» Another new home for HRT…

The state of flux for the HRT F1 team continues, with the tail-ender outfit deciding that it won’t relocate to Valencia, but instead move into Madrid’s Complejo Deportivo Madrid Caja Mágica – which translates to the ‘Magic Box’ – facility, which is better known as a tennis centre.

The team’s facilities will be housed in what will be refitted and remodelled Indoor Sur and Indoor Central buildings, with a floor space of some 11,000 square metres.

Since its recent purchase by investment group Thesan Capital, the team’s operation has been at a temporary logistical base in Paterna, Valencia, while the cars were being designed and assembled with contractors in Holzer, Germany.

The first team members should be able to move into the new facility in just a few weeks, while the remainder of the operation will not arrive until the European part of the F1 calendar is underway in May.

“For us it is fundamental to have a headquarters that, apart from uniting the team and ending with the dispersion, is beneficial from a logistical and industrial point of view,” said HRT CEO Saúl Ruiz de Marcos.

“Madrid and the Caja Mágica facilities fit perfectly with the standards we were looking for. In the last few months we have assessed different options, looked at their pros and cons, and we feel that the decision to establish our permanent headquarters in Madrid was the best one.”

The move in the latest since Thesan Capital’s purchase seven months ago. Several senior staff have parted ways with the team – including team principal Colin Kolles, and key design staff Geoff Willis and Jacky Eeckelaert – as the new owners have sought to bring about a more stable operating base.