Herbert signs as test driver for Arrows

Johnny Herbert was announced as test and development driver for the Arrows F1 team at a press conference at the team's headquarters this morning

Herbert will bring 12 years of F1 experience with Benetton, Lotus, Tyrrell, Ligier, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar to the Arrows team, which made a big leap forward in terms of competitiveness last year and finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship. Team boss Tom Walkinshaw has signed the popular Englishman to aid the development of the new Asiatech-powered A22, which will be raced by Jos Verstappen, who was 12th in the Drivers' Championship last year, and F1 rookie Enrique Bernoldi.

Yesterday, Herbert was linked with the Indy Racing League series in America and the Le Mans 24 Hours with Bentley, but the Brit now adds F1 testing to his diary for 2001.

"My situation changed," said Herbert. "I expected to go to the US but that didn't come off. Tom phoned me a few weeks ago and it was fantastic to be invited back into F1 again in a completely different sphere. To be involved without the pressure is good, and I'm gonna help these boys.

"I see OrangeArrows as a team of people who are very serious about their racing performance but also like to enjoy life and that suits my philosophy down to the ground. This is a new challenge for me, I know I can make a valid contribution and I am very much looking forward to getting down to business."

His new boss Walkinshaw said: "It's great to have Johnny on board. We have good continuity with Jos, fresh talent with Enrique and with the experience of Johnny we have a complete driver line-up."

Herbert has won three Grands Prix in his career, the British and Italian in 1995 and the European GP at the Nürburgring in 1999.

The 36-year-old, who raced for Walkinshaw at Benetton in the mid-Nineties, will have his first full test for OrangeArrows at Silverstone on March 7-9. The team will not reveal its 2001 racing colours until Melbourne on Thursday, March 1.