The mysterious Stefan GP has revealed details of its plans for next year if the team fails to win a slot on the grid for the 2010 season.
Although the team is still pushing ahead with its 2010 entry, after signing preliminary agreement with the former Toyota team to use its car and other facilities, its place looks increasingly unlikely with all of the new teams reported to be on target to make the season opener in Bahrain.
Instead Autosport has learned the Serbian-based outfit will now use 2010 to test, as the team remains outside the current Formula One Concorde Agreement and is not bound to any restrictions.
To fund these proposals the team hopes to establish a young driver development programme, allowing the current crop of F1 entries to test their young proteges for a fee.
“We will offer teams, who are changing drivers during the season, or even young drivers themselves, the chance to test our car so they can gain experience,” said the team owner Zoran Stefanovich. “It will be purely a commercial operation.”