Analysis: Davidson Still Has a Chance

It is blindingly obvious to most people that Anthony Davidson deserves to be in Formula One but he still has only an outside chance of racing next season despite Williams offering him a test.

The 25-year-old Briton must hope to present a compelling case when he has his days behind the wheel in southern Spain next month.

"It's a tremendously exciting opportunity," he told Autosport magazine this week after the opportunity was announced. "I can't wait to get in the car and show what I can do. Yep, I admit it, I'm dead chuffed."

Davidson has done everything he can to impress the decision makers so far as BAR's Friday test driver this season, lapping faster even than Ferrari's Michael Schumacher at unfamiliar circuits like China.

He might have had a chance at Sauber, but then the Swiss-based team signed up Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve. He would have had a chance at BAR had Jenson Button left for Williams but that too fell through.

Jaguar were another possibility but their future remained uncertain only days from a deadline to sign up for next season.

Williams revived his hopes with a test from December 3 but he remains the outside candidate, with Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia considered the favourite after standing in for Ralf Schumacher four times this year.

Williams Praise

If possession is nine tenths of the law, then Pizzonia is in the driving seat as the incumbent test driver. But Germany's Nick Heidfeld is strongly championed after doing his best at Jordan and has the crucial racing experience that Davidson lacks.

Heidfeld, who tests at Jerez from December 9, could be in the frame for the test driver slot if Pizzonia gets the race drive but Davidson, with a BAR testing contract in his pocket, has only the one aim.

The Briton has started just two Grands Prix but they were as a stand-in for Minardi alongside Australian Mark Webber, who has already signed for Williams and was unimpressed by Pizzonia as a teammate at Jaguar.

If the Williams chance comes to nothing, then there could remain a glimmer of hope with Jaguar. But there will be plenty of people, and not just in Britain, hoping that Davidson gets the nod just as old karting rival Button did after a Spanish shoot-out for Williams in 2000.

The BMW-powered team have been watching him for a while.

"I must say, I watched his runs in Bahrain and I thought 'this kid is good,'," team owner Frank Williams said months ago.

"There's no doubt about it, he's a very fine driver," added co-owner Patrick Head after the Briton put in a fine Friday performance at Monaco in May.

But then both have also spoken highly of Pizzonia as well.

Plan B

Davidson has no financial backing and brings no personal sponsors to the party but he does have influential voices speaking on his behalf. BAR boss David Richards called him the star of the day in Monaco, after he ended the day second fastest, while in China in September he was quickest of all in Friday practice.

"His performance is very representative of his speed," Richards said.

"Davidson has shown considerable promise," former champion Jackie Stewart said in August. "He's taken his chances where he can find them, made only one mistake and has looked pretty damn impressive in my view."

Who gets the second Williams drive is the last big uncertainty of the driver market and the outcome could be bad news for David Coulthard. The Scot has nothing lined up for next year and has been lobbying for a return to Williams, the team that gave him his debut in 1994.

Williams, however, have no plans to test him.

There may well be no need, since Coulthard is such a known commodity with a reputation that speaks for itself, but the 33-year-old is considered only a long-shot even if he has offered to be paid only for points.

Sure, he has more of a chance than former teammate and champion Mika Hakkinen whose comeback will be in the German DTM touring cars next year rather than Formula One, but not much.

"I want to continue racing, I enjoy racing and it's been some time since I went into a winter of not having a contract in place," he said after the season-ender in Brazil.

"Time will tell whether I manage to achieve that or not and if I don't then I've made it quite clear it's my desire to continue being involved in Formula One in some capacity because quite frankly I enjoy it.

"Going racing is the primary goal first of all and if that's not possible then we work on plan B."

He may be working on it already.