Top popstrel to work for Merc in Austria
In the week that Lewis Hamilton was revealed to be a guest artist on Christina Aguilera’s latest album, there was more surprise in F1 today with news that Britney Spears is to test for Mercedes.
Sources say the singer has been trying to keep her involvement with the world champion team under wraps but that it is now confirmed she will drive the W09 EQ Power+ in today’s free practise for the Austrian Grand Prix. It’s no secret that the American singer has long privately dabbled in top level motorsport driving, but this is the first time she will publicly show off her passion for shaving another tenth off through turn 5 at the Red Bull Ring.
Britney Spears’s chance to do some granular set-up work on the championship leading car is far from the first time a pop star has turned their hand to Formula 1. In 1987 Ligier-Megatron tested with Phil Oakey out of the Human League, for two races in the 2002 season Prost replaced Shinji Nakano with Shakira, and in 2002 Kylie Minogue had several tests for Arrows-Cosworth, sessions that later provided inspiration for her number one hit, Slow.
In Austria today, however, Spears will have everything to prove as critics suggest she lacks natural talent and brings only a vast personal fortune, making it vital that she does everything possible to avoid being signed for Williams.
