s2ksimon

Flavio Briatore has confirmed rising Finnish star Heikki Kovalainen will be Renault's test driver next season.

Kovalainen is a product of Renault's driver development programme and, after a glittering career in junior racing, is considered a star of the future.

Renault boss Briatore is believed to be grooming the 24-year-old for a race seat in 2007.

Briatore said: "Kovalainen will be our test driver and do the same development programme followed by Fernando Alonso."

Kovalainen had been linked to BMW-Sauber, amid continuing suggestions they are not keen to honour their contract with Jacques Villeneuve.

But Briatore said: "In 2007 I am sure he will be on the Formula One grid but I don't yet know whether it will be with Renault or another team. We'll see."

bye- bye Fisi

Marco

I see HK being a serious threat to FA once they are the 2 drivers at Renault.
I wonder if by mid 06, and Fisi is driving poorly, if Flav will replace him with HK

l8brakr

I give Fisi three races and he'll be out.

s2ksimon

i honestly don't know who's gonna do worse next season,
Fisi or Rubinho.. hey ? good idea for another thread

Colin

Excellent strategy by FB. If Kovalainen lives up to the promise, you have someone to push FA AND (most importantly) you keep him out of the other guys cockpit! If he's slow, hype him up and farm him out!

ytdlite

Ah the big IF word. I hope Fisi recovers and has a good season IF Renualt provides the right package. AND POOR Flavio with so many talented drivers, Renault needs a second team.

Triple-H

I'll play the odds...
My $ goes to RB doing worse.
After all, consider the car he is in Vs. the ride Fisi has.

Seriously though, this is great news about Kovalainen, because there will be no love lost here when Flavio replaces Fisi.

Triple-H

Exactly what I have ALWAYS thought was the case with Webber. The man has yet to perform and yet he still has a cloud of hype around him...