Minardi Retains Alonso Option.
According to the motorsport press, Minardi is keeping tabs on promising Spaniard Fernando Alonso, despite announcing Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane as its drivers for 2000.
The British Motoring News claims that Alonso so impressed the Italian team in testing over the winter that it has asked him to remain on stand-by in case its experiment with the well-funded Mazzacane does not work out.
According to the motorsport press, Minardi is keeping tabs on promising Spaniard Fernando Alonso, despite announcing Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane as its drivers for 2000.
The British Motoring News claims that Alonso so impressed the Italian team in testing over the winter that it has asked him to remain on stand-by in case its experiment with the well-funded Mazzacane does not work out.
Should he be called upon, former kart and Formula Nissan champion Alonso would automatically become Formula One's youngest entrant, as he will still come in under Mike Thackwell's 19 years and 182 days at the season finale in Malaysia.
The Spaniard is backed by Minardi's primary sponsor Telefonica - which ironically insisted that Argentine Mazzacane got the second seat alongside Gene - and has just signed to contest the F3000 series with leading team Astromega.
