HRT F111 seen for the first time in Barcelona

2011 F1 cars

11th March 2011, 12:225th September 2023, 23:52 | Written by Keith Collantine

HRT have shown their finished 2011 F1 car for the first time in Barcelona.

The F111 will be raced by Vitantonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan this year.

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Keith Collantine

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152 comments on “HRT F111 seen for the first time in Barcelona”

just.daz (@nemo87)
11th March 2011, 12:24

HRWHO..?

nice to see they finally got it out :) sooner than they did last year too..?
1. Chippie
  11th March 2011, 12:38
  
  Depends upon how you view it…
  1. TommyB (@tommyb89)
    11th March 2011, 14:12
    
    Haha very true!
2. Hare
  11th March 2011, 22:17
  
  Well, we had a race this time last year! :)
PJ
11th March 2011, 12:24

It exists!
1. unoc
  11th March 2011, 13:07
  
  I think I prefered the old one… atleast then they were a new team with not much time or money…. now they are an old team with even less money and time… but ehy do have a new livery.
  
  So… Fun guessing game for all the kids out there
  
  Q) What will have more different parts
  a) 2010 HRT > 2010 HRT
  b) Launch 2011 Ferrari > A fwe tests later still preseason 2011 Ferrari
2. Hare
  11th March 2011, 22:14
  
  I think it looks great… let hope it can race too, and not just be Fernando and Felipe fodder. ( Webber prefers eating Lotuses )
3. Fixy (@)
  13th March 2011, 16:06
  
  Liuzzi is all proud of that missile!
sw6569 (@sw6569)
11th March 2011, 12:24

I have to say, even being an HRT sceptic, that the livery does look rather good. Will be interesting to see if they are ahead of Virgin or not. Unfortunately I struggle to get more excited about the performance of this car than that.
1. sw6569 (@sw6569)
  11th March 2011, 12:30
  
  another snap here http://a.yfrog.com/img610/5619/d43wh.jpg
  1. Master firelee (@master-firelee)
    11th March 2011, 12:33
    
    it looks more orange than red
    1. UKfanatic (@)
      11th March 2011, 15:15
      
      its because of the sun
2. Ben N
  11th March 2011, 12:57
  
  I seriously hope they can be ahead of expectations…
  1. zecks
    11th March 2011, 14:00
    
    I hope they focus qualifying simulations so they at least post some good times. Although this will give them no race info, HRT need to focus on beating the 107% rule. Some respectable times might even attract some more sponsorship
3. Fixy (@)
  13th March 2011, 16:08
  
  I don’t like the livery. I preferred their late-2010 one although the gray was too much. At least it had the Spanish flag.
TommyB (@tommyb89)
11th March 2011, 12:25

Cheesy… I love it.
1. sw6569 (@sw6569)
  11th March 2011, 12:37
  
  im quite pleased that they still have the ‘this could be you’ on the side etc. I wonder if they will race with it?
  1. fullthrottle
    11th March 2011, 15:11
    
    Hrt has announced an agreement with Panda (antivirus)
    1. Hare
      11th March 2011, 22:20
      
      probably not a bad move to sponsor HRT. It’s the most innovative and original livery on the grid. Plus it’ll often be at the front of the on track action.. when they’re getting passed. So good exposure if you need to get your name out there.
    2. Hare
      11th March 2011, 22:21
      
      HRT, and black eyes..? :)
BasCB (@bascb)
11th March 2011, 12:25

The nose looks a lot wider than it did in the renderings. I gueass that was developed in the last 2 weeks extra time. What about the rear wing, did they bother fitting a DRS on it, or did they figure they won’t be chasing anyone like that anyhow. I dont see any device for it, maybe they operate it like Mercedes GP from the sides.
1. Don Mateo
  11th March 2011, 12:35
  
  I’m not 100% certain, but I believe the DRS is mandatory, so they should have one.
  1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
    11th March 2011, 12:37
    
    It’s not mandatory.
    1. Ben N
      11th March 2011, 12:58
      
      It may not be mandatory – but any idea if they are using DRS Keith? :)
      1. Hare
        11th March 2011, 22:24
        
        Well, they got the slots in the rear wing, prepared for movement.. So providing they have the hydraulics hooked up, I think we can say affirmative on that issue.
        
        https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/hrt_f111_barc_2011-1.jpg
2. Nick F
  11th March 2011, 12:56
  
  It would surely be crazy not to have one. That would drop you so much time in qualifying that you might as well not bother participating. They may struggle with the 107% rule as it is.
  
