Zonta sets one year agenda

Jordan test driver Ricardo Zonta says he will only spend one year in a testing role before he must return to a race seat

Former British American Racing driver Zonta joined the Honda-powered Jordan squad as the team's third driver after two fruitless years in the shadow of Jacques Villeneuve. The Brazilian is determined to return to racing with a top team in 2002.

The 1997 Formula 3000 champion turned down a test role with McLaren-Mercedes alongside Alex Wurz for this year because he was not assured of a long-term future with the team.

"I won't do this [test driver role] for two years," Zonta told Autosport's sister title Motoring News. "Jordan gave me an option for the future. So maybe next year I'll be racing, with a good team, where they give equal support to both drivers. If not I'll go off to touring cars or something..."

Heinz-Harald Frentzen's contract with Jordan does not expire until the end of 2002, but Jarno Trulli, who has a long-term deal with Benetton boss Flavio Briatore, may leave the Silverstone-based squad at the end of this year if performance does not improve.

Jordan finished third in the drivers' and constructors' standings in 1999, but slipped to a disappointing sixth place in the latter last year.