Karun Chandhok looks to have definitely secured a role with Team Lotus for 2011.

The former HRT driver hinted recently that he is close to becoming the Tony Fernandes-headed team’s reserve and Friday driver.

“Nothing is final until you have a contract in your hands,” said the Indian.

That contract appears to have now been signed, given Chandhok’s sighting early on Wednesday wearing a ‘Team Lotus’-branded jacket.

The photograph of Chandhok, standing alongside the team’s driver development official and ex-Minardi driver Alex Yoong, was posted on Twitter by Fernandes.

Team Lotus’ T128 makes its test debut at Valencia on Wednesday morning.

HRT on Wednesday morning confirmed that its relationship with Italian chassis maker Dallara has ended.

Amid multiple criticisms of the F110 car from within the new Spanish outfit, it has been reported for some time that the Dallara contract was terminated.

“It was clear from the outset that the contract with Dallara is completed,” team boss Colin Kolles was quoted as saying last month.

“It ended on the date on which we ran our cars,” he added.

In a press release on Wednesday morning, the team confirmed the split, insisting it is “on amicable terms”.

But the statement also revealed that after six races in 2010, “no further chassis development was made by Dallara”.

“HRT … will continue to develop and improve the Dallara designed F110 chassis via its own development programme,” the statement added.

Amid suggestions the Dallara split would convince consultant Geoff Willis to sign up as technical director, Kolles said earlier this month that the team will build its own car for 2011.
(GMM)

Michael Schumacher led the way in the opening hour of Wednesday’s Jerez test as two red flag situations kept running to a minimum.

Overcast skies and a damp track greeted the drivers on the first morning of this week’s four-day Jerez test.

Felipe Massa was the first to venture out, followed by Fairuz Fauzy, who was given the honour of getting behind the wheel of the new Lotus T127 in its first official test.

Following a brief break after the installation laps, which were completed by all the teams excluding Virgin Racing within the first 20 minutes, Fauzy hit the track again to put in his first timed lap.

The Lotus test driver clocked a 1:46.652 in his brief two-lap run. However, the team had no complaints.

“Fairuz just did a couple of laps on a wet track with no problems, he’s in now for some adjustments,” Lotus reported on Twitter.

The Malaysian driver’s time, though, was over 16s off the lead time set by Michael Schumacher.

While his rivals were lapping in the 1:33s to start with, Schumacher’s first flying lap of the day was a 1:30.549.

It wasn’t a good start to the test for Lewis Hamilton and McLaren as the Brit brought out the red flags when he stopped out on track.

After a 16 minute hold-up the session was resumed only to be stopped four minutes later as Paul di Resta spun his Force India.

Schumacher therefore ended the opening hour in the P1 slot with Pedro de la Rosa 0.214s behind and Felipe Massa in third place.