Team Principal Colin Kolles leaves HRT after two years
Berthold Bouman, F1 Correspondent
Today HRT announced they will part company with Dr. Colin Kolles in 2012. The Spanish outfit issued an official statement today and confirmed the 43-year old Kolles will leave the team.
“HRT F1 Team and Dr. Colin Kolles have reached an agreement to end their cooperation and therefore the Team Principal will abandon his post on the 15th of December 2011,” the statement read.
HRT also referred to the changes that have been taking place within the team during the last few months after Spanish investor Thesan Capital acquired a major share in the Spanish Formula One team.
Thesan Capital had already announced major changes would take place to make the team more competitive, and HRT has recently hired Spanish driver Pedro de la Rosa for two years, while Spanish ex-Formula One driver Luis Pérez-Sala was hired as a team advisor. It is also rumored the now by Cosworth powered HRT team wants to switch to the Renault engines for the 2012 season.
“This is due to the new direction that the team has taken and the decision of the new management to move the team headquarters to Spain,” HRT said in the statement. The team also thanked Kolles for his efforts, “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 was appointed Team Principal in February 2010 and was actually the man who saved HRT, originally founded by another Spanish ex-Formula One driver: Adrian Campos. Against all odds Kolles managed to get the team ready for the first race of 2010 after the team had encountered numerous financial and technical problems that had delayed the construction of the 2010 car.
Kolles has previously been involved in the Jordan, Midland, Spyker and Force India Formula One teams, Kolles has the German nationality but was originally born in Timisoara, Romania.
HRT has not given any information about who will take over Kolles’ place in the team, and they have yet to announce their second driver for the 2012 season.
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