Minardi confirms date for Marchy Lee test.

After much speculation, Minardi has finally confirmed that Chinese driver Marchy Lee Ying-Kin will get his long-awaited test outing with the team at its next scheduled session at Mugello.

Lee, the reigning Formula BMW Asia champion and sometime F3 contender, will join Minardi's regular race drivers, Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher, and test driver Chanoch Nissany at the Tuscan circuit next week [27-28 April]. Although another former FBMW Asia champion, Ho Pin Tung, ran with Williams a couple of seasons ago, Minardi believes that Lee, who won twelve of his 15 races last year, will be the first Chinese-domiciled driver to sample an F1 car.

The team will take two of its new Cosworth-powered PS05 chassis to the test, as well as a single PS04B, the latter to be used for back-to-back comparison runs and tyre evaluation.

"We have been keeping an eye on Marchy's progress for some time, and are pleased to be able to give him his first taste of Formula One performance next week," team boss Paul Stoddart commented, "It will also give the team a chance to have a close look at him in terms of possible Formula One potential.

"Following last year's inaugural, and hugely successful, Chinese Grand Prix, I'm sure this test will generate considerable interest among Formula One fans in China and help to raise the profile of the sport there still further."