Campos Meta is now Hispania Racing

[Pulidor]

kudos to http://www.f1aldia.com/7666/campos-meta-se-renombrara-a-hispania-racing.html

My quick translation attempt:

José Ramón Carabante, leader of the team known until now as Campos Meta has decided to rename the Spanish team to "Hispania Racing F1 Team", taking the name from his own business group "Grupo Hispania".
Rumour has it that they will be in Bahrain with Bruno Senna and Karun Chandock as their main drivers, and work on facilities has intensified since the team buyout, two weeks ago.
Jacky Eeckelaert has been apointed as technical director. The Belgian has experience in F1, having worked with Prost, Sauber and Honda, the latter being the team he left in 2008. He has worked with Colin Kolles in Audi last season.
Somehow, Hispania Racing F1 Team will be present in Bahrein. The question now is in what conditions they will be there, with a car and two drivers that haven't run a single kilometer in preseason and above all, will those conditions put in risk the rest of the competitors?


Well...
Last paragraph is pretty much a good conclusion IMO.
On another hand: Spanish team with an Italian chassis constructor, Anglosaxon engine partner, Brazilian and Indian drivers and Japanese tyres? Yeah, whatever ¬¬'
I'm not sure what's more Spanish: paella or Hispania Racing? :mad:

Let's wait and see. If by mid season they are 5 seconds off the pace I'd be happy.

[I am evil Homer]

Massive struggle for them....no testing so you'd expect them to be out a lot on Friday sessions. 5 seconds off would be a huge result...can see it being more like 7 evem in mid-season. Simply because there's not enough time to play catch up.

[Sonic]

Massive struggle for them....no testing so you'd expect them to be out a lot on Friday sessions. 5 seconds off would be a huge result...can see it being more like 7 evem in mid-season. Simply because there's not enough time to play catch up.

Just to arrive on the grid will be a huge boost to them so I should think they'd bit your arm off if you offered them 5-6 secs off as that would put them snapping at the heels of Virgin and Lotus.

[maximilian]

It would just make too much sense for the FIA to grant this "Spanish" team special permission to shakedown and test for a few days on one of the numerous Spanish tracks everyone else has been testing on, wouldn't it? Then again, if they WOULD have the sense to admit StefanGP to the grid, then maybe they WOULD have the sense to allow the 2 latecomers to test - they'd still be way behind the rest of the teams, and I think it would actually work in FAVOR of the other teams, because they have less of a roadblock hazard to go around once Hispania and StefanGP cars are to be lapped (i.e. maybe instead of lapping them 8 times, they'll only have to lap them 4 times!) :D

All that said, I am hoping for a striking yellow and red livery. Or would it be blue and red with yellow accents?

[DazzlaF1]

Just to arrive on the grid will be a huge boost to them so I should think they'd bit your arm off if you offered them 5-6 secs off as that would put them snapping at the heels of Virgin and Lotus.

True, that is what we are all hoping to see from them, just to be on the grid after all their troubles over the winter will be an incredible achievement.

[truefan72]

It would just make too much sense for the FIA to grant this "Spanish" team special permission to shakedown and test for a few days on one of the numerous Spanish tracks everyone else has been testing on, wouldn't it? Then again, if they WOULD have the sense to admit StefanGP to the grid, then maybe they WOULD have the sense to allow the 2 latecomers to test - they'd still be way behind the rest of the teams, and I think it would actually work in FAVOR of the other teams, because they have less of a roadblock hazard to go around once Hispania and StefanGP cars are to be lapped (i.e. maybe instead of lapping them 8 times, they'll only have to lap them 4 times!) :D

All that said, I am hoping for a striking yellow and red livery. Or would it be blue and red with yellow accents?

good points

[DazzlaF1]

ESPN reporting that the team will be launched on Thursday in the city of Murcia, its expected that not only will the new team's branding be revealed but also the Dallara-built car and the full driver lineup expected to be Senna and Chandhok.

http://en.espnf1.com/campos/motorsport/story/9978.html

[UltimateDanGTR]

well, they've done better than USF1, thats for sure!