  The rule is still that you have unlimited use of the wing in qualifying isn’t it?
  
  Are there any more pics of it? I’d like to see the back.
3. bosyber (@bosyber)
  11th March 2011, 12:58
  
  About the nose, it could be the livery, but it looks a bit squared and clumsy somehow. Maybe it is just because it seems to really use the maximum width from the tip, and the camera’s are mounted at the furthest forward point of it.
  
  Anyway, looks like a big step forwards, both the livery and the car.
  1. bosyber (@bosyber)
    11th March 2011, 13:01
    
    Ooh, I like the detail on the front wing pylons: a yellow band in the red, making them look like a Spanish flag; nice touch.
4. Nixon
  12th March 2011, 10:32
  
  What is DRS?
  1. Ell (@ell)
    13th March 2011, 19:25
    
    Drag Reduction System, or the moveable rear wing
Remco H.
11th March 2011, 12:26

And there it is……livery and car look good so far. Just have to wait for better high-res pics to judge it further. Let’s see what the car does on track. Today shakedown, tomorrow serious testing?!
SteveMovieVoice (@welshf1)
11th March 2011, 12:26

decent looking little car. Want to see more pics to see if theyve still got the sponsorship prompts all over the car.
1. fordsrule (@fordsrule)
  11th March 2011, 12:43
  
  Yeah they do, see the links in the other comments. :)
Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
11th March 2011, 12:27

It’s a cool idea for a livery I suppose, but it looks a bit too white from the head on view, most of the red and black bits are on the sides
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 12:34
  
  but it looks really nice from the side view (not a good picture quality but anyhow: http://goo.gl/d20W4)
Chuckysuperstar (@chuckysuperstar)
11th March 2011, 12:27

Is it me or is the front wing very Brawn bgp001?!
1. Andy C
  11th March 2011, 15:00
  
  Lol. Its amazing what you can get on ebay.
  1. Burnout
    11th March 2011, 17:26
    
    Ha ha!
    I thought 3 element front wings weren’t allowed this season anyway. Is that just for the launch then?
BasCB (@bascb)
11th March 2011, 12:28

Does it say Hispania racing team on the rear wing or is that a genuine sponsor?
1. manB
  11th March 2011, 16:27
  
  I don’t care thinking how many haters are there, I just love this team. It must be really difficult period for their engineers to build this car with few resources and money. Geoff Willis did great job. Car is really looking good and I would love to see it doing better than Virgin and Lotus.
  
  Again good work from engineers and best of luck to HRT.
Robyn
11th March 2011, 12:29

Is tomorrow still supposed to be a washout in Barcelona? If so, I guess HRT might get a whole half day of testing before the first race. Maybe the drivers will take turns doing laps this afternoon?
1. Robyn
  11th March 2011, 12:44
  
  Hahaha – or not:
  
  http://twitter.com/#!/alanbaldwinf1/status/46188952419446784
  1. BasCB (@bascb)
    11th March 2011, 12:52
    
    Took a while to get them sent back from Bahrain to Europe, I suppose!
  2. bosyber (@bosyber)
    11th March 2011, 12:53
    
    oops. That’s rather silly and sad.
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 13:58
  
  Nice interview from Alan Baldwin with Kolles. They might get the car at least some running:
  
  “We will do systems checks, we will do the fire-up and then we will see,” added Kolles, who said he had just two hours sleep before flying in from Stuttgart for the launch of the last of the 2011 cars.
  
