AUGUST 16, 2001

Fontana joins Prost F3000

THE senior member of Prost grand Prix's junior program, its Formula 3000 team, has signed Norberto Fontana to partner Zsolt Baumgartner for the remainder of the 2001 season.

The Prost F3000 Junior team has decided to support one of their major sponsors, PSN, in its efforts to promote Latin American drivers by offering the 26 year-old Argentinian the seat currently filled by talented Frenchman Jonathan Cochet.

Fontana, the reigning German Formula 3 champion, was touted as the next great South American talent over the winter close season, but hasn't sparkled in F3000 so far this year.

Fontana has been driving in F3000 off and on since he was 21 years of age, having won the German F3 title ahead of Ralf Schumacher in 1995 before graduating to the Japanese F3000 Championship the following year. He has also been a Grand Prix driver, being one of four drivers in a hectic season for Sauber in 1997.

Frenchman Cochet, meanwhile, will now return to test driving duties for the Prost Formula 1 team after four races in F3000.