Opel continues driver assessments

With the 2003 season already approaching, Opel is continuing with its driver assessment programme after the roll out of the Opel Astra V8 Coup? recently. With Alain Menu behind the wheel the 2003 car ran for approx 600km at Vallelunga in Italy, while Manuel Reuter took to the track for approx 700km in a 2002 spec car.

Menu and Reuter have been confirmed as drivers for 2003 but have not yet been assigned to the Holzer or Phoenix teams. These two teams will each have two of the new cars while the fifth Opel Astra V8 Coup? will be used as a spare. The Opel Euroteam will use two 2002 cars.

Other drivers in 2002 were Timo Scheider, Joachim Winkelhock, Michael Bartels and Yves Olivier, although towards the end of the season Opel tried out different drivers in place of Olivier.

Opel confirmed to Motorsport.com that 2002 Mercedes driver Peter Dumbreck tested the Opel Astra V8 Coup? for the squad at Vallenlunga as well. Other drivers who have tried out recently were Soheil Ayari, Sebastien Bourdais and Jeroen Bleekemolen. It was the second test for Bleekemolen, who tested at Albacete end of October with Norberto Fontana, Emmanuel Collard, Marcel Tiemann, Timo Glock and Frank Diefenbacher.

Bourdais was this year's F3000 champion, after Thomas Enge was stripped of the title due to failing a drugs test, and the Frenchman also tested for the Arrows Formula One team in July. Bleekemolen competed in the Clio Renault Sport Cup while Ayari was this year's French Touring Car champion.

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