[driveace]

Best of luck to these two teams ,and I hope they both get to race in the first race of the season.I also feel SOME testing should be allowed,for the SAFETY of all concerned within the team,and the other competitors,so we dont have wings flying off etc.

[K-Pu]

kudos to http://www.f1aldia.com/7666/campos-meta-se-renombrara-a-hispania-racing.html

On another hand: Spanish team with an Italian chassis constructor, Anglosaxon engine partner, Brazilian and Indian drivers and Japanese tyres? Yeah, whatever ¬¬'
I'm not sure what's more Spanish: paella or Hispania Racing? :mad:

Let's wait and see. If by mid season they are 5 seconds off the pace I'd be happy.

Exactly my thoughts after reading the news... This is the Spanish way of doing things. Chaos, chaos and more chaos. Tough I´m happy they´re going to be on the grid and their future seems to be secured (for now), this team resembles too much the abortion el Pocero put on MotoGP last year, and it can end the same way. Let´s see how it goes...

A guy with A LOT of money, earned through (obscure) inmobiliary business decides to take a shot at top-level racing. Suddenly he realizes top level racing is the least profitable thing in the world if you are a backmarker, pulls the plug and that´s all. I´d hate to be right this time, but Hispania will have a nice look at Virgin and Lotus rear wings. In fact, they´ll be lloking at the for so long they´ll be able to draw them on a piece of paper with their eyes closed.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Dudes, this Carabante guy just saved a team that would have otherwise been shut down. At least wait a couple of months before starting the negativity. (I know it's F1 but still...) I doubt they can be much slower than Lotus or Virgin anyway.

And what's wrong with having an Italian chassis constructor, English engine and international drivers? F1 is an international sport. Red Bull has an Austrian owner, a UK base, a French engine and German and Australian drivers. Hispania Racing will at least be based in Spain, which is more than can be said about the German Mercedes team etc.

[Anubis]

I must say I'm looking forward to this season more than any for a considerable length of time, both from the front of the grid but possibly more for the battles at the back.

[VkmSpouge]

I assume the team will need to seek approval from the other teams to change their name like Brawn to Mercedes?

[truefan72]

I assume the team will need to seek approval from the other teams to change their name like Brawn to Mercedes?

no, that is an FIA issue and not subject to team acceptance.

Otherwise, we would not have BMW Sauber Ferrari on the grid :crazy:

sometimes bureaucracy gets in the way of logic.

[V12]

Always felt Campos (Hispania) would be OK, or at least in a far better state than USF1, simply because the Dallaras would be ready to roll once they got their finances in order, which they have. USF1 never even built a full car did they?

Anyway, great news, don't care what it's called to be honest just glad we've got a 12th team - now all we need is FIA to see sense (unlikely!) and allow Stefan (assuming they are as ready as they say) to step into the breach vacated by USF1 and off we go :)

[christophulus]

The FIA decided they didn't like Hispania so the team is officially going to be HRT F1 instead. Why??

http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/03/03/campos-to-be-hrt-not-hispania/

[V12]

More FIA stupidity. If Force India and USF1 are/were OK, why not Hispania? At least that name had only one word and didn't contain any numbers.

That said I still don't care what it's called too much - this is nowhere near approaching "BMW Sauber" (Sauber) or "MF1" (Midland) for levels of ridiculousness.

[Pulidor]

The FIA decided they didn't like Hispania so the team is officially going to be HRT F1 instead. Why??

http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/03/03/campos-to-be-hrt-not-hispania/

I bet FIA management is losing time on this stupid matters instead of deciding whether the serbian vultures should be allowed to race or not, ending up, as usual, with a legion of angry fans.

[AndyL]

The FIA decided they didn't like Hispania so the team is officially going to be HRT F1 instead. Why??

http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/03/03/campos-to-be-hrt-not-hispania/

Some might suggest it has something to do with the FIA committee being made up of menopausal women, but that would be in poor taste so I wouldn't say that ;)

[Shifter]

On another hand: Spanish team with an Italian chassis constructor, Anglosaxon engine partner, Brazilian and Indian drivers and Japanese tyres? Yeah, whatever ¬¬'
I'm not sure what's more Spanish: paella or Hispania Racing? :mad:

Let's wait and see. If by mid season they are 5 seconds off the pace I'd be happy.

