Jaguar to Test Wirdheim for Third Driver Role

Sweden's F3000 champion Bjorn Wirdheim will test for Jaguar in Spain next week with a job as the Formula One team's reserve driver up for grabs.

"We're going to test him next week, obviously with the third car for Fridays at Grands Prix in mind," said team spokesman Nav Sidhu.

Wirdheim is expected to have his test in Valencia on Wednesday after running through a series of tests on a simulator at the Jaguar factory on Friday.

Wirdheim, 24, drove a Jordan at a Monza test and at the United States Grand Prix's Friday testing last year in his first experience of a Formula One car and also tested for BAR in Jerez later that year.

The Swede, who won three F3000 races last year, has the added attraction of having experience at European circuits on the calendar as well as Brazil's Interlagos track.

Jaguar had hoped to appoint Briton Justin Wilson as their test driver but that was impossible under new rules limiting the six bottom teams to drivers who have started less than six races over the past two seasons.