Barcelona: Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan completed his first laps aboard the new HRT F112 at the Barcelona circuit ahead of its Formula One (F1) debut in Australia in less than two weeks.

The Spanish squad was racing against time to put the car on track by taking advantage of 'filming day' regulations to shake down the new car, having passed all the mandatory crash tests last weekend,
Despite these limitations, the team was able to ensure that the Cosworth-powered car functioned well from mechanical and aerodynamic standpoints.

Karthikeyan's immediate goals were to ensure that all the systems were functioning appropriately and there were no major niggles.

Despite the fact that over 90 per cent of the HRT F1 staff has been freshly recruited, it was clear that the team is already at a level several notches higher compared to the last two years.

Karthikeyan added that they have a lot of experienced people in the team and they are hitting the right chords.

The new F112 sports a longer wheelbase compared to last year's car, drivetrain from Williams and a rear pull rod suspension which features on most competitive cars on the grid.

The F1 season kicks off on March 18 at the Albert Park circuit in Australia.