Servia to test with Prost?

It is rumoured that Prost's determination to land a Spanish driver for next season has directed the team's attention across the Atlantic.

According to sources, the 1999 Indy Lights champion and 2000 PPI Motorsports CART driver Oriol Servia will test one of the French team's car this week in Barcelona.

Prost was not certain to join list of teams testing in Barcelona this week, but the team's motorhome arrived at the circuit on the weekend, suggesting that the rest of its equipment would follow before the test gets underway in mid-week. Confusion surrounds the readiness of the team's cars, which will be fitted with Ferrari engines and gearboxes next season, with speculation that the new AP04 will not be ready to run until mid-January at the earliest.

The team has already intimated, however, that it would run its much-maligned Peugeot units for just one December outing - at Barcelona - primarily to test prospective drivers for next season. Jean Alesi is expected to be present in his capacity as team leader, and could be joined by a number of hopefuls. Already scheduled to run with the French outfit is German F3 Championship winner Giorgio Pantano, with Servia and, possibly, compatriot Fernando Alonso being added to the list.

Servia, who may have lost his drive in the USA because sponsor Telefonica may have decided to end its CART involvement in the same fashion as it dropped its association with Minardi in F1, has apparently been invited to test by Prost's new managing director, fellow Spaniard Joan Villadelprat.

With Pedro Diniz opting to buy a stake in Prost and assume a management role instead of continuing his driving career, the team is looking for a potential partner for Alesi.