  HRT might be the only ones being faster than last year. They have no fear of not making the 107%
  
  “The data we have is that the car is better than last year’s…it’s completely aerodynamically modified,” he added. “The others have lost a little bit, we have gained a little bit so let’s see where we are.”
  
  http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/motor-racing-hrt-idUKLDE72A1JC20110311?pageNumber=1
  1. Hare
    11th March 2011, 22:25
    
    awesome!!! :D
3. Calum
  11th March 2011, 23:16
  
  Heavy rain tomorrow? Is it bad my first thought was imagining the paint on this car running off in the rain water to reveal the dull grey collours of HRT 2010!!?
James
11th March 2011, 12:36

Looks good, I wonder if it has an engine…
1. sw6569 (@sw6569)
  11th March 2011, 22:57
  
  pathetic
  
  http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89885
  
  its not a complete car yet
DavidS (@davids)
11th March 2011, 12:40

Judging by the suits the drivers are wearing, it looks like the old Stig has found another job, albeit less glamourous.
Oliver
11th March 2011, 12:40

Finally the mythical F111 observed in the wild.
1. sw6569 (@sw6569)
  11th March 2011, 15:40
  
  A wild HRT F111 appears…
  1. The Last Pope
    11th March 2011, 17:12
    
    What? HRT F110 is evolving!
    
    HRT F110 evolved into HRT F111!
    1. Icthyes (@icthyes)
      11th March 2011, 17:51
      
      HRT used Karthikeyan! It’s not very effective…
      1. Mouse_Nightshirt (@mouse_nightshirt)
        11th March 2011, 18:29
        
        Is it bad I get all this? :D
  2. sw6569 (@sw6569)
    11th March 2011, 22:14
    
    this is my favourite chain of comments on F1fanatic :D
Coefficient
11th March 2011, 12:41

It’s a nice looking car and seems more complex than the MVR. Again, more evidence that a few hours of wind tunnel work is better than all CFD at this stage. If the MVR is anything to go by, CFD appears able to deliver a basic package but the finer details seem beyond the technology at the moment.

I think this car could turn out be a little cracker once they’ve figured it out.
1. Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
  11th March 2011, 13:00
  
  You’re making some big assumptions on the appearance of the car there. It does look nice but that’s not going to make it any quicker I’m afraid
  1. Coefficient
    11th March 2011, 13:39
    
    It’s not an assumption, it’s a fact. The rest of the teams don’t stick to wind tunnels for sentimental reasons you know. Geoff Willis has created this car and he knows his way around a wind tunnel alright. It should be very decent in a bottom 3rd of the grid kinda way.
    1. sam
      11th March 2011, 14:08
      
      Again, it’s not fact, it’s just your opinion. For all we know, this car could be the fastest thing out there, or it could top out at 140 mph and then the body falls off, we just don’t know!
      
      Oh and actually CFD is the future, it’s cheaper, faster, and you can use it in many more places than the wind tunnel! Mark my words, once the CFD is refined a bit more, the wind tunnel will be rendered completely obsolete.
      
      McLaren have a wind tunnel, excellent designers and such, doesn’t mean they are the fastest does it? One man does not make a team…….
      1. Andy C
        11th March 2011, 15:07
        
        Mark my words, once the CFD is refined a bit more, the wind tunnel will be rendered completely obsolete.
        
        That isnt a view shared by many aero guys in F1.
        
        Geoff Willis knows one or two things about aero. I’d be willing to say that whetever is achieved it will be better than last years car (as in the gap will be smaller).
      2. Mike
        12th March 2011, 13:54
        
        I agree with Sam, although I think it will never completely replace wind tunnels, I think in time it will take over for the most part.
        
