The Hispania Racing Team has confirmed that Christian Klien has been signed as test and reserve driver. The Austrian has been out of a Formula 1 contract since BMW departed the sport at the end of last season although the former Jaguar and Red Bull racer now joins Sakon Yamamoto, who was confirmed in the middle of last month.
Hispania's F1 journey began with a rushed entrance into Bahrain although now, four races in, Team Principal Colin Kolles is pleased to be able to start transforming a survival exercise into a more structured group. New boy Klien will also be driving for the Murcia-based squad in Barcelona's first practice session on Friday morning.
"We are very proud to welcome Christian Klien to HRT F1 Team," Kolles commented on Wednesday morning. "He is a young and fast driver. I have been keeping a close eye on him since his first races in the ADAC series as I believe he has great potential.
"We look forward to having Christian alongside us in Barcelona later this week so he can spend some valuable familiarisation time with the team. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us."
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| Klien returns to F1 as Hispania's test driver |
"I have also met the team members and I know quite a number of them from my previous race seasons. I would like to thank Dr. Colin Kolles for the interest he has shown in me at this stage. It is exciting and very motivating to be part of a new team structure in such a challenging sport. At only 27, with six seasons of F1 under my belt, I am sure I can bring a lot of experience and enthusiasm into HRT F1 Team."
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