Klien takes Yamamoto’s place at HRT again

Brazilian Grand Prix

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Christian Klien, HRT, Singapore, 2010

Christian Klien will make his second race start of 2010 for HRT.

He replaced Sakon Yamamoto at the team for the second time this year having also replaced the Japanese driver at Singapore.

On that occasion the team said Yamamoto was suffering from food poisoning. After missing Singapore, Yamamoto returned to drive at his home race two weeks ago.

Asked why the drivers had been changed again a HRT spokesperson said:

We have four drivers and the team decides at every GP which one is in each car. This time, the team has decides to give another opportunity to Christian.

Karun Chandhok has also driven for HRT this year, but hasn’t been in the car since the British Grand Prix.

Klien said:

I am very happy to get a second opportunity to do another Grand Prix here after Singapore and I hope that we are doing a good weekend with positive results.
Christian Klien

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    Keith Collantine
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    75 comments on “Klien takes Yamamoto’s place at HRT again”

    1. Glad it’s not Senna. Would have been really cruel to take his home race away from him. Still, is there no rule preventing teams from doing this without a good reason as it’s getting annoying now? (money is not a good reason)

      1. Nope they can use upto 4 drivers in a season. I guess so long as they have an F1 super license and no penalties preventing them entering the race.

      2. I suppose, their few Sponsors would very seriously object if Senna were not to drive in the Brazilian GP.

        1. Instead he’ll just be made to look ridiculously slow again by Klien.

          1. HRT are probably using Klien as a desperate effort to snatch tenth place from Lotus and Virign because Yamamoto won’t deliver and the money for tenth place obviously is more than whatever Yamamoto is bringing in.

            1. I agree, Brazil is usually an event filled race, and with the possibility of rain, they just might have a chance at a good finish if they are really lucky.

          2. So one hot qualifying in Singapore makes you think Klien is somehow a great driver? I’m thinking fluke more than anything else. If he were so great I think he would have a seat…

    2. yes! i’m very happy about this. after klien’s strong performance at singapore (compared to senna, given that he’d been away from driving in anger since 2006).

      i’d really like klien to get a race seat for next year. possibly along de la rosa at hrt.

      1. Im happy for Klein too. He deserves another shot after out qualifying Senna by more than a second.

        1. Agreed.

          Not quite true to say he hasn’t been racing in anger though; he’s had regular and succesful runs in sportscars.

      2. That would be a much improved line up for the team. Though ultimately, the car is what will determine the rate of HRT’s progress next year.

    3. My guess is that HRT will be hoping for a crazy attritional race, and guessing that Klien is more likely to keep it on the island than Sakon. That way Klien can quietly circulate and pick up an eleventh place, which would give them that coveted P10 in the constructors’ championship.

      It’s a long shot but worth a go. Though Klien’s not much use either IMO.

    4. Was hoping to finally see Karun in the car again. But second option is Klein imo.
      Hopefully Karun gets to drive in Abu Dabhi at least.

      1. I don’t think Karun will be able to drive in the Abu Dhabi test, because I think he will not qualify as a young driver because of his GP starts.

        1. I think he’s referring to the actual Grand Prix, not the testing :o

          1. Yepp for him to actual drive the car in the Abu Dhabi GP..

    5. Good luck for Bruno Senna them… last place when racing at home should not feel so good.

      1. *then I meant :P

    6. “Oh look Bruno, your career!”
      “Where?”
      “Oh just going over that hill, wave!”

      If Klien does him again like Singapore, thats the end for the poor guy.

    7. My first thought: Does it really matter who drives?

      Congrats to Klein. I really think Yamamoto is the weakest of their 4. I’m also glad for Senna that they didn’t pull him. And poor Karun. I really hope he’ll get a drive next year.

      1. LOL, agreed bunny; just like it doesn’t matter to me who the guy is that is driving the truck that sweeps my street!

        1. You see where it says fanatic? unfortunatley it matters. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

          TBH right now it doesn’t matter, but the offseason is just around the corner, an you wouldn’t belive what you’ll pay attention to at that point.

          1. Right you are, Scribe. And that truck driver could still sideswipe my parked car!

          2. Well I’m still interested in who drives but I don’t think anyone could have a decent drive in it. I hope they blow everyone’s socks off with massive improvements but we’ll just have to see.

            I got no problems with the offseason. NCAA hoops starts in the States.

            1. Would Alonso beat di Grassi in a HRT?

            2. Does a bear deficate in the woods?

    8. I don’t really rate Klien that highly- if he was anything special he ought to have beaten David Coulthatd while the two were teammates at Red Bull.

