Stoddart 'would love to sign Webber'

Webber first drove for Stoddart in Formula 3000 in 2000, before joining him at Minardi two years later and taking an emotional fifth place on home ground in Melbourne.

"I would crawl over broken glass to have Mark drive for me in Champ Car, but I think he has a lot more to achieve in F1," Stoddart was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun newspaper.

"I still very much rate Mark as a driver. I don't think he has had the right car to show how good he is."

Webber has joined Red Bull for the 2007 season after two disappointing years at Williams, but Stoddart is unsure whether the move will pay off for him.

"I'm not sure how competitive the Red Bull will be against the big-budget teams," he said. "It has been quick sometimes in testing but I understand there have been some problems too.

"The most important thing is for him to beat his teammate. I'm sure Mark versus David (Coulthard) will be one of the most interesting races within the race itself."

Stoddart, who took over the frontrunning CTE-HVM squad in late 2006, has yet to announce any driver signings for his first Champ Car campaign, but ex-F1 Minardi racer Robert Doornbos and established Champ Car winner Nelson Philippe have driven the Minardi USA cars in official testing.