Pedro de la Rosa will return to Formula One in 2012 at the age of 41 after signing a two-year deal to drive for Spanish-based HRT.
The Spaniard, and McLaren reserve driver who raced for Sauber in Canada this year as a stand-in for ill Mexican Sergio Perez, will be the second-oldest driver on the grid after Michael Schumacher.
Schumacher turns 43 in January (Brazilian Rubens Barrichello is 40 next May)is still hoping to stay at Williams and race on for a 20th season in what would be a trio of F1 drivers in their 40’s.
HRT will be De la Rosa’s fifth team in Formula One after starting out with Tom Walkinshaw’s Arrows in 1999. He has also raced for Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber.
HRT’s current drivers are Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi and Australian Daniel Ricciardo, with Indian Narain Karthikeyan also starting at selected races. While Ricciardo’s drive has been sponsored by Red Bull, he may move to Red Bull’s second team Toro Rosso. The season finale will happen next week in Brazil and with the title already decided three races ago it will never-the-less still be a torrid affair as the also-rans battle for second place on
the points table behind World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
