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F1: Timo Glock talks about Virgin's preparation for 2012

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Marussia Virgin will not be using KERS technology in 2012.

Another of the new-in-2010 teams, Team Lotus, has announced that from next season it will be using the kinetic energy recovery system developed by Red Bull.

"We have done the very best job we can this year but without that extra power we are always competing on a different level to the teams ahead," said team boss Tony Fernandes.

Marussia Virgin is also making efforts to catch the more established teams, including by hiring the highly experienced 'crashgate' engineer Pat Symonds.

"My impression of him is very good," driver Timo Glock told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Timo Glock, Marussia Virgin. (Photo: WRi2)
Timo Glock, Marussia Virgin. (Photo: WRi2)


Symonds' attention to detail is already becoming apparent, with the switch from steel to titanium pitstop jacks, and the use of laser technology for pitstop positioning, seen for the first time in Singapore.

The German report also said the 60 per cent scale model of Marussia Virgin's 2012 car is now complete and will enter the McLaren wind tunnel at the end of next month.

But Timo Glock reportedly confirmed that, when complete, the car will not feature a KERS system.

And he warned: "I don't think that by the first race of next year we will make a big jump. There just isn't enough time. But for the start of the European season we are planning a major update."

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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