Still a lot of work to do for HRT
Hispania Racing was able to start the last Grand Prix weekend of its first Formula One season in a positive way. Both Bruno Senna and Christian Klien’s cars were reliable and performed well again in Abu Dhabi.
At the start of the first session the track was still wet due to some early morning desert rain. Both Hispania Racing drivers got used to the track and after their first laps at the Yas Marina Circuit, Bruno Senna ended up 22nd (1.49.590) and Christian Klien was 23rd (1.50.274). In the afternoon, the track conditions got better and both drivers were able to improve their times by more than two seconds. Christian Klien ended up 23rd after clocking a best time of 1.47.210 and Bruno Senna finished 24th with a best time of 1.47.434.
Dr. Colin Kolles, Team Principal: “In the morning, the circuit was wet after a rain shower in the desert. Consequently, the track was hard to drive on and we had to wait for better grip conditions. Our intention was for us to do four outings, but we could only do two and they were just for checking the car. In the second practice, we could do more laps and get more experience for the next sessions. We have a lot of things to do for tomorrow, but I’m confident that we are going to improve.”
Christian Klien, Race driver #20: “It was the first time for me at this circuit today and we used the first session to learn all about it. Unfortunately, we only had 45 minutes as it was raining in the morning. In the second practice we could work more on the set-up of the car and even if the track doesn’t have much grip yet, it is a lot of fun to drive on it. The light conditions are similar to those during qualifying and race so it was good to get used to it.”
Bruno Senna, Race driver #21: “Due to the rain before the first practice, the track didn’t have a lot of grip and we waited for it to improve. It’s a shame because this made us lose time to work on the set-up of the car. In the second session, we could do more laps and work on our program for the weekend but we have to keep on working and improving the car.”
