HRT sidelines Narain

Australian Daniel Ricciardo will race for Hispania at next week's British Grand Prix, the Formula One team confirmed on Thursday.

Hispania said in a statement that Ricciardo, 22 on Friday, will join them as part of a collaboration deal with champions Red Bull. The Australian has been reserve driver for Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso.

Ricciardo was also quoted in the Australian Herald Sun newspaper as confirming the news. "It's pretty, pretty exciting," he said. "To make the first one at Silverstone, it's great. It's a circuit I know well and it's just up the road from my second home in Britain."

While Australian Mark Webber, last year's winner at Silverstone, will be expecting to be in the running for a repeat victory with champions Red Bull, Ricciardo can hope only to get to the finish.

Karthikeyan, the only Indian to score a point in Formula One, was making his comeback this season after racing for Jordan in 2005.

A team source said the Indian was still expected to race for HRT in his inaugural home grand prix in New Delhi in October.