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Exclusive: Legge joins British team

Katherine Legge will be part of Great Britain's A1 Grand Prix squad at the next round of the championship in Dubai, autosport.com can exclusively reveal

Legge is scheduled to drive the 550bhp car in the meeting's extra test sessions, and will also be reserve driver to Robbie Kerr during the weekend.

The 25 year-old, who finished third in this season's Toyota Atlantic championship in the United States will be officially unveiled as the team's second driver for Dubai later on Thursday. She hit the headlines last week after becoming the first woman to test a Formula One car in anger in 13 years, when she tested for Minardi in Vallelunga.

Legge will pilot one of the team's A1 cars in two extra 20-minute test sessions planned for the Friday morning of the A1 GP weekend, which have been arranged to allow for the running in of additional engines and chassis finally made available in Dubai for all the teams. All teams are allowed to participate.

Legge told autosport.com: "I just got a call from [A1 Team boss] John Surtees asking me if I wanted to drive the car. I said of course, yes please, thank you. John Surtees is a legend and you don't turn down a call from John Surtees.

"It will be a great opportunity to drive another car and learn another circuit. I'll try and do as good a job as I can. It has come as a result of the Minardi test and I've been watching the races in the series so far and it is fantastic to drive for your country.

"I'm under no illusions that it is a marketing opportunity for the team, considering the amount of publicity generated from my Formula One test. I don't expect to be as fast as Robbie who knows the car and knows the track, but I will do my best and would love to be pushing for a chance to get more opportunities and possibly the chance to race."

John Surtees said he was thrilled to have A1 Grand Prix's first female driver, having run female drivers before in his days as an F1 team boss.

"I'm very pleased to be bringing a first to both A1 Team Great Britain and A1 Grand Prix by having a female driver in the car," Surtees said.

"It's by no means a first for Surtees, which has at various times run ladies such as Davina Galica, Lella Lombardi and Desire Wilson in F1 cars.

"Katherine was one of the drivers on our list that we couldn't test before the season so we're taking the opportunity of the extra sessions in Dubai to assess her in the car. By doing so we have the chance of broadening our driver line-up and strengthening the team."

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