The chance of Jaime Alguersuari being rescued by Spanish squad HRT have been described as not being "realistic" by the team's boss Luis Perez-Sala, saying that the team was already deep in negotiations with other drivers.
Alguersuari was let go by the Toro Rosso squad last week, with the Red Bull junior squad opting to sack both of their 2011 drivers ahead of next season.
While team mate Sebastien Buemi appears to have no possible route back into the F1 grid for 2012, Alguersuari himself was linked with HRT after the Toro Rosso announcement.
The Spanish backmarkers are looking to play up their national identity in 2012, and have already signed Pedro de la Rosa in one of their cars.
But speaking to Spanish radio, Perez-Sala has admitted that the chances of Alguersuari becoming their second Spanish driver are not good.
"It's bad news and incomprehensible," he told the Marca radio station when asked about Alguersuari's ousting.
He went on: "It's clear that it would be a dream to have him [at HRT], the very best Christmas present.
"But I doubt it is realistic because we already have a path with very long conservations with other drivers."
The HRT squad are set for another season of toil in 2012, with the team struggling to prepare their new car while also moving to a new HQ in Valencia.
But the team's new boss insisted that the team was aiming to at least complete a "shakedown" of the car before the first race of the season.
"Inevitably we will be delayed by this reorganisation," he said regarding the impact of the factory move to their car development.
"Additionally, the FIA now requires us to pass the crash tests before we can test, which sets the bar even higher."
He added: "I hope it is all done in late January and we make the pre-season, but if it gets difficult then at least I hope we make the shakedown before Melbourne."
For the last two years, HRT have arrived at the first race of the season without a single mile of testing completed with their new cars.
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