Narain Karthikeyan familiarises himself with the HRT's steering wheel ... but his team-mate might not have that luxury © Sutton Images
HRT will, if necessary, wait until the eve of the Australian Grand Prix to name its second driver, according to a team spokesman.
It is the only team still to complete its line-up, and while Narain Karthikeyan was named last month, his team-mate remains uncertain. With the last test starting on Tuesday in Barcelona, it might mean whoever they chose does not drive the car in anger until the first day of practice at Albert Park.
Tonio Liuzzi tested for them last week and appeared upbeat about his chances, but the fact he brings no money to the cash-strapped team remains a major obstacle. Karthikeyan was chosen because of the sponsorship he was able to bring with him, and the likelihood is HRT is trying to find a second pay-driver and will only consider other options when time runs out.
Karthikeyan was anonymous in his one previous season in Formula One, and he was outpaced by both Liuzzi and Giorgio Mondini in Barcelona, which despite a bullish comment from the spokesman, must be at the back of the management's minds.
"We're not worried about the results of the test," the spokesman said. "Everybody knows that the lap times during a test is not the most important thing, because the teams use the test in order to prove and make changes in the car."
Serious concerns remain about HRT's funding, and the delays in naming its other driver can only fuel speculation it s finances are in a parlous state.
Credit: ESPN F1 (en.espnf1.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment