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Senna expresses doubts over Friday driver
ESPNF1 Staff
May 6, 2010
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Bruno Senna says he needs as much track time as possible © Sutton Images
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Bruno Senna has questioned whether having Christian Klien as a Friday test driver at HRT is a good idea.
Klien will drive Karun Chandhok's car during Friday morning's practice session before handing the car back to him for the rest of the race weekend. HRT said Klien had been employed to "provide car development support", but Senna is concerned that he and Chandhok don't get enough track time as it is.
"We will have to wait until tomorrow to see if there is any benefit from the experience of the third driver in terms of the development of the car and in terms of what direction he can take the team," Senna told press in Barcelona. "But in my opinion, because we had no testing at the beginning of the season, the race drivers must do every mile possible. You can see that very few teams are giving mileage to the third driver on Fridays and it's only because they have simulators that the drivers can go there and use.
"I prefer to do as many miles as I can and make sure I can get used to the car before I go to a qualifying session. For me every mile makes a difference. Fortunately I know this track very well, so I know I can pick up pace quite quickly, but we'll see."
Meanwhile, team boss Colin Kolles rubbished rumours that HRT did not have the funds to make it to the end of the season.
"I don't anticipate that the season is not guaranteed. I don't know who has been saying that," he said.
When informed by Germany's Motorsport-Magazin.com that numerous sources are reporting the speculation, Kolles insisted: "I'm not aware of that." Asked to confirm that HRT is planning to race in 2011, he replied: "Of course."
Kolles said he is working "day and night" to secure more funding for the team, and baulked at reports that the return of KERS systems for 2011 is supported by established teams including McLaren, Ferrari, Renault and Williams.
He believes the energy recovery technology is "nonsense".
"I cannot say it more clearly. I believe there are more important things than KERS," Kolles said, insisting that use of the systems should not be compulsory.
"As a team we cannot be made to use KERS. And I think that if we do not use it, we are being more environmentally friendly," he added, referring to the waste produced by the batteries.
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