We have had this situation before and HRT are still here.

I read the article, it mentions only Kolles' workers wasn't paid.. all the other staff that are with the team have been paid like normal.

Plus would Narain & Liuzzi sign up to these terms??? it is the press and media at it worst, lets think of a new story to start about HRT, huh?

I love these source btw!

Seriously for how long will you continue on supporting this shambles? Where there is smoke, there is fire....Maybe the media make it a huge deal but its clear HRT have ongoing issues which won't just disappear.

They are hanging on by their teeth. That does not make them Minardi and worthy of support, a world of difference between the two.

Its not about continuing to support HRT, yes there is fire as you put it but they are worthy of there place on the grid.

I just hope they do well this year.

I don't like the chances. That's the reality.

I will give some credit though - I seriously thought they'd be gone by now.

This is the height of lazy journalism; unnamed sources and repeat other ill informed sources. The constant criticism of Hispania is sour grtapes among the cabal who said ythey would noty see out 2010, would noty have a new car and would not make ity to Melbourne and have now be proven wrong.
I re-iyterate that Hispania wil not be last in the Championship table come season's end.

On Thursday I talked to the brother in law of Liuzzi.
He said that the new car exist, (he didn't say to what point they are) and that Mallya will not pay the severance to Tonio.

I was at the track yesterday and I didn't see much movement at the HRT box, also no sea shipment packages. For example, Ferrari had their box almost ready on monday. Tomorrow maybe more movement..?

Keep us informed

Has Mallya ever paid up to amyone? He still owes monies to Migeot. Luiizzi could injuct FI till he's been paid off.

Am looking forward to hopefully seeing some racing at the rear of the grid this year. Hope they won't be running round by themselves.

Last year they were usually the last or one of the two latest teams to arrive at the tracks.
Not that there's many movement for the rest of the week too, their staff was/is quite small.

Indeed, it's not that surprising. While the amounts saved on hotel etc costs at each race are probably quite a small portion of the race weekend budget, I'd hazard a guess that they can make quite significant savings over a full season by bringing their staff in as late as they can get away with. Every dollar/pound/euro saved on accomodation and related expenses is an extra dollar/pound/euro available to go towards keeping the team afloat and competitive (by competitive, I mean within 107%).

Some tweets:

NarainRacing: Really happy to be here in Melbourne, brought back many good memories from 2005,my F1 debut.Will post some photos tomorrow.

Adam Cooper: Arrived in Australia, came via Qatar which migth seem a little strange but P Head, G Willis and Todt Jr among others on flight.

Does anyone think this year's HRT will fail to meet the 107% rule?

I personally think the F111 will just go through at Melbourne and get better from there.

Liuzzi and Narain have to get the set up right, thats why i expect a lot of laps from them in the practice sessions.

Not sure about Melbourne because of the lack of testing, but IMO they'll be fine the rest of the year.

I will be surprised if either Liuzzi or Karthikeyan qualify this weekend, given the F111's complete lack of running, but once the engineers can process the data gathered from the Australian free practice sessions, it should improve significantly for the next race, as was the case last year.

I think Liuzzi will qualify and Karthikeyan will get into the race on an exemption based on Liuzzi's qualifying time and the car's potential.

Bjørn

They need to be within 6 seconds of the best time in Q1. Doable? It will be difficult with debut of the new car there, that's for sure.

I've got a question. We still have Q1, Q2, Q3, right? And Q3 is still qualifying with racefuel? With what time will the 107 percent be measured? If it's compared with Q3, they will be fine. I think they will be seven seconds slower than the absolute fastest time in Q2, and about five seconds slower (because of the higher fuel load in Q3 for the top-10).

Q3 is not done with race fuel and the 107% are calculated using the fastest time in Q1.

No racefuel in Q3.

107% is calculated from Q1 time, because that was the period when the slowest and fastest cars were on track in the same conditions. Track may be evolving/changing through the qualifying session.

36.3 During Q1, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest time set during that session
will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include
setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.
Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the
stewards. In either case, a competitor will not be able to appeal against the stewards decision.

Oooppps. Then they're X@#$% in Melbourne, I fear.

They made today the seat fitting for Narain!!! Little late to do the seat?

Fixed.

What are the bookies offering in the event of neither HRT qualifying?

Its reliability that's going to be the problem. Factoring in increased aer performance, EBD, lighter chassis (more ballast) Hispania should be 2s faster than the old car and that puts them well within 107% of Q3.

If I was mean I would suggest that image should go in the caption thread!

as 'wow, this is much more complex than the caterham 7 kit car I built last week, because thats the level of competence i'm at'?

Is that blue liquid windscreen wiper washer?!

There are two cars Ah! No! Just one... and a half but a great job from HRT

Not really. It is, actually, the feeder of the flux capacitor

They actually have two chassis?!!

Oh yeah, they had three last year. Lets see if they can afford to build them

Well good on them! Too honest, I wasn't expecting them to turn up.

I hope they do well and we do see them on Sunday.

Are there any pictures of dampers ?

Yes, yes very funny but Hispania aren't the ones to sign up the "Admiral" as a reserve driver!

They came to the right country for damper. I expect they've cooked up something hot. Maybe something like this (on the right).

I know, they went the whole hog and gave him most of season as a race driver!!

They are assembling the cars in the pits, just like last year.

Some things never change.

Where else would they do that?

Thats standard practice for all the teams as the cars are shipped unassembled. It wasn't that long ago that teams would completely strip a car after qualifying and rebuild it over night.

Not to my knowledge the radiators and their plants are shipped unassembled. The same for suspensions (except T-car)
That car has never been assembled before just like last year.

If I'm right, not sure thought the number 22 car (Narain) hasn't been shown before, is that why it hasn't been assembled?

Here's a photo from Albert Park today.
I could be unkind and say its still HRT yet to assembe their car...

Still looks faster than the Virgin!

I am sure your right. Dampers or no Dampers they only had a car for Liuzzi @ Barcelona.

Bjørn

This is very likely.
In fact, Narain is fitting the seat in the garage, as shown in the picture. Normally, he would have done at the HRT factory. Probably the chassis was shipped to Australia directly from the supplier that built it.

Question for people of more knowledge than me - who is the person with the black stripe shirt on, didn't he work at Force India?