30/10/2005
NEWS STORY
It's being reported that IRL Champion, Dan Wheldon, is heading to F1 in 2006, most likely as test driver for WilliamsF1.
SpeedTV.com is reporting that the 26-year-old has confirmed that he is confident of agreeing a deal, though he refuses to name the team.
"I have not signed a deal with anybody," the Englishman told SpeedTV.com; "My agent and I have had conversations with F-1 teams, that's no secret."
Asked if WilliamsF1 is the team, he replied: "That's not true." Then adding: "But you're on the right track."
Wheldon, who won this year's Indy 500, has a contract with Andretti Green, but this runs out on November1.
Wheldon has made no secret of his desire to race in F1, and other than williamsF1, the obvious connection would be with BAR, since the Englishman won his IRL title with Honda.
However, there is a growing consensus of (informed) opinion that Nico Rosberg will fill the second seat at WilliamsF1, with Antonio Pizzonia - having lost out for the second successive year - heading to the United States. Thus, leaving the test seat at the Grove team vacant.
Then again, the "right track" comment could refer to WilliamsF1's outgoing partner, BMW, which is entering F1 in its own right in 2006, and currently only has one driver (Heidfeld) officially signed.