Youngsters to test in Barcelona

THERE will be a lot of new faces in the forthcoming tests in Barcelona with several F1 teams planning to try out newcomers. Williams is to test four up-and-coming stars, notably Formula 3000 race winners Colombian Juan-Pablo Montoya and Frenchman Soheil Ayari, plus Brazilian Max Wilson and Renault favorite Nicolas Minassian - who would have won the British Formula 3 title if he had not been banned for a month for attacking a fellow driver after an incident at Thruxton.

The four will test on Monday and Tuesday before handing over to regular Williams drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Minardi is holding a similar test with Tarso Marques working with a modified M197 while four drivers will share a conventional 1997 car: these will be the Italian F3 Champion Olivier Martini - brother of former Minardi driver PierluigiÊMartini, Argentine youngster Esteban Tuero, Frenchman Laurent Redon and Denmark's Tom Kristensen.