Davidson: I was close to Honda deal

The Briton was left on the sidelines when Super Aguri collapsed last May, but had begun working with Honda again before last month's shock announcement.

"I was in serious talks of not only trying to get a race drive for this year with the team, but as the bare minimum as the reserve driver," said Davidson at the Autosport International Show.

"Talks were progressing really well, and the deal was almost done just with a few weeks to spare before the announcement, and it now leaves me in a very similar situation to what Jenson (Button) faces now.

"I think in terms of Formula One drives it is looking very, very slim at the moment. You should never give up, but I am a realist as well and I have learned that over the last year and the year before. Working with Super Aguri really put me in a good position for now, for these times , because it was always a kind of rocky road anyway."

Davidson said he was now looking at opportunities elsewhere, with a particular eye on Le Mans.

"I love all kinds of racing, and I wouldn't think twice about having a go in something else," he said.

"I've done Le Mans before and that's a race I am very much interested in doing again. I promised myself I would always come back and do it again after 2003, so it is definitely a race I have got my eye on.

"A lot of things are up in the air at the moment, a lot of them I can't talk about at this stage, and that's driving as well as projects that are coming up in the future that don't involve driving.

"And no, it's not commentating, but that is one of them. So hopefully I will be able to do some more (BBC) Radio Five Live work, because I very much enjoy that. But there are some projects that I have got my eye on as well that don't involve driving very much, let's put it that way."

But he ruled out of following in the footsteps of Timo Glock and Giorgio Pantano by stepping back to GP2 after racing in F1.

"GP2 unfortunately survives on the paying driver. I think a year in GP2 is round about two million euro, so I don't think I have quite got that on me," said Davidson.

"That pretty much puts that out the window. I know some of them are actually getting paid to do it - I think Pantano was one of the professional GP2 drivers on the grid - but they are few and far between.

"GP2 is very much a stepping-stone to get to Formula One to make a name for yourself, and I feel that having made my name in testing and getting the chance to race in Formula One, I'm a known quantity now and the reason I am sitting here without a drive isn't because I wasn't good enough. It's because the team folded.

"I think at this stage in my career you look for a Formula One drive, and if not, you look for another professional drive."