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De la Rosa to return with HRT in 2012
HRT has confirmed on Monday that Pedro de la Rosa will make a Formula 1 return by driving for the team for the entirety of the 2012 season. The Barcelona man was last seen on the grid at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix, replacing the ill Sergio Pérez.
Since the squad formerly known as Hispania Racing was bought out by Spanish firm Thesan Capital, the company has stressed that at least one Spanish driver would be on the grid by no later than the start of the 2013 season.
The return of de la Rosa - who will be 41 when the new campaign gets underway - marks a comeback for a driver with 85 Grand Prix starts already behind him, ending his second stint as McLaren’s reserve driver; his signing has been described as a ‘long desired target’ and ‘fundamental pillar’ for the HRT’s latest restructuring.
“This is a very important step in my sporting career and one of the most meditated ones I’ve taken,” says de la Rosa. “I’m at a very good stage in terms of maturity and am prepared to take on this challenge, which motivates me hugely. When deciding on joining this project, for me there were three decisive factors: my desire to return to active competition, the fact that HRT is a Spanish team and getting to know the people leading this project, (former driver) Luis Pérez-Sala being amongst them.
“I’m here to work hard, with modesty and humility, accepting where we are now but keeping in mind where we want to be in two years’ time. For me, this is the time to put into practice everything that I have learnt over the years at international top level racing teams so that we can grow together.
“I am proud that Spain has an F1 team and that I have this opportunity to be its driver. I can only show my gratitude towards HRT for having trusted in me for this. Lastly, I can’t forget to thank McLaren for allowing me to take this step. I have been very happy over the eight seasons I spent with them, growing as a driver and person. Without them I wouldn’t be here today.”
Other Spanish drivers linked to HRT have been GP2’s Dani Clos, who tested for the outfit in Abu Dhabi last week, and Javier Villa. De la Rosa’s F1 debut came with Arrows in 1999, scoring a point in his first race, before replacing Luciano Burti at Jaguar five races into 2001. He joined McLaren as tester in 2003, replacing the absent Juan Pablo Montoya for the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix plus the final eight races of 2006, finishing second in Hungary. He contributed to Lewis Hamilton’s World Championship win two years later.
In 2010, he made his first racing comeback with Sauber, but was dropped in favour of Nick Heidfeld after the Italian Grand Prix; following a stint as Pirelli’s tyre tester, he re-signed as McLaren reserve but was parachuted into Sauber for a one-off event in Montreal this year, finishing a credible 12th in testing conditions. |
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Räikkönen management contacted Renault about 2012
Speculation into a possible Formula 1 return for Kimi Räikkönen has been fuelled by Lotus Renault GP, as Team Principal Eric Boullier confirmed that the Finn’s management have recently been in touch. However, any comeback for the 2007 World Champion would most likely be with Williams.
Räikkönen left F1 as Ferrari replaced him with Fernando Alonso for the start of 2010. Since then, the Espoo driver has competed in both the World Rally Championship and NASCAR, although it was confirmed to GPUpdate.net that he visited Williams’ Grove factory this year and manager Steve Robertson was with the team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“What about him?” Boullier replied when asked about Räikkönen by the official F1 website. “I have explained how we want to go about our driver line-up for next season. But yes, there has been contact - look at this call (holds up mobile phone) - this was from his manager.”
LRGP’s 2012 full driver pairing remains unknown at present. Vitaly Petrov and the recovering Robert Kubica are still contracted to the Enstone outfit, although the Pole’s condition continues to be surrounded by question marks.
“The situation with Robert is easy,” Boullier continued. “We have a moral obligation to make sure that we give him a chance. To make a decision in October or November would not change anything in this team, as the driver market is closed. I am waiting for him to tell me how he feels and I need a commitment from him.
“We also need to make a plan if it (his recovery) is not going as planned, as I don’t want the team to be blamed. It was him who got me in trouble this year and now, if he can’t come back, he has to tell us about it. He has to tell us, but we also must not be stupid. We need a plan.”
When asked if former Renault driver and new GP2 Champion Romain Grosjean remains a genuine candidate for 2012, Boullier confirmed:
“Yes, yes, and I have not been hiding this fact for weeks, months even. So if Robert doesn’t come back, he is definitely one at the top of the list.” |
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Honda could return to Formula 1 in 2014 as McLaren's new engine partner when a new formula for more efficient 1.6-litre, turbo-charged V6s is introduced. The Japanese company previously partnered McLaren to success in the 1980s and 1990s but the Honda board still need to give the green light to the plan to return to the sport. |
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honda nak join balik...????
yehhhhhh.... Honda mesti pancing button jadi driver dia.. |
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Reply 804# akughl
mmg ler..engine supplier utk mclaren..button nak pindah team mane plak?kan mclaren jugak |
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honda kalau join f1 semula toyota mesti tak nak mengalah... mesti ikut join sekali...
bagus utk f1... harap2 banyak lagi pengeluar enjin join f1 nie... |
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Ferrari 'stronger' in 2011 - Alonso
Fernando Alonso says that Ferrari has been "stronger" this year than it was in 2010, despite only one grand prix victory.
After just missing out on the drivers' championship last season, Ferrari was expected to provide an even sterner test for Red Bull in 2011. However, it started the season off the pace and while Alonso has finished on the podium nine times his sole victory came at the British Grand Prix. Despite having fallen out of championship contention in Singapore, Alonso believes that Ferrari has learnt from last year's mistakes.
"I will remember it as a not bad season overall from a personal point of view and how the team approached this season, improving in areas where we were weak last year," Alonso said. "The team has been stronger and I feel that with a competitive car next year we can be very strong and fighting for the world championship.
aku copy news yg penting je la...
bertapa positifnye alonso dgn ferarri ni...
tapi ferarri je yg tak bagi 100% competitive car pade alonso...
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ferrari nie menang apa2 dgn bantuan FIA... |
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learn mistakes..
last year pun alasan sama..
buang le stefano tu..ganti org lain.. |
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banyak la bantuan FIA...
tu zaman sumi.. ni zaman alonso...
berdiri dibumi yg nyata |
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Reply 812# satusembilan
pasal hamilton kaler lain dari teamate?? |
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berjaya jugak konspirasi RBR kasi webber menang... dapatlah webber no 3... |
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haaaaa mmg terang2 team oder tuk weber....
jijik aku tgk lakonan depa berdua tu...FIA wat tak nampak pulak...
konspirasiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..............zasssssssssssss............ |
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Räikkönen returns to F1 with Lotus Renault
Kimi Räikkönen will return to Formula 1 in 2012, it has been officially confirmed. Following a sabbatical of two years, the World Champion of 2007 makes his comeback with Lotus Renault GP, having been replaced at Ferrari by Fernando Alonso. The Finn has signed a two-season deal with the Enstone outfit.
The much-awaited Räikkönen comeback follows several weeks of rumours and reports that the Espoo man, now 32 and who debuted in F1 with Sauber ten years ago, would be coming back to the sport with Williams. However, with LRGP having already stated that Robert Kubica would not be returning, it is now official that there will be six World Champions on the grid for the first time in the sport’s history.
“I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula 1 after a two-year break and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity,” says Räikkönen, who has spent 2010 and 2011 driving in both the World Rally Championship and NASCAR.
“My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team’s ambition. Now I’m looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.”
Räikkönen was also linked to Lotus Renault GP last year, only to hit out at the squad and claim that it had been using his name for extra publicity. |
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