Virgin to change name

The team, currently moving the bulk of it’s Formula One operation from Dinnington to Banbury, will change their name to Marussia Racing for the 2012 campaign.

The team, which developed out of John Booth’s Manor Motorsport set-up, will further develop links with Nikolai Formenko’s Russian-based sportscar company, who last season became their main sponsor. Marussia took on a much larger role with the team during this season and speculation continues to mount that Formenko will want the team to relocate to Moscow in time for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix in 2014.

Virgin are tight-lipped over the matter but it is understood that the request will be ratified by the F1 commission, along with name changes for Renault, who will become Team Lotus, and Lotus, who will switch titles to Caterham.