JULY 6, 2001

Yoong delighted at drive

MALAYSIAN Alex Yoong was delighted to finally experience the feeling of Formula One when he made his testing debut for Minardi at the Italian circuit of Mugello on Thursday.

The 24-year-old driver could replace current racer Tarso Marques, who is driving on a race-by-race basis, and if he performs well in a further test session today (Friday) it is likely that he and the team will begin talks for a race seat.

"The car is just fantastic," said Yoong. "The carbon brakes and the downforce are the two things that immediately get your attention - they are just incredible!

"The power delivery was very nice and not a problem to acclimatize to. This afternoon's laps were really intended to allow me to learn the circuit and get used to left-foot braking.

"It's the first time I've used this technique, and it feels quite alien at the moment, but with a lot more laps tomorrow, I'm sure I'll get used to it."