Reliability sees Virgin hot on Lotus's heels

FOLLOWING two of the most historic grands prix on the calendar, the Formula 1 circus has moved to Singapore, a place quickly earning its own legendary status.

It may not have the glamour of Monaco, the history of Monza or the unique tag of being the only floodlit race since Abu Dhabi’s introduction, but Singapore’s technical layout and constant threat of hitting barriers make it a challenge drivers thrive on.

The scandal of 2008, when Renault instructed Nelson Piquet Jr to crash in order to assist team-mate Fernando Alonso’s track position during a safety car period and thus win the race, has not dampened the enthusiasm towards the event but increased anticipation of Formula 1’s now annual visit to the Asian venue.

The consensus in the paddock seems to be that if you are quick this weekend you will be competitive in the final four races. The similar characteristics of the remaining five circuits mean a car that can produce high levels of downforce and good amounts of mechanical grip should go well everywhere.

Virgin Racing aim to trump rivals Lotus in the battle to be the best newcomers and the back drop of the Marina Bay circuit is a superb way to open up the final chapter of the 2010 season.

Friday’s practice sessions saw new recruit Jerome D’Ambrosio get his first taste of action in the VR-01. His productive session left him only two tenths of a second off Timo Glock’s best time.

The second free practice session saw Glock and Lucas di Grassi finish in 20th and 21st positions respectively, just behind the Lotus of Heiki Kovalainen.

After a hat-trick of two car finishes Virgin’s reliability is looking stronger than ever and with updates to the car, Glock is looking forward to being under the spotlight at Singapore.

He said: “We have been doing very well in terms of our reliability versus our competition and I think with our new developments we can look forward to another positive weekend.”

Team principal John Booth, who remains confident that Virgin can seal 10th place in the constructors’ championship, is looking forward to the challenges facing his team this weekend.

“We are very excited about the challenge ahead. The team will have to ignore their body clocks and learn to cope with starting work at 2pm and going to sleep at 5am, but they are a tough bunch who have not been averse to working unusual hours in our debut season.

“We are extremely pleased with how the day has gone.

“We’ve shown some good pace (yesterday) on both wet and dry tyres and all three drivers did a very professional job in difficult conditions.

“We do have a few issues to resolve before (today’s) running, but generally a good start to the weekend.”

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets, six tenths faster than team-mate Mark Webber and a full second quicker than nearest challenger Jenson Button.