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

 Tongues were wagging in the Barcelona paddock on Thursday when some drivers hit the Spanish circuit wearing odd-looking Pirelli tyres.
Some of the tyres, whose compounds are normally visibly differentiated with coloured branding, featured significantly different markings.

The big rumour was that, now just two weeks before the start of the season in Australia, teams had requested the blank tyres in order to hide their test programmes from their rivals.

According to France’s Auto Plus, motor sport director Paul Hembery cleared up the matter by explaining that the blank tyres were in fact “prototypes”.

They had been manufactured not at Pirelli’s usual F1 factory in Turkey, but elsewhere, in the event that a natural disaster forced the tyre supplier to change its plans at the last minute.

Hembery also answered the criticism that, after Pirelli’s initial 2011 tyres spiced up the racing early last year, the new generation might not be aggressive enough.

“We need data from the races to judge that,” he insisted. “It’s far too early.”

He also confirmed that Pirelli is close to announcing the identity of its 2010-specification test car, and a new test driver.

It is believed former Force India driver Adrian Sutil is a candidate.

HRT F1 Team has reached an agreement with Dani Clos by which the young 23-year-old driver from Barcelona will become test driver of the Spanish outfit for the 2012 season.

The incorporation of Clos is another step in the team’s aspirations of establishing itself as a platform for young talents to reach the pinnacle of world motorsport.

Dani Clos will form an integral part of the team, taking part in several free practice sessions on Fridays and travelling to every Grand Prix throughout the season, with the main objective of learning and getting to know the team. There is a lot of hard work ahead of him but Dani will have the whole team’s support, including that of his teammates Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa, to help him learn and progress in such a demanding environment.

Dani Clos experienced his first contact with the team this past November, during the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi, and made the most of the opportunity given to him. The good sensations that the team and driver had, along with the objective of strengthening HRT F1 Team, helped to reach a quick agreement that was desired by both parties.

The Spanish driver will start to exert his functions as the team’s test driver immediately and will be with the team for the third pre-season tests in Barcelona from the 1^st to the 4^th of March.

Dani Clos: “I’m very proud to be a part of HRT Formula 1 Team. It is a great step in my career, something that I have dreamt of all my life and, finally, my dream is starting to come true. I’m very impressed with the job the team is doing; they’re achieving fantastic things in a short space of time. The team has changed a lot since we met in the Abu Dhabi tests and I think it’s a great opportunity and an honor to form a part of this new team. What they’re achieving is very important for motorsport in our country and has a lot of potential. Also, being alongside Pedro de la Rosa is very important for me, since he and Karthikeyan can positively contribute to me becoming a better driver. I want to thank Saúl Ruíz de Marcos and Luis Pérez-Sala for the trust they’ve shown in me from the start and, above all, I would like to thank the people who have always been by my side, such as Leonardo Soldevila and my father. For me a new chapter is beginning, one where hard work and dedication are going to be my priorities; I’m going to give it my all so that this phase is as successful as it can possibly be for the team, my teammates and myself”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal of HRT: “I’m very happy to have Dani on the team. He’s a quick, talented driver who, above all, is very willing to progress. The incorporation of Clos is another step in our project of restructuring HRT but also fits in with our desire to promote young motorsport talents. I’m sure that it will be a very positive experience for both parties”.

-Ends-

Dani Clos – Profile

Date of Birth: 23rd of October 1988

Place of Birth: Barcelona (Spain)

Nationality: Spanish

Height: 1,77cm

Weight: 68 kg

Country and place of residence: Barcelona (Spain)

Website: www.daniclos.com

Twitter: @daniclos

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 2^nd in the 24H Barcelona race. In 2009 he made his debut in the GP2 series, with a 3^rd 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.

Career Summary:

2011: GP2: Racing Engineering, 9^thin the Championship

F1: Young Driver Test with HRT F1 Team

2010: GP2: Racing Engineering, 4^thin the Championship (1 race win)

2009: GP2: Racing Engineering, 21^stin the Championship

2008: F3 Euroseries: Prema Powerteam: 14^thin the Championship

2007: F3 Euroseries: Signature Plus: 13^thin the Championship

2006: Formula Renault 2.0 Italia: Champion (8 race wins)

Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 7^th position

2005: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: 32^ndin the Championship

Italian Formula Renault Championship: 16^th in the Championship

 A stray dog delayed the first ever practice session at India’s new Buddh circuit early on Friday.
The black dog caused a five minute delay until it was chased down by officials at the smog-affected venue.

In 2008 in Turkey, Bruno Senna struck and killed a dog at speed with his GP2 car, damaging his suspension.

