Melbourne will be a test session for Hispania Racing Team - Formula 1 Update
Formula 1 Hispania Racing Team did not attend the final Barcelona test, as their new car has been delayed, due to various technical problems. The team is yet to test their new F111 car and has decided to test their upgraded package at the first race of the
2011 Formula 1 season in Melbourne.
HRT launched its 2011 package quite late, in the presence of both team drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Vitantonio Liuzzi. They were optimistic ahead of their upgraded chassis and admitted that the car has more improvements from the last year, but there is
still more work to be done.
Karthikeyan stated that they will test their car in opening race of the season, but it was disappointing for the team, as they were not able to run over the final test session. He went on to say, "I think Albert Park will be a great place to start off with
the new F111 since it's not a very demanding track. For a new and unproven car such as ours, I think that reliability is something we need to work on before we can start to extract the maximum performance, so I believe that if both cars finish the race, we
will have had a satisfying weekend.”
He further added, "Once Tonio and I have driven the car in Melbourne, we will both have a better understanding of what to expect for the rest of 2011."
Liuzzi understands the importance of testing the new car at the Australian Grand Prix. He said that it is very difficult to forecast the car’s performance over the season, without any testing. He feels that the package will show significant improvements
from last year.
Liuzzi talked to the media and said, "The aim for the weekend is to come away with a clear picture of the car, making sure that all the new regulation items work well. Hopefully in this 2011 season we will take a giant leap forward and set some solid bases
for the future."
Both drivers expressed their sadness at the unfortunate tragedy in Japan following last week’s devastating earthquake. Liuzzi explained that he was shocked when he watched the terrible situation going on in Japan and offered his prayers for those affected.
The team will struggle in the beginning of the season without having the opportunity to test their new car. As the 2011 Formula 1 season is right around the corner, HRT will need to get in as much time as possible during the Melbourne Grand Prix to gather
important data and adjust all the upgrades in their car. It will be interesting to see how HRT starts the season and competes with the top Formula 1 teams.
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