The Hispania Racing team have replaced Sakon Yamamoto with their long-time test driver Christian Klien for the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, after the Japanese driver came down with food poisoning on Thursday evening.
Klien has only driven for HRT in the Friday morning practice session at the Spanish and European race weekends, but will get his chance behind the wheel of a HRT car this weekend.
Team boss Colin Kolles confirmed that the switch was a one-off change due to illness, and that Yamamoto would be back in the car for the Japanese Grand Prix, assuming he had recovered.
"It looks as if Sakon Yamamoto has food poisoning and he doesn't feel well," Kolles mourned on Friday morning at the Singapore track.
"Because of this, Christian Klien will be driving the car this Friday and the rest of the Singapore Grand Prix. I hope Sakon gets well soon and is able to drive at his home Grand Prix in Japan."
Klien hasn't raced in Formula One since the 2006 Italian Grand Prix when he competed for the Red Bull team, and has spent his last few seasons in the sport as a test driver exclusively, with Honda, BMW and now Hispania Racing.
He will become the third driver to compete in the second Hispania car this season, after Yamamoto took over from Karun CHandhok from the German Grand Prix.
Chandhok is at the Singapore weekend, but does not seem to have been considered for the drive.
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