HRT to build own car for 2011 – Kolles

HRT will build its own car for the 2011 season, according to the new Spanish team’s boss Colin Kolles.

After the car commissioned by the team’s founder Adrian Campos and designed and built by Dallara was heavily criticised, Kolles confirmed that the contract with the Italian constructor has ended.

HRT’s Romanian-born chief is believed to be close to announcing a deal with a wind tunnel, so the team can develop the Dallara car throughout 2010.

Kolles told sport1.de in an interview: “The next step is that we get our own development programme running and then for 2011 build our own car.

“We are going to try to improve this car as much as possible.  But eventually we will have to draw a line and focus on next year,” he added.

Kolles likened his vision for HRT to the team he formerly led at Silverstone, which since being sold by Jordan in 2004 is now a respected midfield outfit called Force India.

“For Force India it took five years.  We are going to try to do it in three,” he said.

Kolles said he is the right man to be in charge of a fledgling F1 team.

“I cannot afford to do F1 personally, so I create value for other people.  I did it for Midland, for Spyker and the Mol family, and so on.  The team always sold for more money because it had developed.

“And people who know about it know that I am the only one who can do it.  I don’t mean that arrogantly, it’s quite simply because no one else has the infrastructure and the know-know,” added Kolles.

He said James Key, the new technical director at Sauber, is a good example.

“I made him from simply an engineer into a technical director.  This is the strategy,” said Kolles.  “We cannot afford superstars.”

© RIF|GMM