Bruni grabs Minardi seat

Bruni joins the Minardi race team after impressing on a number of occasions in private testing on grand prix Fridays this year. He penned the deal a day after another good test run at Vallelunga, when the team tried another five drivers.

"We've obviously had the benefit of observing Gimmi at close quarters this past season because of his testing role with European Minardi, and we're extremely pleased to have been able to sign him as a race driver for the 2004 season," said team principal Paul Stoddart.

"We've chosen him because we think he has fantastic natural ability behind the wheel of a race car and is a fitting successor to previous European Minardi drivers, such as Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Justin Wilson. It's clear Gimmi will be following in some illustrious footsteps, but we are absolutely confident he is a new Formula 1 star in the making," he added.

Bruni said: "I'm just so happy. From when I was a small boy, I wanted only to be a Formula 1 driver. I'm one of the lucky ones, because that dream has now come true. My clear goal will be to improve with the team this coming season. This is only the first step, however, as I will just be one of 20 drivers on the grid at the beginning.

"My aim is to move forward and establish myself in F1, like other Minardi drivers have done in the past. I want to thank Paul Stoddart and the European Minardi team very much. They gave me a good chance this past summer, and it has all come together very quickly since then."

Minardi has yet to reveal who will partner Bruni in 2004.