25/03/2011
NEWS STORY
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Mat Coch writes:
A cheer went up in the press room in Melbourne this afternoon when the troubled Hispania Racing F111 pulled out of the garage in the dying stages of the second free practice session.
The car has had a difficult time of things recently, never mind what the team has gone through. It was supposed to debut in Barcelona two weeks ago for the final test, on the same weekend that should have marked the opening race of the year had the Bahrain Grand Prix not been 'postponed'.
While boasting a slick new livery it also featured a 'saggy' rear end, with Spanish customs keeping hold of much needed dampers.
At the time Pitpass was sceptical. Here seemed a perfectly reasonable excuse that seemed just a little too convenient. For a start, the level of detail the team gave rang alarm. Rather than simply stating that some parts were still to arrive they provided detail beyond what the common man was interested in. In short the situation stunk.
Two weeks on and the car has finally turned a wheel, though for a long time it looked about as likely as Sakon Yamamoto replacing Fernando Alonso at Ferrari.
When it arrived in Australia lead driver Tonio Liuzzi assured us that all was ready, and that the car would be on the track and the team would be eagerly working through its initial shakedown tests.
First free practice arrived, and all that could be heard from the Hispania garage was the whimper of a Cosworth engine that briefly cried its way to life only to fall silent once more. Within the confines of the garage chief designer Geoff Willis was found on his back underneath the car, presumably working on it - though some wags cheekily suggested he may have been asleep and hoping it was all a bad dream.
Perhaps it was, the team did work throughout the night to get the car ready. Indeed, the FIA subsequently released a bulletin acknowledging the fact that the poor Hispania mechanics had worked through the night. This season teams are expected to leave the circuit for six hours each night, though they're allowed four exceptions to the rule over the course of the season - Hispania choosing last night to use its first.
Early on it looked like the work had been in vain. First practice ended without the car turning a lap, a forlorn group of Hispania mechanics solemnly smoking in a huddle as though they'd just been to a funeral.
The green light for the second practice session glowed some two and a half hours later, though there was still no sign of the F111.
When all hope was lost and the media room resolved itself to writing the team's obituary, Hispania Racing Team finally lowered their car to the ground. The signal was given and it spluttered forwards, crawling down the pitlane to sarcastic comments and ironic jeers. The team managed a single lap, pitting as the clock wound down to zero and the chequered flag was hung out to bring an end to the day's action.
Most observers are applauding the team's foolhardy efforts, of the opinion that whatever happens from here on won't change the fact that the team will be heading home early. There is just an hour of free practice available tomorrow morning before qualifying for the opening race of the season, during which Hispania will have to squeeze a winter's worth of testing in.
Spanish customs can't be blamed this time, nor can a sub-par Dallara chassis. No amount of PR or assurance from Colin Kolles can disguise the fact that Hispania Racing are hopelessly unprepared for the coming season and after a year in Formula One and a winter to develop the new car the Spanish outfit appears to have run out of time, excuses and, in most cases, sympathy.