Feb.15 (GMM) Dani Clos insists he is delighted with his new role as HRT tester, despite some seeing him as little more than a ‘pay driver’.
A reporter for Spain’s Diario AS newspaper admitted to the 23-year-old from Barcelona that when he read the news about his Clos’ new role, he surmised that the driver must have some lucrative backers.
“That’s definitely not why I’m here,” Clos insisted.
He admitted however that he is also “looking at some options” to split his time between HRT and another race series this season.
“There are offers but I’m happy with HRT. Some people would give their right arm to be here.”
Clos conceded, however, that if he had lots more money to spend on formula one, he might have been appointed as Pedro de la Rosa’s teammate in the place of Narain Karthikeyan.
“It’s obvious that if you contribute more then you have more options,” he said, “but for me this is my place now, and where I have to be right now.”
He revealed that the role will include running on Friday mornings at grands prix, rather than the symbolic role played by many ‘test drivers’ nowadays.
“Yes, yes, I’ll do Fridays,” said Clos. “I will not be one of those who are there just to be there.”
He also denied that his new deal could fall apart the way countryman Andy Soucek’s did at Virgin in 2010, when the Spaniard was promised track time that never materialised.
“I have no fear in that regard,” insisted Clos. “I trust the team.”
