Tuesday March 5th, 2002

Former Grand Prix driver Jean Alesi will get behind the wheel of a Formula One car for the first time in five months today, when he tests for the McLaren team at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

The Frenchman, who competed in a total of 201 Grands Prix before retiring at the end of last year, will drive an updated version of last year's McLaren's MP4-16 at the same circuit where he made his Formula One debut back in 1989 with the Tyrrell team.

Alesi is scheduled to carry out a three-day test at Paul Ricard before he makes his DTM racing debut with Mercedes-Benz on 21st April 2002 at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany.

Published at 11:47:28 GMT