The Virgin Racing team will receive a major boost to its 2012 development program after announcing it has secured a partnership with the McLaren outfit.
The team will have access to McLaren’s test facilities including their wind tunnel, computer technology and simulators.
McLaren will also place several members of their own staff within the outfit, as they have done with Force India, to aid the teams development.
Andy Webb, CEO of Virgin Racing, said about the deal: “When we undertook our detailed review of the team in the first half of 2011, it was clear that our bold ambitions for the future would need to be matched with some equally bold steps towards achieving them.
“I am delighted that in a relatively short space of time we are now in the fantastic position of being able to make these two very important announcements, which will enable us to make some dramatic strides forward with immediate effect.
“Our technical partnership with McLaren is very exciting indeed. McLaren is one of the most prestigious and successful marques in grand prix racing history, with an enviable record of success over many years.
“We can benefit enormously from McLaren’s far-reaching techniques and capabilities and I have no doubt that this partnership will see us take the technical steps necessary to make a significant leap forwards.
“In addition, our acquisition of the WRT Formula One business ensures continuity of technical infrastructure for the period ahead, which means that the transition to working with our new technical partner can begin immediately and is not frustrated by logistical considerations. Our three-centre operation has served us well in our formative years but our ambitions for the future will rely on the full might of the team coming together under one roof.
“With Pat Symonds’ continued involvement in the technical programme, we are confident that we have made all the right moves towards a successful future for Marussia Virgin Racing and we now head into one of the most important events for our team, the British Grand Prix, with renewed confidence and a great deal of excitement about the future.”
Symonds will continue assisting the team, even though he still cannot officially return to a full-time role in F1 as a legacy of the punishment he received for his involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix race fix controversy.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “Under the terms of this technical partnership, Marussia Virgin Racing will be able to access McLaren’s wind tunnel, simulator, rigs, and fitness and well being programmes.
“These properties are state-of-the-art, and we confidently therefore expect Marussia Virgin Racing to derive significant benefits from them.
“During the period in which we were agreeing this deal, our experience of dealing with Andy and his team was extremely positive and we recognise that he and his colleagues are very serious about making developments that will lift the competitiveness of their cars over the coming months and years.”
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