Minardi gets 41-year old test driver.

The role of the test driver with a Formula One team often goes the way of an up and coming young charger hoping to break his way into motorsport's premier league. The Minardi F1 team has taken a rather different approach this season with the signing of the forty-one year old Chanoch Nissany as an official test driver for the team...

Israeli driver Nissany has been announced as a test driver for the squad, though expect that there will be further test driver announcements through the course of the year.

Nissany had two tests with the Minardi team and has and a further planned for later this week. The Budapest-domiciled Nissany will assist the team with its test and development programme in the course of the year, although he is not scheduled to take part in Friday test sessions during Formula One weekends.

Nissany has not trodden a conventional route to the top levels of motor racing, having only launched his driving career in 2002, competing in the Hungarian Formula 2000 National Championship and Central European Zone Circuit Trophy.

He also raced in selected rounds of the World Series Light by Nissan Championship and F3000 International Championship. In the last 12 months, he has also had four F1 tests - two with Jordan and two with Minardi.

"We're very pleased to be able to announce here in Israel that we have signed Chanoch as a test driver," says Minardi boss,Paul Stoddart.

"In the course of the two recent test sessions in which he has participated, he has impressed us with his enthusiasm, his willingness to learn and his fitness. Although Chanoch has not competed in single-seater racing for that long, he nonetheless has experience of a wide range of machinery. As a result, we felt he could be of real assistance with the team's test programme this year.

"On a personal note, I derive considerable satisfaction from the fact that, once again, Minardi is able to contribute in a practical way to the very worthwhile goal of raising the awareness of Formula One in an area of the world where the sport has not previously had a significant profile. This can only be a good thing."