Wheldon still wants F1 test

The Briton recently signed a new IRL deal with Chip Ganassi Racing after talks with BMW-Sauber collapsed because there was no guarantee of a race seat with the team in 2007.

And with Jackie Stewart having recently given an interview suggesting that Wheldon should be given an F1 tryout, the man himself is equally hopeful about an opportunity to try out Grand Prix machinery.

"I would love to have a go," he told autosport.com after collecting his British Competition Driver of the Year trophy at the Autosport Awards.  "I just saw a quote from Jackie who said that I should be given a proper test, and it is very nice when you get comments like that from someone you respect so much."

Despite his eagerness for a test, however, Wheldon has made it clear that he would want to be given a decent run in the car - and not just a test for purely promotional reasons.

He believes the F1 prospects of former Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan have suffered because of an F1 test that did not live up to expectations.

"If I was just given a one-day test then it would be difficult to turn down, but it can hurt your career," said Wheldon, who spoke to Kanaan after his run from BAR earlier this year. "I know Tony, although he was grateful for the test he got, he was also somewhat upset by it because it just did not work out the way he wanted.

"So if it was a test that was scheduled properly, with enough time, then I would love to have a go. I think I can compete in F1."

Wheldon also re-iterated that his decision to turn his back on an F1 deal for 2006 was because he did not feel completely comfortable with the situation.

"I had an offer and it wasn't a race deal to start with, it had the potential to go into a race deal," he added. "But I have always said that if I go into F1 I wanted to go with a deal I felt comfortable with.

"Being a test driver is what I wanted to be first, there is no doubt about that, and the team that offered me the deal is a team I respect greatly and I think the person at the helm of that will see the team go in the right direction.

"But I didn't feel comfortable with the race stuff and as soon as I spoke to Chip it just gave me a good vibe and I wanted to be part of his operation."