Katherine Legge will test a Minardi Cosworth at Vallelunga during the fourth week of November. The 25-year-old, British-born driver has raced single-seaters since 2000, following a successful eight-year stint in karts. She has competed in the United States for the last two seasons, making a name for herself and notably winning three races in the highly competitive 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship on her way to third place in the final series standings.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to drive the Minardi. It has been a dream and an ambition of mine to drive a Formula One car since I was a little girl," says Katherine. "I am extremely grateful to Paul Stoddart and Kevin Kalkhoven for giving me this opportunity, and I am now focused on trying to impress and do a professional job in the test."

Minardi Team Principal, Paul Stoddart, comments, "We have been watching Katherine's progress for some while now, and with her outstanding performances in the Toyota Atlantic Championship this season, we felt she was clearly deserving of a chance to experience a Formula One car. We have always said that if a sufficiently talented woman racing driver arrived on the scene, who appeared capable of handling the performance of an F1 car, we would have no hesitation in giving her an opportunity to show what she could do. I believe Katherine has done more than enough to warrant that chance."