11/03/2011
NEWS STORY
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Hispania unveiled its 2011 contender at the Circuit de Catalunya today though it is still unclear as to whether the car will actually turn a wheel before Melbourne.
Due to a shortage of suspension parts, which are still in customs, the Spanish outfit is still unsure as to whether Narain Karthikeyan and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi will get to try the car before the opening practice session of the season, as happened in 2010.
"We are trying to prepare it to run it," team boss Colin Kolles told Reuters. "We will do systems checks, we will do the fire-up and then we will see. We still wait for some suspension parts for dampers which are in customs...we just have to get it out somehow and the plan is to run tomorrow."
"Obviously we are going to get very limited time in the car," added Karthikeyan. "We are under no illusion that Australia will definitely be tough, the reliability is going to be the biggest question mark for now."
Thus far, Hispania's running has been with the 2010 car, and even then the team opted to skip the Jerez test instead taking part in promotional filming activities for Pirelli. Nonetheless, Kolles remains optimistic. "Narain had a lot of running on the other car. Antonio had little running on the other car. I think that they should be fine.
For 2011, the 107% rule is reintroduced, but again, Kolles claims he is confident: "I think that this car is quicker than our old car and our old car was not above the 107 percent rule."
"The data we have is that the car is better than last year's," he continued, ".it's completely aerodynamically modified. The others have lost a little bit, we have gained a little bit, so let's see where we are."
Asked about finances, Kolles said: "We have a budget, the budget has been approved and we are working on this."
To check out pictures of the F111 at today's unveiling, click here.