Friesacher to test Minardi?

Patrick Friesacher could receive his first Formula One test when the autumn hiatus reaches an end, being tipped to run with Paul Stoddart's Minardi squad in Italy over the next few weeks.

The Austrian's nationality provides a comfortable fit with Minardi sponsor Superfund, but the team has stressed that he is only on 'the provisional list of drivers to be testing at Misano in the fourth week of November'. Occasional tester Sergey Zlobin, as well as Australian F3 stars Will Davison and Will Power are slated to test with the team at Vallelunga on 9-10 November, but the team is keeping the short-list of pilots for Misano close to its chest.

Friesacher has stated that he is looking for at least a regular F1 testing role next season, having spent the past four years trying to win the FIA F3000 title. The Austrian suffered a fragmented 2004 campaign, beginning with the relatively uncompetitive Super Nova team before getting the call to return to Coloni, where he began to score regular points finishes.

Prior to this season, the Austrian raced with the Red Bull Junior team, and had been rumoured to be looking at an F1 role on the back of the drinks company's support. Red Bull pulled out of F3000 at the end of 2003. Friesacher also has previous form with Minardi, having piloted one of its F1x2 cars at the Thunder in the Park event.

Italian sources claim that the Misano test will feature more than just the aforementioned drivers, however, with Minardi potentially lining up an array of junior talent for a run in one of its PS04Bs.

Current test driver Tiago Monteiro could be joined by some or all of Italian-born Japanese F3 champion Ronnie Quintarelli, new Formula Renault V6 king Giorgio Mondini, series rivals Damien Pasini and Christian Montanari and F3 Euroseries frontrunner Robert Kubica.