Geoff Willis says: “The design of the HRT is not impressive at all”

Former technical director at Red Bull, Geoff Willis, is the technical consultant for the Spanish team HRT this season.

The 50-year-old British engineer claims today that he is not impressed by the design of the Spanish single-seater.

Honestly, I am disappointed. I expected better.

It should be noted, however, that the creation of this car was decided by the former Campos team (taken over at the last minute to become HRT before the first Grand Prix). The design was entrusted to the Italian specialist, Dallara. As for the engine, the choice had already been made with an agreement signed with the English engine manufacturer, Cosworth.

Thus, Willis acknowledges that the financial situation of the Campos team has caused numerous stability problems, and the Dallara company has felt the need to halt the project more than once.

« There are many reasons why the execution was compromised, particularly because the program was stopped and started, then stopped and restarted again. As a result, it was necessary to make sharp cuts in this project in order to reach Bahrain in time. »

Willis is unfazed by these problems and demonstrates candor:

Fundamentally, I am disappointed with the car’s engineering; I don’t think it reflects what is being done in F1 these days. There is really room for improvement… It can certainly be said that it’s a time issue, or a lack of experience, or financial troubles could be mentioned. When I look at the situation and take all these factors into account, I am still disappointed.

He adds to his reflection:

«I am less concerned about the overall performance because the aerodynamic program has been halted for some time, so it was one of the lightest programs. But Lotus hasn’t had an “aero” program superior to ours, and yet, our car is clearly slower than theirs… So yes, I think we need to look at the build quality, design quality, and design refinement. This single-seater lacks many things that are considered standard by everyone present in the pit lane.»

The conclusion is clear, and Willis has not yet decided on his future with HRT. He wants to know what the Spanish team’s plans are. He wants to showcase his talents:

I’m not particularly a fan of the back of the grid; for me, the most important thing is to advance the cars and make them faster. I like managing all of that. For me, it’s not just about winning the championship when you’re part of the Top Teams or improving results when you’re at the back of the grid. It’s primarily about having a comprehensive program with sufficient funding to make the challenge interesting. This essential issue must be addressed within the team.

For the technical consultant, it seems essential that HRT implements a development program without delay:

« It will depend on the clauses of the contract signed with Dallara, as they are the ones who possess all the design data. So, either they carry out the development following our instructions, or they give us access to the car’s data and aerodynamic data, so that we can ensure the evolution of the car… There is also the possibility of starting from scratch, dismantling the car you have in the garage, which is very time-consuming as it takes weeks to configure your wind tunnel and develop your safety program. After that, it still takes a few weeks to understand the results of your research. »

Geoff Willis wants to remain realistic and concludes:

Starting from scratch now would pose a real timing problem because the team cannot wait for months. We therefore need a solution to bring performance to our cars quickly. We have analyzed our options and will certainly make a decision next week.

HRT already considers its entry into F1 as a miracle; now it is time to find solutions to grow and perform.