British drivers
Anthony Davidson and Gary Paffett are set for a shootout in a bid to win a drive with the Sauber team next season, according to British newspaper
The Sun.
The Swiss team are on the lookout for a replacement for
Giancarlo Fisichella, who will switch to
Renault at the end of the season and, according to the report, the duo are on the shortlist to replace the Italian and will be invited to take part in a test session to decide who wins the seat.
Team boss Peter Sauber is renowned for giving young drivers their chance in
F1. In 2001 he plucked
Kimi Raikkonen from the British Formula Renault Championship, replacing the Finn with the equally young
Felipe Massa a year later when he moved to
McLaren.
It now appears Sauber wants to follow the youth route again to find Fisichella's replacement.
"Anthony has shown he is very quick and Gary is doing a very good job in DTM," he is quoted as saying. "We are after a young, wild driver rather than an experienced racer."
Both Davidson and Paffett have performed strongly in their respective roles during the course of the 2004 season.
On more than one occasion, Davidson has been near the top of the timesheets in his role as third driver with BAR during Friday practice at Grand Prix meetings this season, a series of performances that has seen him linked with numerous drives for next season. However it remains to be seen whether or not current boss David Richards would be keen to let a promising driver like Davidson leave the
Honda powered team, especially if – as expected –
Jenson Button switches to
Williams for 2005.
