Red Bull Chief Says Klien Deserves Second Chance

Austrian Christian Klien deserves a second season in Formula One with Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi a strong candidate to join him at Red Bull Racing, according to team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

"We have backed Christian since he was 14 or 15 years old and we do not wish to lead someone into Formula One only to drop him after a premature verdict," British weekly magazine Autosport quoted the Austrian billionaire as saying.

"There are some people who say that your first season in Grand Prix racing is a learning year. You have to prove yourself in the second."

Mateschitz bought the now-defunct Jaguar team from Ford this month and Klien and Liuzzi, the Formula 3000 champion and a former Red Bull junior driver, have both been testing in Barcelona this week.

"Vitantonio would be a logical choice for his basic speed and personality," said Mateschitz.

"The question remains, however, if one should give him a cockpit straight away. It would be helpful to the team to have a driver capable of developing a car. It would not be ideal to go racing with two rookies."

Briton David Coulthard had been talking to Jaguar before Ford decided to quit the sport but Mateschitz's comments held out little hope for the Scot, who is without a drive after leaving McLaren.

Autosport quoted the Austrian as saying Germany's Nick Heidfeld, with Jordan this year and testing for Williams next month, was the "only driver who is good and available".

Mateschitz, who addressed factory staff last week, also said his dream of an all-American team remained ongoing but complicated by circumstances.

"F1 is lacking the American market," he said. "But the project simply does not work without an American car manufacturer at your side. Otherwise it would not be credible and authentic."