The Bahrain V-Prix marked an incredible anniversary for Westwood Racing Technology; their 100th V-Prix. Today, we look back at their most important moments, and hear what those in the paddock have to say about Lilly and her team. Debuting in Australia 2013, the team was initially based out of Southampton. They quickly established themselves as underdog midfield runners, going on to eventually claim 12 podiums, 4 pole positions, 2 race wins and 2 fastest laps, with a grand total of 606 points scored to date. Today we'll be going through their key moments in the journey that made Lilly and Westwood Racing Technology the team it is today. Germany 2013 - First Pole Position It was a rainy Saturday at the Hockenheimring where Westwood made their first big impression on FV (F1FVGPC at the time). Douglas Bacon looked absolutely at home in the conditions, and his car came alive in the rain. He scored a stunning pole position that shocked the paddock, and did so in elegant fashion. He would go on to finish 4th on race day, holding off the leaders for quite some time, and cementing Westwood's best performance until the following season. USA 2014 - First Podium Westwood were back this season with a new car and a new, brash, red livery. The car looked promising in testing and the early stages of the season, but was plagued with poor luck and unreliability. However, despite 2014 being the team's worst finish in the constructor's championship to date, there was something for them to smile about. Tumo Kinnumen, who had been signed from FUN at the end of the previous season, was able to capitalise on the chaos we've now come to expect from Indy. He scored an excellent 3rd place, securing his and Westwood's first podiums, and scoring over a quarter of the team's total points that race. China 2015 - First Win In 2015, Westwood went from strength to strength. They had secured Tumo Kinnumen on a three year deal, and 2014 championship runner up Will Hoskins; and they delivered a car that was at least top five standard for most of the season. However as the year wore on, they seemed to unlock masses of pace in the yellow adorned WR03 - scoring podiums in each of the final six races, culminating in their winning the Chinese and Japanese Virtuals-Prix. It was an incredible day in China, as Tumo Kinnumen lead home Nathaniel Powers (who had traded places with Will Hoskins for the end of the season) for the team's first and only 1-2 finish. It was truly an historic moment and one neither Lilly or Tumo is likely to ever forget, as they put themselves on the list of teams to have won a V-Prix. Italy 2017 - Heartbreak 2016 had seen a downturn in form for Westwood, as they rebuilt after overextending in 2015; taking on Renault engines and rebranding as a Renault works team. 2017 seemed the year they would finally break into the top three, however stiff the competition appeared. Downton were in dominant form, with the BD05 still to this day the most dominant FV car ever produced. DS Mathershaw were ever present as second fastest, while Franklin were still comfortably able to fight in the top three. With Westwood breaking away from FIRST in 5th and chasing Franklin in 3rd, Monza had the potential to be a real turning point. The car was right on the pace with the Downtons, shocking everyone in the paddock and forcing Downton to look over their shoulders for the first time all year. Schnyder looked set for a shock win with Kinnumen ready to complete a 1-3 for the team. But disaster struck when Schnyder encountered a stricken Lopez on the apex of Parabolica, and crashed out of the race. The team were devastated, and it was one of the few occasions where the entire paddock felt for both Westwood and Schnyder. Kinnumen still salvaged 2nd place but this would later cost them 3rd in the constructor's. Malaysia 2018 - Dark Days 2018 was a year that was doomed to fail for Westwood. They began with an acceptable car that was a comfortable points scorer. They had allowed the contract with Kinnumen to expire, and instead acquired the services of Karl Beckenbauer, while retaining Finn Schnyder. However, Lilly was dealing with some incredibly difficult permanent circumstances. Being signed off from her job for two months for severely declining mental health and an incident where the emergency services were called in the May of 2018 were all evidence of the turmoil that lead to the controversy following the Malaysian V-Prix. With both cars retiring on that dark and stormy afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, Lilly announced the withdrawal of the Westwood entry effective immediately. This was an enormous blow to the sport, and despite Lilly remaining in her role of co-commentator, the paddock felt it had suffered a great loss. However, as we all know, thankfully the tale didn't end there... Japan 2020 - Rebirth It was announced during mid/late 2019 that the Westwood outfit would be returning to the sport with a new look but the same ideals. They signed an excellent lineup in Karl Beckenbauer and Puccio Giodano, and looked set for an explosive return. In Japan they displayed they had lost none of their charm and composure under pressure, while performing adequately for their first race in almost two years. While their finishing positions were relatively insignificant this race, they seemed to have found their feet immediately, hitting the ground running and appearing more stable than they had in the past. A team that truly look and feel excited and prepared for their next 100 races.
