17/07/2010
NEWS STORY
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Mat Coch writes:
Having replaced Bruno Senna for the British Grand Prix last weekend, Hispania have announced that Sakon Yamamoto will race for the outfit in Germany, this time in place of Karun Chandhok.
On Friday the team said in a statement: "After Sakon Yamamoto gave a very positive performance at Silverstone, the team has decided to give the Japanese driver another opportunity to drive the car alongside Bruno Senna."
Senna was dumped for the British event at the eleventh-hour with sources suggesting the Brazilian upset team boss Colin Kolles in an internal email, allegedly relating to unpaid sponsorship money.
Other reports claim that HRT, struggling financially, replaced Senna at Silverstone because the team wanted to tap into the $5million budget Yamamoto is believed to bring, and seized any excuse to get the 28-year-old into the car. It was suggested that Chandhok, and not Senna, was due to be replaced at Silverstone before Ecclestone, a family friend of the Chandhok's, suggested the team reconsidered. The suggestion went so far as to say the Indian's name was in the process of being removed from the side of the HRT
Doubts about finance have plagued HRT for some time, Ecclestone telling the Daily Telegraph in May that "HRT have got problems." The F1 ringmaster went on to say: "I will sort it out. I'd like to see 12 teams finish the season because they have made the commitment to come in. We might lose one of them. But I'm doing my bit to make sure it doesn't happen."
Quoted in the Germany press, HRT's other test and reserve driver Christian Klien has said the team will now nominate any of the teams four signed drivers for the remainder of the season. Klien replaced Chandhok in the opening practice session in Barcelona and was again at the wheel in Valencia at the expense of the Indian. Yamamoto meanwhile, prior to his opportunity in Britain, had only driven in practice in Turkey in place of Senna.
The statement went on to claim that Chandhok "is likely to be in the car at some later races this season," yet stopped short of guaranteeing the 26-year-old a drive. If Klien's comments are to be believed any future opportunities may not be as numerous as Chandhok would hope, and with the team struggling for money HRT's race seats could now be filled by those with the biggest wallets.