Midland targets Anderson

The team, created by Russian-Canadian magnate Alexander Shnaider, has yet to agree terms with the former technical director of Jordan Grand Prix and Jaguar Racing, but is already working with the Irishman on a consultancy basis.

"I was approached by Midland as early as August and we've had a few meetings," Anderson told autosport.com, "but there's nothing decided about my future with them. I think everything should be sorted out by the end of the month, but until then I cannot really say if I'm going to be with them or not because I just don't know!"

The Northern Irishman is currently in Italy helping the team with the initial preparations for its F1 programme, which has a contract to use Dallara chassis in 2006. But a year after turning his back on full time employment in F1, Anderson says he is not interested in going back to the role he had with Jordan and Jaguar in the past.

"The one thing I can tell you is that if I end up working for Midland F1 I won't be working on a full -time basis. I've done too much of that in the past and I promised myself I wouldn't go back to that kind of life again.

"In life there's a time for everything and if they want me to work with them the way I envisage my future in motorsports - as an adviser, a fixer, if you want, but not as a full time member of a team - then there's a possibility you'll see me with Midland F1 in the future."

According to sources, the team is also believed to be considering using a customer supply of Ferrari engines in 2006. A team insider said: "Our main goal is to secure a Ferrari engine deal, but we will talk to everybody. In the end it will be a matter of cost/performance ratio."

Dallara is aiming to produce a prototype chassis to use as a test mule from the middle of 2005 and Anderson has been involved in the process, as he explained: "I've been down to Italy a couple of times, telling them what I've learned with my experience, sort of guiding them through the stage of the design and building process they are going through."

Dallara was last an active participant in F1 between 1988 and 1992, when it designed and built chassis for the BMS Scuderia Italia team which now runs Ferraris in the FIA GT series. But the Italian company more recently built the test chassis Honda used as a prototype during 1999 when the Japanese company considered entering the sport with a full factory team.