December 'young driver' test lineup takes shape

A novel driver lineup for next month's rare formula one test is taking shape.

General end-of-season testing is banned, but three days for the purposes of "young driver training" in December are permitted according to the 2009 Sporting Regulations.

Only drivers with less than three races of F1 experience are eligible. The teams have decided to run at Jerez between 1-3 December.

Ferrari has allocated the days to the top three finishers in the Italian F3 championship: Italians Daniel Zampieri and Marco Zipoli, and the Mexican teenager Pablo Sanchez Lopez.

Red Bull will run the British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo, a young Australian, and New Zealander Brendon Hartley will be at the wheel of the Toro Rosso.

Williams confirmed this week that Spaniard Andy Soucek will be driving on the first day as his prize for winning the F2 title, before the team's 2010 race driver Nico Hulkenberg takes over.

BMW-Sauber will be running with Formula BMW champions Alexander Rossi, a Californian, and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.

Like Brawn, McLaren's lineup is not known, but occasional test driver Gary Paffett, 28, is eligible. Toyota had been expected to run Kamui Kobayashi until the carmaker announced its immediate withdrawal from F1.

Renault will use the new World Series champion Bertrand Baguette, a Belgian, as well as team test driver Lucas di Grassi.

Force India is expected to turn out at the Spanish circuit with the Indian hopeful Karun Chandhok and Neel Jani, a Swiss whose father is Indian.