Twelve teams entered the 2010 season, three new teams took to the grid (one, Lotus, with a famous name but a new team nevertheless). The Virgin brand brings with it a reputation, Richard Branson has built a reputation on stunts and promotion, but it seemed likely that he would be keen to ensure the team were not an embarrassment. Not competing with the established teams for podium finishes is acceptable and expected, but equally not entering as merely a couple of advertising hoardings circling a track. Regrettably, Virgin was just awful in 2010; on the occasions the cars finished they did so laps behind. They were the worst team on the grid, even worse than Hispania, and that set the standard at a ludicrously low level.
At the end of the 2010 season, the Russian car manufacturer, Marussia that had since the team's inception had been involved, acquired a controlling interest in the team, and the team will be renamed Marussia Virgin Racing.
The genesis of Virgin racing was the agreement between Manor Motorsport and Wirth Research to form Manor Grand Prix Racing Limited. The FIA accepted the team's application to race in the 2010 season, and prior to the start of the season the Virgin Group acquired an eighty percent holding in the team, as part of sponsorship arrangement, and the team was renamed Virgin Racing.
Drivers: Timo Glock and Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Virgin Facts and Stats
| Base: | Yorkshire, U.K. |
| Team Principal: | John Booth |
| Team Principal: | Nick Worth |
| Drivers: | Heikki Kovalainen (No. 24) |
| Jerome d' Ambrosio (No. 25) | |
| Chassis: | Virgin VR-02 |
| Engine: | Cosworth |
| Tyres: | Pirelli |
| First Season: | 2010 |
| Constructors' Championships: | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships: | 0 |
| Race Victories: | 0 |
| Pole Positions: | 0 |
| Fastest Laps: | 0 |
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It was a surprise to many when former Toyota F1 driver Timo Glock agreed to race for the team, he was joined for the 2010 season by Lucas di Grassi.
The Virgin team chose the design the car using CFD computer simulation, the first team to rely solely on such technology. The design team made a staggering and humiliating mistake in building a car that had a fuel tank too small to allow the car to carry sufficient fuel to finish any race, unless the cars were to driven extremely slowly. In a sport, that prides itself on cutting edge technology and automotive excellence, the mistake was laughable, and the derision in the media was not silenced by the subsequent terrible race performances.
The team finished the season bottom of the Constructors championship, and as the table below illustrates they only managed to record five double finishes. The table however does not illustrate that even when the cars finished a race they did so laps down on the leaders.
Lucas di Grassi was dropped by the team at the end of the season and will be replaced by Jérôme d'Ambrosio for 2011. Timo Glock retained his seat.
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