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May 23rd
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HRT: We're building our own 2012 car

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The HRT Formula One team have felt it necessary to confirm that they will be designing and building their own brand new car for the 2012 season, not sourcing their machine from their rival Team Lotus/Caterham outfit.

The statement from the team confirmed that their new car would be designed at the team's own technical office in Munich.

HRT felt the need to clarify their position after some reports in the rarely-accurate F1 media suggested that they would work with a Cologne company co-owned by Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes the team's designer Mike Gascoyne.

Instead, HRT say that they will be designing their own car for 2012, without help from the Lotus squad, which will be renamed Caterham for next season.

"After the recent information appearing lately in the media, HRT F1 Team is obliged to deny that Caterham Technology and Innovation, a subsidiary company of Caterham F1, will be in charge of the design and fabrication of the F112’s monocoque," the statement rambled.

It went on: "Contrary to what has been published, the development of the car that HRT F1 Team will compete with [next season] is being carried out at the team’s technical office in Munich by a team of designers under the technical supervision of Jacky Eeckelaert and chief aerodynamicist Stephan Chosse."

The team also confirmed that their aim for 2012 was to be ready to run their new car from the first pre-season test, despite turning up for the first race of 2010 and 2011 without a day of testing under their belts.

"Despite the tight deadlines and a rule change for 2012 meaning that crash tests and chassis homologation procedures must be completed before any cars can test, the team is confident that the new car will be ready for preseason testing in February," the team confirmed.

The team has been the subject of a number of rumours recently, including a new claim from the German Speed Week publication that they will switch to Renault power from 2012.

The report claims the switch will go ahead thanks to the already-dubious Lotus/Caterham link, as well as the fact that the team's position on the FIA's 2012 entry list saw their engine supplier listed as 'TBA'.

However, with the Caterham link having been denied, the German report now lacks most of the limited credibility it had to begin with.

Elsewhere, the Italian Autosprint publication has suggested that GP2 driver Kevin Ceccon is in talks with the team over a position as Friday practice driver for next year.

Ceccon recently tested for Toro Rosso at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.

So far, the team has only confirmed Pedro de la Rosa as one of their drivers for 2012, with the other race seat still vacant.