Another point of note on Friday was fastest driver Lewis Hamilton’s helmet, which unusually featured a picture of Bob Marley on the top.

A day after the 2008 world champion confirmed his split with girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, many wondered if the Briton was referring to the Marley song ‘No woman no cry’.

In fact, the reference was to the song ‘One love’, featuring the lyrics ‘Let’s get together and feel all right’.

Hamilton told reporters on Thursday: “These times are sent to try you. And it’s about how you pull through them.”

Every time Sebastian Vettel wins in 2011, he adds another smile to his collection.
Germany’s Bild newspaper reports that there are seven small ‘smiley’ stickers aligned in a row inside the cockpit of the runaway championship leader’s Red Bull.

One was added to ‘Luscious Liz’ after each of his seven 2011 victories so far in Australia, Malaysia, Turkey, Barcelona, Monaco, Valencia and Spa two weeks ago.

The 24-year-old confirmed at Monza: “(Adding) the faces was my idea. It’s an old tradition.”

He is referring to 2004, when a large yellow smiley sticker was added to the exterior livery of his formula BMW car after every win.

“By the end of the year the nose was almost completely covered in them,” laughed Vettel, who as a seventeen year old won 18 of the 20 races.

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed the formula one calendar could expand beyond 20 races.

Originally, the 2012 schedule featured an unprecedented 21 dates, but FIA president Jean Todt insisted the number would ultimately drop to 20 as agreed with the teams.

Indeed, the latest version circulated in the Hungaroring paddock last weekend featured 20 races, with Turkey dropped.

The teams, fearing staff burnout, are keen for the calendar to remain capped at 20 races per season.

But Williams chairman Adam Parr told Reuters this week that the schedule “can increase a little bit” in conjunction with a change to the event format.

“We could have 21 (races),” F1 chief executive Ecclestone, the author of the annual calendar, told the Daily Express.

He suggested the teams will agree to an extra race on the grounds that the one it would need to replace might be Monaco or another favourite.

“If we say we have got to get rid of Monaco, they would say we would rather not,” predicted Ecclestone.

Karun Chandhok will contest the Friday morning practice session for Team Lotus at Valencia.

The Indian is the team’s official reserve driver, appearing at the wheel of the T128 previously in 2011 for initial practice in Australia and Turkey.

“I have not had much running in the car and my aim will be to get more comfortable with the car and add as much value as I can to the team,” he said on Wednesday.

As F1 celebrates the end of processional and predictable races, Pirelli has acknowledged that Turkey two weeks ago was one step too far.
The sport’s new official tyre partner is supplying a more durable hard compound to teams in Spain this weekend, after drivers had to make four pitstops on average at Istanbul Park.

Some commentators have applauded the spectacle of the new formula, whilst acknowledging that Turkey – as a motor race – was nearly impossible for spectators to follow.

“We have gone from one extreme to the other,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Agreed Pirelli’s Paul Hembery: “We were caught by surprise in Turkey. Four pitstops is a lot. We are working on two or three.”

Even if the right balance is found, not everyone is a fan of today’s F1.

“I miss not being able to squeeze everything out of the car without having to look after the tyres,” admitted Mark Webber.

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn, however, said it is here to stay.

“Most teams are already working on their cars for next season based on what (regulations) we have today,” he revealed.

Mark Webber is headed into a backseat role for the rest of the 2011 world championship.
That is the controversial suggestion of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who denies the Australian driver is already set to be Sebastian Vettel’s ‘number 2′ this season.

Vettel has had a meteoric start to the 2011 championship and after four races is 38 points ahead of Australian Webber, who sits third in the drivers’ standings.

“We do not have any team orders,” energy drink company Red Bull’s motor racing consultant Marko told Germany’s Sport Bild.

“But it’s a fact that, generally since Silverstone 2010, Mark has been three tenths of a second slower than Sebastian,” he said.

“That’s too slow to be able to win with his own steam. But if as in Turkey he races at a high level, he can take important points away from the others,” added Marko.

Webber is the only significant member of the Red Bull team whose contract beyond 2011 was not recently renewed.

Franz Tost has played down his recent comments about Daniel Ricciardo, but the hopeful Australian driver admits he is encouraged about the progress of his formula one career.
Team boss Tost’s comments in Turkey about 21-year-old Ricciardo suggested he will definitely replace either Sebastien Buemi or Jaime Alguersuari at Toro Rosso next year.

But the Austrian told motorsport-magazin.com at the Red Bull Ring opening: “Regarding the other drivers (Buemi and Alguersuari), nothing is up for discussion at the moment, as they are both performing well.”

