HRT Formula 1 Team facts for kids
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| Full name | HRT Formula 1 Team (2011–2012) Hispania Racing F1 Team (2010–2011) Campos Meta 1 (2009) |
|---|---|
| Base | Madrid, Spain |
| Founder(s) | Adrián Campos José Ramón Carabante |
| Noted staff | Colin Kolles Geoff Willis Luis Pérez-Sala Daniele Audetto Toni Cuquerella |
| Noted drivers |  Karun Chandhok Christian Klien Bruno Senna Narain Karthikeyan Daniel Ricciardo Vitantonio Liuzzi Pedro de la Rosa Sakon Yamamoto |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 58 (56 starts) |
| Engines | Cosworth |
| Constructors' Championships |
0 |
| Drivers' Championships |
0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix |
The HRT Formula 1 Team was a Spanish Formula One racing team. It was also known as Hispania Racing and Campos Meta 1 during its time. The team was started by former racing driver Adrián Campos.
HRT was special because it was the first Spanish team to compete in Formula One. They raced for three seasons, from 2010 to 2012. The team faced many challenges, especially with money. In November 2012, the owners tried to sell the team. However, they could not find a buyer in time. Because of this, HRT was not allowed to join the 2013 season. The team then closed down.
Contents
Team History
Starting the Team
The team began as a partnership between Adrián Campos and Enrique Rodríguez. They called it Campos Meta. Adrián Campos already had a successful racing team called Campos Racing. They raced in other series like European F3 Open Championship and GP2 Series.
Campos and Rodríguez started planning Spain's first Formula One team in February 2009. Soon, they got support from Spanish business people and even famous basketball players like Pau Gasol.
The team's main offices were in Madrid, Spain. This is where they handled marketing and business. Their technical center was in Alzira, Valencia. In October 2009, they planned to build new facilities in Fuente Álamo. The cars for 2010 were built by an Italian company called Dallara and used Cosworth engines.
On June 12, 2009, the FIA (the main racing organization) announced that Campos Meta was one of three new teams joining the 2010 season. Later, they confirmed that Bruno Senna, nephew of the legendary driver Ayrton Senna, would be one of their drivers.
Money Problems and New Name
By the end of 2009, there were worries about the team's money. Some people, like Bernie Ecclestone (who ran Formula One), wondered if the team would even make it to the first race. In early 2010, the team admitted they might not be able to test their cars before the season started.
On February 19, 2010, a big change happened. The main owner, José Ramón Carabante, took full control of the team. Adrián Campos was replaced by Colin Kolles as the team boss. The team was renamed Hispania Racing F1 Team, or HRT for short. This new name came from one of Carabante's companies. The team's main office also moved to Murcia.
On March 4, Karun Chandhok was announced as the team's second driver. The team then showed off their first car, the F110, which used a Cosworth engine and was designed by Dallara.
The 2010 Season
The HRT team had no time to test their new car before the first race. The F110 first hit the track during the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. Bruno Senna managed to do a few laps, but Karun Chandhok's car had problems and couldn't run on Friday.
In qualifying, both HRT cars were at the very back of the grid. In the race, Chandhok crashed out early, and Senna retired with an engine problem. It was a tough start for the new team.
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At the next race in Australia, Chandhok finished 14th. This was the team's first time finishing a race. They also had both cars finish in Malaysia and China.
In Spain, the team's new test driver, Christian Klien, drove in practice. Later in the season, Sakon Yamamoto replaced Chandhok for a few races. Then, Klien also got a chance to race.
A big challenge for the team in 2010 was that their car never received any upgrades. This was due to disagreements between the team and Dallara about payments. The cars raced all season exactly as they were launched.
The 2011 Season
After the 2010 season, HRT ended its partnership with Dallara. They looked for new technical help for their 2011 car. There were talks about using Ferrari engines or working with Toyota.
In January 2011, Narain Karthikeyan announced he would drive for HRT. He had raced in Formula One before in 2005. By February, Vitantonio Liuzzi was also being considered as a driver. He was confirmed as the second driver in March 2011.
The team's 2011 car, the Hispania F111, first appeared during practice at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix. Both drivers struggled in qualifying and did not meet the 107% rule (a rule that says you must be within 107% of the fastest time to race). However, in Malaysia, they showed better speed and were allowed to start the race.
In July 2011, a company called Thesan Capital bought most of the team from Jose Ramon Carabante. The new owners wanted to make the team "more Spanish" and keep its operations in Spain.
For the 2011 British Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo (who later became a very famous driver) replaced Karthikeyan for several races. Karthikeyan returned for the first-ever 2011 Indian Grand Prix. Liuzzi then finished the last two races of the season.
HRT finished 11th in the Constructors' Championship in 2011, which was an improvement.
The 2012 Season
On November 21, 2011, Pedro de la Rosa signed a two-year contract with HRT. He was a very experienced Spanish driver. The team also got a new boss, Luis Pérez-Sala, as Colin Kolles left.
In February 2012, the team moved its operations to a large complex in Madrid. Their new car, the F112, was supposed to be ready for testing, but it failed some important crash tests. This meant it was delayed.
At the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan were not allowed to race. Their cars were too slow in qualifying and did not meet the 107% rule. This was a very disappointing start to the season.
Team Closure
In November 2012, the owners of HRT announced they wanted to sell the team. They needed to find a buyer by November 30, 2012, to pay the fees for the 2013 season. If they couldn't, the team would have to close.
Unfortunately, HRT could not find a buyer in time. Because of this, the team was removed from the 2013 Formula One entry list. The team officially closed down. Later, the team's assets (like their cars and equipment) were sold to Teo Martín, a company that recycles car parts. Martín planned to use the cars in a different racing series.
Images for kids
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Sakon Yamamoto replaced Chandhok for the 2010 German Grand Prix.
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Bruno Senna continued to drive for the rest of the season after missing the 2010 British Grand Prix. He is seen here at the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix.
See also
In Spanish: HRT Formula 1 Team para niños
