APRIL 14, 2003

Jani joins Sauber

The Sauber Petronas team has signed a testing deal with 19-year-old Swiss driver Neel Jani. Jani will begin work with the team next week at the Vairano testing facility in Italy.

Jani is currently winning in the new Renault V6 championship with Jenzer Motorsport but has been guided in his early career by former F1 team manager Peter Collins.

"There's no doubt that Neel has a lot of talent," says Peter Sauber, "and I feel that the time has come to give him this chance. I was particularly impressed by the way he clinched pole position in the final race of the Renault Eurocup last year under great pressure, then dominating the race as well as setting the fastest lap. To me, this shows that he also possesses the mental strength that is necessary for being successful in this sport."

Jani is already acquainted with some of the F1 technologies as the new Renault V6 series features semi-automatic gearboxes, paddle-activated gearshifts, pit stops and car-to-pit radio systems to help train youngsters.