Minardi's Mark Webber tests for Jaguar today (Friday) alongside Pedro de
la Rosa at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. Webber's one-off drive
comes at a crucial time for the British team, as their new R3b car gets
its first full day of track action.
Webber's test was originally planned as part of Jaguar's routine
preparations for next season to evaluate the Australian driver. However,
its coincidence with the arrival of the R3b will provide the team with
valuable extra data on their new car.
Webber is the second up-and-coming F1™ star to test for Jaguar in the
past month. At the end of May official Renault tester Fernando Alonso
put in a strong performance in the R3, outpacing De la Rosa at
Silverstone.
Like Alonso in 2001, this year Webber has caught the attention of
team bosses thanks to some impressive drives in his debut season with
Minardi. And with only De la Rosa's contract extending to next season at
Jaguar, a drive with the British team is a possibility.
Friday's test will give Jaguar a chance to weigh up Webber's
potential. However, it will also provide clues at to whether the new R3
is a major improvement on its predecessor the R3 - a car Webber has
out-qualified on more than one occasion this season. |
