Hopes high as Virgin Racing heads for Silverstone: VIDEO

And team boss John Booth is optimistic that Virgin – the only all-British team on the grid – can lay down a marker as the campaign reached the half-way mark.

A good run last time out in Valencia has given everyone in the Dinnington camp a massive uplift.

He said: “We’ve looked better as a team, the cars are functioning much better and actually, for the first time, we can draw breath and see where we are. We haven’t had the energy or the time to do that before now.

“In the last few races we’ve been able to race, we’re not just embarrassingly tagging along at the end of the grid. We’re actually in Formula One now and competing and it’s a great feeling. That was a big step up for us.”

INSIDE VIRGIN RACING'S HQ: Watch our video to see team boss John Booth talk about the team's chances.

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