Coloni raves about Paffett

Coloni Motorsport is keen to sign the 20-year-old after giving him a run at the Magione circuit in Italy this week. Paffett, who won the prestigious young driver award in 1999, managed over 60 laps on Monday and Tuesday.

Team boss Paolo Coloni raved about Paffett's performance. He told Autosport.com: "Gary did a very good job. He was extremely professional, very good on the technical side and very, very quick.

"I hope we can have him in the team next year. He is really the kind of driver we are looking for to take this team forward."

Paffett was also upbeat after the test. "I really enjoyed it because an F3000 has a lot more power than an F3. I got a good feeling for the formula and I know what I can do now. I am quite confident I would be competitive."

For next year, Paffett is looking to graduate from F3 after finishing sixth in the German championship. He admits that F3000 looks to be his best option and that a drive with Coloni is a possibility. "They seem quite interested to do something, and we are interested too," he said.

Coloni hinted that the question of Paffett producing a budget to pay for a drive may not be a big issue. "We are in a position to help him," he said. "We want to invest more in F3000 and put in 100 percent effort to get the drivers we want."