Jan.30 (GMM) Mike Conway and Luca Filippi have been handed 'Young Driver' status by the Honda formula one team.
The news means the pair, from Britain and Italy respectively and both active GP2 racers, will test for the Japanese squad in 2008, as the testing agreement allows for addition mileage for inexperienced drivers.
The announcement, coinciding with the launch of the RA108 at Brackley on Tuesday, is a blow to Andreas Zuber, the 24-year-old Austrian GP2 driver who also tested alongside Conway and Filippi in recent winter tests.
"I would not be a professional if I said I was not disappointed," he is quoted as saying by the Austrian press.
The Austrian press speculated that Filippi's family links with the influential Italian company Nord Diesel group will not have hindered his Honda appointment.
Zuber added: "I think my performances in my (Honda) test days will have caught the attention of other teams.
"I will make every effort to get more formula one test drives by performing strongly in GP2," he said.
The Spanish newspaper Diario AS, meanwhile, reports that the 16-year-old Spanish single seater driver Roberto Merhi travelled to Brackley last Friday for talks with Honda.
Written: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:53:49
[ Print View ][ E-Mail Article ]
- January 30, 2008Conway and Filippi for Honda
- December 04, 2007Slicks among the stars: Jerez
- December 04, 2007Final '07 test underway
- May 14, 2007Senna and Glock take GP2 wins
- March 08, 2007Mike Conway signs Honda deal
- December 03, 2006Valencia GP2 test
- November 19, 2006Conway and Priaulx take Macau
- (January 30, 2008)View all headlines from this date