        I see this debate as being similar to analogue vs digital cameras.
    2. Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
      11th March 2011, 22:23
      
      I meant the assumption that because the car looks good it will be good, not the windtunnel/ CFD debate
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
11th March 2011, 12:43

Like I said in the other thread – either it will be amazing, or it will be awkward.
Todfod (@todfod)
11th March 2011, 12:45

I expect HRT to hit the 1:21 zone on their outlap!
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 12:52
  
  whenever that will be.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
11th March 2011, 12:50

@alanbaldwinf1 (Alan Baldwin):
“The HRT may not do much running today however. Kolles says some suspension parts and dampers have yet to clear Spanish customs.”
1. Todfod (@todfod)
  11th March 2011, 13:15
  
  Just when HRT looks like it might redeem itself… we get this shocking news!
  1. Steph (@)
    11th March 2011, 13:35
    
    Lol! The team do feel like they go from one disaster/calamity to another but with Colin’s short but sweet interviews, rotating drivers and “this could be you” sticker I can’t help but feel they’ve got a lot of soul and determination so they’ve won me over.
    1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
      11th March 2011, 14:04
      
      I see nobody finds it odd that a Spanish team is having trouble getting parts into Spain … of course, the whole operation is run out of Kolles’ base in Germany, I believe.
2. Cacarella
  11th March 2011, 15:19
  
  I thought they were a Spanish team, and that they were all testing in Spain!
  
  Why would parts be stuck in customs!
  (total sarcasm ;) )
JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
11th March 2011, 13:00

I dont think i have ever been this surprised!!!! But it goes to show the calibre of the team when people are surprised that they released there car on time not how fast its going to go haha
Mauro
11th March 2011, 13:01

It’s impossible to do better than Dallara
SennaNmbr1 (@)
11th March 2011, 13:02

I’m surprised the car remained intact with that media scrum all around it.
dave
11th March 2011, 13:03

Is the guy in the suit the test/reserve driver?
frankus28 (@frankus28)
11th March 2011, 13:05

Has anyone played Monaco Racing Simulation 2? I think that the this livery would not be out of place in that game :)

In all seriousness, I’m pleasantly surprised that they’ve up-staged the big boys like Sauber in producing such an attractive livery! Even the tasty cheese chequered flag works for me.
MW (@)
11th March 2011, 13:08

Must be a tough grind being a HRT engineer.. They must be working all hours and just to avoid being an embarrassment again.
The front looks like a late 90s F1 and the backs not very neat.. V basic on the face of it..

Ok that’s enough negaitivity!

Man the livery sucks.. No wonder they’ve no sponsors!

On the upside they all look happy and that guys suit is very shiney :)
MattHT (@mattht)
11th March 2011, 13:08

Haha. I like it! It’s not brilliant but last years grew on me so i hope this does too.
zomtec
11th March 2011, 13:20

Spanish customs? Where did the send the suspension parts and dampers from?
1. Todfod (@todfod)
  11th March 2011, 13:32
  
  I thought the only country that Hispania Racing Team would not have a problem with the customs, would probably be Spain.
  1. Steph (@)
    11th March 2011, 13:37
    
    I thought the only country that Hispania Racing Team would not have a problem with the customs, would probably be Spain.
    
    Lol! There is no end to the unfortunate situations this team finds itself in. :P
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 14:01
  
  Who knows, maybe they were sent back from Bahrain!
Dingle Dell
11th March 2011, 13:48

Funnily, suddenly HRT appears to be the ONLY team with shark-fin attached, whereas the other teams has dropped it for good. Epic!
1. Todfod (@todfod)
  11th March 2011, 14:15
  
  I dont think anyone in HRT got that memo.
  
  (People who have seen Office Space will know what I’m talking about)
RaulZ
11th March 2011, 13:59

At least, all of you are spending a funny time with HRT.

I hope all the best to HRT. I like the spanish flag on it. You know that spanish allways get late to everywhere but we do things well. (is there something spanish in HRT?)

Let’s see it run.
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 15:05
  
  There is at least some of the money, and the CEO and press people!
  
  The flag is a nice detail on the front wing pillars.
  1. fullthrottle
    11th March 2011, 16:16
    
    I don´t like it. I think the flags in the nose`s side are nicer.
Tom, Dick & Harry
11th March 2011, 14:03

I wish HRT all the best. For me they are the true underdog team. Though my love is with McLaren i will be rooting for HRT to have a respectable season this year.

