Virgin suffer more problems

Both cars again failed to finish in Shanghai on Sunday after being hit be problems just minutes before the race started.

After flawless qualifying sessions, Lucas Di Grassi was hit by clutch trouble which meant he had to start from the pit lane, joining the action seven laps into the race before pulling out eight laps later.

Timo Glock was expecting a smooth start but in the final stages of the grid procedure - exactly the wrong time. is car suddenly lost engine valve system air pressure and the team returned the car to the garage to try to fix the problem.

It soon became apparent that the issue lay deep in the system and any attempt at addressing it would have called for the entire back end of the car to be removed - a task too substantial to contemplate during the Race. This was a chassis-related issue, and not a problem with the Cosworth engine.

Vigin’s hoped of a quick return to Dinnington to prepare for the European leg of the GP series, which starts in Barcelona early next month, were also hit by the flight disruptions.

Said Technical Director Nick Wirth: “I know that we will get to grips with the problems and bounce back in Barcelona.”