Andreas Zuber insists that he has not given up on finding a role in
Formula One this season, despite being passed over by Honda for a place on its young driver scheme.
The Brackley-based team announced on Tuesday that Mike Conway and Luca Filippi would form its development squad for the coming season, leaving the Austrian, who joined his
GP2 rivals for two days of testing late in 2007, on the outside looking in.
“It wouldn't be professional if I weren't disappointed," Zuber said in a statement following confirmation of Honda's decision, "but I still would like to thank Honda for having made two days of testing possible for me last year.
"I think that my performance back then also brought me to the attention of other teams, and I will try my all to get a chance for further test runs in F1 by performing well in this year's
GP2 Series.”
After a problem-plagued 2007
GP2 campaign alongside eventual champion Timo Glock, Zuber has swapped a seat at iSport International for the lead role at Piquet Sports this season.
Passing up the chance to run in the inaugural
GP2 Asia Series, the 24-year old has been back under the wing of fitness guru Erwin Göllner to prepare for the forthcoming 'summer' season and will remain in Austria until the start of February before a flying visit to his second home in Dubai precedes the first chance to test the all-new second-generation
GP2 machine at Paul Ricard at the end of the month.
