Benetton impressed with rookies.
The Benetton team is hopeful that it may have unearthed two stars of the future after promising tests with Giorgio Pantano and Antonio Pizzonia in Valencia this week.
Italian Pantano tested alongside race regular Giancarlo Fisichella for the first day and a half of the test in Spain and, despite a couple of unplanned excursions, appears to have settled in well with both the team and the B200. The former kart champion currently contests the German F3 series, and had not sampled Formula One power before Benetton gave him the call at Jerez last week.
The Benetton team is hopeful that it may have unearthed two stars of the future after promising tests with Giorgio Pantano and Antonio Pizzonia in Valencia this week.
Italian Pantano tested alongside race regular Giancarlo Fisichella for the first day and a half of the test in Spain and, despite a couple of unplanned excursions, appears to have settled in well with both the team and the B200. The former kart champion currently contests the German F3 series, and had not sampled Formula One power before Benetton gave him the call at Jerez last week.
The much-hyped Pizzonia had previously tested a Williams as part of his prize for winning the British Formula Renault crown last year, but appeared to have blown the chance of running with Benetton this season after a contract wrangle. With this finally sorted, however, the Brazilian got his chance to drive the B200 at Valencia yesterday [Wednesday]. Another current F3 front-runner - this time in the UK - Pizzonia also impressed the team with his natural ability, and showed that, he too, could settle quickly with a new car and team.
''Both drivers have done a competent job,'' commented Benetton technical director Pat Symonds, ''Pantano has settled in quite well. These tests with us were his first time in a Formula One car and, added to that, he hasn't even really had a lot of single-seater experience, so I am pleased with the way he has performed.
''Pizzonia has only run with us for one afternoon so far, and will be running for a whole day tomorrow [Thursday], but he has settled in extremely quickly. He has adapted well to the car, and I am very impressed with him. Both drivers had a couple of offs with no damage to the car, but you expect that when they first get into an F1 car.''
Pizzonia will run solo today [Thursday] after Giancarlo Fisichella wrote off the car destined to be driven by Alex Wurz. No decision has yet been made as to whether either the Brazilian or Pantano will be selected to replace departing test driver Hidetoshi Mitsusada.
