McNish Confirmed as Toyota Driver for 2002

Scot Allan McNish will drive for Toyota on their Formula One debut next season, the Japanese team have said.

Team chief Ove Andersson told a news conference at Suzuka, where Toyota began a three-day test session on Monday, that the 31-year-old Dumfries driver would partner experienced Finn Mika Salo in 2002.

McNish, who won the Le Mans 24 Hour race with Porsche in 1998, has been Toyota's official test driver all year but had been waiting to sign a contract as the Germany-based team assessed its options.

However McNish was the favoured candidate and Andersson recalled how he had stated at the launch of the test car in March that McNish would be the second race driver if everything went well in testing.

"Everything went well so there was no reason to change my mind," the Swede said on Monday.

He said Toyota had turned down several other drivers eager to secure the second race seat at the team. Toyota, the world's third largest carmaker, are entering Formula One as the 12th team on the grid next season after deferring their planned arrival in 2001.

McNish is confident that he will be a success in Formula One when he realises a life-long dream next year with the team.

"My ability as an F1 driver was recognised and I am very happy to have been officially chosen as a driver for the coming season," McNish said. "This fills me with confidence that I can accomplish the difficult tasks ahead.

"There is a mountain of things we must do before our first race next year, and I intend to fully devote myself to bringing out my very best."