Klien keeps HRT seat for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Christian Klien, HRT, 2010

HRT will keep Christian Klien as Bruno Senna’s team mate for the final race of 2010.

Klien replaced Sakon Yamamoto at the team at Interlagos last week.

Klien said:

I’m looking forward the last race of 2010 in Abu Dhabi. It’s my third chance to compete for the team this season and I’m getting more and more used to the car and the crew.

I hope we can achieve some great results and have a clean weekend. It will be my first time at this modern racetrack that combines very long straights with a technical slow part with not many run-off areas.

There are basically two very different sections, so you need a good top speed for the long straights as well as some downforce and mechanical grip for the slow section. A further difficulty is the visibility, as the race starts at 5pm. We should have a similar pace to the one in Brazil, so I think we can be a challenge for the new teams.
Christian Klien

Team mate Senna is also racing at the circuit for the first time:

I’m really excited for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because it’s one of the circuits I know and like even if I have never raced there before. I did some laps with a two-seater F1 car and it is a good circuit with some demanding technical sections.
Bruno Senna

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    Keith Collantine
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    17 comments on “Klien keeps HRT seat for Abu Dhabi”

    1. i’m glad he will be allowed to race, it’s a shame he couldn’t secure himself a whole-year seat at the team. it’s obvious, that the new teams can develop themselves more effectively with experienced drivers, and Klien seems to be far the most competitive driver among the four that have raced for HRT.
      of course it’s always hard to find the fine line between money and professionalism, as it’s rare to get both from a single driver, but i hope that Kliens (and other ignored/forgotten drivers) knowledge would worth more than pure money. it wouldn’t be fair to judge the performance of Senna, Chandhok and Yamamoto along this years performance, as they had the hardest job an F1 rookie have had in years, but i’m sure HRT would have been closer to Virgin and Lotus at this stage of the year, if they had run Klien for the whole season.

      1. Yeah, they have all had a very rough time of it. Yamamoto’s not really technically a rookie though is he? I think both Chandhok and Senna should be cut some slack, and I’d like to see them both get another chance next year, preferably in teams other than HRT.

    2. Klien-De la Rosa next year at HRT?

    3. I was hoping Karun would get one last chance to race. He did very well when he was allowed to drive. Such a likable guy.

      1. What’s that they say about nice guys?

        Oh yes – they lose their seats to guys with deeper pockets. Sad but true.

        1. Nice guys finish last, especially in a HRT.

          Hurr hurr!

      2. Karun’s probably the most likable chap in F1.

    4. Is Klein paying his own money, or does he have a financial backer?

      1. He doesn’t strike me as the money in the pocket type. So my only guess is that it really was down to the 7 tenths he has on the other three.

        1. It has to be financial still.

          Klien is quicker than Senna, but his race pace was pretty much identical in Brazil and Klien spent 18 minutes of a 20 minute qualifying session behind Bruno until one lap near the end.

          That slight speed advantage isn’t going to get them 10th place or near another team. Why not take the money?

          HRT hardly have a track record for money not talking.

      2. Not sure he is paying at all, or maybe just a smaller amount.

        To me it seems they have bagged the Yamamoto money and used it to ensure they make it to the end of the year, possibly even getting a first installment or securities for the Williams deal.

        So now they can let Klien race to give them as much testing information and usefull data they can.
        That makes a lot of sense for me and it vindicates some of the driver roulette from Kolles.
        Look at the pattern at wich track did Klien race? It was friday at Barcelone (THE testtrack), then in Singapore, where you don’t normally get to race and now after they have enough money he raced in the typical/very specific Interlagos and will be racing in the track where they will test next years tyres.

    5. Now that HRT got the financial backing they can sack Yamamoto.

    6. Whatever Yamamoto ate must’ve been really off then.

      1. Whatever Yamamoto ate must’ve been really off then.

        AHAHA! :-)

    7. Come next year o0ne of the most important thing that whole team have to do is to have a good pair of driver for their team.

      1. Yes, because it’s the drivers that make a car fast and not the car itself?

        1. Right. See Petrov.

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