GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: markfarrell9572 on June 30, 2011, 06:50:12 PM
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HRT have announced Red Bull reserve Daniel Ricciardo will replace Narain Karthekeyan for the remainder of the season, but Karthekeyan will do his home race. Did Narain's cheque bounce?
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Hi all,
I am not sure TATA are reliable at bill paying, which is probably why they never stay attached to a team for too long. Bit of time at Williams, bit of time at Ferrari, now a short time at HRT... Good for Ricciardo though, as long as he can beat Liuzzi it will be a great benefit for him next year having half a season of experience. Seems also that Colin Kolles is on his way out of HRT as well.
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Unless the Spaniards come up with a wad of cash, Kolles isn't going anywhere. The hardware at HRT is his.
Lonny
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I've read that Kolles is leaving to Williams. That should be a huge blow for HRT, because I suppose that if Kolles leaves, the team can't use Kolles' fascilities any more. That could be the end of the team... :confused: >:(
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The talk of Kolles leaving was to leave the wealthy owners of the team with greater control over what goes on. That might not be an bad thing as I just do not like Kolles.
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Kolles owns all the team's equipment though, and HRT rents it back off him. Kolees leaving would leave the team with very little.
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For some reason I can't explain I'm not a fan of Mr Kolles at all, but it does seem he is leaving HRT and I can't help but think that isn't a good thing for the team. Paradoxically I can't help but think if he goes to Williams that it will be a bad step for Frank's team
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This article, link below, on Autosport.com answers most of the questions about Colin stepping aside at HRT. Looks like it will be business as usual until a new team base can be set up away from Kolles premises in Greding, Germany.
I'm sure that Colin is as aware as anyone that HRT continuing to race is the only logical thing, aside from him not wanting to wreck a team he has put a lot of effort into, the penalties for missing races would probably push the finances off a cliff, he would never get any money he's owed then.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92738 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92738)
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I've seen several sources that say the team will continue to use Kolles's Greding facilities until a new base can be set up in Spain.
There's an old saying about re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.......
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Kolles not only owns the equipment, but most of the top men are under contract to him. This story is very odd. I can't understand how HRT expects to run the team without a solid team leader to replace Kolles, Kolles on the other hand may be trying to recover his money, but his goal is to be a team owner and I don't see how stepping aside helps to accomplish that.
Lonny
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Kolles not only owns the equipment, but most of the top men are under contract to him. This story is very odd. I can't understand how HRT expects to run the team without a solid team leader to replace Kolles, Kolles on the other hand may be trying to recover his money, but his goal is to be a team owner and I don't see how stepping aside helps to accomplish that.
Lonny
There is a history in F1 of teams being completely shaken up, and then going to to greater success. Not to suggest HRT is a future Brawn or RBR, but all championship teams start somewhere, and generally have dark periods.
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There is a history in F1 of teams being completely shaken up, and then going to to greater success. Not to suggest HRT is a future Brawn or RBR, but all championship teams start somewhere, and generally have dark periods.
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If I were to compare HRT to any other team in formula 1 history it would be Andrea Moda. Splitting with Kolles surely leaves them without staff and equipment
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Splitting with Kolles surely leaves them without staff and equipment
Not according to the Autosport report, any transition is set to be a managed hand over when other facilities are opened.
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How long before the new facilities come on line though? I don't see HRT advertising for staff unlike virgin.
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Reports from spain today say hrt has been sold to japanase investment bank nomura for 24m euro
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Colin has two other teams. The LMS one is due to put a new car on the track next year and will surely need extra leadership time, and the DTM one is ticking over nicely.
It's very complicated - the team is run by Kolles, the top staff are contracted to him personally (many of them work in the aforementioned other teams when F1 doesn't have a race) but Colin doesn't own the team. Some rich Spaniards who haven't been putting in much money own the team.
This sounds to me like a falling-out, especially given that Narain Karthikeyan (someone who Colin has worked with at Jordan as well as Hispania, and with whom, apart from a falling-out mid-2005, has always been on good terms) has gone. Maybe he was outbid, but Red Bull surely can't be looking to buy a third team. TATA have changed teams a lot because they're loyal to Narain - they followed him from Jordan racer to Williams tester, went to Ferrari when it looked like Narain wouldn't come back to F1, then went to Hispania when Narain somehow got back onto the grid.
I have a horrible feeling that a sale may be the only thing that will save the team, that Colin's worked that out and has decided to bail to focus his attention more efficiently on teams that are salvageable.
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Spanish investment company Thesan have taken control of the company
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Re: What i said yesterday with regards Nomura buying the team:
Japanese banking giant Nomura invested €200 million in Thesan Capital three years ago, with the latter's brief being to use the funds in the acquisition of Spanish companies in crisis.
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Well, Hispania definitely qualifies as such!
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Let's hope that a Japanese buy-out doesn't make the team worse that it is. I mean, look at the rate of development at Honda and Toyota. And HRT are already the slowest on the grid, so I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad one :( :DntKnw:...
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The Japanese car companies do seem to be way too tied up in corporate red tape to succeed in F1. On the other hand, Aguri Suzuki did wonders with practically no budget. Maybe they could bring him on board.
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The luck of Aguri in that, was that he didn't have to wait untill the big boss makes a discission, some 3 months later. Aguri could more or less do as he pleased. I mean, if he wanted to change something, he made the discission, not someone far away in Tokoy or whatever... Too bad the team didn't make it...