Yoong back for Monza.
Anthony Davidson has been told that his run of outings with Minardi will not continue at the Italian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
Despite being impressed with the young British driver, Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart insists that he will stick to his original decision and play fair by Alex Yoong, the original incumbent of the seat alongside Mark Webber in the Anglo-Italian team. The Malaysian was rested for both the Hungarian and Belgian races in order to take a break and regain his confidence following three non-qualifications in 2002.
Anthony Davidson has been told that his run of outings with Minardi will not continue at the Italian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
Despite being impressed with the young British driver, Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart insists that he will stick to his original decision and play fair by Alex Yoong, the original incumbent of the seat alongside Mark Webber in the Anglo-Italian team. The Malaysian was rested for both the Hungarian and Belgian races in order to take a break and regain his confidence following three non-qualifications in 2002.
"Anthony's was a two-race deal, and Alex Yoong will be back for Monza," Stoddart confirmed in the paddock at Spa-Francorchamps, before going on to say that he had been impressed by Davidson's two outings so far, "I wouldn't rule out Anthony driving for us next year - he's certainly done enough to justify his place in F1."
Speaking to F1 Digital +, Stoddart also let slip that he expected to have a competitive package for 2003 and that, with the only pair of free seats in the paddock, expected to be popular with drivers looking for a seat next year. The comment, intentional or not, tends to support the belief that Webber, another impressive rookie in 2002, will shortly confirm his move to the Jaguar team - despite rumours that the Milton Keynes team will hold off on the announcement while it assesses Davidson's credentials!
Stoddart admitted that he had had productive talks with several drivers for 2003, Davidson included, and that he expected to announce his line-up before the final race of the year in Japan. This would mark a turnabout for Minardi, which has traditionally had to wait until just before the new season begins to reveal its drivers while it secures last-minute sponsorship.
Yoong cannot be ruled out of the frame for 2003, although he is unlikely to feature highly on Stoddart's wishlist, despite the team's title backing from Kuala Lumpur. Britain's Justin Wilson, the originally planned substitute for the Malaysian in Hungary, remains a potential candidate for one seat, as Stoddart has promised to build a car big enough to cater for his six-foot-three frame.
Davidson, meanwhile, will return to BAR test duties at Monza next week.
