North Star Racing believe there are fundamental problems with the aerodynamic balance of the NS-06, after two difficult races to open the season. The car showed potential in pre-season testing, with Johan Halvosen setting the third fastest time on Day 2, but since then the team has found itself lacking the pace to challenge for points in the opening two rounds, having their worst start to a Formula Virtual season since their debut year in 2016. Team principal Nick Forrest is clear that there is unlikely to be an easy fix for the issues inherent to the team's 2021 challenger. "There doesn't seem to be one specific thing that's causing the issues we're seeing," Forrest explained, "it looks more like it's a combination of pretty much everything out on the track that's messing up the aero platform in ways that you just can't replicate in the windtunnel or in CFD. It seems to be that our aerodynamic philosophy just doesn't work at all with the current formula of cars, for whatever reason." "It's incredibly disappointing," he continued, "both for everyone back at the factory, and for Johan and Brock, that the work we've all put in over the past year to make a car that looked like it would be strong on paper, but we come to race day, qualifying, practice sessions, and it's just nowhere near where we expected." Asked if the team was able to rectify the problems their car currently suffers, and how long that might take, Forrest was wary of the challenges that entailed. "We should certainly be able to set the car right, but it's in no way as easy as just slapping on a new wing or different turning vanes and be done with it, it's something fundamental to the car, so effectively the entire car has to change." "We might be able to remedy some of the problems, but the guys ahead of us might well be too far gone by that point, it's gonna be tough to see what we can salvage at that stage. Just a case of head down, keep fighting and see where the cards fall for us later on." North Star currently sit 9th in the Constructors' standings, one place behind fellow Ford customer team AMR.
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