From the F1 site: HRT Technical Director Geoff Willis will be replaced by test driver Sakon Yamamoto at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team revealed on Friday. Yamamoto took the place of Bruno Senna for the Spanish squad at the last round at Silverstone and finished the British event in 20th, and is slated to take the place of Karun Chandok at Hockenheim. After Sakon Yamamoto gave a very positive performance in Silverstone, the team has decided to give the Japanese driver another opportunity to drive the car alongside Bruno Senna, HRT explained in a statement. Karun Chandhok is still part of the HRT family and is likely to be in the car at some later races this season. Yakon also has expressed an interest in team management and therefore we have taken the decision to install him as Technical Director in Hungary, for that race only. Geoff Willis also is still an important part of the HRT family. Paddock rumors peg Yamamoto as an HRT grid girl for the season finale at Abu Dhabi where, the team feel, the relatively conservative grid attire would flatter the driver.
Goodness gracious me - What a *joke*! I wonder if Yakon is paying for that position? A young, inexperienced driver as tech director? - You gotta be kidding! I assume Geoff is done - I always liked him, but I guess he's not getting paid either.... What's the over-under on em lasting the season? I was at 50/50, but reckon more like 40/60 against now. Cheers, Ian
jesus...what the hell are they doing? shouldn't they be out begging sponsors for a little extra money and bigger stickers on the car? I can't see them going to the singapore GP due to lack of funds. What a joke. Just goes to prove that you can't do F1 with a mere 35 mil. Not sure what their budget was though, but should be quite near it.
Indeed. IIRC, the money-man was quoted as saying (something like) "the lack of the proposed 35MM cap doesn't concern me too much - We have the $...." Unfortunately for them, it now seems some pretty heavy folk are after his $, and his checks have dried up..... Geoff had gotta be costing big $, so he's done. ["Still part of the HRT family"! - Maybe if he gets paid ] I was joking, but now honestly believe Yakon may really be paying for the "tech director" title..... Oh well, at least it gives us something else to BS about other than RK -v- FA -v- FIA. Cheers, Ian
Mmmmm... that's strange as I'd read some where: Yamamoto to Replace the F110 HRT's F110 will be replaced by test driver Sakon Yamamoto at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team revealed on Friday. Yamamoto took the place of Bruno Senna for the Spanish squad at the last round at Silverstone and finished the British event in 20th, and is slated to take the place of Karun Chandok at Hockenheim. After Sakon Yamamoto gave a very positive performance in Silverstone, the team has decided to give the Japanese driver another opportunity with Bruno Senna, HRT explained in a statement. The F110 is still part of the HRT family and is likely to be used at some later races this season. Yakon also has expressed an opinion that he could run faster than the F110 and therefore we have taken the decision to install him as Bruno Senna's chassis in Hungary, for that race only. As far as we are concerned though, the F110 is still an important part of the HRT family.
No!, I believe it's true! Sakon Yamamoto is going to run the team and carry Bruno Senna around the circuit in the race instead of using a car!. (In all honesty though, I too can't believe people are taking this story seriously!. It has "wicked sense of humour" written all over it!).
I heard HRT was going to substitute Yamamoto for the Hungaroring. (They might be able to do ten laps around Yamamoto in the time it takes Red Bull to do fifty laps on the actual track. )
