The first post-season
GP2 Series group test will see the usual mix of old and new faces appearing in unfamiliar surroundings as the business of finding a berth for 2008 gets under way at
Jerez de la Frontera.
After an up-and-down debut season, Mike Conway will travel across Spain to test with at least one different team with a view to a second year in
GP2, although the Briton is keeping identities close to his chest.
"What I've learned this year about
GP2 is that you never have a perfect car, you just have to deal with what you've got," he said, "I'm eager to take this experience and see what happens next year. We're going to test at
Jerez with other teams and keep our options open for 2008."
If anything, Christian Bakkerud's first season in the F1 feeder series was even more disappointing than his former British
F3 rivals, the Dane failing to score for DPR after suffering a mix of illness, injury and plain bad luck. He will fill Conway's seat at Super Nova at the first of the 'winter' tests.
“I am going to have a short break and then I'm going to resume my career by testing for the Super Nova team," he confirmed "I'm pleased that they want me to drive for them and I'm looking forward to testing their car, which is a proven race winner.”
Bakkerud's 2007 employer will also return to the track this week, running current driver Andy Soucek alongside Italian drivers Luca Filippi and Paolo Maria Nocera. While current Italian
F3 frontrunner Nocera is an obvious candidate for
GP2 next season, Filippi's appearance at DPR is something of a surprise, although rumours suggest that the erstwhile Super Nova driver - who finished with a share of third place in this year's standings - has offered to help David Price's
equipe iron out some of the problems it has struggled with in 2007.
Elsewhere, paddock rumour suggests that World Series by Renault regulars Carlos Iaconelli and Davide Valsecchi will run with Durango, and former
GP2 racewinner Clivio Piccione will return with FMSI, alongside Michael Herck. Valsecchi may also run with Trident Racing, where he could be joined by former employee Andi Zuber. Outgoing champion ART Grand Prix looks set to run Kamui Kobayashi
Adam Carroll has already confirmed that he will run with both Minardi Piquet Sport and new champion iSport International, being joined at the latter by 'most improved driver' of 2007, Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna.
World Series frontrunners Alejandro Nunez, Celso Miguez and Giedo van der Garde are all also expected to appear.