Despite my reservations about Karthikeyan, he does have that boyish grin that warms my soul.
Faraz
11th March 2011, 14:19

Remember that Williams have helped develop the rear end so do expect to see some gain in performance.
James Williams
11th March 2011, 14:25

I wish the entire team nothing but failure, humiliation and complete destruction. They don’t deserve to be in Formula 1, they never have.

I hate this team with a passion, and that passion is far greater than their passion for racing.
1. Faraz
  11th March 2011, 14:32
  
  Im sorry but do you run an F1 team???
  
  They have a new decent looking car ready with Liuzzi now they already have a more promising line up.
  
  Remember this is the smallest team in F1 coming into F1 is not easy.
  
  Remember that teams like Force India,Sauber, and Toro Rosso (minardi) were all in similair positions when they first started out in F1 give these guys a chance with a good car.
2. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  11th March 2011, 14:48
  
  What on earth have they done to inspire that kind of vitriol?
  1. PJ
    11th March 2011, 14:58
    
    They don’t win, therefore they’re not cool?
    
    I hope they do well, and if they don’t, they can be like the new Minardi, the ream we cheer on for just being there!
  2. sw6569 (@sw6569)
    11th March 2011, 15:01
    
    Ah looks like its Mr Campos
  3. Rob Haswell
    11th March 2011, 15:01
    
    They got in the way. I don’t hate them this much, but I don’t think they should be in F1. The other new teams (well.. at least one of them) are clearly making progress – building their technological and personnel portfolios and generally spending the money. That’s what it comes down to.
    
    HRT have no resources for development, they’re the joke of the paddock and nobody wants to be associated with them. Because of this, they’ll never get more sponsors, and never have enough money to improve. It’s a vicious cycle, one that Virgin and Lotus have broken but I’m afraid I can never see HRT managing.
    
    It’s almost like they’re making a mockery of the sport. If they can never improve to fight with.. well, anyone, then they should pack up and go home. That’s the situation I think they’re in.
    1. fullthrottle
      11th March 2011, 16:20
      
      What a pundit! Although they have a new sponsor…
  4. Robyn
    11th March 2011, 15:03
    
    Well, “hate” is a strong word, but Colin Kolles doesn’t exactly inspire warm feelings in me, to say the least. Can’t say I was too fond of how they treated their drivers last season, either. I mean, how about that bizarre incident where they claimed Sakon Yamamoto had “food poisoning” when he clearly didn’t? Both bizarre and kind of creepy.
    
    Oh, and all this reminds me: what ever happened with their potential lawsuit against Karun Chandhok? Anything? Because that would be sure to dial up their popularity a few notches…
    1. RaulZ
      11th March 2011, 16:25
      
      Chandock was a pay driver, and he didn’t pay so he was fired and demanded. didn’t you know?
  5. James Williams
    11th March 2011, 15:04
    
    I just dislike (admittedly quite a lot) what they represent & what they bring to F1.
    
    F1 isn’t about simply surviving on a bare minimum budget. It’s the highest classification of open cockpit racing.
    
    HRT hire drivers for their money & they only hired Liuzzi because the rules say they have to have two drivers.
    
    they put messages on the side of their car that are fit for small rally-cross championships, not formula 1.
    
    Basically they represent the worst of Formula 1.
    1. Andy C
      11th March 2011, 15:11
      
      HRT hire drivers for their money
      
      Quite a lot of drivers at the top level also bring sponsorship with them, but they arent considered pay drivers?
      
      I think it is different shades of grey.
      
      On your comments on the livery, would you rather they just left it all white and no logos at all.
      
      The point is it is a gimic to highlight the potential for advertising. Far better than a blank car….
      1. Rob Haswell
        11th March 2011, 15:22
        
        The point is it is a gimic to highlight the potential for advertising. Far better than a blank car….
        
