Klien to be offered RBR contract
Red Bull Racing team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is expected to re-sign Christian Klien in 2005 and has ruled out David Coulthard as a possibility for a race drive with the team in an interview with a German newspaper last weekend
"Coulthard is not part of our selection," Mateschitz told Bild am Sonntag.
The Scot's hopes would now appear to rest on the outcome of the Williams shoot-out between Anthony Davidson and Nick Heidfeld at the beginning of December, although the team's test driver Antonio Pizzonia is believed to remain favourite to land that drive.
Mateschitz, who has made a fortune from his Red Bull energy drink, admitted in the interview that Klien is likely to remain with RBR for 2005, having raced for the team last year when it was known as Jaguar Racing.
"We have offered Christian Klien a contract," said Mateschitz. "He deserves the chance to race for a second year."
With his Red Bull connections and Jaguar Racing history, Klien is an obvious choice for the revived team, but the young Austrian last week said that did not make him a dead cert for a drive.
"For my personal future it is still too early to say something definite though, since my future has never been, and is not, linked to Red Bull buying Jaguar," he said. "Dietrich Mateschitz did not buy Jaguar so that I have a seat in a Formula One car next year.
"There will be F1 tests from November 24th in Barcelona and then I hope to know a lot more about my future. My chances are better now, of course, than they were a couple of weeks ago, but still nothing is definite at this stage."
Klien is expected to be joined in this week's test in Spain by reigning International F3000 champion Vitantonio Liuzzi and his predecessor Bjorn Wirdheim (who was Jaguar's test driver in 2004).
F1's newest team owner also hinted that it is possible Red Bull Racing could switch to BMW power in the future, once the team's contractual commitment to Cosworth came to an end.
"There are good relations with Munich," he said. "Honda, Ferrari, BMW - I believe are all good manufacturers, and we will have the chance to get an engine. If we change, we want to go with the best one available."
Previous article
San Marino GP safe to 2009
Next article
Minardi Begin Misano Testing with Young Hopefuls
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
