HRT engineer Toni Cuquerella has been promoted to take over the role of technical director at the Spanish team. The position has been vacant since Geoff Willis left for Mercedes back in September 2011.
“The role of technical director implies a great amount of responsibility in terms of coordination and decision making,” said Cuquerella. “That’s why I’m very proud that the management considers me to be the most adequate person to carry it out. Until now there was a lot of dispersion from within the technical team and that had its repercussions in the concept and quality of the F112.
“My priority is to solve the current car’s problems to then develop it to its maximum potential, whilst also unifying and expanding the technical department, but I’m confident that we have a good work base and a clear direction to advance and have a good project for the future.”
HRT team principal Luis Perez-Sala added: "Toni has been a key figure in the team since its inception and, above all, in this new stage. The transition from the previous project to this one hasn’t been easy and a lot of work has been carried out that without vital figures such as him wouldn’t have been possible.
“The position of technical director was vacant and the development of the F112 was carried out at the technical office in Munich. But now, with the car already on the track, it was important to take control and count on someone influential at the head of the technical office. And because of his experience, judgment and knowledge, Toni’s profile fitted in perfectly.”
After missing the pre-season tests, HRT failed to qualify at the opening Grand Prix of 2012 in Melbourne. They did, however, race in Malaysia, with drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan finishing the Sepang event in 21st and 22nd places respectively.
formula1.com
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