Klien rejects Champ Car, Jani in picture
"A reporter asked me if I had contact with Midland and I said that I didn't. The only seats available for next year are at Midland and Super Aguri. I would not say 'no' right away to these teams. If you leave Formula 1, it's likely you won't return. There are also possibilities in the Champ Car and the DTM, but I want to remain in Formula 1."
Meanwhile, today's Autosport magazine is reporting that Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has reached an agreement with Kevin Kalkhoven to run a fully Red Bull-branded PKV car next year. Christian Klien has been offered the drive and has until the weekend of the Italian GP (September 10) to make up his mind. If he turns it down, Neel Jani gets the drive.
The article goes on to say, "A PKV source told Autosport a Red Bull-sponsored third car was likely since the team is keen to retain its current lead driver Oriol Servia and is committed to Katherine Legge."
With that said, we see nothing that this non-American F1 reject (Klien) brings to Champ Car, nothing except his Red Bull money. He does nothing for the series, especially after badmouthing it as a 'B' or 'C' choice. Ditto for Jani. Champ Car needs drivers with character that the fans can warm to, drivers it can build its future on and foreign drivers who have a very small fan base both in the USA and abroad do nothing for the series except buy a ride. Of course both Jani and Klien are very good drivers, but Red Bull would be far better off backing another American driver in Champ Car, or back a big-name driver from another series, not two little-known F1 rejects.
08/29/06 (GMM) Christian Klien has turned down Red Bull's offer of a funded seat in the American Champ Car category for season 2007.
The Austrian will be replaced at the formula one team by incoming Mark Webber at the end of this year, but the energy drink-owned squad's motor sport 'advisor', Helmut Marko, arranged a Champ Car spot for Klien.
Marko did, however, impose a deadline of September 10 for the 23-year-old to accept it.
''So far he has rejected the Champ Car offer,'' Dr Marko was quoted as saying by Die Presse.
He explained: ''(Christian) said he does not want to live in Indianapolis. But he has to be there, because the (Champ Car) is developed there.''
It is understood that if Klien issues a definitive 'no' to the offer at Monza, then the Champ Car ride could be given to Toro Rosso's tester Neel Jani.
Further speculation insists that Klien, now desperate to remain in the F1 circle, is pushing to be retained by Red Bull as a test driver.
His father, Johannes Klien, told motorline.cc: ''Naturally we are having conversations with Red Bull at the moment.
''I don't want to go into the details.''
[Editor's Note: The fact that Klien would have to live in Indianapolis if he drives in Champ Car gives us some indication that the Red Bull sponsorship would not be at RuSPORT as they are based in Loveland, Colorado. However, it could be with Forsythe Racing. However, Forsythe does not mandate what city a driver lives in.]
08/25/06 Christian Klien reportedly has until the Italian grand prix at Monza in a fortnight to accept the offer of a Red Bull-funded seat for 2007 in America's open-wheeler Champ Car series.
The energy drink-owned team's 'advisor', Helmut Marko, told sport1.at after a business trip to Denver: ''Christian must decide quickly, since we would have to organize for example sponsors and test days.''
Klien told autosport.com, "They have offered me a seat in Champ Car or DTM, that is a possibility, but I also want to check all the options in Formula One. For sure it is a bit late now and difficult to get a seat, but the main focus is to get the last five races and to do really well and get some results together. In F1 anything is possible, things change very quickly and it could open a possibility. But the main focus is F1."
Autosport.com understands that if Klien decides not to take up the offer of a drive in Champ Car then the seat will be given to Scuderia Toro Rosso third driver Neel Jani.