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AUSTIN, Texas - Pedro De la Rosa denied reports on Thursday, November 15, 2012, that his cash-strapped Formula 1 team HRT was putting him in danger by sending the Spanish driver out in an unsafe car for the 2012 US Grand Prix.
The Spanish-based F1 backmarker is up for sale and talks are ongoing with a number of groups interested in buying the team, owner Thesan Capital said.
SAFETY ISSUE
With HRT's future up in the air, Spanish media reported the team doesn’t have enough spare parts to see it through the final two races of the season, the US GP at the newly constructed Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, November 18, 2012, and the November 25 season finale in Brazil.
De la Rosa said: "We might be modest, we are small, we are what we are but we are a professional F1 team and for sure when we go running it is because the car is safe. I would never jump into an unsafe car because of parts being too old. The car is slow but it is safe."
The team, who have yet to score a point in three years, have De la Rosa and Indian Narain Karthikeyan as their two current drivers.
Thesan Capital took over HRT in July 2011, with former GP driver Luis Perez-Sala becoming the team principal and the headquarters moving to Madrid.
GIVING 100%
De la Rosa could shed no light on the team's future beyond plans to run the final two events on the calendar.
"There is not much I can say, it is a corporate decision which I am not involved in. All I can say is, we are here, there are two more GPs to go and no matter what is going on in the background we will give 100% like we have always done.
"No matter who we fight against we will do a professional job. We are here to do that."
The Spanish-based F1 backmarker is up for sale and talks are ongoing with a number of groups interested in buying the team, owner Thesan Capital said.
SAFETY ISSUE
With HRT's future up in the air, Spanish media reported the team doesn’t have enough spare parts to see it through the final two races of the season, the US GP at the newly constructed Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, November 18, 2012, and the November 25 season finale in Brazil.
De la Rosa said: "We might be modest, we are small, we are what we are but we are a professional F1 team and for sure when we go running it is because the car is safe. I would never jump into an unsafe car because of parts being too old. The car is slow but it is safe."
The team, who have yet to score a point in three years, have De la Rosa and Indian Narain Karthikeyan as their two current drivers.
Thesan Capital took over HRT in July 2011, with former GP driver Luis Perez-Sala becoming the team principal and the headquarters moving to Madrid.
GIVING 100%
De la Rosa could shed no light on the team's future beyond plans to run the final two events on the calendar.
"There is not much I can say, it is a corporate decision which I am not involved in. All I can say is, we are here, there are two more GPs to go and no matter what is going on in the background we will give 100% like we have always done.
"No matter who we fight against we will do a professional job. We are here to do that."