Winkelhock favourite for Spyker drive
Markus Winkelhock has emerged as the clear favourite to make his Formula One debut with Spyker on home ground at the Nurburgring this weekend, with a final decision from the team expected within the next 24 hours
Spyker have been in talks with several drivers about stepping into the seat vacated by Christijan Albers, who was dropped by the outfit following sponsorship problems after the British Grand Prix.
Honda Racing test driver Christian Klien tested for Spyker at Spa-Francorchamps last week, while Williams test driver Narain Karthikeyan has also been looking for sponsorship backing that would help him secure the seat.
GP2 racer Roldan Rodriguez has also been mentioned in connection with the drive.
However, it is understood that Winkelhock is looking increasingly likely to be given a one-race deal for the Nurburgring, in a move that would prove very popular in Germany. It is believed that a final decision about who gets the ride may not be made until Wednesday afternoon though.
Should Winkelhock get the drive then he will be the fifth German on the grid - after Nick Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and teammate Adrian Sutil.
Winkelhock's father Manfred raced in 47 grands prix between 1982 and 1985 for the ATS, Brabham and RAM teams. His best result was fifth in the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix. He was killed in a sportscar accident at Mosport in Canada in 1985.
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