      But his reputation went up a notch after his impressive drive at Singapore, so if he can repeat that perfomance at Interlagos then he could be putting himself in the shop window for 2011

      1. I don’t know that i rate Klien but he trashed Senna, so while his reputation wasn’t harmed by it it’s more what’s happened and might happen to Senna’s that I find relavant.

    9. Basically, they are running out of chances to pull a coup on Lotus, so they are trying something new. Senna is rubbish but they can’t take him out for Brazil. It’s good Senna keeps his seat for the home race but not so nice for him that he will get dusted by his teammate. After all, Yamamoto crushed him in qualifying in Korea and I expect he will be further embarassed by Klien.

      1. Yes, because it’s the worst thing in the world when a rookie gets beaten by an experienced team-mate?

        Come on DaveW, why do you have to be so negative in every post you make?

    10. “The German driver” … Austrian, not German.

    11. keith,

      according to this dutch news site, dutchman Giedo van der Garde is signing this weekend in interlagos a contract with virgin racing for next year.he is replacing di grassi.

      http://www.rtl.nl/(/actueel/rtlnieuws/)/components/actueel/rtlnieuws/2010/11_november/04/binnenland/misschien-weer-nederlander-in-f1.xml

      they say its almost sure according to a belgian newspaper…

      http://www.lalibre.be/sports/formule-1/article/621063/d-ambrosio-double-sur-le-fil.html

      my french is not so good so i can’t understand what they are saying here.

      1. The second one is hilarious if you translate it with Google.

        From dream to reality. This boy did not look in front of holes at various levels and a crazy tendency to paint the rosy future, the exaltation of management have their limits

        Why he would succeed where a Baguette much more regular bleeding and was not selected?

        1. Crikey. I shudder to think what of the translation nightmare that produced ‘regular bleeding’

        2. They need to be more careful where they put their baguettes, I think.

      2. van der Garde? This doesn’t add up for me. As third driver, maybe. But right now, if anyone’s replacing di Grassi for 2011, it’s going to be Jerome d’Ambrosio.

    12. Christopher Vissing
      4th November 2010, 15:38

      That’s what i’m talking about! Nice to hear! Give us Klien and Karun in Abu Dhabi..

      1. yeah, best 2 drivers in HRT this season :)

        1. The idea that Karun Chandok outpaced Bruno Senna while they were teammates is the biggest myth of the season…

          1. To be fair its hard to pick the drivers apart at this team due to their inexperience (the team that is) and their shocking reliabilty.

            But Bruno has comprehensivly beaten Karun before (GP2 comes to mind)

          2. No its not. Karun showed better results, and was outqualified by Senna just when he got problems with car. He finished more often…

          3. Depends on how far you’re spinning it. Karun slightly edges Bruno in the situations where you can directly compare them (i.e. when neither retires and their qualifying).

            Considering their supposed respective talents though (Senna beat Chandhok on GP2), to even be close to Chandhok is an embarrassment for Senna. Unless someone wants to claim Karun is a mini-Kobayashi ;)

          4. @Ned Flanders

            MYTH??

            if you are saying “myth of the season” then naturally gp2 doesn’t count…

            karun has outperformed senna in many races(to be precise 6-1)

            when retirements excluded its 2-1…

            in at least 2 races (MONACO,turkey)senna’s position from which he retired was lower than karun’s.

    13. What they should be asked about is why Karun got sacked…

      because they effectively sacked him…

    14. it would be funny if he would replace Bruno

    15. We have four drivers and the team decides at every GP which one is in each car.

      .
      Lies. If that’s the case, poor Chandhok should have got a few more races.

      1. Follow the money. Always follow the money.

        1. It’s what Bernie mumbles in his sleep.

          1. Lol @ Keith, Follow the money, I can see Bernie mumbling it now!!!!

        2. “Hello. My nmae is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” is a much more famous quote by the same writer.

          1. I am reading a book by that same writer for my screenwriting class, and I must say it’s fantastic.

            1. “Hello, my name is Juan Pablo Montoya. You killed my career. Prepare to die.”

              JPM to Ron Dennis anyone?

    16. Chandok is a pay driver. When he didn’t deliver the cash, there was no incentive to keep him. People need to stop letting their heart rule their heads over Chandok

      1. Agreed
        (just thought I’d add my 2 cents) ;}

      2. Almost agree with you Ned… he delivered some very professional and tidy races, it’s not that all pay drivers are without talent. He’s got it.