Several members of the paddock posted online, talking briefly about what Lilly and her team meant to them and the impact they had had on them and the sport. FV CEO - Nic Morley: “Westwood are one of the original teams of Formula Virtual. Headed by Lilly Westwood, the team has more often than not been the underdog in the sport but have seen some fantastic success. Westwood brings such a fun energy to the series, beautiful liveries, commentary by their team manager, and so much more. The return of the team at the start of this year is one of the greatest things to happen in FV and we are very much better off by having this loveable team compete. Congratulations Westwood on your 100th” Alex Easton - Founder and Team Principal of Phoenix Motorsport: "For me, Westwood in the early years of Formula Virtual came across as a slightly smaller, midfield team who could regularly take the fight to the real top teams and beat them on certain occasions. I’d even go as far as saying I personally was a fan of the team until Phoenix was born as we then became competitors. Coming into each season, you knew what you were going to get from Westwood; a team who would be solid at the very least and keep the pressure on the front of the field right until the very last race with their strong in-season development, making them an exciting team to watch progress through the year. In the following years, 2015 and 2017 especially, they really solidified themselves as a real heavyweight of the series for me; with the two wins courtesy of Tumo Kinnumen and the 2017 season where they were unbelievably unlucky to not clinch third place in the Constructors’. When they returned to the sport this season after their absence for most of 2018 & then 2019, I think it was rightly billed as the return of one of the biggest teams in Formula Virtual history and for them to be making their 100th V-Prix entry in Bahrain is certainly a huge occasion that deserves all the celebrations and festivities that’ll be happening. As I mentioned; the way in which Westwood have historically brought a car that is at least going to be solid to the start of every season, then developing heavily during the season is something that Phoenix really took on board and have had as our philosophy which is handy when you’re working on such a tight budget as we do, so we have them to thank for that! Also, I think everyone in the paddock would agree that the whole Westwood team from top to bottom gained a great reputation over the years as incredibly approachable and friendly, always willing to share expertise to help others should they ask; as proven in recent years by their eagerness to further Sergio’s career by striking the great deal with us, and also the upcoming deals with Giodano and Inman to Ocelot next year – their real push to aid driver’s careers is admirable and clearly goes a long way to developing great relationships with teams and drivers alike." Jamie Franklin - Founder and Team Principal of JFPT Franklin Honda (World Champions 2013-2015): "So where to begin? Perhaps a few years ago my answer would have been different, I mean, I'm not the same guy you all loved to hate. Lilly and Westwood in general are a real underdog team that the sport needs. I mean that in the nicest way. They're a team that always seems to deliver just that little bit more than what you'd expect, especially with their in season development. You can't really fault it. Lilly herself partially embodies the passion we all feel for this sport, which I think is why we're all glad she's back and why we're happy to see the team reach its 100th V-Prix." Robert Mathershaw - Founder and Technical Director of Coca Cola Porsche Team Mathershaw (World Champions 2016,2018): “I have to congratulate Lilly and her eponymous team on their milestone race. Westwood as a team have always brought something special to the paddock, and their brief absence in the series left a big hole that has since been happily filled. As well as that, Lilly’s role in the paddock outside of team ownership is one that is central to many people’s enjoyment of the series, both in and out of the commentary booth.” Dr Heinrich Wallinger, Porsche Head of Virtual Motorsport: “Congratulations to Westwood on reaching their wonderful milestone race! Their involvement in FV as a Porsche Customer Racing team since this season has been great, and we’re so pleased that we’re working together - long may their success continue, and we hope to be a part of it!” Now from me, writing this now. This article has brought back so many memories. Not all of them good, but that's always the way it goes. We just hope that the good makes the bad worth it. I've been through a lot since I was a 14/15 year old kid signing up to a fun game on F1Fanatic, we all have. But I've always known FV would be here for me, and I couldn't and wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of this journey. From Jamie providing me a benchmark to aim for (and miss) for years, to Nic for running this series and being a stellar mate, to Brad and Rob for helping me and being excellent friends, to Alex for making me realise my team is bigger than just me, but in fact has an impact on others. To everyone in the FV community, I love you all so much, and I hope the journey to 200 for me and the sport is just as special as the first 100. Thankyou for reading this to the end.
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