Spanish driver Dani Clos will step into the F112 for the first time on Friday to take part in the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix which will take place at the Circuit de Catalunya. 23 year-old Clos will substitute teammate Narain Karthikeyan for that session and will join Pedro de la Rosa for the first 90 minutes of practice in Montmeló.

It will be history in the making for HRT Formula 1 Team at the Circuit de Catalunya since this will be the first time that two Spanish drivers hit the track forming a part of a Spanish team at the Spanish Grand Prix. It will be a moment to remember for Spanish motorsport and a great opportunity for Clos to prove his worth in front of his home crowd.

After having completed 377.67 kilometres at the helm of the F111 in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last November and having joined the team as an official test driver in February, Dani Clos will take another step on Friday and will fulfill another vital aspect of his testing role by completing his first laps at the wheel of the F112. A car that will be brining a series of aerodynamic upgrades for this important Grand Prix.

Dani Clos: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity. It’s something I’ve fought for all my life; to make my debut in Formula 1 and, above all, to be able to do it at the Circuit de Catalunya which is something very special for me. Besides, I’m extremely lucky to be able to do it with a Spanish team, alongside another Spanish driver who I admire and at home. I can’t ask for more! It’s the ideal situation and I’m proud to be where I am with the people who have always been with me and still are. I hope to extract a lot of data from this practice session, contribute with positive things to the team and do my job in the best way I can. I feel 100% ready and I can’t wait for the moment I step into the car and hit the track”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT: “I’m very proud and happy that this moment has arrived and that we’ve given Dani the chance to get in the car on Friday’s first free practice session at such a special and important Grand Prix as is a home Grand Prix. In this first contact he will drive next to Pedro de la Rosa and will have the chance to drive the new F112 for the first time. It’s an important session given the short amount of time on track that we have and more so when you take into account the various aerodynamic upgrades which we have brought. Dani is a great driver and I have no doubt that he will do a good job. Besides, this debut also represents another step forward in our desire for HRT to serve as a platform for young drivers to make it into F1”.

DANI CLOS – PROFILE AND CAREER SUMMARY

Dani Clos was born in Barcelona on the 23rd of October 1988. With a renowned trajectory in karting, Clos made his debut in single-seater racing in 2004 in Formula Renault Italia 2.0, going on to win the Championship in 2006. A year later he joined Renault’s F1 programme and took part in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2008 he entered Williams F1′s young drivers’ programme and finished in 2nd in the 24H Barcelona race. In 2009 he made his debut in the GP2 series, with a 3rd place finish in Portimao being his best result. In his second year in GP2 he achieved his first win in Turkey alongside various podium finishes. Last year, Dani Clos took one win and two podiums in what was his third season as a GP2 driver. Also in 2011, he took part in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi with HRT F1 Team, completing total of 377.67km in one day and leaving a very good impression on the team. In 2012, Dani Clos joins the HRT Formula 1 Team as its official test driver.

Career Summary:

2012 F1: test driver, HRT Formula 1 Team
2011 GP2: Racing Engineering, 9th in the Championship
F1: Young Driver Test with HRT F1 Team
2010 GP2: Racing Engineering, 4th in the Championship (1 win)
2009 GP2: Racing Engineering, 21st in the Championship
2008 F3 Euroseries: Prema Powerteam: 14th in the Championship
2007 F3 Euroseries: Signature Plus: 13th in the Championship
2006 Fórmula Renault 2.0 Italia: Champion (8 wins)
Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 7th position in the Championship
2005 Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 32nd in the Championship
Fórmula 2.0 Italiana: 16th in the Championship

He may not race in his native India this weekend, but Karun Chandhok could have a future with Team Lotus, boss Tony Fernandes said on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Malaysian businessman had to announce that, to his emotional disappointment, he must stick with the team’s regular lineup of Heikki Kovalainen alongside Jarno Trulli.

Fernandes had openly contemplated putting Chandhok on the Delhi grid, but ultimately decided that Team Lotus must safeguard its lucrative tenth place in the constructors’ championship.

“We had to make the best decision for the future of the team,” he said.

“While this is obviously not the decision Karun wanted us to take he understands that we have to take the long-term view and do so in the best interests of the team.”

Fernandes hinted that Chandhok, who replaced Italian Trulli for a one-off race at the Nurburgring earlier this season, may get his chance in the future.

“He understands that his relationship with our team is not about just one race, it is about growing together.

“While this is an historic event, there will be many opportunities to race in India in the future, and he is in the best possible place with us to take advantage of those chances in seasons to come,” added Fernandes.

