Sam Michael to HRT?

[PlatinumZealot]

Heard it from a very good source...

[SiLo]

If this is true, it could be a good boost for the team to get in some experience.

[finishline]

Rubens gave some really positive comments about Sam Michael in an interview on Friday and seemed genuinely disappointed that he was leaving Williams. It left me with the impression that at Williams Michael was overworked and needed more assistance. Hope he doesn't get swamped at HRT.

[ESPImperium]

If this is true, a good move for Hispania, and a good step forward. With Geoff Willis and Sam Michael and if Michael can bring Jon Tomlinson with him, that would bea a really strong technichal team for Hispania.

All they need is a good bunch of juniors as well, and with a decent ammount of CFD power in their soon to be established R&D office in Brackley and the Mercedes #2 tunnel, the Hispania car for maybes not this year, but certainly next will look like a decent package.

If they keep ahold of Liuzzi and partner him with a decent pay driver that is bringing a decent ammount of money to the team, Hispania could be a team that makes strides, quickly.

As long as Hispania dont overwork their technichal team, im sure they will come good in the medium term.

[andrew]

Heard it from a very good source...

Can you mention the source?

[PlatinumZealot]

Never mind nfake. mods can delete this.

[Hot-F1]

Michael hopes to continue in Formula 1

Sam Michael has acknowledged that he expects to stay a part of the F1 when his existing deal with the Williams team ends, despite agreeing to Part Company with the Grove team following its poor start to the 2011 F1 battle.

http://bit.ly/jMQCJR

[GTO]

I think their priority is to retain some smaller sponsors before expanding the design team. It's the old chicken or egg theory. Colles must justify to owners that hiring high end design personell is required before getting any major sponsors. However, sponsors may not be willing to invest until HRT have facilities & resources strong enough to deliver biggest bang for thier buck$.

[PlatinumZealot]

ALDO COSTA TO HRT in 2012?

Can you say SUPER TEAM?

[Giblet]

I think their priority is to retain some smaller sponsors before expanding the design team. It's the old chicken or egg theory. Colles must justify to owners that hiring high end design personell is required before getting any major sponsors. However, sponsors may not be willing to invest until HRT have facilities & resources strong enough to deliver biggest bang for thier buck$.

I think egg is the way to go. Lotus set up, had some money, but did everything very smart and professionally. They were slow, but they were a real F1 team from very early on. CNN was on their car in the first season. An egg is a seed.

If you do everything right, sponsors will take notice. If you act like a poor student living check to check, nobody will want to hand you money.

Even though Virgin has dropped the CFD only ball, at least they had a focus, and a drive to win their way, and they have been rewarded with Marussia money for their focus, and taking things seriously.

HRT seems to think being there should be enough, and it just isn't.

[Tozza Mazza]

I think their priority is to retain some smaller sponsors before expanding the design team. It's the old chicken or egg theory. Colles must justify to owners that hiring high end design personell is required before getting any major sponsors. However, sponsors may not be willing to invest until HRT have facilities & resources strong enough to deliver biggest bang for thier buck$.

I think egg is the way to go. Lotus set up, had some money, but did everything very smart and professionally. They were slow, but they were a real F1 team from very early on. CNN was on their car in the first season. An egg is a seed.

If you do everything right, sponsors will take notice. If you act like a poor student living check to check, nobody will want to hand you money.

Even though Virgin has dropped the CFD only ball, at least they had a focus, and a drive to win their way, and they have been rewarded with Marussia money for their focus, and taking things seriously.

HRT seems to think being there should be enough, and it just isn't.

Yes, both Team Lotus and Virgin have found a little niche, Lotus' being that it uses the Lotus name, one of the most prestigous in F1 history, and Virgin because they have tried something different to all the other teams with the CFD only route, and actually to be fair, didn't do badly for a team who hadn't used a wind tunnel.

HRT's problem is that being Spanish isn't enough of a niche in F1.

[ESPImperium]

Virgin has the CFD power but not the wind tunnel to back it up. They have decent finance, just not enough of it to invest in a tunnel that can make the steps forward to make it into the midfield permanently. Then they can then start to look at quality personell, however the Pat Symonds will be the key to making a decent solution for 2012 in comparison to what they have this and last year.

Team Lotus have the personnel, however a poor quality CFD facility as it is only a £1m facility within their Hingham base. They have a dated wind tunnel in F1 terms at Formtech in Italy, but will be using the #2 tunnel at Williams soon, so this will give then a step for 2012. They are also getting better tools at Hingham from GE as well as a new CFD facility at Hingham from Dell as well. They have started small and now are going to get bigger. However 2013 will be their big step year as this will be the first car to be fully designed, made and updated in Hingham.

Hispania need to get a facility and then invest in a small but decent CFD facility, they have the #2 Mercedes tunnel, and they are using the unused facility at Mercedes as well, they also have the Williams gearbox, which is a plus as they have up to date technology and facilities, however they lack investment. Id recon that they ate looking for investment, they have ditched the money from Tata for the money from Red Bull for their pay driver. Id recon they are looking at a Spanish driver to try and get the Spanish sponsor money. They are looking at Javier Villa to replace Liuzzi to try and get the Spanish money, but i think they should look at Dani Clos personally if they want a Spanish replacement for Liuzzi.

Hispania i think will make a move forward next year, i feel that Virgin could beat them easily next year.

Hispania need to sell their car to get as much money as they can, even sell a race by race deal for certain parts, like Brawn in 2009 at the end of the year. I think this could give then the money they need to go forward technically.

[donskar]

ALDO COSTA TO HRT in 2012?

Can you say SUPER TEAM?

Aldo Costa was the Super Team's water boy.

[xpensive]

Again a miss-interpretation of the Technical director concept, Sam Michael, just like Ross Brawn, never draw a line in anger.

The Aussie is surely good at staff-management and such, but that's not really the objective here, is it?

[finishline]

Sam Michael is joining the BBC's David Croft for half an hour during 2nd practice this afternoon.