Jonny Reid, who has won five races for his country in the A1 GP series over the last three seasons, helping them to finish fourth and runner-up in the last two seasons, claims to be close to securing an F1 drive.

"I am very, very close," he told the New Zealand Herald. "It would be as a test driver first, like what last year's champion Nico Hülkenberg is doing with Williams. If it was a test with a decent team, I would go for it.

"That would still let me race A1 GP because it is in the (F1) off-season," he added. "The more you can do as a driver, the better. But the other side is A1 GP is so young and it's already grown so much, so who knows where it will end up? Do I want to give that up? That's the golden question but it's an exciting future."

Other than Hulkenberg, another driver in F1 to have A1 GP on his CV is Nelson Piquet, number two to Fernando Alonso at Renault this season.

With almost all the major test roles taken, the only options would appear to be at the 'wrong' end of the pitlane, but as Reid will no doubt appreciate, everyone has to start somewhere.

It should also be noted that A1 Team New Zealand's franchise holder is Colin Giltrap, one of the leading car dealers in the country, and a man who could no doubt assist Reid's passage into F1.