Dani Clos has joined the HRT Formula 1 team in the role of test and reserve driver, the outfit confirmed on Monday.
The 23-year-old GP2 driver, most recently tested with the team at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last season and impressed to such an extent that the outfit will allow him to partake in several free practice sessions during the 2012 season.
The Spaniard will start to exert his functions as the team’s test driver immediately and will be with the team for the third pre-season test in Barcelona from the 1st to the 4th of March, when HRT are set to debut the F112.
“I’m very proud to be a part of HRT Formula 1 Team,” said Clos. “It is a great step in my career, something that I have dreamt of all my life and, finally, my dream is starting to come true.
“I’m very impressed with the job the team is doing; they’re achieving fantastic things in a short space of time. The team has changed a lot since we met in the Abu Dhabi tests and I think it’s a great opportunity and an honor to form a part of this new team. What they’re achieving is very important for motorsport in our country and has a lot of potential.
“Also, being alongside Pedro de la Rosa is very important for me, since he and Karthikeyan can positively contribute to me becoming a better driver.
“I want to thank Saúl Ruiz de Marcos and Luis Pérez-Sala for the trust they’ve shown in me from the start and, above all, I would like to thank the people who have always been by my side, such as Leonardo Soldevila and my father. For me a new chapter is beginning, one where hard work and dedication are going to be my priorities; I’m going to give it my all so that this phase is as successful as it can possibly be for the team, my teammates and myself.”
Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal of HRT, added: “I’m very happy to have Dani on the team. He’s a quick, talented driver who, above all, is very willing to progress. The incorporation of Clos is another step in our project of restructuring HRT but also fits in with our desire to promote young motorsport talents. I’m sure that it will be a very positive experience for both parties.”
