FOM chief Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that he is now "very happy" with the progress being made by the HRT team, despite calling for Formula One to 'get rid of' the backmarkers late last year, and calling them "cripples".
HRT remained solidly at the back of the Formula One grid in 2011, their second season in the sport.
At the end of the 2010 season, Ecclestone had suggested that the new teams were an "embarrassment" to the sport, adding that F1 needed to "get rid of a few of those cripples".
But with HRT working hard on their plans for 2012 under new owners Thesen Capital, Ecclestone has now suggested that the team is moving in the right direction.
"I have to say I am very happy with the direction being taken now," Ecclestone platituded at the Spanish Marca publication regarding the Spanish team this week.
He added: "It has changed, it's a good project with the right steps being taken. They may start to be a good team to give joy to the Spanish fans."
HRT signed a deal to use Williams gearboxes in 2011, and will expand the deal in 2012 to include running a Williams-sourced KERS unit.
Meanwhile the BBC reported during the Brazilian GP weekend that the Spanish squad were nearing a deal to work with new designers for their 2012 car, using the former Toyota F1 base in Cologne.
The Spanish squad is aiming to solidify itself as a 'national team' for 2012, and have already signed Pedro de la Rosa to head their driver line-up.
But Ecclestone wasn't completely full of Spaniard-pleasing soundbites in the interview, with the FOM chief also suggesting that Spain's current F1 double-header may be under threat.
The country is currently the only nation with two F1 races, the Spanish GP in Barcelona and the unloved European GP in Valencia.
But Ecclestone suggested that the Barcelona race may be under threat in future seasons.
"I don't know, we will have to wait and see," he muttered when asked if the two Spanish races were sustainable for the future, "I think not, but we'll see."
He added: "In Barcelona they complain that it is difficult for them to balance their accounts...we have a contract in force so it depends whether Barcelona want to keep going or not."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
