Sources close to Christijan Albers indicate that the Dutch driver is to hold a press conference on Tuesday (November 1), which has led to speculation that the former Minardi star is to announce that he has signed a deal with Midland F1.

It's known that Midland was seeking a pay driver and though Albers is known to have some useful financial backing it's not widely believed that he has the necessary funding to meet the team's demands. Therefore, talk of him signing a two-year deal should be treated with caution.

On the subject of Midland F1, it has been officially confirmed to Pitpass today that the team will run as a Russian team in 2006.

Last week it was revealed that Dutch racer, Nicky Pastorelli, will be the team's test and reserve driver next season.

A number drivers have been linked with the Silverstone-based team, including; Anthony Davidson, Robert Doornbos, Franck Montagny and both Jordan's 2005 drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro.