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Liuzzi 'sick' of pay drivers

Tonio Liuzzi is still hoping to race for HRT next season © Sutton Images

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Tonio Liuzzi says he is "sick" of pay drivers in Formula One as he waits to learn whether he will be on the grid with HRT this season.

Liuzzi has a contract with HRT for 2012, but the team has yet to confirm the indentity of its second driver and is believed to be on the lookout for a candidate with sponsorship to partner Pedro de la Rosa.

"I'm still linked with the team and have a long, multi-year contract," Liuzzi told ESPNF1. "At the moment the team has been clear to me; it's a difficult period in terms of money so they are trying hard to find sponsors to be able to run me as per the contract. But in the case that they are struggling then they might be forced to look for a driver that brings money."

Liuzzi, who has seven years of experience in Formula One, believes that many teams now value money over talent when picking their driver line-up.

"If you've got a big sponsor behind you then you are an F1 driver and that's not the way it should be from my point of view," he added. "There may be some people that think differently, but Formula One is the top of the sport and should be full of talent that have got the results during their career and have been kicking arse since they were kids, not people that just have the money. I'm sick of it being like this at the moment, but I have to just accept it and hopefully I will get another chance."

Asked if he still has unfinished business in F1, Liuzzi said: "Of course, but I'm really realistic. I'm a driver that gives a lot to the team that I race with, but unfortunately at the moment it's not a matter of talent or skill or your CV, it's a matter of money. We see that 60% or 70% of the teams involved in Formula One have got drivers that bring in a huge amount of money.

"Obviously, with the global position being so difficult at the moment, it is not easy for anybody and I don't have much money myself to spend or to bring sponsors. So I can just bring my talent and my skill and pay a team back with results. Unfortunately, at the moment, the teams just want the money upfront and in their pocket and they care less about the results."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.