Filippi eyeing F1 testing role

The GP2 racer made his Formula One debut last week at the Barcelona circuit, where he tested for a day and posted the 16th quickest time, just two tenths behind Jenson Button.

Filippi is planning to complete another season in GP2, but the young Italian is not ruling out combining that with a testing role if the opportunity came up.

He says, however, that he would not be interested in being the second test driver for a team.

"My idea is still to do another season in GP2, but if on top of it there is another engagement with Honda I think it can be done no problem," Filippi told Autosprint magazine.

"In any case there's no point thinking about it before Jerez, because a possible offer could come only then."

"Nowadays the fourth driver practically never drives, so it doesn't appear as a very interesting proposition. Unless there are concrete possibilities for the future. A third driver is a different matter, it's a role that allows you to drive a lot and gain a lot of experience.

"If such an offer was to come, then it would just be a matter of finding a way to make it work."

Filippi admitted he enjoyed his first outing in F1 machinery, but said driving a Grand Prix car without electronic aids was harder than widely suggested.

"It's not as easy as many say. Also because, by taking away traction control and other electronic functions, the cars change completely. I drove a Honda with a traditional ECU but with all electronic functions switched off, basically 2008-compliant.

"It's tough, but the good thing is that it isn't so different from a GP2 car. The difference is that you feel the car a lot lighter, more reactive when changing direction and when shifting the load.

"But it's demanding and that's what I liked: it's not like what people think, that anyone can just get into an F1 car and be quick immediately. These cars need to be driven and you have to be very good at it."