Technical director leaves HRT

HRT has confirmed the departure of technical director Jacky Eeckelaert ahead of the 2012 F1 season.

Eeckelaert was widely expected to take up the role full-time following the departure of Geoff Willis last year but has now also left the team after his contract wasn't renewed.

Chief designer Jean-Claude Martens is now overseeing final development of the 2012 HRT challenger, with the team set to run its 2011 car for two days of the Jerez test this week.

"Jacky is no longer working for HRT," a spokesperson told GPUpdate. "His contract finished by the end of January and, following all the restructuring that the team has been going through over the past months, it was decided not to renew it.

"The (new) car is already in the last stages - crash tests and homologation - and it's being supervised by the current Chief Designer Jean-Claude Martens, who has been with the team since September. It is the same situation with Simon Shinkins (Head of Production), who has been replaced by Dave Campbell."