Blundell aims for F1 testing role

The Briton, who was dropped by his CART team PacWest for this season, has been linked to the testing role at Prost GP vacated by Pedro de la Rosa's defection to a similar role with Jaguar.

Blundell carved out a big reputation as an ace test driver with spells at Williams and McLaren in the mid-Nineties, but his only deal for 2001 is with MG at Le Mans. He has admitted to having talks with the Paris-based Prost team, but refused to elaborate on any possible deal that could be in the pipeline.

"It's no secret that I've looked at joining an F1 team for testing purposes," Blundell told Autosport.com. "There have been a few situations which have been a matter of bad timing - one position in particular has only just been filled. If anything comes of it [with Prost], it's difficult to say, but I have had conversations with them."

Blundell was ITV's Formula 1 expert pundit in Melbourne, and is keen to return to the category in a more active capacity. He drove for Prost under its previous guise of Ligier in 1993, scoring two podium finishes.

"I'm certainly very interested in working with a team to help develop a Formula 1 car," he added. "But I'm not in a hurry to do much at the moment, because I have a lot of things going on."

The 34-year-old was burdened with an uncompetitive Mercedes-Benz engine in his final season of Champ Cars, but led his final race at Fontana until the motor expired.

His last season of Formula 1 was with McLaren-Mercedes in 1995, with whom he finished 10th in the World Championship, before being replaced by David Coulthard and heading Stateside.