By Jonathan Noble and Glenn Freeman Tuesday, May 8th 2007, 10:58 GMT
Gary Paffett is confident that he is on course to make the step up to Formula One next season providing that Prodrive boss David Richards is successful in getting his hands on a customer McLaren deal.
Fresh from his victory in the second round of the DTM at Oschersleben last weekend, Paffett believes the next four weeks will be crucial in deciding whether he can finally move up to Grand Prix racing.
"It's difficult to say, but I'd like to say I'm quite confident," Paffett told autosport.com about his chances of stepping up to F1 in 2008.
"The situation with David Richards and McLaren seems to be getting closer, and if that happens and they become effectively a B-team for McLaren, then I would say I've got a very good chance of racing.
"If that doesn't happen then there's still a chance, but that seems to be the direction it's going in. McLaren and Mercedes want more cars with their engines.
"The team will be looking for three drivers, and out of the drivers from Mercedes, I'm one of the more experienced in F1, so I think I've got a pretty good chance. On that side it's looking better all the time. "
Richards hopes to announce his team, driver and sponsorship plans at July's British Grand Prix, and that clearly means Paffett will get an idea of his future plans in the not too distant future.
"I think the next month will be very important, regarding which direction Richards goes in. From now, hopefully it will get sorted out quite quickly. They need to sort it really, and I think it will come together soon."
Paffett, who has returned to the DTM this season after capturing the 2005 crown, believes his success in other categories and experience of F1 testing for McLaren increase his chances of landing the Prodrive seat.
"Hopefully, because of what I've done with McLaren, if it does go with them (Prodrive) then hopefully a decision will be made without needing to put me in the car," he said.
"You don't want to go and have a shootout, you just want it to happen. I've done a lot of work with McLaren over the last couple of years, and they know what I can do in a car.
"I know David Richards very well anyway, I have done for a long time, so he's got a good idea of what I can do anyway. With guidance from McLaren, hopefully they will realise that I can do a good job."
Paffett has also interestingly played down the prospect of Prodrive taking both himself and fellow McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa.
"It's difficult to know whether they will just take McLaren or Mercedes drivers. There are three seats there, and you've got to think that at McLaren there are four drivers It is doubtful that they will want their two test drivers to go to another team essentially."
De la Rosa told Spanish newspaper AS today that he was not aware of any speculation linking him with a Prodrive race seat.
"I won't talk about that, I know nothing about those rumours," he said.
