All the hard work has finally paid off today as the F112, the car with which HRT Formula 1 Team will compete this season, completed its first laps at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

Since the car passed the last crash test and was homologated, the team has carried out work shifts to cover 24 hours a day to make sure it could make it, for the first time in its history, to the first Grand Prix of the season having run previously.

The car was able to run after the team took advantage of one of the filming days available during the season.

The car made it to the circuit from Munich, Germany, just after one in the afternoon and the mechanics and engineers got straight down to business, working on relevant adjustments. It was a combined team effort, working against the clock, which saw its rewards four hours later when Narain Karthikeyan led the car out onto the track. Pedro de la Rosa, Dani Clos and Tonio Liuzzi were also present, as were Carlos Gracia, President of the Spanish Motorsports Federation and Salvador Servià, General Director of the Circuit de Catalunya.

The tests were carried out without any setbacks and the car carried out over ten laps. The team was able to check that the car functioned properly both from a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view as from a systems standpoint.

The team will prepare the necessary material in the upcoming days and head down under for the first Grand Prix of the season which will take place at Melbourne, Australia, in just two weeks.

Narain Karthikeyan: “Today was a shakedown of the F112 and I have had the honour to be the first driver to test it. The first impressions are quite good; it’s definitely a step up from last year. We couldn’t do any set-up work or stuff like that but everything seems to be working fine and there are no major problems so we can look forward to the season now. Everyone has worked hard and the new team management has put everything together in a very short period of time. They’ve done a proper job with the car and I’m sure that it’s a big step forward from last year, so hopefully we can take the competition to the teams we were fighting last year”.

Pedro de la Rosa: “Today has been a very special day because the car saw the light for the first time; Narain did some installation laps and then various times laps without any issues. This is very important, it might not seem like it, but any sort of mileage before Australia is vital to see that the car is in good conditions. From here it is our job to try and improve it and make it progress”.

Luis Péres-Sala, Team Principal: “I’m very satisfied today as it is a very important day for us because we were able to test some things out with the new car during this filming day. I’m very proud of each and every member of this team because everyone has contributed their little bit for this to be possible. Now we have to focus on Australia because we still have a lot ahead”.

There would never have been a single mention of team orders at Red Bull had Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a run of technical reliability in 2010.
That is the claim of Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s ever-controversial driver manager and motor racing right-hand man to team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Vettel, the new reigning champion, and his teammate butted heads last year when Webber led the championship and pundits pushed the wisdom of a team strategy in the Australian’s favour.

There were claims of team favouritism in Vettel’s favour but Red Bull clung to its stated policy of equality and the young German ultimately won the battle.

But speaking to Sport Bild, Austrian Marko hinted that Vettel’s dominance last year was muted only by technical setbacks.

“Without the 66 points he (Vettel) lost due to technical defects, the standoff with Mark Webber would never have occurred,” he said.

Team orders have been legalised for 2011 but Marko is adamant that Red Bull’s policy will not change.

“We don’t use them (team orders) because the sporting aspect should be the primary focus of formula one,” he insisted.

Giedo van der Garde and his management have started work on ‘plan B’, after missing out on the second Virgin race cockpit for 2011.

The Dutchman, managed and sponsored by officials of the McGregor fashion brand, was in the running for the seat alongside Timo Glock until the British team said on Tuesday it has signed Belgian Jerome d’Ambrosio.

Asked if he had heard the news before Virgin’s press release was issued, 25-year-old van der Garde told the Dutch press: “No, we were not informed in advance.

“It is unfortunate, but what you do know in advance is how difficult it is to get a formula one seat,” he admitted.

“F1 remains the goal even if it is a tough business. You have to ignore the setbacks and keep going.”

The Dutch magazine formule1.nl said ‘plan B’ for van der Garde is another season in GP2, or perhaps test seats with the Williams or Force India teams.

Van der Garde replied: “This news is so fresh. First I have to sit down with my management to see what is best for my career.

“Plan B is to be GP2 champion, as we have seen what it did for Pastor Maldonado. He was in GP2 four years before he was champion.”

His manager Jan Paul ten Hoopen admitted that Tuesday’s news has “narrowed the opportunities” for van der Garde in F1 for 2011.

“With Virgin we had a realistic option,” he added. “We are still talking with two other teams, including Force India.

“But you can never rely on something in formula one. It’s a big casino,” added ten Hoopen.

F1′s globalisation has made it harder for drivers from the sport’s traditional markets to find places on the grid.

That is the claim of Austrian Christian Klien, who raced a few times with the struggling new team HRT in 2010 and is hoping for a full season next year.

But with pay-drivers now wielding more power than in the recent past, Klien admitted the task is tough.

“Nico Hulkenberg’s case shows that there are no guarantees,” he is quoted by Vorarlberg Online.

“He had a great debut year with a pole position in Brazil, and he’s out,” said Klien.

“In my own case, I have some options,” he revealed.

