Virgin Racing driver Timo Glock has admitted to being frustrated over the new team's issues in their debut season, as the squad heads for the European GP this weekend in pretty much as dire a shape as they started the season.
Glock chose to join the Virgin team to spearhead their F1 assault, despite being in the frame for drives at Renault and Sauber last year, but the team has had an unreliable and error-filled season so far.
Like the other three newbie teams, Virgin have failed to score a point yet in 2010, and unlike rivals Lotus, who are showing signs of promise, the team remain well off the ultimate pace.
And Glock has said in the buildup to this weekend's European Grand Prix that he was getting frustrated now, after his latest mechanical failure in Montreal.
"It’s every time something different, and that’s quite frustrating," he whined to the Speed website, "But that’s the situation and we have to work on a better baseline for 2011 and make it general stronger and see where we are."
He added that the team was struggling to catch up with their rivals because of the number of improvements that the other teams were putting out.
"That’s the problem," he grimaced, "I think we are a bit closer in terms of lap times, because the gap is not as big as it was before.
"But in general, it’s still difficult. Everyone is moving forward and we’re moving as well, but not quick enough. We’ll get a little bit of a mechanical update for Valencia, so we’ll see where we are then."
In the separate interview with Autosport, Glock also highlighted a second performance package, due for the British GP in July, as being another big moment for the team's season.
"I hope we make a big step in Silverstone, where a new upgrade comes - and we will see what is possible then," he shrugged.
"But we have to develop more the car. The car is far too heavy, and mechanically and aerodynamically we are just not where we should be."
He added that: "For sure the first three months of the year cost us a lot of development time with all the updates we had. The updates are now coming, but they are little steps and we need more. That is where we have to improve.
"Mechanically the car is really, really bad over bumps and we have to improve. We don't have the spec like the others, or what I had at Toyota, and that would bring us a good step in the right direction."
As for how long the newbie team might be waiting for their first championship point, he muttered that: "In a real race, we are far away. At the moment, if we get a magic upgrade for Silverstone which we need then maybe, but realistically not."
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