in the 2010 Formula One season. It was granted entry as Manor Grand Prix on 12 June 2009, as one of four...

Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

 CA2011 V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....

AUS
2011 Australian Grand Prix
The 2011 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 March 2011 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. It was the 76th race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...

MAL
2011 Malaysian Grand Prix
The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 April 2011 at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia. It was the second round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel after starting from...

CHN
2011 Chinese Grand Prix
The 2011 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 17 April 2011 at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It was the third round of the 2011 Formula One season...

TUR
2011 Turkish Grand Prix
The 2011 Turkish Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 DHL Turkish Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race held on 8 May 2011 at Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fourth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by the championship leader,...

ESP
2011 Spanish Grand Prix
The 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Santander 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 22 May 2011 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the fifth round of the 2011 Formula One season...

MON
2011 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2011 Monaco Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2011, was held on 29 May 2011 at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Sixth round of the 2011 Formula One season, the 78 lap race was won by the championship leader, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel who started from...

CAN
2011 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2011, was the seventh round of the 2011 Formula One season and was held on 12 June 2011 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve...

EUR
2011 European Grand Prix
The 2011 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain on 26 June 2011. The race, which was the eighth round of the 2011 Formula One season, was won by defending world drivers' champion and championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who was...

GBR
2011 British Grand Prix
The 2011 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 10 July 2011, at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, and won by Fernando Alonso....

GER
2011 German Grand Prix
The 2011 German Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 24 July 2011, at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany. It was the tenth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won...

HUN
2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix, formally the XXVII Eni Magyar Nagydij, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 31 July 2011, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary It was the eleventh round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 27th Hungarian Grand Prix...

BEL
2011 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2011 Belgian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 28 August 2011, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium. It was the twelfth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 67th Belgian Grand Prix to be held...

ITA
2011 Italian Grand Prix
The 2011 Italian Grand Prix, formally known as the 2011 Gran Premio Santander d'Italia, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 11 September 2011 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. It was the thirteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and was also the sixtieth time the Italian...

SIN
2011 Singapore Grand Prix
The 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 September 2011 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. It was the fourteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the twelfth time the Singapore...

JPN
2011 Japanese Grand Prix
The 2011 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 9 October 2011 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. It was the fifteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the thirty-eighth time the Japanese Grand Prix had been held...

KOR
2011 Korean Grand Prix
The 2011 Korean Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 16 October 2011 at the Korean International Circuit in Yeongam, South Jeolla, South Korea...

IND
2011 Indian Grand Prix
The 2011 Indian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 30 October 2011 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India...

ABU
2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the eighteenth and penultimate round of the 2011 Formula One season. It was held on 13 November 2011 at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, a man-made island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. It was the third running of the Abu Dhabi...

BRA
2011 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grande Prêmio Petrobras do Brasil 2011 was the ninteenth and final round of the 2011 Formula One season...

0 12th
Glock
Timo Glock
Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship...

NC 16 21 DNS 19 Ret 15 21 16 17 17 18 15 Ret 20 18 Ret 19 Ret
d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio is a Belgian racing driver of Italian descent. He is driving for Marussia Virgin Racing during the 2011 Formula One World Championship.-Karting:...

14 Ret 20 20 20 15 14 22 17 18 19 17 Ret 18 21 20 16 Ret 19
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