Prodrive have admitted that Finnish youngster Jarkko Nikara is on a list of potential drivers for when the Banbury team makes its WRC return in 2011, according to UK publication Autosport.
David Lapworth, Prodrive's technical director, said: "He's on the list. It's way too early to be talking about this kind of thing, and this is not an official strategy, but it's common sense that Prodrive does due diligence on young drivers and Jarkko's on our radar."
Jukko Aho, Nikara's advisor, confirmed they were scheduled to meet with Prodrive before the end of the year. It is believed that the discussions will centre on a possible Group N car for next season
"They want to talk about next year, but maybe it's about the future, as well," said Aho.
Lapworth admitted that the list contained 'half a dozen' names. He also stated that an official announcement about Prodrive's WRC project remained unlikely before the spring.
"We're starting to involve more suppliers," he said. "When that happens, it's hard to keep the secret, but the official word won't be for a while."
Photo: fia.com
Source: Autosport
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[...] Foto l FIA Vía l RallyBuzz [...]