HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala says Marussia failure no advantage for his team

With both outfits facing a race-against-time to get their cars ready for the start of the season, Perez-Sala does not believe that his outfit now has the edge over its rivals because it has completed all the mandatory checks.

"We have been able to pass the crash tests, but it does not mean we are leaving any teams behind," Perez-Sala said at the FOTA Fans' Forum event in Barcelona on Wednesday.

"We are a humble team, and we have to go day-by-day. Our car is not ready yet, so we will see if we can test on the final day at Barcelona (on Sunday) or maybe on Monday with a filming day. If not, we will go to Melbourne."

Although admitting that passing the crash tests was a fraught experience, Perez-Sala paid tribute to the safety benefits of them.

"We passed the crash tests and that was a nightmare!" he explained. "I was not familiar with them, so I went to Cranfield which is where we passed them.

"There are almost 20 tests and it really deserves having a close look, because after seeing these tests and seeing what the chassis have to withstand, you understand why certain accidents we have watched in the past did not have any consequences."