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Formula One
F1: HRT Should Have Skipped Bahrain Says Campos
According to its founder, HRT should have stayed home this weekend...
SPEED Staff / GMM  |  Posted March 12, 2010   GMM Newswire
The new Campos Meta F1 team was founded by former Minardi driver and GP2 team owner Adrian Campos. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
It would have been better if HRT had been able to skip this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

That is the opinion of Adrian Campos, the founder of the Spanish team who handed over to Jose Ramon Carabante and Colin Kolles but retains a role as executive vice president.

Former Minardi driver Campos is not in Bahrain because he has a broken foot, and he told Onda Cero radio that the team risks looking "ridiculous" this weekend with the untested Dallara-built car.

Bruno Senna managed just three slow untimed installation laps in Friday morning practice, while the second car for Karun Chandhok did not circulate at all. Senna turned 14 laps in the afternoon but was nearly 12 seconds off the pace.

"We had to go to Bahrain to have no problem with the (team) entry," said Campos, "so our objective is just to do what we can."

He describes his brief time as a F1 team owner and boss as a "nightmare", but while on crutches had to sit out the crowning moment of this weekend's debut.

"Honestly, in the current situation, I was not crazy about being in Bahrain, would I would have liked to have come," said Campos.

As for the broken foot Campos said he had tripped at home.

"It was a stupid accident," he is quoted as saying by the German-language Speedweek. “Now I have to wear a plaster for two weeks.”

Meanwhile at Bahrain Friday, Christian Klien has emerged as another contender to become a Friday driver for HRT in 2010.

Also on Friday, Ferrari reserve Giancarlo Fisichella was shown around the HRT garage in Bahrain by a very tired-looking team boss Colin Kolles.

The Austrian broadcaster ORF claims that Klien, the 27-year-old former Honda and BMW test driver, with 48 grands prix under his belt with Jaguar and Red Bull, is also being considered by HRT.

For the first time since 2003, Klien is not at this year's season opener.

Instead, he is currently training in the Canary Islands with his personal coach.

It is believed Kolles is prepared to pay an experienced driver to help the new team with development of the new Dallara-built car.

As if to add to the HRT’s woes, FIA president Jean Todt said on Friday that he is keen to reinstate the old 107 percent qualifying rule, even though for 2010 this would require the unanimous agreement of all the teams.

But the Todt insists he is supportive of F1's new entrants.

"You must have respect for a new team who is arriving in this particular economic crisis period and to invest money to be in F1," said Todt.

"I don't think it is a time to criticize but to support and help, and to help them, and it is in the interests of everybody."

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