| Nick Koan |
2006-12-11 02:26 PM |
Toro Rosso is going to give the goofy Frenchman a one off test drive.
http://www.crash.net/news_View~t~Bou...~id~141244.htm
Quote:
Sebastian Bourdais will get a belated chance to try a Formula One car, having been offered the chance to test with Scuderia Toro Rosso during this week's final group session of 2006.
Much has been made of the Frenchman's lack of F1 opportunities, a situation made to look slightly ridiculous by his steam-rollering of the Champ Car series over the past three years, adding further weight to Toro Rosso's offer. Bourdais will join the Faenza-based team, now run by Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost, during the team's three-day test at Jerez de la Frontera over 13-15 December.
Although Toro Rosso's brief statement claims that the test outing has been endorsed by the Newman Haas team 'with whom Bourdais wants to defend his Champ Car title in 2007', conspiracy theorists will enjoy talking up Bourdais' chances of finally making the move to the top flight.
Although Berger has hinted at an unchanged line-up for Toro Rosso's second season, the team has yet to issue an official confirmation that Tonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed will be at the wheel of its 2007 cars - another subject dogging the Italian-based Red Bull-backed outfit. Berger also spent the end of the 2006 campaign making less than encouraging noises about the number of mistakes made by his inexperienced pairing, leading to speculation that Speed could be off-loaded back to the United States.
Initial gossip suggested that Red Bull Racing reserve Robert Doornbos would be a shoo-in for the American, but Berger has denied this. RBR has yet to confirm that Doornbos - who ended the season standing in for the deposed Christian Klien - will play back-up to David Coulthard and Mark Webber in 2007, leaving the possibility of a switch to STR just that, but Bourdais' test has come out of the blue, suggesting that there may be something more to the offer.
Doubters can't even point to the Frenchman's lack of Red Bull credentials as a reason why he can't be signed, as Webber has been drafted into the RBR fold having not been backed by the drinks brand in the past.
The test won't be Bourdais first in F1, having been offered outings by both Arrows and Renault in the wake of his 2002 FIA F3000 title success. The Frenchman was even offered a race seat by Tom Walkinshaw for the following season. Unfortunately, the financial situation at Leafield was not good and the chance passed Bourdais by. With the Renault F1 test coming to nought, amid rumours claiming that Bourdais had fallen out with Flavio Briatore, he headed to Champ Car.
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In other random one off testing news, Marco Andretti (grandson of Mario) is getting a test drive with Honda - though says he's still more focused on IRL
http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~And...~id~141151.htm
Quote:
The Andretti name will return to the realms of Formula One for the first time since 1993 after Honda confirmed they will give rising youngster Marco Andretti a test in one of the their cars at Jerez next week.
Currently making waves in the IndyCar Series at the wheel of the Honda-powered Andretti Green Racing car, the 19-year-old hit the headlines this year with a superb drive to second place in the Indianapolis 500 at his first attempt, before scoring his first win at Sonoma and clinching the ‘Rookie of the Year' title.
As such, he has earned a test with Honda at Jerez in the final Formula One test of the year where he will join team as they continue to evaluate their new Bridgestone tyres ahead of launching their new RA107 car next year.
Indeed, while Andretti admits he is fully focused on an immediate career in the IRL with his father Michael's team, he is delighted to have been offered the chance to impress, even if he admits it will be a challenge to learn the car and the unfamiliar circuit in one day.
"I am thrilled that Honda has offered me this incredible opportunity. 2006 was a fantastic inaugural year for me in the IRL and I look forward to fighting for the championship next season," he said.
"However, as you would expect of any racing driver, when Honda offered me the chance to drive, I grabbed it with both hands - no hesitation! I can only imagine what an awesome experience this is going to be and I'm just going to take my time and enjoy every moment.
"I've said all along that I'm a racer," said Andretti. "I'll drive anything with a motor and this definitely ranks at the top of the list. I still have my sights set on the IndyCar Series; there are still some things I need to accomplish. But to have the opportunity to put in some laps in an F1 car is an opportunity that you don't pass up and I have to thank Honda for that.
For former IRL star and current Honda sporting director Gil de Ferran, offering Andretti a test on the back of his impressive maiden season was just reward for his efforts and was looking forward to witnessing how the teenager acquits himself on his debut.
"We are delighted to have Marco join us in Jerez next week for his first run in a Formula One car. Marco has had an outstanding first season in the IndyCar Series making a big impact at such a young age. As part of the extended Honda Racing family, it will be a great pleasure for us to give him the chance of his first experience of Formula One."
Marco's F1 debut comes almost fourteen years since his father Michael competed in F1 at the wheel of a McLaren in 1993, in what turned out to be a rather infamously short career in the sport. Nonetheless despite his own brief flirtation with F1, Michael is thrilled to see his son expand his repertoire.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Marco to experience a different type of race car," he said. "While he remains committed to Andretti Green Racing and the NYSE team in pursuing our future goals, I definitely encourage him to take advantage of opportunities such as this and to learn from them. He's young, fast and has a great future ahead of him."
Indeed, Marco would probably rather emulate his grandfather Mario in terms of success after already etching the Andretti name in the F1 history books when he took the world title in 1978 for Lotus, remaining the last American to have won the championship.
Still, big noises have been made about the rapid rise of Marco through the ranks and his pace in the traditionally tough IRL Series on his debut, while comments about a move into racing in Europe have also been mooted, a rumour that is likely to be fuelled with the announcement of this F1 test.
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