Clos will replace Karthikeyan during Free Practice 1 in Barcelona

The HRT team announced that Dani Clos, their test driver, would replace Narain Karthikeyan in the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Spanish driver will make his big debut with HRT – even though he will not be discovering the team as he drove the F111 during the Abu Dhabi tests last November. Clos expressed his delight at the opportunity offered to him by the Spanish team: « I am thrilled to be given this opportunity. It’s something I have fought for all my life: to make my debut in Formula 1 and, moreover, to be able to do it on the Circuit de Catalunya is something very special for me. »

The association with Pedro de la Rosa for a practice session will also be an opportunity for the HRT team to enter F1 history as the first Spanish team to field a 100% Spanish duo at the Spanish Grand Prix. This delights Dani Clos: I’m extremely lucky to be able to do it with a Spanish team, alongside a Spanish driver I admire, and at home. I can’t ask for more!

Clos, who also competes in GP2 this season, believes he is ready to take on this new challenge: « I hope to gather a lot of data for the team during this testing session, contribute positively to the team, and do my job as best as I can. I feel 100% ready and I can’t wait for the moment when I get into the car and hit the track. »