Virgin Racing is aiming to fulfil the potential that they showed in Ad Diriyah during the race and the in-season test which they ended fastest.
The British team believe they learnt a lot about their season five challenger over the first race weekend, which they can use to become more competitive for the rest of the season.
Managing Director Sylvain Filippi is confident that the team’s race pace will help the team be more competitive in season five.
“We’re feeling positive for the New Year,” said Filippi. “Our recent performance in Ad Diriyah – in which the team made up 16-places from the back of the grid – shows the potential of the team and we believe we’re in a strong position heading into Marrakesh. We showed last time out we have a quick car and two very capable drivers, and we’re now looking to build on that momentum.”
Sam Bird, who scored a podium in Marrakesh last season has taken a lot of confidence from the team’s performance in Saudi Arabia, after a difficult pre-season test in Valencia.
“Last year I was on the podium in Marrakesh and I’d really like to be up there again this year,” stated Bird. “We proved in the race in Ad Diriyah that we had the pace and as a team, we can gain a huge amount of confidence from the performance we showed during the test day which followed. Both Robin (Frijns) and I have been working hard at the simulator to ensure we are prepared for the upcoming race, where we believe our true potential will begin to show.”
Frijns is also confident of a strong showing in Morocco after the data the team gathered in Riyadh
“The team gained a huge amount of invaluable data during the first round of the season, which is important for us given our limited pre-season testing. We have a competitive car and, combined with the hard work the team have put in, we’re in a good position heading into the Marrakesh weekend,” said Frijns.
