Pizzonia signed as Williams tester

The 21-year-old Brazilian will drive alongside regular tester Marc Gene, while also competing in the FIA International Formula 3000 Championship, most likely with the Williams-affiliated Petrobras Junior Team.

"We know Antonio well as he has already done some testing for us and he is a good choice in addition to Marc Gene, a very experienced driver," said team principal Frank Williams. "The demands for instant feedback from tests is becoming more and more important, so having two test drivers is necessary. Our engineers were very impressed with the work he has done in the past and so we are sure he will be a great asset to the team."

Pizzonia's first taste of Formula 1 came with Benetton after he won the 2000 British Formula 3 Championship, but the Enstone-based outfit let him go after just a few outings. He tested for Williams on a couple of occasions this year, and beat F3000 team-mate Ricardo Sperafico to the deal.