Andretti to test again next week

The 19-year-old, son of former CART champion Michael Andretti and grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti, had his first taste in a Formula One car last December, after Honda invited him for a one-day test in recognition of his successful first season in the IndyCar IRL series.

The young Andretti has made no secret of the fact that he is aiming to enter Formula One in the future, following in his father's footsteps and hoping to emulate his 1978 world champion grandfather's achievements.

Having impressed Honda in his December test, and with Honda drivers Jenson Button and Christian Klien focused on the development of the RA107 car, the team said they now have an ideal opportunity to further evaluate the young Andretti, inviting him to test on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

"We were impressed with Marco during his first test with our team and he performed well in the short time he had in the car," commented sporting director Gil de Ferran.

"Given the potential that he has demonstrated and the availability of last year's RA106, we saw Jerez as a great opportunity to put him back in the car. We look forward to seeing his progress with a more specific programme."

Andretti himself was thrilled at the opportunity and said he has every plan on going faster this time around.

"I am obviously very pleased to have been invited back for a second test with the Honda Racing F1 Team," he stated.

"I felt that I did a good job in December, but on the first day you spend more time getting used to the car and familiarising yourself with the circuit.

"When I get in the car this time, I am sure I will be able to hit the ground running. I'm looking forward to it."