Vitantonio Liuzzi to partner Karthikeyan at HRT

Liuzzi is all smiles as he picks up the last available race seat in F1 2011

Vitantonio Liuzzi has become the last of the drivers to join Formula 1’s Class of 2011. The former Force India driver who was replaced by 2010 test driver Paul di Resta in the VJM04 at Mallya’s camp for 2011, has secured the second race seat at the Hispania Racing Team – thus filling up the roster for the new season. Liuzzi will join F1-returnee Narain Karthikeyan in the HRT F111 which will be debuted on Friday. After a rather dismal season in the VJM03 that saw Liuzzi end up either in the barriers or walking back to the pits, Liuzzi’s role at HRT is pretty clear. His skills acquired as a test driver in the Force India camp in the 2009 season that helped Force India develop their car from a tail-end machine to a mid-field runner will be what the management at HRT will be looking to exploit in 2011.

"I am really happy to have signed this agreement with Hispania Racing,” said the Italian. “I never lost hope to be in Formula One as I knew I have the experience and the right attributes for a young and ambitious team. I face a new challenge now and this excites me. I also face a lot of hard work in guiding Hispania Racing through the development of our new car. I am extremely grateful to Jose Ramon Carabante and to Colin Kolles for giving me such an opportunity.”

“I have known Tonio for many years as he raced with me in lower categories,” explained HRT team principal Colin Kolles. “He is a very professional driver who will bring a lot of benefits to the Team. I am convinced about his skills to develop a car and his speed. He has shown this in the past having contributed to a large extend developing and moving a back grid car to the front. I had the pleasure of working with him and I am very happy and proud to have him racing with Hispania Racing.”

Liuzzi will be seen in action in the F111 at the Barcelona tests in later in this month and will make his race debut for HRT at the Australian Grand Prix on March 25-27.