Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Racing Formula 1 team has become the first of the new entrants to unveil a car.
Called the VR-01, it breaks new ground by being designed, built and tested entirely on computer, bypassing the F1 convention of using wind tunnels.
"There is scepticism about our approach," admitted designer Nick Wirth. "But I have absolute belief in the digital design process."
The car will have its first run on Thursday at Silverstone.
The two-day test will be carried out by Germany's Timo Glock before the VR-01 joins the other teams at Jerez in Spain next week.
"The first reaction is that it's a really nice car," said Glock. "I think we have some good ideas on the car. But now for us it is important that the car is here and ready.
 Virgin F1 car designer Nick Wirth and team owner Sir Richard Branson
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"That's where the team did just a great job. The mechanics have been working 24 hours the last couple of days."
The VR-01 is the first entirely digital F1 car. Such computer simulation is used by all the teams, but until today it has always been double-checked using scale models in wind tunnels.
Designer Wirth has met with success in American sports car racing using this method, but it is unproven in F1. And F1 aerodynamics is more complicated because of the turbulent air generated by the car's exposed wheels.
The VR-01 shuns the dorsal fin used by McLaren and Sauber and instead its engine cover tapers to a rear wing that has no central strut.
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Its nose follows the current trend by being higher than those seen in 2009, but is needle-shaped as opposed to the more common blunt-front approach.
Wirth promises constant updates once the season has started and the car is running reliably.
More to follow
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