Scheckter eyes race deal for 2001…

The young South African is the Jaguar squad's sole development driver, but unlike Luciano Burti, who he replaces, Scheckter is keen to keep his hand in at racing in order to prepare for a move into an F1 race seat next year.

"If I don't get a race deal with Jaguar [in 2002], I'll definitely look at other options," said Scheckter. "I'd love to drive for Jaguar, but other options might come up. I have to be racing and I'll hopefully have a race deal for this year as well."

It is unsure which series Scheckter would compete in as the top drives in most single-seater series are rapidly being filled. The 20-year-old finished second in last year's British F3 Championship and also competed in three races for the McLaren Junior team in International Formula 3000. But the son of 1979 F1 world champ Jody has ruled out a return to either series.

"My aim is Formula 1 so I'd like to get something that's similar to that," he said. "I'm not really looking at F3000 so much. I'm mainly interested in Formula Nippon in Japan or Formula Nissan in Spain."

The former EFDA Euroseries champion competed in two rounds of Formula Nissan in 1999 and won both races of a double-header event at Valencia for the Vergani team.

Drives also remain available in Formula Nippon, the Japanese version of F3000, but the championship's heavy testing schedule usually necessitates relocation to Japan.

Scheckter has yet to drive Jaguar's 2001 car, the R2, but will be key to the development of the car as the season progresses. Race drivers Luciano Burti and Eddie Irvine have been quicker than Scheckter thus far - something he hopes to rectify by the end of the season.

"I want to be as quick as Luciano and Eddie by the end of the season," he said. "My aim is to be quick, because when you are quick you get noticed."