The McLaren Formula One team have now confirmed earlier speculation that double world champion  Mika Hakkinen will drive a Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One car  for the first time since the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix , tomorrow, Thursday the 30th of November  when  he  will  conduct  a  day's testing at the Circuit de Catalunya  near  Barcelona,  Spain.

This will constitute part of the team's winter testing programme in preparation for the 2007 season in which double World Champion  Fernando Alonso and GP2 Champion Lewis Hamilton will be competing for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Team boss Ron Dennis did confirm however that no other tests have been scheduled for the Finn at this stage.

"We are delighted to provide Mika with the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car  again,"  said Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Team McLaren Mercedes. "He is  really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a current Formula 1 car. A driver of Mika's calibre and experience can only bring added value to  our testing programme and his feedback after Thursday's running will be valuable  to  the  team in our preparations for the 2007 season. However at this  stage  there  are  no plans for Mika to conduct further tests for the team."