        Really, is it? Would you like your 458 Italia plastered in Shell logos? Sponsor logos make cars look worse, I’d much rather they put a nice design on it or chose a good colour than this worst-of-all-worlds “Your name here” crap.
      2. James Williams
        11th March 2011, 15:41
        
        The difference between HRT and those teams are that the teams have money to begin with, HRT survive on sucking the drivers dry.
    2. Steph (@)
      11th March 2011, 15:14
      
      They do belong in F1 because we’ve had teams struggle for survival like Minardi with almost zero hope of getting any decent points for years. I don’t see why HRT get so much hatred I really don’t. If anything they show just how tough F1 is and yet they stick with it which I find quite inspiring.
      1. James Williams
        11th March 2011, 15:19
        
        Minardi were the ultimate F1 failures.
    3. RaulZ
      11th March 2011, 16:34
      
      I see that you are a very elitist. Maybe you should see horse racing at Ascot and not F1. In any case, the fact that there are these teams in F1 is Moxley’s fault and his ideas to make F1 less elitist. And Ecclestone, obsessed with having 24 cars. Let’s see if we notice who is doing more harm to F1.
      1. Steph (@)
        11th March 2011, 18:26
        
        You see Minardi has F1’s ultimate failure I see them as one of the greatest triumphs.
      2. Mouse_Nightshirt (@mouse_nightshirt)
        11th March 2011, 18:33
        
        Hear hear Steph.
        
        They made the best coffee I hear as well :)
      3. Steph (@)
        11th March 2011, 21:22
        
        *as
  6. Faraz
    11th March 2011, 15:08
    
    Ha vitriol. Its just people have become very critical of HRT.
    They are a small team who need to use the best business strategy to be able to participate in F1.
    Last year they finished ahead of Virgin in a less competitive car now they have a car ready to race in 2011 which they have manufactured with a very small budget so respect to them.
    
    P.S Kolles offered me a drive if I bring good publicity ;)
  7. BasCB (@bascb)
    11th March 2011, 15:09
    
    I guess they have to guts to show up with a car at the last possible minute, with hardly any money and little resources and PR going into it! And just obviously stating they have no sponsors what so ever!
    The nerve of it, that should not be allowed!
    
    Seriously I think they did a great job to make it this far with what little they have. Nice idea about the livery as well. And the upside is, they might actually have the only car on the grid that improved its downforce over last year.
    1. US_Peter (@us_peter)
      11th March 2011, 18:50
      
      I agree. I was very skeptical if they’d even finish the season last year, let alone have a new car for this year… Hats off to them for actually having a new car before qualifying at the first race of the season. As much as I like to pick on them repeatedly, I really do wish them well and hope that they can stay in F1, and improve to at least the point where they can fight with the other backmarkers…
3. Rob Wilson
  11th March 2011, 14:59
  
  Wow, that’s uncalled for..They will be trying an aweful lot harder than you think. Why so much hatred? I admire their determination not to give in.
4. JamoduF1
  11th March 2011, 15:18
  
  Yeah, as much as I like to take the mickey out of HRT and their Daz Ultra bright white racing suits, I do admire their tenacity and wish them well.
  
  I certainly wouldn’t want them, or any other motorsport team to suffer complete destruction and humiliation. That’s a little harsh!
5. HRT CEO
  11th March 2011, 16:47
  
  and we wish you all the best too!
  1. JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
    11th March 2011, 17:16
    
    A bit of laughter in an otherwise serious F1 paddock cannot be a bad thing, i love the “this is a cool place” logos etc, have some sense of humour. I too wish them the best and hope that their struggles will pay off eventually!!!
    ALL THE BEST HRT
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      11th March 2011, 18:10
      
      I’ve put the cool spot up as my desktop! Great idea HRT!
6. Arun.India
  11th March 2011, 18:38
  
  I genuinely hope they become an Iconic team like minardi!!!!If you dont have teams like these you wouldnt have found drivers like alonso or webber!!!these are the teams which bring drivers into f1!!!Not every body is leweis hamilton to straight away get a mclaren!!!!
7. VXR
  11th March 2011, 19:58
  
  Keep taking the tablets.
Faraz
11th March 2011, 14:25

Another pic from autosport.

