The price-tag for a one-day ’young driver test’ with the HRT team next week is EUR 200,000, according to Finland’s Turun Sanomat.
HRT’s other test seat for the post-season sessions at Abu Dhabi has been filled by Pastor Maldonado, the new GP2 champion who is reportedly backed to the tune of EUR 15 million by the Venezuelen petroleum company PDVSA.
Meanwhile, according to French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet in his Auto Plus column, Tony Fernandes is open to dropping the ’Lotus’ name for 2011 if he is paid out by Group Lotus or the Malaysian government.