Confidence is growing in Virgin's ability to deliver

JOHN BOOTH says Virgin Racing have addressed the teething problems that hampered them during testing for their debut Formula 1 season in Spain last month, but now have to focus on getting the car up to speed.

The VR-01 cars were dogged by technical difficulties throughout the 12 days of pre-season testing with the front wing failure in Jerez being the most striking.

But Booth, the Yorkshire operation's team principal – whose Manor Motorsport organisation provide the bulk of the work-force for Britain's new Formula 1 team – is confident the problems have been eradicated.

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Speaking at the team headquarters in Dinnington yesterday ahead of their departure to Bahrain for next weekend's opening grand prix, Booth said: "The issues that rose their head in Spain have been identified and hopefully rectified and that work will go on right up until next Saturday morning, no doubt.

"But, this being F1, I'm sure there'll be fresh ones that appear, but that's what the testing is all about.

"The 12 days in Spain were invaluable but it was an unbelievable schedule; even the teams of 100 people were finding the schedule tough, but for us with 30-odd people it was almost impossible.

"What we've learnt is that Formula 1 is difficult, and at least as hard as I thought it was going to be. It just underlines the size of the task we are facing."

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Barring any more reliabilty issues, the next big task is to tackle the pace of the car with drivers Timo Glock and Lucas

Di Grassi up to 10 seconds off the pace in some sessions last month.

They improved as the month wore on, but in a sport dominated by a need for speed, Booth appreciates that finding solutions to the lack of pace is urgent with the Yorkshire team's Formula 1 debut nine days away.

"The pace needs addressing, how quick we can address it is the question," he said.

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"We expected to be about five seconds off the leading teams;

it was quite a bit closer than that in Jerez but at a bumpier circuit like Barcelona it was a little bit more.

"The testing has given us plenty of information to work with."

Booth, who launched the Manor name from his own garage in Rotherham in 1990, was quick to praise the application of his entire staff, and in particular, drivers Di Grassi and former Toyota man Glock.

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"I was very pleased with their effort and even more so with the team spirit," he said.

"It was a tough three weeks but there were never any complaints. The drivers just want to work hard and help the team.

"Timo knows racing and he knew exactly what it was going to be like from day one, and didn't expect it to be much different. He's fully on board with what we're trying to do. Their attitude was very rewarding."

That Virgin Racing actually fulfilled three of the four testing sessions last month underlines the progress they have made since being accepted into Formula 1 last June.

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The travails of US F1, who await judgment from the FIA on whether they will be granted a one-year delay on their entry to the sport, further highlights the size of the challenge for new teams.

From the outset, Booth's target for 2010 was to be the best of the four debutants, and with only Virgin and the returning Lotus set to make the grid in the desert next week, the goal has been made considerably more attainable – not that the Yorkshireman would have it that way.

"I would love all four new teams to be there but it looks like there's only going to be two and a half," he said in reference to continued uncertainty over Campos Meta, who this week changed their name to Hispania Racing. "It does highlight just how hard it's been, on a commercial side as much as the technical side."

After nine months of planning and hard work, Booth cannot afford to relax.

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"It's panic more than excitement," he said as he looked ahead. "It's come round so quick it's unbelievable. I don't know where the last nine months have gone.

"We've been so busy you don't have time to be excited, but no doubt the nerves will start to creep in as next week progresses."

Don't miss your free four-page Formula 1 preview pull-out for the 2010 season in next week's Sports Monday.

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