Eh, USF1 tried to be purely nationalistic and look where it got them. If the team can build for the future look for it to become more Spanish along the way (exactly what I said USF1 should have done)

[DazzlaF1]

Eh, USF1 tried to be purely nationalistic and look where it got them. If the team can build for the future look for it to become more Spanish along the way (exactly what I said USF1 should have done)
Exactly. There's little point in declaring intentions that you know you cannot fulfill there and then. There's little if not any drivers in the US that have the funding (never mind the talent) to step up to F1 unless of course they went down the Scott Speed route and got found by Mr Mateschitz's Red Bull young driver programme

Yet another Anderson f**k up

[K-Pu]

This happens because it is easier to decide on wether Hispania is a good name or not than having to deal with the Stefan GP issue. If you can choose between an easy task and a hard one, what will you do?

If you find it "a bit" childish, then you´re not in tune with the FIA, since for them it is not childish. It´s realistic and proper and a lot of good things.

[Saint Devote]

Dudes, this Carabante guy just saved a team that would have otherwise been shut down. At least wait a couple of months before starting the negativity. (I know it's F1 but still...) I doubt they can be much slower than Lotus or Virgin anyway.

And what's wrong with having an Italian chassis constructor, English engine and international drivers? F1 is an international sport. Red Bull has an Austrian owner, a UK base, a French engine and German and Australian drivers. Hispania Racing will at least be based in Spain, which is more than can be said about the German Mercedes team etc.

The problem with F1 is that it remains stuck in nationalism. It continues to pretend - as do the constructors and probably most of the drivers - that they are representing or racing for countries.

This is further promoted and leveraged with the raising of national flags and playing the ugliest tunes on this earth - National Anthems.

This also encourages the most bizarre idea that merely because a person is from the same country as a driver, they should or they do support him.

And the most ridiculous part is that most of the drivers do not live in "their countries" and those such as Jenson have NOT lived in "their countries" for over TEN years!

Now we have Mercedes trying to pretend that it is a German team and Ferrari celebrating that the team is once again run by Italians.

Its BS.

I like Niki Lauda - when asked for who he raced he used to say for himself and Ferrari - none of this "my country" crap like Barrichello likes say.

Now there is a new team called "Hispania" - what the hell are the cars going to be named?? I have an idea - how about the Tortoise-Cosworth 01 :D

Any bets on how many times Bruno will be lapped?

[RJL25]

Hmm I wonder if Mr. Tom Walkinshaw will allow this to go through without legal challenge, Walkinshaw has owned the trademark "HRT" for 20 years, as in the "Holden Racing Team" in Australia.

I'm not convinced that Walkinshaw will allow another racing team to use the trademark he owns without some form of legal challenge...

[maximilian]

FWIW, HRT F1 is a terrible name. Why not stick to Hispania? HRT doesn't flow well, it doesn't even make sense (Hispania Racing F1 Team = HRF1T, not HRT F1!), and it has NO marketing value, as HRT isn't the brand Carabante wants to market, Hispania is. It's as worthless as calling RedBull Junior Team "ToroRosso" or, worse yet, "STR". Nothing in "STR" makes me wanna go drink a RedBull!

[Dave B]

HRT to most people is Hormone Replacement Therapy. The armchair fan, at least the English speaking ones, will snigger at the new name.

[V12]

To be fair nobody calls the Toro Rossos "STR"s, and even less people call the Red Bull chassis "RBR"s, nobody called the Midlands "MF1"s, nobody will call the Saubers "BMW Sauber"s this coming year, and nobody called the Lotus a "JPS" when their sponsor tried to push that through.

So maybe if enough fans and media call them Hispanias rather than HRTs, the whole thing will go away?

[Dave B]

You're probably right, apart from the Lotus which were frequently referred to as "John Player Specials".

(Weird, as I type this, Ted Kravitz has just popped up on BBC News reading the sports report!)

