Constructive possession requires a few things: Knowledge of presence and character, and the ability to establish dominion and control.
If the felon is aware that the pistol is present, and is aware that it is indeed a firearm, and can access it and control it, he could be convicted.
A case exactly on point for this issue in Virginia is Smallwood v. Commonwealth, 278 Va. 625 (Virginia 2009).
From the headnotes, a summary:
"Driver who was aware of the presence
and character of a .38 revolver that was
in plain view on open console in small
vehicle between driver's and passenger's seats
and was right next to driver's right leg
“constructively possessed” revolver, although
passenger testified that gun and car were her's;
driver had dominion and control over firearm,
was in car for six or seven hours, could
have had actual, exclusive possession of the
revolver in an instant, had unrestricted access
to it, and passenger's ownership of it was not
dispositive."