Hynes joins BAR development programme

Hynes, who beat Jaguar's Luciano Burti and Benetton's Jenson Button to the 1999 British F3 title, only contested two FIA Formula 3000 races with the tail-end WRT team this season. He came close to a test deal with BAR this time last year, but will get behind the wheel of an F1 car for only the second time after he won a test with Williams after winning the Formula Renault title in 1997.

"I kept in touch with British American Racing and got the deal when they decided to run some young drivers," he said. "The last year seems to have flown by and I feel ready for a run in a Formula 1 car. I've done some running in an F3 car at Monza to get up to speed again, and it felt like I hadn't been away."

Hynes is confident that he can impress during the test to get his career back on track after his year in the wilderness.

"I beat Burti and Button in Formula 3 so there is no reason why I cannot do a good job in a Grand Prix car," he added. "Button in particular coped well with all the pressures this season and I am confident I can do the same. This is the first big break of my career and it's also the best one. I want to get out there and learn, and that is what the test is all about. If I do a good job who knows where this will take me, but I feel I have got a lot to offer."

Hynes forms one half of BAR's new Driver Development Programme, which will work in conjunction with its test team at Barcelona from December 18-20 to evaluate technical ability and feedback. A second driver has yet to be named.