The HRT team has now officially confirmed that Narain Karthikeyan will drive this year, after the Indian driver told his local media yesterday.
Karthikeyan, who turns 34 on January 17, last raced in F1 with the Jordan/Midland in 2005, and later spent some time as a Williams test driver, although he didn’t do much mileage.
Kolles said in a statement: “It is a great pleasure for us to have signed Narain Karthikeyan as our race driver for the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship. I have known Narain for a long time and he can revert to the experiences he gained when he was competing for Jordan Grand Prix and being test and reserve driver for Williams F1.
“Narain has also been driving in other racing series and running in one of the legendary Audi sports cars in the Le Mans Series. I am sure that his experience and speed will be very useful for the team during the season. We are welcoming Narain to our team and we look forward to working closely with him this year.”
Karthikeyan added: “It’s been a while in the making, but I am extremely happy to be racing again in Formula 1 in 2011. I have always maintained that I have not given up on my desire to return to the pinnacle of world motorsport. I am confident that I still have the pace, the fitness and the will to succeed in Formula 1.
“I’m looking forward to racing for Hispania Racing, and to working again with Dr. Colin Kolles. We have a long standing and excellent working relationship together. I’m also looking forward to racing at the first ever Indian Grand Prix in October, and I hope that the Indian public will spur me on with their blessings and good wishes.”
Adam Cooper F1 
I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here – I thought after the Toyota deal fell through that basically HRT was washed up. No car and no money to develop one. Has that changed? Or is this a page out of the USF1 playbook? (Pull in some money in the hopes even more will pour in and save a sinking ship…)