Minardi signs Alonso.

Perennial backmarker Minardi has moved to strengthen its driving squad with the addition of Spanish F3000 star Fernando Alonso.

Although the signing is thought in no way likely to threaten either regular incumbent in the race team, it does mean that Minardi is a strong position to keep or trade Alonso in the face of competition for his services. Sponsored, like the Italian outfit, by Telefonica, Alonso has already attracted keen attention from the Benetton squad, and was recently linked with a possible test with the Enstone outfit should he take his financial backing there instead of to Minardi.

Alonso, who has yet to score a point in F3000 despite some good performances, joins Giorgio Vinella on Minardi's testing strength, after the Italian signed up over the European GP weekend. Both drivers were invited to run with the team over the winter as reward for their performances in Formula Nissan and Italian F3000 respectively in 1999.

''On that occasion, [Alonso] impressed favourably,'' reads an official Minardi statement, ''especially with his immediate adaptability to the MO1, even though he was driving an F1 car for the first time.''

It is not clear how the signing of Alonso will affect Minardi's relationship with Telefonica, as plans for the Spanish telecoms giant to buy the team appear to have fallen through.