Panis signs for BAR.

British American racing has confirmed that Olivier Panis will partner Jacques Villeneuve in its Honda-powered line-up next season.

The Frenchman will move over from his testing role with McLaren at the end of the year, despite attempts by the BAR to lure him to Brackley this season, and will replace Ricardo Zonta alongside 1997 champion Villeneuve, who recently signed a new three-year contract with the team. Panis' deal is believed to be for two years.

''Olivier Panis is an experienced grand prix driver, a highly-rated test driver and a proven race winner, and we believe his knowledge and ability will assist the team greatly,'' commented BAR's managing director Craig Pollock, ''Any decision concerning our driver line-up is a complex matter, and had to be considered carefully. Ours is a young team, and one that has set itself some ambitious performance targets. We have made good progress this year, but we have to keep the pressure on to raise our game.

''I want to thank Ricardo Zonta for his continuing efforts. There are still five races left this season, and he can be assured of our support in his efforts to achieve the best possible results. he is undoubtedly a talented young man, and will always have a special place within the team as one of our original drivers. We certainly wish him well for the future.''

While Panis' signing closes another door for those drivers on the move this winter, Zonta may find himself a new home at Sauber. The Brazilian has also been connected to the Arrows-AMT project, and still retains links with McLaren, which now needs a new test driver after losing the services of Panis.