In my last piece I wrote that Midland F1 was going to bring in Roman Rusinov for testing and Rusinov therefore becomes Russia's first Formula One (but not Grand Prix) driver. I was wrong on a point of fact, the first Russian F1 driver was actually Sergei Zlobin who has tested for work for Minardi.

Normally if I get a fact wrong I will get a sprinkling of good natured corrections. It doesn't happen often, but then I have Chris Balfe covering my back. Chris saw nothing wrong with the statement and only one person, Rafael Via Wilbers (thank you, Rafael) contacted me which shows how vividly Sergei Zlobin's F1 career has seared itself on the collective consciousness.

After signing for Minardi in 2002 Zlobin had three test stints up to August 2004 when he signed on again to the end of 2004. He is backed by a Russian businessman, Alexy Zborovskiy, who is someone who wants to see a Russian Grand Prix.

The Russian Grand Prix is the longest running story in motor racing and has been on the go since the President of the Moscow Automobile Club accepted an invitation to attend the 1958 International Trophy at Silverstone. Shortly afterwards came news of the Kharhov 'Grand Prix' car (actually built to break Russia's not very fast national speed record) and the Kharhov's ace driver, Valiery Nikitin, What a gift Nikitin would have been to a tobacco sponsor.

Want to get a drive? Change your name to Benson Hedges.

While Sergei Zlobin can hardly be said to have made much impact, it is clear that he fits someone else's wider agenda, which is to have a Grand Prix in Moscow or St. Petersburg. We have heard rumours of a Grand Prix in India for many years. Hardly is the ink dry on Narain Karthikeyan's contract with Jordan than Bernie announces there will be one within the next three years coincidence, or what?.

Some teams are happy to sell 'test contracts' though some of these drives are like the businessman who paid to go on a space mission. If you have outgrown roller coasters, where do you seek your next thrill? I am sure that some paid for test drives can be used by drivers and their sponsors to get their feet inside the door. Being part of the overall F1 scene may lead to deals which are not immediately apparent.

I have been looking at the list of recent F1 test drivers and the list is long and diverse in nationality. Here is a peculiar fact: as the FIA has tried to limit the testing, so the number of test drivers has increased.

It occurs to me that if one is serious about promoting Formula One, which includes raising its media profile in countries comparatively new to the sport which, in turn, will make it
more attractive to sponsors, there is an easy way. Why not have a one make series for F1 test drivers which would be part of the Grand Prix package?

The Pro car series of the early 1980s had current F1 drivers in BMW M1 coupés race on a Saturday afternoon and was an immensely popular popular feature, not least with some drivers. When he won the series in 1980, Nelson Piquet made more money from Pro car then Bernie was paying him to be Number One at Brabham. Pressure on F1 drivers today make it virtually impossible to repeat Pro car, but there is no reason why you could not assemble a field of Formula One test drivers.