Kolles hints at no change in HRT drivers

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Colin Kolles says he wants HRT to finish tenth in the constructors’ championship.

Asked where he think the team will end the year the team principal for the Spanish squad said:

We push to end up in 10th position in the constructors championship.
Colin Kolles

HRT are currently 11th out of 12 teams. At the moment they need at minimum one more 13th and one more 14th place finish to move ahead of Lotus to move up to tenth.

Kolles also hinted he will keep Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto as his drivers for the rest of the year, saying:

I think that both drivers are doing a good job. We had the best qualifying result in Spa so far and Sakon’s lap times were at the same level as Kovalainen’s and Glock’s in the race. I think there is no reason to make any changes so far.
Colin Kolles

Senna and Yamamoto qualified 20th and 21st respectively in Belgium after rain in Q1. After other drivers were given penalties they were promoted to 18th and 19th.

He admitted the team need to find more sponsorship for their 2011 campaign:

We have to work hard to get as much sponsorship as possible for 2011. With more sponsors on board the situation is improving. As I mentioned before, in F1 you need a lot of support and this is what we are trying to achieve.
Colin Kolles

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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26 comments on “Kolles hints at no change in HRT drivers”

  1. Yamomoto’s Yeni is obviously winning over Kolles heart. How about giving Klien a go again, I’m sure he’ll be much more useful than Yamomoto and will help further develop the car. I guess money is the reason this isnt being considered.

    Gotta feel sorry for Chandok, he was doing a solid job and was more or less matching Senna over race weekends.

    1. the strnge thing is that chandok was being the strongest driver and maybe the best rookie anyway i thought that the indians were as rich as sakon yamamotos father

      1. maybe the best rookie anyway

        I’m sorry but, he seems a nice bloke and I like the guy, but that isn’t anywhere near being true. Senna was going far better than him.

  2. Well if he wants to overtake Lotus, keeping Moneyoto in the car isn’t how it’s done.

    1. Cashin Moneyoto?

  3. Think Kolles is really a big fan of Chandhok’s Friday free practice commentaries. It’s surely not because Yamahellomoto is doing a better job.

  4. Charles Carroll
    2nd September 2010, 22:44

    HRT? Oh, yeah, I think I remember them racing that one year.

    They were terrible, and then they went away.

    1. So tell us, what is it like in the year 2034? =)

      1. Charles Carroll
        3rd September 2010, 0:00

        Not sure, but here in 2011, Chandhok is tearing up the circuit for McLaren.

        And Button is having a rough go with the Vlasic Pickles team.

  5. When I examine Keith’s usual excellent quantitative handiwork, it does not seem to me that Yamamoto is desperately slow:

    https://www.racefans.net/statistics/f1-2010-statistics/sakon-yamamoto-vs-team-mate-2010/.

    He qualified very close to Senna in Spa as well, and he brought home that car, which is visibly diabolical to drive, in desperate conditions, while the gravel traps accumulated experienced drivers.

    1. Yes, compared to Chandhok and Senna on his latest race, he isn’t that slow anymore. But considering Klien beat the hell out of both Chandy and Senna on like his single free practice and he wasn’t exactly brilliant when racing, you can only conclude HRT’s pilot level isn’t kind of high.

  6. Charles Carroll
    3rd September 2010, 0:30

    I think one of the things that bugs me most about HRT is their color scheme.

    Why not adopt a more traditional Spanish look, such as black, gold, and red? This can be seen with their Olympic weightlifters:
    http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09Vob2qb7w7OS/x350.jpg

    It would sure be better than the “Charcoal and Atari” look their currently sporting.

    1. As long as they keep the pink wristbands…

      1. Charles Carroll
        3rd September 2010, 2:29

        It would match Fernando’s drawers.

  7. That is bad news for Chandok. I think the best thing he can do is try to look for a drive in any other team for 2011.I see two strong option in front of him.
    1. Lotus replacing Trulli
    2. Sauber replacing De La Rosa

    In both the cases it will only happen if the team decides to take him on board. If Force India replaces Luizzi then that may be another spot he would like to be.

    1. He wont be in FI. VJ Malia has already stated that he doesn’t think he his good enough.

      1. If Chandok manages to bring some Indian sponsors for 2011, We may see him in FI. Believe me he would far more better than Liuzzi. And considering the 2011 Indian GP, I guess GMR may sponsor him caz that would bring some more spectators.

        1. If Liuzzi’s replaced I think di Resta will be first choice, unless money does play a big factor.

      2. Yes, but that was before this season. Surely he must’ve had a change of heart now? If I were him, I would put Chandhok in, or at least make him a test driver and let him drive a few races leading up to the 2011 Indian Grand Prix, to generate publicity.

    2. I doubt Trulli will be replaced, who will they replace him with, Fauzy?

      No offence to Fauzy intended…

      1. I don’t think Trulli will be replace by Fauzy. Lotus will want someone experience if not Chandok.

        @ manB

        Totally agree with the fact that Indian sponsor needs to back him up which is tough in a cricket mad nation.

        1. Lotus seems to have made a principlled descion that rookies won’t help their cause. Both Kovalinen and Truli in the end have race pretty well for them this year, no reason they won’t stay.

          Glock and Sutil are the keys to the driver market I reckon. Both might jump for Renault leaving possibly leaving Virgin open for another experianced driver if one can be found.

  8. People seemed to be suprised by this news but the way I see it, with Senna’s name and Yamamoto’s money, Chandhok doesn’t stand a chance.

  9. I think HRT is just fighting to make it through to next season. Any money will help, and the car is not fast enough to do more than finish as often as possible and hope for a lot off people DNF in front of them.

    So Yamamoto it is! Maybe it even helps convince Toyota to agree to the technical support deal for next year.

    1. I think Toyota would rather see Nakajima.

  10. I want Chandhok back soon, why did he sign Chandhok in the first place?

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