Wirth admits he will pay for Virgin redesign

Nick Wirth has confirmed reports that his company will foot the bill for the major redesign of Virgin’s 2010 car.

Wirth, 44, is the new British team’s technical director, engaged through his separate Oxfordshire-based engineering group Wirth Research.

After it emerged that the current VR-01 design will not accommodate enough fuel to reach the end of races, media reports have estimated the cost of the necessary redesign at 1 million pounds.

Reports on Wednesday said Wirth had admitted that his company will pay the bill.

“The chassis supplier is us — nothing to do with engine supplier or fuel supplier,” Wirth is quoted as saying by the Telegraph.  “What that means is that we are fixing it for the team.  We are not charging the team.

“It’s our responsibility to provide cars that can finish a grand prix.  It’s down to us,” he said.

An ironic twist to the fuel tank story is the fact that, due to a separate fuel pick-up issue, drivers Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi are having to qualify with too much fuel aboard their VR-01s.

“We’ve got problem after problem,” Wirth is quoted as saying by the Times.

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