Townsend Bell gets first taste of F1

By Phil Huff (03/09/2003)
September 3 2003

At Lurcy Levis in Central France today, 28-year-old Townsend Bell got his first taste of Formula One when he commenced day one of his inaugural F1 test.

Currently driving for the Arden International team in Formula 3000, the American was invited by BAR to conduct three days of straight-line aerodynamic testing.

Commenting on his first day at the wheel of the BAR Honda 005, Townsend said: "Today was amazing. It's the fastest car I've ever driven. I was too busy smiling to be too analytical on the first run, but it was great gradually working up to higher speeds.

"I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days," he added.