And he said on Twitter: “If we don’t have the right finances there won’t be a team, and that includes Karun.”

Chandhok, who will nonetheless practice on Friday morning, admitted he is “obviously disappointed” he won’t be racing in front of his home crowd.

“I understand that this isn’t about me, it’s about the team and everything the 254 people on track and back at the factory are doing to build for the future,” said the 27-year-old.

Narain Karthikeyan will return to the cockpit of the HRT race car at his inaugural home grand prix in October.

Despite being recently replaced at the Spanish team by Red Bull sponsored Australian Daniel Ricciardo, Indian Karthikeyan said on Saturday that he will be driving at the new Buddh circuit in New Delhi.

“It was always a dream for me to race in formula one and race in front of my home crowd,” said the 34-year-old at a press conference in India.

“And now thanks to the Jaypee Group that dream is going to be a reality,” he said, referring to the developers and promoters of the Indian track and grand prix.

Karthikeyan’s countryman Karun Chandhok, however, is not so sure he will be racing in October.

“I’ve always maintained that racing in the German grand prix this year was a one-off,” the Team Lotus reserve driver is quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

“The team seem to be pleased with my performance at the event so we will see what happens.”

Red Bull and Ferrari will fight it out for victory this weekend, David Coulthard has predicted.
“It would appear that Ferrari and Red Bull have the edge on McLaren,” the Scot, a veteran of almost 250 grands prix, surmised after watching the practice sessions at the Nurburgring on Friday.

“Red Bull have taken pole at every race this year and I would expect that trend to continue,” he told the Telegraph.

It is a neat summary in the wake of Ferrari’s continued resurgence and the fact that McLaren, as at Silverstone two weeks ago, appears to have taken a step backwards.

Also looking stronger is Mark Webber, with his team orders stoush with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel appearing to have given him wings.

At the same time, championship leader Vettel appeared to struggle somewhat in front of his home crowd, but forecast rain and low temperatures could give him the edge over Ferrari in the coming days.

“In the rain we still have a problem,” admitted Silverstone winner Fernando Alonso to Auto Motor und Sport. “The worst thing for us is a wet and cold track.”

German Vettel told O Estado de S.Paulo: “Our forecast is for rain.”

With his 80 point lead, however, the weather is a minor concern for the bigger picture. More important for Alonso is a consistently quick car — and for McLaren to improve.

“I need six or seven ‘teammates’ to be able to finish ahead of Vettel and take points off him. Otherwise it (the title) is going to be difficult,” he said.

There are also mind games at play, with McLaren’s Jenson Button openly admitting to trying all he can off the circuit to add to the current tension at Red Bull.

“I love it that there is a disagreement. It is what McLaren need,” he said.

A second is that as a victory for Dani Pedrosa. Speaking of those seven points are recovered against Lorenzo Aragon in Motorland, they can still hope for a comeback difficult but not impossible in the next five races, when to give his best to recover as many as 56 points …

“I’m quite satisfied with second place though, obviously, I would have liked to win in front of my home crowd, “said Pedrosa. “I took a big risk at the first corner, I lost several positions and it took me a while to recover and find myself behind Stoner. Then between us was a “5 and the race pace was the same as it was difficult to overcome this disadvantage.

Towards the end, unfortunately I started having problems with the tires started to lose grip at this point I said to myself “Okay, okay.” On the weekend we had more problems than others to regard the tires, but in any event the second place is good and the championship is still open although it will be difficult to recover on Lorenzo.

Now we are ready to race at Motegi, Honda’s home race, I thank them and my team because they’re working very hard and now we fast every weekend. “

Protagonist of the weekend in Indianapolis, Ben Spies hit a double objective in the race finish on the podium in second position, be the best Yamaha rider. Unable to keep the frantic pace of Pedrosa, the Superbike World Championship in office was “satisfied” with second place and beat in direct comparison Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi crossed the line behind him …

“I’m really glad I got my best result in MotoGP before the home crowd and on a track like Indianapolis, “admits Ben Spies. “I always said it wants to reach this goal, mission accomplished! After the pole position of my start was good and I must say it was nice to find myself for the first time in the head in a MotoGP race.

Unfortunately I did not pass Pedrosa, he played a really great race. Anyway I am happy because when I was leading I made no mistakes and I kept a steady pace, when Pedrosa passed me I knew not to follow him, so I let go and I am focused on keeping second place and remove Lorenzo.

I can not complain it was a good weekend and be the best Yamaha rider in the race which saw his fellow brand is something positive … I will try to replicate this result in Misano.