Speculation was mounting in the Turkish Grand prix paddock that long term Toyota tester Ricardo Zonta will be switching ranks next season, the Brazilian said to be joining forces with Renault in order to help them get up to speed with their new Bridgestone rubber as soon as possible.

Zonta has put in countless miles putting Bridgestone rubber to the test for Toyota, a quality that Renault bosses are highly interested in. The only other testers that come close in this regard are Alex Wurz, who has signed on to be a full time race driver for Williams next year, and the others are employed by Ferrari, namely Luca Badoer, and to a lesser degree, Marc Gene.

Therefore, Zonta is the main viable option for the French based squad who could possible be joined by GP2 racer Nelson Piquet, who is also an option for Williams.