Austria’s Christian Klien is confident he can impress Jaguar’s bosses at next week’s formula one testing in Valencia.
Jaguar will give Klien and Townsend Bell of the United States a three-day test in Spain with a possible F1 spot at stake.
”I am looking forward to testing an F1 racer. I will certainly give my best and try to show people at Jaguar what I am capable of,” Klien told Austrian state broadcaster ORF.
Jaguar spokesperson Nav Sidhu said the Valencia test, which starts on Tuesday, should not be seen as a shoot-out between the 20-year-old Klien and the 28-year-old Bell. But the Austrian said he believes ”it will be a matchup between him and myself.”
”Either of us wants to be faster and this means a lot of pressure. But I know I am very quick and will try to find a compromise between lapping the track as fast as possible and not spinning off, ruining the car. After all, these racers are expensive,” he said.
What Jaguar officials have been referring to as ”a talent test”, Klien sees as his ”one-in-a-million chance to take the big step”.
Jaguar has yet to name a partner for Australian Mark Webber for next year and is seeking a test driver. Klien, who has just extended his sponsorship contract with energy drink company Red Bull, wants the seat ”probably as much as Townsend or McLaren’s Alex Wurz do”, he said.
The Austrian was runner-up in the Formula Three Euroseries this year and won the prestigious Marlboro Masters F3 event. Austrian racing legends Niki Lauda and Gerhard Berger have both given Klien backing.
”His youth and lack of experience are no problem at all. As we have seen, McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen, who is not much older, was the toughest of rivals for Michael Schumacher last season,” Berger said.
Bell, who made his debut in F3000 this season, is a past winner of the Indy Lights Championship and has also raced in Cart. — Sapa-AP