Don't know if it's purely on the basis of aesthetics, but I hope HRT utterly dick on Marussia this year.
Maria de Villota joins Marussia F1 team as test driver for the 2012 season De Villota will test for the team during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi later this year... she's 32?
I'm glad to see this. It would be interesting to see some times from other circuits too. Do Marussia have a named reserve driver or is she it?
Maria is awful - nothing more than a publicity stunt. Her racing success is laughable and she's only known because of her father.
Will she get any Friday practices? Before we all have a go, Kobayashi was just an also-ran in lower formula............ EDIT : Acutally, she is crap. Just had a look at her stats to date! <cough> superlicence refusal <cough>
I think she's just there for the Abu Dhabi young driver test. Not sure what she'll be doing throughout the season other than just hanging around.
A paying second test driver who isn't up to the job is far less of an issue for me than a paying racing driver. Sure, the drivers I am eluding to have far better CVs than de Villota, but in the grand scheme of things the benefit Marussia will get from her money probably does outweigh the fact that her input will be of limited value. Besides, the team now known as Lotus had Richard Hammond in their car in the not too distant past.
http://www.f1today.net/en/news/marussia-concentrates-on-basics-before-worrying-about-kers take your time fellas