Daniel Ricciardo replaces Karthikeyan at HRT

The rumor of the appointment of Daniel Ricciardo, a Red Bull protégé and current third driver of Scuderia Toro Rosso, emerged this morning in various Australian media.

The information was confirmed in the afternoon by the main person concerned. “It’s very exciting. It’s great, just great,” said the young man, who will turn 22 tomorrow, to the daily *Herald Sun* at Heathrow airport.

« Doing my first race at Silverstone is fantastic. It’s a track I know well and it’s very close to my second home in England. I had to pinch myself several times to believe it. It’s a new challenge, a new experience, a new team, but I’m ready and I’m going to give it my all. »

Ricciardo, who will participate in a World Series by Renault meeting this weekend in Hungary, will replace Narain Karthikeyan at Hispania for the remainder of the season. However, the Indian driver is expected to reclaim his seat in October for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

Last year, HRT had already sidelined one of its drivers. Bruno Senna was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto before getting his seat back in Germany. Later, his teammate Karun Chandock was dismissed in favor of the same Yamamoto and Klien, who was then a reserve driver for the Spanish team.

This appointment will be a good way for Red Bull to see how Ricciardo performs during a Grand Prix before a possible appointment at Toro Rosso next season. “In the simulator and during tests, his results are very good, but we need to see what he can do in the race,” says Helmut Marko.

« This agreement is a reward for all the hard work that Hispania has shown since we have been in F1. We are proud that the world champion team trusts us for the development of their young drivers. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of a fruitful relationship, » stated Jose Ramon Carabante.

Since the beginning of the season, Daniel Ricciardo has been replacing one of the two Toro Rosso drivers during the first free practice session on Friday morning. His appointment could open the way for the Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne, also a Red Bull protégé, who is competing in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship. But that’s just pure speculation. Wait and see, as they say in these cases.