GP2 race-winner Dani Clos is targeting a Formula 1 graduation with HRT next season after testing for the Spanish team in Abu Dhabi.
The 23-year-old Spaniard, who has previous F1 testing experience with Williams, is one of many drivers who have talked to HRT about a possible seat in 2012 and he knows that it would require him to raise additional budget to land a role with the team.
"For a driver to get into F1, many things are involved," Clos said. "The team has to want you, and I think that is the case. But there is also the economic side.
"It's not that teams want to ask for money, but they need to. The economic situation in every sector is very hard. We are in the situation that we would love to step up but we need some support on the economic side. It's not impossible."
Clos added that he feels ready to graduate to F1 after racing in GP2 since 2009. He finished ninth this year driving for Racing Engineering, although ended up four places higher during the 2010 season. If his hopes to graduate to F1 do not come off, Clos could return to GP2, and said he would consider dovetailing such a program with a third driver role in F1.
"I think I am prepared enough to step up into F1, because I have a lot of experience and podiums in GP2," he said. "I would love to do something in F1 next year and if not stepping up as a race driver with the team, maybe I could do something as third driver while doing some other category.
"It has been great to step back into an F1 car again after three years and the opportunity to be with HRT was incredible, because it's a Spanish team."