Ricciardo, however, said he is encouraged by Tost’s admission that he will be in the race cockpit in 2012.

“I was glad to hear that Franz made that statement,” he told another German website, motorsport-total.com.

“Nothing is confirmed, but I am encouraged, of course,” added Ricciardo, who won the recent Monza race of the Formula Renault 3.5 series.

“On the other hand, it is obvious that this is the plan for me. You don’t want to be doing the Friday practice for two or three years,” he said.

Some teams have admitted they do not support Jean Todt’s proposal to allow some in-season testing in formula one next year.
The FIA president and former Ferrari boss said in Turkey that he will push for the teams to agree to change the severe test limitations, or simply impose the new regulations for the 2013 season.

“We are not interested in the idea of allowing private testing during the season,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said bluntly, according to Autosprint’s Italian-language website.

“We consider the current situation to be well balanced. To change it would raise costs, inevitably,” added the Briton.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told CNN last week that F1 is the “only professional sport in the world” that does not allow “training”.

“It is true that some teams favour more testing during the season,” said McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh, “but we must also safeguard the interest of the smaller teams, who do not have great financial means.”

Timo Glock has expressed concern that simply qualifying for races might soon be difficult for the Virgin team in 2011.

The German was openly disappointed when significant elements of a major upgrade for the MVR-02 car did not work effectively in Turkey just over a week ago.

He said the team needs to get to the bottom of the problems or risk falling way behind the progress of its rivals.

“If our development packages do not work, it will soon be difficult for us to qualify for the race,” Glock, referring to the newly reintroduced 107 per cent qualifying rule, is quoted by Speed Week.

He insisted, however, that he is not so disillusioned that he is losing patience with the Virgin project.

“I stand behind the team,” insisted the former Jordan and Toyota driver. “We need to solve our problems and change only a few things and then we will make progress.”

Mercedes is reportedly set to introduce a Renault-like approach to its 2011 car’s exhaust layout for debut in Barcelona next weekend.
It was already rumoured that the German team is perhaps now closer than any other to imitating Red Bull’s flexible front wing.

“For Barcelona we have some aerodynamic developments that should bring us a step in performance,” team boss Ross Brawn told Auto Motor und Sport.

AS newspaper said the main feature of Mercedes’ Spanish upgrade is side-exiting exhausts, with Red Bull’s Adrian Newey admitting recently that innovation has been the most impressive of the season so far.

Said team driver Nico Rosberg: “Most teams are bringing new things, but I think ours could be better than the others to bring us a little closer to the top.”

Meanwhile, Italy’s Autosprint said McLaren is set to move forward in Barcelona in the crucial new area of engine mapping settings for the blown exhaust.

“For Turkey we’d planned to introduce a couple of useful upgrades, but for several reasons we weren’t able to get them onto the car,” revealed Jenson Button.

Ferrari is already working on the fundamental elements of its 2012 car, according to a report.
The Spanish sports daily Marca said the Italian team is still developing the 150 Italia car in parallel, particularly the floor, diffuser, exhausts and the engine mapping.

But the chassis, gearbox, suspension and cooling systems for its successor are also on the drawing board at Maranello, with the report saying the approach for next year “will be more aggressive”.

Ferrari is just third in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull and McLaren, with Fernando Alonso achieving the team’s first podium of the season last weekend in Turkey.

As for the 2012 car, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis said it is underway in May “because otherwise it will be too late”.

“For this development we have spoken about the problems of this year to have more aggressiveness in the project,” he added.

Nico Rosberg insists he is not getting complacent after proving stronger than his famous Mercedes teammate in the past two seasons.
Ever since seven time world champion Michael Schumacher returned from retirement in 2010, it has been 25-year-old Rosberg regularly setting the pace at the wheel of the Silver Arrows.

Calls for Schumacher, 42, to quit have intensified since his performance in Turkey, where after the race the German admitted he is missing the “big joy” of F1 at present.

But Rosberg has defended Schumacher, insisting he still respects the winner of an unprecedented 91 grands prix.

“He is and remains the most successful racing driver of all time,” the German told Auto Motor und Sport.

“It is still very difficult to be faster than him and I must work hard in every session. Everything needs to fit together for me to stay ahead.

“I’m happy that it has worked well for me against him so far, but I also know that at the next race it may be difficult,” added Rosberg.

The next race on the calendar is in Barcelona, where at the final test of the pre-season the W02 car seemed right on the pace.

But Rosberg warned: “The tests are far in the past and therefore now basically meaningless. In the last few races we have seen exactly where we stand.”