No new car for HRT until Bahrain – Karthikeyan

HRT will not have a 2011-specification car at any of the three pre-season tests in Spain next month, newly appointed driver Narain Karthikeyan has revealed.

Earlier this month, the Spanish team’s boss Colin Kolles said the new car will not be ready for Valencia early in February and it might also be missing at Jerez shortly afterwards.

“Maybe we will have the new one for the last two tests,” he said.

But Indian Karthikeyan has told the Times of India that he will be driving the 2010 HRT at all of the tests at Valencia, Jerez and then Barcelona.

The fourth and final test will take place over four days in Bahrain a week before the season opener in the island Kingdom.

“Our new car won’t be ready for the first three tests in Spain where I will drive the 2010 car,” said Karthikeyan.

And even when the new car is finally ready, Karthikeyan admitted that the “biggest change” compared to last year’s car will be the Williams transmission.

“We are not likely to use the KERS,” he admitted, albeit confirming that the 2011 car will have an adjustable rear wing.

The 34-year-old also revealed that his 2011 teammate, and HRT’s reserve drivers, will be decided by the team “in a week or so”.

© RIF | GMM