Sports editor Paul Rickett and motoring writer Tom Sharp were there to follow Virgin Racing, formerly Manor Sport from Dinnington, Rotherham.

Doug Melloy, editor of the Rotherham Advertiser, said: "The team now known as Virgin Racing, is the new name for Manor Motorsport, a family-owned Rotherham racing team which was set up in 1989.

"Richard Branson piggy-backed on their success in being the new boys on the F1 circuit and changed the name to Virgin Racing, but it's still very much a Rotherham outfit run by former butcher John Booth, his wife Mary and daughters Victoria and Laura.

"We have covered Manor Sport's success through Formula Renault and F3. Former world champion Lewis Hamilton cut his racing teeth with Manor Motorsport in 2001 and 2002, taking the Formula Renault championship. Current F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen and former F1 driver Justin Wilson also drove Formula Renault and Formula 3 with Manor.

"They are very much a local outfit catapulted into the big time... and we're there with them."

Dominic Ponsford is the editor of Press Gazette