[DazzlaF1]

To be fair nobody calls the Toro Rossos "STR"s, and even less people call the Red Bull chassis "RBR"s, nobody called the Midlands "MF1"s, nobody will call the Saubers "BMW Sauber"s this coming year, and nobody called the Lotus a "JPS" when their sponsor tried to push that through.

So maybe if enough fans and media call them Hispanias rather than HRTs, the whole thing will go away?

The only time i saw the names MF1, RBR, and STR were on the FIA's official entry lists, no'one i've known has called the team themselves by the abbreviaions (apart from BAR though)

[DexDexter]

The problem with F1 is that it remains stuck in nationalism. It continues to pretend - as do the constructors and probably most of the drivers - that they are representing or racing for countries.

This is further promoted and leveraged with the raising of national flags and playing the ugliest tunes on this earth - National Anthems.

This also encourages the most bizarre idea that merely because a person is from the same country as a driver, they should or they do support him.

And the most ridiculous part is that most of the drivers do not live in "their countries" and those such as Jenson have NOT lived in "their countries" for over TEN years!

Now we have Mercedes trying to pretend that it is a German team and Ferrari celebrating that the team is once again run by Italians.

Its BS.

I like Niki Lauda - when asked for who he raced he used to say for himself and Ferrari - none of this "my country" crap like Barrichello likes say.

Now there is a new team called "Hispania" - what the hell are the cars going to be named?? I have an idea - how about the Tortoise-Cosworth 01 :D

Any bets on how many times Bruno will be lapped?

And this from a poster that has a flag under his name. I've got news for you, the world is still about nationalities, and supporting a driver from you country isn't nationalism, it's totally understandable and there is nothing bad or weird about it. I bet your national feelings (which I feel is a much better word than nationalism) would appear from somewhere if we suddenly had a Jewish driver in F1. In fact I'm sure about it. If you don't understand the reasoning behind supporting your countryman, you're from another world.

A good example: Why would I support Alonso instead of Räikkönen? I don't understand Alonso and his cultural habits, the way he speaks and reacts are little bit alien to me while Kimi I'm able to understand, I sort of see where is coming from, we've got things in common, such as language and some basic habits, although monotone speech, thank God, isn't one of them.

[V12]

I've got news for you, the world is still about nationalities, and supporting a driver from you country isn't nationalism, it's totally understandable and there is nothing bad or weird about it.

Totally agree - while not the be-all-and-end-all, I've always been more naturally inclined to root for a driver from my homeland, be it Mansell, Hill or Button.

Having said that I do prefer teams to have more emotive names (usually named after the founder but not always), rather than simply being branded after a country.

But as I've said, I don't get why Hispania isn't OK, but Force India and USF1 (both far more awkward and less elegant as a chassis name) are/were OK in the eyes of the FIA?

[maximilian]

To be fair nobody calls the Toro Rossos "STR"s
I have seen it in on-screen results lists. I can't remember 100% whether it was the official FIA screenover, or SpeedTV's, but I am fairly sure it was the official one by FIA. I've definitely seen it on screen, though.

[52Paddy]

The problem with F1 is that it remains stuck in nationalism. It continues to pretend - as do the constructors and probably most of the drivers - that they are representing or racing for countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqOkvMD4VzM&feature=related

Heikki racing for Finland?

Just thought I'd bring it up.

[BDunnell]

You're probably right, apart from the Lotus which were frequently referred to as "John Player Specials".

Indeed, for that was what the cars were called for marketing purposes, if I recall correctly — JPS Mark 1, Mark 2, etc.

[VkmSpouge]

FWIW, HRT F1 is a terrible name. Why not stick to Hispania? HRT doesn't flow well, it doesn't even make sense (Hispania Racing F1 Team = HRF1T, not HRT F1!), and it has NO marketing value, as HRT isn't the brand Carabante wants to market, Hispania is. It's as worthless as calling RedBull Junior Team "ToroRosso" or, worse yet, "STR". Nothing in "STR" makes me wanna go drink a RedBull!

I think everyone will just call them Hispania. The only time the abbreviations are ever used is when the name is just too big and there is no one word people can use to shorten the name like British American Racing, Automobili Turismo e Sport or Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives. Since HRT F1 has a single word that people can call it by; Hispania, people will use that.