HRT to be in Barcelona this week

UPDATE This rumor is downgraded to 'false.' The Marussia F1 Team is disappointed to confirm that the planned first test of its 2012 race car – the MR01 – has been delayed as a consequence of not passing the final FIA crash test.

All cars are required to pass 18 FIA-observed tests for homologation to be granted. Despite the fact that the MR01 has passed all 17 of the preceding tests, the regulations require the car to have completed all of the tests before running commences.

The team will now not take part in the final pre-season test in Barcelona later this week (1-4 March) and will instead focus its efforts on repeating the crash test at the end of the week.

02/26/12 (GMM) HRT's 2012 campaign looks set to finally get off the start-line, after the new single seater passed the mandatory crash tests. Earlier, the reportedly step-nosed car failed two of the FIA's 2012 impact safety tests, which according to new rules meant the struggling Spanish team could not run as scheduled last week in Barcelona.

But writing in AS newspaper, correspondent Manuel Franco said the Cosworth-powered chassis has finally passed all the crash tests, meaning it can now debut this week at the Circuit de Catalunya. The final pre-season group test begins on Thursday, but Franco wrote that it is not clear precisely when the new HRT will make its debut, probably in Pedro de la Rosa's hands.

"But is expected that he (de la Rosa) and his teammate Narain Karthikeyan will be in Catalonia," he added.