HRT have continued the restructure of their team by appointing Toni Cuquerella to the role of Technical Director.
The Spanish backmarkers have operated without a bona-fide Technical Director since Geoff Willis left the team in September of last year, with the development of the F112 taking place at the team's then technical base in Munich by the Holzer Group under the supervision of the experienced Jacky Eeckelaert before his own departure in February.
Spaniard Cuquerella joined HRT (when still known as Campos) ahead of the team's 2010 debut and has since held the role of Chief Race and Test Engineer prior to his promotion to overall control of the technical department as HRT continues to centralise of the design and development process of their car.
Cuquerella, a former race engineer to Robert Kubica at BMW Sauber, expressed his gratitude to the team's management for handing him the promotion and hopes the onset of a more streamlined technical office will allow him to work on improving the team's on-track performance.
"The role of Technical Director implies a great amount of responsibility in terms of coordination and decision making. That's why I'm very proud that the management considers me to be the most adequate person to carry it out," he said.
"Until now there was a lot of dispersion from within the technical team and that had its repercussions in the concept and quality of the F112. My priority is to solve the current car's problems to then develop it to its maximum potential, whilst also unifying and expanding the technical department, but I'm confident that we have a good work base and a clear direction to advance and have a good project for the future."
Team Principal Luis Pérez-Sala believes Cuquerella has all the necessary qualities to lead HRT's development of the F112.
"Toni Cuquerella has been a key figure in the team since its inception and, above all, in this new stage. The transition from the previous project to this one hasn't been easy and a lot of work has been carried out that without vital figures such as him wouldn't have been possible," he said.
"The position of Technical Director was vacant and the development of the F112 was carried out at the technical office in Munich. But now, with the car already on the track, it was important to take control and count on someone influential at the head of the technical office. And because of his experience, judgment and knowledge, Toni's profile fitted in perfectly."