Ex-F1 racer and Indy 500 winner Montoya gets Porsche LMP1 test

The IndyCar series frontrunner will sample the Porsche 919 Hybrid alongside New Zealander Mitch Evans, one of a trio of 'rookies' chosen by the WEC to try out for each of the three manufacturers competing regularly in P1 this year.

The test follows a visit to the Austin round of the WEC in September by the Penske driver as a guest of Porsche bosses Fritz Enzinger and Andreas Seidl, with whom he worked at the Williams-BMW Formula 1 squad in 2001-04.

Seidl said at the time that the "possibility of a test" for the Colombian was being discussed.

Montoya, a dual Indy 500 victor and three-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours with Chip Ganassi Racing, went to Porsche's motorsport headquarters at Weissach this week for a seat fitting in the 919 Hybrid.

Porsche has never suggested that Montoya is in the running for a race seat in P1 in the short term.

Toyota's rookie at the test the day after the Bahrain finale on November 21 will be Sam Bird, a frontrunner in LMP2 with the OAK-run G-Drive Racing squad, while Aston Martin Racing driver Richie Stanaway will drive the Audi.

Further participants in the official day-long test will be Strakka Racing with its LMP2 Gibson-Nissan 015S, which will be driven by former GP3 racer Lewis Williamson.

Formula 3 driver Matt Rao, runner-up in last year's British championship, will drive the Signatech Alpine's ORECA-Nissan 03R.

The Briton, who is likely to be silver-rated, has already tested for the Morand and Murphy P2 teams and is planning a switch to sportscar racing in the prototype ranks for next season.

Other teams signed up to take part in the test include ByKolles in LMP1, AMR and the Manthey Porsche squad in GTE Pro, and KCMG and Morand in LMP2.