Debate still fierce over 3rd driver indentity

In with a shout ?
By Huw Alban
January 8 2006

Let's be honest - we don't know who is going to be the third driver and we're unlikely to know for some weeks. That hasn't stopped fans from reading every word from Midland on the subject very carefully.

Just before Christmas the team took to the test track at Jerez and hosted a whole list of names, who all took a turn in the 2005 EJ15B. All released press quotes about how great the opportunity was and the how the team had done them a huge favour.

In the same week came news that Nicky Pastorelli had withdrawn from the test due to personal sponsorship problems.

This put the guest test drivers in a completely different light. Now not only were they 'having a go' they were also potentially taking a shot at impressing the team management enough to claim the 3rd prize !

Since that test, talk of the third driver has gone relatively quiet (most of us are more concerned about seeing Taigo Monteiro confirmed in the No.2 seat). However, the questions having simmered over the Christmas break and finally boiled over onto the Midland F1 Online forum.

This week, news has also broke that Pastorelli has still not resolved his own sponsorship ills. "I talked to Midland," Pastorelli has been quoted as saying to F1Racing.net. "Officially I didn't receive a deadline, but we do have to solve my financial problem as soon as possible obviously. We are talking to a number of investors but you never know how it is going to end."

"I think when someone would knock on Midland's door with the right amount of money he will get the job. It will be difficult for me to gather to the amount of money I need for the job…but we'll just have to wait and see for now."

Quotes like that given in the last paragraph have only serve to fuel the debate on the forum.

Our 'grapevine' has hinted that the team were very impressed with both Marcus Winkelhock and Roman Rusinov at the Jerez test, and Midland have admitted to us that they would assist a favoured driver in securing sponsorship deals using the Midland Group's commercial contacts. Midland have also admitted that we would know the identity of both the second and the third driver when the car is launched in February - this suggests that a third driver deal cannot be that far away from completion bearing in mind that we're already storming our way through January.

With Pastorelli publically confirming that he still has issues, the debate is likely to rage on. In a recent poll Pastorelli and Anthony Davidson both claimed 16% of the vote, with Rusinov and Tarso Marques just behind with 15% each. My money's on Rusinov...