MOTORSPORT: Extra F1 start for young Aussie

Nod for Aussie ahead of Liuzzi?Australia’s young Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo will be a starter in India’s new grand prix this weekend.

Ricciardo’s contract with small Spanish team HRT was for 10 GPs, with the 22-year-old Perth driver to have stepped aside for the Indian race in favour of local hero, Narain Karthikeyan. However, HRT (formerly known as Hispania Racing Team) has now announced that it will be its Italian driver Vitantonio Liuzzi who will skip the Indian race at New Delhi’s new Buddh circuit instead of Ricciardo.

The West Australian is part of Red Bull’s stable of drivers and was placed in HRT mid-year by the energy drink company’s motorsport chief Dr Helmut Marko to gain F1 racing experience.

Winner of more than 20 junior open-wheeler races in Europe in recent seasons and the 2009 British Formula Three Champion, Ricciardo has been a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and drove in Friday morning F1 practice for its Italian sister team Toro Rosso at the first eight GPs this year.

He demonstrated a Red Bull in F1 car a month ago but said on the announcement he would race in Delhi that he had not yet seen the new Buddh circuit.

“I’ve tried it out on Red Bull’s simulator. I’ve heard it looks quite good from [Red Bull Racing drivers] Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel - and if they say that then usually their judgment is pretty good,” Ricciardo said.

 “It’s always nice to go to a new place and circuit. I think every driver is excited to see what it is like. I’ve heard it’s already sold out so there should be quite a good turnout for the race.

“We [HRT] had a good performance in Korea and I hope we can keep on improving in India.”

Karthikeyan, 34, will return to F1 – with substantial backing from Indian conglomerate Tata - in a one-off after racing in 2005 with the former Jordan team and in the early GPs this season with HRT, until replaced by Ricciardo.

Neither HRT (in its second season in F1 and yet to score a world championship point) nor Red Bull have explained the rationale for Ricciardo now racing in India rather than Liuzzi, who drove a V8 Supercar last weekend in the Gold Coast 600.

HRT team principal Colin Kolles said simply: “Narain will be driving alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

“I asked Tonio Liuzzi to step aside for the Indian GP in order to allow driving programs with Ricciardo and Karthikeyan to be completed. I have to thank Tonio for his professional approach and attitude.”

Ricciardo has completed six of his eight starts with HRT and website planet-f1.com pointed out this week that he has finished ahead of Liuzzi five times and outqualified the 30-year-old Italian, a veteran of 79 GPs, four times.

Red Bull may have orchestrated Ricciardo racing in India as it steps up assessment of its driver stable ahead of next season.

Dual world champion Vettel and six-time GP winner Webber already are contracted at Red Bull Racing again.

Toro Rosso pair – Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari and Switzerland’s Sebastien Buemi – began this year under intense pressure to improve and have, scoring 22 and 15 points respectively in the world championship.

While that pair have staked strong claims to be retained, Red Bull also supports young French star Jean-Eric Vergne, who won this year’s British F3 Championship and is now driving in Friday morning F1 practice at GPs for Toro Rosso.

No announcement is anticipated from Red Bull on its 2012 intentions for Ricciardo, Alguersuari, Buemi or Vergne until at least late November and more likely early December – after the Abu Dhabi and Brazilian GPs that follow the Indian race.