Assessment Saturday: Hispania – The miracle did not happen

Upon arriving in Melbourne, Hispania Racing hadn’t covered even a single meter with its new car. Yet, optimism was prevalent within the small Spanish team.

But at the end of the qualifiers, the men of HRT can pack up all their equipment. Neither Liuzzi nor Karthikeyan succeeded in qualifying for tomorrow’s race. The small team did try to request a waiver from the FIA to still take part in the Grand Prix, but the stewards did not respond favorably to this request.

The team is already focused on the next appointment which will take place in Malaysia in 15 days.

Vitantonio Liuzzi – 24th and 23rd:

« Everyone did an incredible job. We should be proud because everyone worked well, and I think we can be positive for the future. We are disappointed because we are not within the 107%, but we need to focus on Malaysia where we will be faster. »

We must be happy with what we have done, the times were not as good as expected but we believe our car will be better in the future. It’s true that everything was a bit complicated because we were not able to qualify but we must be proud of the work accomplished by the team.

«We faced many difficulties and the efforts made by the entire team this weekend were enormous, but the rules are the rules. Now we are focused on the next race. I am optimistic and I am convinced that everything will go well in Malaysia.»

Narain Karthikeyan – 23rd and 24th:

I only did two laps with the new car before qualifying, so considering the circumstances, it’s an achievement. Everyone did a good job, it’s a shame we didn’t have one more day. With 24 extra hours, we would have been in a better position. We just need to drive more, so I think we will be better prepared for Malaysia. For now, we need to stay positive.

Colin Kolles – Team Principal:

«I am very proud of my entire team. Our drivers have given their all. We tried to have both cars ready for qualifying and proved that the car was capable of running faster than today.

The circumstances in which we arrived were not as good as we hoped. We performed a miracle once again, but it wasn’t enough. We will be back stronger than ever in Malaysia. There will be more time to test the car and show where the car really is.