» Liuzzi to discuss possible HRT role this week

With just one vacancy left on the 2011 grid with the Hispania Racing, Vitantonio Liuzzi looks to be in the pound seats to take it – but the Italian isn’t even sure if he will be back on the grid this year.

Following his sacking by the Force India team before this season got underway, Liuzzi returned to the F1 paddock with a test outing for HRT at Barcelona, where the former Red Bull protégé lapped the Circuit de Catalunya quicker than the team’s recently-signed driver, Narain Karthikeyan.

Describing his situation as “open”, Liuzzi told the BBC: “We’ll talk in the next few days and see what comes.

“We have a few things I’m working on, there are talks [in F1] but we are not talking about driving as we know the only seat available is Hispania,” he added, referring to the possibility of a reserve driver role with another team.

While not going into too much detail about his sacking from Force India – no doubt due to a strict confidentiality clause Force India would have imposed as part of his termination settlement – Liuzzi expressed his disappointment with the decision.

“Back home I was thinking what to do, if I wanted to be back [in F1] or not,” he added.

“But when you jump on the track and it is what you love, you feel really good. It’s a big relief and I felt happy when Hispania gave me this chance.”

[Original image via LAT]