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No decision yet on drivers, says Stoddart
Team boss warns against assumptions from pre-season testing
European Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has warned that nothing should be read into the variety of different drivers that will be used in forthcoming tests, despite the fact that a team mate for Alex Yoong has yet to be announced.
Minardi will begin testing at the Valencia circuit in Spain in two weeks' time and a number of different drivers are expected to be used in order to get through the Anglo-Italian team's pre-season work load.
The outfit's Formula 3000 International drivers from last year David Saelens and Christijan Albers are likely candidates to help out.
However, despite the fact that prospective takers for the second race seat, including Tomas Enge, Tarso Marques, Jos Verstappen and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, may not attend the test, it does not mean they are out of the frame, according to team boss Paul Stoddart.
Paul stoddard comments
"Nothing should be read into the presence of one driver or the lack of appearance of another," said Stoddart. "We're just doing what we've always done which is test responsibly a number of young drivers."
Minardi was due to begin testing at Barcelona next week, but factory-based reliability work with the team's new Asiatech engine means the team has decided to concentrate on getting next year's car completed; a novelty for the outfit which at the same time last year was on the verge of bankruptcy.
"We feel that we've done sufficient static rig work on reliability to do what we would have done in the first week of testing," added Stoddart. "So we're pressing ahead to get the PS02 out."
source : autosport.com
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