DECEMBER 16, 1996

Lola to pick Sospiri and Rosset?

THE Mastercard Lola Formula 1 team is rumored to be planning to nominate Ricardo Rosset and Vincenzo Sospiri for the 1997 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

THE Mastercard Lola Formula 1 team is rumored to be planning to nominate Ricardo Rosset and Vincenzo Sospiri for the 1997 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Mastercard was keen to get a South American on the team and with Rosset having some sponsorship available he was the obvious choice for the drive. Sospiri spent last season not doing a great deal of testing for Benetton.

The pair were team mates in 1995 in the SuperNova F3000 team and finished 1-2 in the European F3000 title, Sospiri beating Rosset thanks to his extra experience in the formula.

Fast but underfunded Dane Tom Kristensen looks like he is going to miss out on a drive. Whether a Lola drive will do more harm than good remains to be seen. The team is late producing its car and has rather optimistic ideas about running its own V10 engine in the mid season.