Nick Wirth is hopeful that Timo Glock will commit his long term future to Virgin, despite rumours suggesting that Renault are after his services.
Glock has had a difficult year with the brand-new squad, managing only four finishes in a season plagued by teething issues.
Despite this, Wirth is confident that the German will continue the work he has started and help move the team forward.
“We’ve got another year on the contract with Timo, but like anything in life everyone has got to want to carry on,” the Virgin technical director told Autosport.
“Timo understood that we were a new team and he wanted to be part of something that was growing going forward. That’s why the Silverstone weekend was so important because it has hopefully shown him that we can do it.”
The Englishman believes that Glock’s signing was a coup for the team and one which helped spur it on after a difficult start.
“We were so lucky to have a driver with his talent, ability and experience join us at his age,” he said. “It’s up to us to try and deliver on that.”
Wirth is also full of praise for Lucas di Grassi, who has struggled with weight issues on his car throughout the year.
“I know I’m very biased, but I think he is looking good for rookie of the year if you look at his relative performance,” said Wirth.
“He’s coming into his own and doing a fantastic job. The disadvantage is that Lucas is naturally a bit heavier than Timo. For all of the new teams, weight is an issue so he’s still got a disadvantage. It’s to do with us and we’re working very hard on it.”
