Sometime Hispania Racing test driver Christian Klien has confirmed that he is "speaking to" teams with a view to a race drive for next season, and has refused to rule out getting a racing chance with the HRT squad later on in 2010.
Klien joined the Hispania Racing team earlier in 2010, ostensibly as a test driver. He deputised for the team in the opening Friday practice session at both the Spanish Grand Prix and European Grand Prix weekends.
But the Austrian driver, with experience of racing in F1 with both Jaguar and Red Bull, has so far been passed over for a race drive, despite the other HRT tester Sakon Yamamoto having replaced Karun Chandhok for an unspecified amount of time.
But Klien says that he still feels that there is a chance he will be given a run out in a race before the end of 2010, as the HRT squad desperately look to make steps forward with their F110 Dallara-designed car.
"It's hard to say," he said to the Austrian Kurier newspaper when asked about his 2010 race chances.
"All four drivers in HRT are equally placed. It depends entirely on the team."
Bruno Senna, who was replaced at the British GP by Yamamoto, has insisted that he is now guaranteed his seat until the end of the season, meaning that Klien would likely have to hope to replace Yamamoto in order to get a full weekend in the car.
He added that: "All four drivers in HRT are equally placed. It depends entirely on the team. I will try to be in the car as much as possible to accumulate experience."
Klien has competed in 48 grands prix, though has not featured in a race since being replaced by Red Bull towards the end of the 2006 season.
After leaving Red Bull, he found employment as a test driver for Honda and BMW Sauber, and has also raced at Le Mans for the works Peugeot LMP squad, though he recently departed the French team to concentrate on Formula One.
In terms of his future plans, Klien insisted that he was looking at options on the F1 grid for 2011, either with HRT or another team.
"I get along very well with the team's people and also [HRT] boss [Colin Kolles]," he rambled.
"I am also speaking with other [F1] teams."
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