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1299851834.jpg
verstappen
11th March 2011, 14:25

I so hope they surprise us all. It’s amazing what these guys have done, with so little money!
somerandomguy
11th March 2011, 15:02

I dont like the livery. Theyre not iconic team colours and they wont grow on me
1. VXR
  11th March 2011, 20:02
  
  I bet that they don’t win the championship…but I also bet that McLaren wouldn’t win it either. So, for me, they have much in common.
Unoformula
11th March 2011, 15:07

Too many people laughing at HRT, but they weren’t the team finishing last in 2010 and they weren’t the team miscalculating the fuel deposit size.

I bet this year they won’t be the last team again.
Giovanni
11th March 2011, 15:14

Did you notice the funny “Nothing Special Here” with an arrow in pic 4?
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  11th March 2011, 15:36
  
  Its a nice one. Lots of funny details on that car.
SennaNmbr1 (@)
11th March 2011, 15:38

So where tdo they get their money from to build a new car if they have no sponsors? If it takes zero cash I’d build one myself! :)
1. Aetost (@aetost)
  11th March 2011, 16:27
  
  They have some TV money, some TATA money, Cabarante’s spare change and high hopes that Team Lotus changes their name, in order to inherit their TV money and free transportation rights
Tom
11th March 2011, 15:51

Its last years car with a new front and rear wing and some modified rear bodywork. Oh and a new paint job
Tom, Dick & Harry
11th March 2011, 16:02

It isn’t possible for every team to win the Championship.
It isn’t possible for every team to score Championship points.
Small budget privateer teams are as much a part of the history of F1 as those that are backed with the deep pockets of manufacturers.
Williams didn’t start out with huge resources, but have managed to gain recognition as having one of the best records in the sport. HRT, Virgin or Lotus may never achieve those heights but one has to admire their ambition to try.
Remember Minardi’s points finish at Melbourne with Mark Webber? No big deal for a Ferrari or McLaren, but a great reward for Minardi’s efforts and one that fans of the little guy should celebrate!
1. Burnout
  11th March 2011, 17:40
  
  That was a great race to watch, seeing Webber fend off Salo right to the last lap. Even if they aren’t able to move up the field, I hope HRT are able to stick around the way Minardi did.
  
  The way Minardi showed up season after season was endearing. Stoddart’s whingeing was not.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
11th March 2011, 17:36

Ah it looks great :D
Burnout
11th March 2011, 17:42

Shame they haven’t brought in any more sponsors other than Tata and Speed. Putting a logo on that sort of a livery would get a brand noticed very easily!
judo chop
11th March 2011, 17:49

Good luck to them. I’ve got a feeling they’ll kick Virgins backside (well at least Liuzzi will).
BasCB (@bascb)
11th March 2011, 17:56

Nice to have higher quality images up. A bit of a shame about the nice little details clearly being sticker labels though.
Oliver
11th March 2011, 18:10

CFD requires a vast amount of computing power. The data generated demands mammoth storage requirement. And then it isn’t even a hundred percent accurate. It can not always predict te airflow when you have two different objects interracting to produce a complex airflow.

Its best used to analyse wind tunnel data.
The best results fro CFD are those that receive feed back from a wind tunnel to better update the CFD mathematical model.

A wind tunnel is a controlled environment.
So it is much more reliable than a live test.
If Virgin use a live test (circuit) to corroborate their CFD data, how can they be sure its not some random wind pattern or air pressure enhancing the result.
Arun.India
11th March 2011, 18:29

As usual an indian Driver in F1 driving for a team which will come last!!!!
Oliver
11th March 2011, 18:58

Sponsorship comes in two flavours. You either place a product on the car with the hope they sell more or you place a driver inthe car with the hope he sells his talent.

