Doornbos won't drive until Barcelona test

Although the RB2 is due to be given its first proper run at Jerez in Spain next week, following a shakedown at Silverstone in December, Doornbos is going to have to sit on the sidelines for another week before he gets his first run in the car. David Coulthard and Christian Klien will have exclusive access to the car to begin with.

"I will be back behind the wheel on from January 24 in Barcelona," Doornbos told his official website. "As we will only drive the new car, this will be my acquaintance with the new chassis and the Ferrari engines. David told me the RB2 was a 'sexy thing', so I can hardly wait to start testing again."

Doornbos's tall-frame (1.82 metres), and changes to the fittings inside the cockpit of the RB2, has meant that he had to have a new seat fitting done for the car - and he is happy with the end result.

"As the ECU and the cable boom is in a slightly different place in the RB2, I've been to the factory to fit myself a new seat before the testing continues," he added.

"Because I'm quite tall, it's always a little bit of a struggle to find a comfortable position in the car, but we succeeded just well I think.

"I prefer to position myself in such a way that I can just see the upper surface of the tyres when sitting in the car."

Doornbos will take part in Friday running for Red Bull Racing this season after switching from Minardi.