Castroneves to Test for Toyota this Week

Helio Castroneves will test for Toyota this week in a move that could create an all-Brazilian three-way fight for a race seat alongside Frenchman Olivier Panis next season.

Toyota will ditch Scot Allan McNish and Finn Mika Salo at the end of the year and are looking for a young charger to partner the experienced Panis next season. Castroneves will compete with fellow Brazilians Cristiano da Matta, of Champ Cars, and Felipe Massa, who will be ditched by Sauber at the end of the year, for the place.

Castroneves races in the Indy Racing League in America and just missed out on the title this season. He will swap his IRL car for Toyota's F1 machine at the team's test centre in Paul Ricard, France.

"He will test this week, probably on Friday, but he is the only driver other than the race and test drivers who will take part in the test," a team spokesman said.

Castroneves claims he will stay in IRL next year, however, and da Matta is the current favourite to join Toyota next season.