Everyone starts from somewhere, even if small. The hope being to improve and enjoy the benefits that come with progress.

If a driver pays to drive he should live up to his side of the agreement, however charming and likable he may be.
HRT was born premature but by all means they deserve a fighting chance to survive.
1. fullthrottle
  11th March 2011, 19:57
  
  COTD METHINKS
Lucas
11th March 2011, 19:22

So all the teams and drivers are ready, lets see if I can get them right:-

Red Bull – 1. S Vettel 2. M Webber
McLaren – 3. L Hamilton 4. J Button
Ferrari – 5. F Alonso 6. F Massa
Mercedes – 7. M Schumacher 8. N Rosberg
Renault – 9. N Heidfeld 10. V Petrov
Williams – 11. R Barrichello 12. P Maldonado
Force India – 14. A Sutil 15. P di Resta
Sauber – 16. K Kobayashi 17. S Perez
Toro Rosso – 18. S Buemi 19. J Alguersuari
Lotus – 20. J Trulli 21. H Kovalainen
Hispania – 22. N Karthikeyan 23. V Liuzzi
Virgin – 24. T Glock 25. J D’Ambrosio
1. MARKP
  11th March 2011, 19:47
  
  If they can qualify then just ensure they finish in Australia by turning things down(even if lapped 10 times) they will beat McLaren.
Craig Woollard
11th March 2011, 20:19

Despite the style being quite cool, the livery is a joke.
McG (@mcg)
11th March 2011, 21:01

Nice paint job for the slowest car on the grid!
Bartholomew
11th March 2011, 21:57

The wheels look very good with the outer white stripe combined with graphite inside.
That is a very nice signature touch please preserve it
Best of luck !
Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
11th March 2011, 22:29

You know, I rather like it. This little team keeps showing up against all the odds and they are winning me over. I’ll root for the underdog this year, come on HRT!
That said, they look in better shape than Virgin to my eyes.
von
11th March 2011, 22:36

“This could be you” – really? I mean… REALLY?
Since when are you supposed to be openly proud of selling F1 drives to anyone with (not so) much money?
“Your logo here”? wow! That _is_ a new low.
Is that an F1 team or a car rental company?

Besides… For a livery that was designed by some fancy shmancy designer it looks rather tacky to me. And all the “speed” and “this is a cool spot” stickers give it the highly sought after appeal of a Chinese knockoff of a matchbox car ;D

I hope the car has at least some speed cause it looks pretty depressing, imho.
Jon E
11th March 2011, 22:45

They are gonna miss the test entirely according to Autosport because their dampers are stuck in customs, bid shame for them.

Can’t help thinking most other teams would have someone on a plane with another set in their hand luggage.
tee geba
11th March 2011, 23:01

this team is a joke

cant even test the car now!

i dont believe that the dampers are stuck in customs i bet they just didnt finish the car

STUNT
DeeCee
12th March 2011, 11:31

Nice look – shame they will be so poor and probably won’t qualify for some races under the reinstated % rule,
reluctantly predict they will be out of business come the end of the season…hope I’m wrong
Leftie (@leftie)
12th March 2011, 15:12

I think HRT not making it into 107% margin in Melbourne is a good bet

…ghosts of 1997 MasterCard Lola lurking around…
Dipak T
12th March 2011, 15:18

Its gonna come last, but its gonna look damn cool doing it!
Master firelee (@master-firelee)
12th March 2011, 16:50

I know this is of topic but a couple of months back I saw a minardi f1 team lorry drive past carrying a tractor or digger on the trailer, I cant realy remember what it was but i was thinking so are minardi racing these types of vehicles now they aren’t in f1 anymore.
Jamie Franklin
13th March 2011, 18:38

Well, I guess this certifies the battle between HRT and Marussia Virgin!

It’s a difficult one to call, but for some reason, I want the HRT to succeed in that forthcoming fight for 11th place.

…I would laugh though if HRT managed to sort out the tyre degradation problem of the Pirelli’s…obviously it’s completely ridiculous, but it would be hilarious!

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