Hiedfeld, Liuzzi and Senna; the choices for Lotus Renault
The doors of Lotus Renault are open for drivers, who were without a team for the 2011 Formula One season. With the unavailability of Robert Kubica, former BMW driver Nick Hiedfeld, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Bruno Senna are in the running for a spot in Lotus
Renault.
The accident involving Kubica, while he was rallying in Italy, left his team without an experienced driver. There were speculations that Senna would replace the injured driver. However, Lotus Renault have said that they would like a much more experienced
driver, who can take full advantage of their newly developed car.
Lotus Renault’s Boss Eric Boullier said that the team would stick with Senna for the Jerez test, which starts from 10th February. However, the team is considering its possible choices for the first race at Bahrain.
Boullier further stated that his team was very close to Kubica and the Polish driver would be welcomed back as soon as he recovers from the severe injuries he sustained in the crash. Lotus Renault’s boss and Vitaly Petrov visited Kubica at the Santa Corona
hospital yesterday and were happy to see Kucica recovering swiftly.
Boullier said, “We have been with Robert for about fifteen minutes. We have joked and we have found him very well. Obviously he immediately wanted to know the team's programme for this season.”
However, doctors claimed that the Polish driver might not be able to race for more than a year, which will keep the 26-year-old out of professional racing for at least this season.
On the other hand, Senna will be looking forward to impress his team during the Jerez testing. The nephew of the legendary Ayrton Senna has a year's experience in Formula One. He raced with the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) in his debut season last year but
the team didn’t provide him a strong car in which he could have displayed his true potential. The Brazilian will however, be looking forward to making the most of the opportunity this time around.
On the other hand if Lotus Renault opts for experience, then no one will be better than former BMW driver and Kubica’s team-mate Nick Hiedfeld. The 33-year-old German was involved with Mercedes GP last year as a reserve driver and joined BMW-Sauber for the
last five races in 2010.
He also tested for Pirelli, who will be making a comeback to Formula One this season, following Bridgestone’s exit from the sport as the sole tyre supplier.
Liuzzi can also be considered for the next season by Lotus Renault but the Italian hasn’t had much success in his Formula One career, which may go against the veteran driver. It will be interesting to see which one of these three drivers manage to get into
the Lotus Renault side next season. Senna is the most likely candidate considering that he was with the team as a reserve driver, but only time will reveal his fate.
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