Frentzen Could Debut with Sauber at Indianapolis

German Heinz-Harald Frentzen could race for Sauber at next week's United States Grand Prix after the team revealed on Tuesday that he will test for them at Silverstone on Thursday.

34-year old Frentzen has signed to race for the Swiss outfit in 2003, but could replace out-of-favour Brazilian driver Felipe Massa in the final two races of the season if the test is successful.

Massa would be forced to start 10 places back on the grid at Indianapolis after being penalised for a crash at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix, and the team will attempt to replace him to help defend their position in the Championship.

"The decision of the stewards of the meeting in Monza to relegate Felipe by ten grid positions at the Indy race forced us to think about alternatives," said team boss Peter Sauber. "This verdict would be a major setback in our quest to defend our position in the Constructors' Championship."

The team finished fourth last season and currently lies in fifth position, well behind Renault but just three points ahead of Jaguar Racing and four ahead of Jordan.

They had originally said that Frentzen would not fit in their current car, but are now keen to test him out and a decision on whether he will race at Indianapolis will be made after the Silverstone test.

"Only the test in Silverstone will finally show whether Heinz-Harald will be able to drive competitively in this seating position," added Sauber. "All further decisions will depend on the outcome of the test drive."

Frentzen, who last raced at the German Grand Prix, added: "Peter Sauber phoned on Monday and informed me about the new situation. I would be very happy if I could already drive for Sauber in Indianapolis."