“The most obvious one of course is HRT, who are on the verge of establishing themselves as a serious competitor, even if there are some setbacks from time to time.

“In February there was not much of a team and I would not have believed I would contest three grands prix this year. And there’s still some time until March (2011),” added Klien.

He thinks part of his difficulty in establishing a strong full-time return to F1 is geographic.

“It is pretty hard when you are from central Europe,” said Klien, 27.

“F1 has internationalised very quickly and previously as a Briton, an Italian, a Frenchman, you had a good chance,” said the Austrian.

“Today there are more cockpits from before, but the driver market is being fed from many more countries; Russia, India, the southeast Asian region, and now probably Korea and China.

“And if you’re the eighth German, then it is very difficult. Look at France and Italy — 20 years ago there were ten of each. And today?”

The other problem is the economic climate, and the power wielded by drivers who carry substantial commercial backing.

“Even a big name like Kimi Raikkonen in the world rally championship is relying on sponsors to get his cockpit,” said Klien.

“And in F1 the teams are under enormous cost pressure,” he added.

Bosses of the smaller formula one teams have confirmed they are unlikely to agree to relax the in-season testing ban for 2011.

McLaren and FOTA boss Martin Whitmarsh said this week that while the amount of winter running will be increased to six full tests, the smaller teams are happy with the total lack of in-season testing.

“I personally would like to see more testing but I am respectful of the fact that there are teams still hurting,” he said.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said a relaxation of the ban was discussed at a meeting last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, but the small teams are refusing to comply with the wishes of their more powerful rivals.

“Everyone’s in the same boat,” said Force India’s chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer.

“Testing is only an advantage for those who can afford it. So it (the ban) is good for the sport, even if the big teams have to cope with the setbacks in the development process,” he added.

Michael Schumacher has scoffed at the current in-season ban by suggesting that formula one is the only major sport in the world that prohibits practice.

Toro Rosso’s Franz Tost hit back: “There is also no other sport in which a test kilometre costs between 700 and 1000 euros.”

Jun.15 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa has revealed he is “available” for employment by formula one teams.After a long stint away from the grid as McLaren’s test and reserve driver, the 39-year-old Spaniard this year returned to racing with Sauber.

But his season has been difficult at the wheel of the usually uncompetitive and unreliable C29 car, while also dogged by constant suggestions that he is set to be ousted.

More bad luck followed de la Rosa to Canada last weekend, where after qualifying just 17th he was punted out at the first corner by Vitaly Petrov before his Ferrari engine failed.

“No matter how bad it’s been, it’s better than testing,” he later smiled during an interview with the BBC.

Despite the setbacks, de la Rosa insists he has “fully” enjoyed his return to formula one, but indicated that his career is now in doubt.

“I feel young. For the future, if anyone wants me, I am available,” he revealed.

“I am usable, even if I have to go back testing or as a reserve driver, because I have had another year in formula one racing it will extend my career, simple as that,” added de la Rosa.

The once-promising rookie Kamui Kobayashi is also under the spotlight at Sauber, especially given his first-lap crash into Montreal’s famous ‘Wall of Champions’.

“As is often the case in Canada, it was easy to score championship points today, however, we didn’t collect them,” angry team boss Peter Sauber said.

“We lost one car which was in tenth at the end of lap one through an over-optimistic move, and the second one through an engine failure.”

May 3 (GMM)  Speculation about Michael Schumacher’s mood continues to rise, but the seven time world champion insists he is “extremely motivated” ahead of the fifth race of his 2010 comeback.

After three years of retirement, the 41-year-old German has been consistently outpaced by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg so far in 2010, but will have a car with a longer wheelbase in Spain that should better suit his driving style.

“When he has that (revised car) I think we will have to reassess the whole story,” commented former triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart.

“If he then doesn’t deliver, then I think he has a problem,” added the Scot.

70-year-old Stewart thinks part of Schumacher’s problem will be reassessing his desire to honour the full three years of his new contract.

“You know, I don’t think he should have retired when he did in 2006 because I don’t think it was out of his system,” he said.  “This might take it out of his system.”

Schumacher’s old title rival of the 90s, Damon Hill, is not ruling out that “the old Schumacher magic” could soon return.

“Is it still there?” he told the Daily Mail, whose headline accuses Mercedes of “wasting money” on Schumacher.

“I’m sure that’s a question Michael will be asking himself — and it’s one that is starting to become valid after four races,” added Hill.

In an official Mercedes press release, Schumacher played down the likely effect of the car upgrades for Barcelona but sounded bullish about his own outlook.

Team boss Ross Brawn also said the German is “determined to succeed” despite the setbacks so far.

Added Schumacher: “Our step forward in Barcelona will be bigger than you can make at each race during the flyaways but it would not be realistic to expect us to suddenly be competing right at the front,” he said.

“However the good news is that after three years away, I am feeling extremely motivated.  So I am clearly ready to take this challenge,” added the record winner of 91 grands prix.