Hamilton to test ART car.

New F3 Euroseries champion Lewis Hamilton will make his GP2 Series debut today [Thursday], when he steps out with the title-winning ART Grand Prix team at the Jerez group test.

Hamilton, who ran with ART's sister squad ASM in F3, has been touted as a likely GP2 frontrunner should his McLaren links not land him at least a test role in Formula One, but confirmation of his appearance at Jerez only arrived late on Wednesday, after the test was already halfway through. The Briton will become the latest in a growing line of hopefuls to run with ART after it won the series' inaugural team and driver titles - joining Jose Maria Lopez, Franck Perera, Tomas Kostka, Alvaro Parente and Andreas Zuber - but must surely rate among the favourites to replace F1-bound Nico Rosberg in 2006.

The test outing may help to explain Hamilton's late withdrawal from next weekend's Macau Grand Prix, where he will be replaced at ASM by Loic Duval, but does not confirm his place in next year's GP2 Series as many tip him for an F1 role. With McLaren's test duties sewn up by Alex Wurz and Pedro de la Rosa, however, Hamilton's chance may only come with the addition of a second team using McLaren equipment or resources, and there has been silence on that front in recent weeks.