March 01, 2004
The Phoenix F1 team completed their preparations for the upcoming season opener in Melbourne last week. On Sunday 29th February the team undertook shakedown laps of the Silverstone Club circuit where a mystery driver took to the wheel!

Throughout the four days of the last official pre-season test, the Phoenix F1 team were present with their newly liveried car.

Daniel Wilkinson (complete with new helmet design) undertook the first two days of testing, concentrating on low fuel runs on Day 1 then testing Michelin wet tyres with a heavy fuel load on Day 2.

Jan Kelder then produced an excellent time, just half a second shy of Wilkinson on Day 3.

Race driver Adam Fretter then took the wheel on Day 4 and this time had better luck than the recent Barcelona test, getting meaningful time in the car in wet conditions for the first time. Despite his lack of track time in the new car, the Team were very impressed with his pace.

On the Sunday 29th February, after official testing was completed, the team then shook down several brand new race chassis prior to their being flown out to Australia. But the identity of the driver behind the wheel was not known. The helmet design looks familiar, and it is widely rumoured that the team is in discussions to fill the fourth Test Driver seat with a highly experienced driver.

Team Boss Andy Graydon would not comment on the drivers identity, only to say that "we had tried to sign him in December 2003, but for various reasons the deal didn't fall into place. Having driven our 2004 car for the first time, he was very pleased with the chassis response and the power available from the Renault. It's likely that we can confirm the identity of the driver and the deal in the next few days".