        Sad though, like so many talented drivers he’s never grab a top seat and prove his worth. Worth is measured in thousands of seconds… top seats are measured in just a tick above that.

    17. It’s a big weekend for Bruno. If he gets his ass kicked like it did in Singapore then his reputation(if he had any to begin with) is over.

      1. But is it?

        We don’t say things like that about di Grassi and Petrov. It’s not uncommon for rookie drivers to be beaten by the experienced team-mates.

        Granted it would do Senna a big favour beating Klien, but Senna is a rookie who still deserves his shot at F1 (he came 2nd in the GP2 championship of 2008 after all – finishing ahead of di Grassi, Petrov, Kobayashi, Chandhok, Grosjean, and Buemi).

        1. If Schumacher takes three years out, comes back and is beaten by his team-mate, it says a lot about taking time out from F1. So what does it say when Senna is beaten comprehensively by a guy who’s taken three years out of F1?

          The guy is little more than a journeyman-in-waiting with a famous name until he puts in some performances. Even Anthony Davidson impressed more in a bad car.

          1. That logic doesn’t hold up though.

            Bruno hasn’t raced in F1 before, Rosberg most certainly has and is a far from a rookie.

          2. That’s cause Anthony Davidson, despite rotten luck, is a very quick driver. Did you see him hustling that 908 diesel at Le Mans this year? It was epic, till of course, the car broke, because Anthony Davidson has rotten luck.

          3. I wouldn’t call him a journeyman Icthyes. More like nowhereman.

            You’re too kind ;)

    18. Poor Sakon. He must be ill :-/

    19. HRT really don’t seem to know what they want in their team. I fear for their future and I hope Senna and Chandhok get a drive next year… in better teams.

    20. Haha! :-) paddingoutthelengthofmycomment

    21. I bet you they flick a coin..

      .. and the person who provides the biggest coin gets in the car. Bruno always wins cos he’s got a Conquistadores Golden Medallion.. Karun, Klein and Sakon fight it out over pocket change.

    22. Tom M in Australia
      4th November 2010, 22:59

      Makes sense, we’re at the stage now where next years money is more important than this years money, and Klien represents their best chance at swiping 10th place from Lotus, and the cash that goes with it.

    23. We have four drivers and the team decides at every GP which one is in each car. This time, the team has decides to give another opportunity to Christian.

      So, how, exactly, do they decide who will drive? A giant chocolate wheel?

      1. I imagine a sophisticated performance measurement formula which takes a diverse range of variables into account such as:

        Cash flow
        Wallet thickness
        Bank balance
        Sponsorship portfolio…

        1. Interesting menu… I’ll have the cash flow dipped in olive oil and garlic for an appetizer. Then I’ll have wallet thickness tar tar with steamed green bank balance for an entree and creme d’ la sponsorship portfolio for desert. I’ll wash it all down with a bottle of Suck It Up and Pay vintage 2011.

    24. “We have four drivers and the team decides at every GP which one is in each car. This time, the team has decides to give another opportunity to Christian”

      But not to Karun? Not one damn race since Silverstone… not one!

      I thought there was some rule dictating how many changes you may make to your driver line up in one year. Or did that one go out the window years ago?

    25. This team spend more times on driver selection then on their car development.

    26. I am happy to see Klien getting a chance to show himself, but I agree with others that getting “Kliened” in qualifying and race is not doing Senna any good. And Chandok? Why’s he still hanging around? He should be looking for drives because it’s obvious he’s not going to get behind the wheel of the HRT again.

      They should just sell the whole team to Epsilon, then the sham that it’s a Spanish team will actually have some truth to it. And some facilites, and some expertise, and perhaps… some money. Because we all know… speed is just a question of money, how fast do you want to go?

      Although, I suppose Toyota disproved this theory.

      1. That would be fantastic if they sold the team to Epsilon, a real racing team that might actually know what to do with HRT before it goes the way of Arrows, or so many other failed teams.

    27. Karun ‘s career seems to be over … Lotus is tying with Bruno . Virgin is done with Glock/Ambrisio … and whatever is left of HRT .. i pretty sure Sakon will be there … with Klien seemingly being given the benefit of doubt and talent …

    28. Van der Garde getting a drive at Virgin is getting much more stronger while the Belgium driver changes is reducing. (This is because of sponsoring) The Dutch guy is getting faster or better cash then the Belgium guy this is the way of F1.

      FI is going to test Buurman that is a Dutchman i really want to see in F1. I saw him racing and he is a bit Prost, Senna and Mika. That means cool,fanatic determined in one driver…

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