DECEMBER 14, 2011

HRT and Colin Kolles part ways

As anticipated, HRT and team principal Colin Kolles are to go their separate ways in 2012.

As anticipated, HRT and team principal Colin Kolles are to go their separate ways in 2012.

A team statement said that Kolles will vacate his position tomorrow (December 15) "due to the new direction that the team has taken and the decision of the new management to move the team headquarters to Spain."

It went on: "HRT F1 Team would like to thank Dr. Colin Kolles for his work and dedication throughout these past two years and wish him the best in his future projects."

Kolles has led HRT for two years, having worked wonders to get the team to the grid when the Campos F1 project was about to fail.

At the time, F1 was reeling from the withdrawal of BMW and Toyota and needed new teams. It was not until January 2010 that Bernie Ecclestone called Kolles and said that the Carabante family could pay Campos's outstanding Dallara bills if Kolles could get the operation onto the grid in Bahrain, less than two months away.

The Carabantes had money but no team whereas Kolles had bought the ex-Super Aguri trucks and had the nucleus of a team through his Audi sportscar operation.

HRT has operated the same Dallara chassis ever since, on the tightest of budgets, but earlier this year Thesan Capital bought the team from the Carabantes and revealed plans to base it in Spain, most likely in Valencia, while continuing with a Munich-based design group.

They also have a development budget for the first time and recently announced the signing of Pedro de la Rosa.

Kolles is understood to be close to Williams shareholder Toto Wolff and it remains to be seen what his future plans hold.