Robert Doornbos reviews his 2006 season

Dutchman Robert Doornbos started 2006 as the Jordan Grand Prix test and reserve driver - and ended it racing for Minardi after emerging as one of Formula One's brightest new talents. Doornbos partnered up with Christijan Albers, the other Dutchman at Minardi. Albers already signed a contract with Midland F1 for 2006, but Doornbos has no contract for the upcoming season.

Doornbos' three appearances, as Jordan's test and reserve driver, in 2004 led to him taking the position permanently this year, when he settled in as team-mate to Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan. It was a dream opportunity for Doornbos to get a foothold in Formula One and he grabbed it with both hands.

Robert Doornbos "In the winter we were fighting with sponsors for a race drive because enthusiasm in Holland was great. There was a chance with Jordan and Minardi, but we chose Jordan because, as a Formula One team, Minardi weren't as competitive. But winter was full of uncertainties for me because we didn't know if the team would be taken over."

In the end, the team was taken over by Alex Shnaider's Midland organisation and Doornbos became frustrated at his lack of seat time so he secured a move to the Minardi team as a replacement for Austrian Patrick Friesacher. The 24-year-old made his race debut in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim and immediately put compatriot Christijan Albers under pressure, qualifying just one place behind him and sparking a friendly all-Dutch battle within the team.

"When I jumped in obviously Christijan had a big advantage because he had already done 11 races," said Doornbos. "There was so much hype on the double-Dutch angle, both in our country and internationally, but the results came. The competition between me and Christijan was quite high and, in the races, there was usually nothing between us. There was a lot of learning for me and we pushed each other very hard. It was the most successful season for Minardi for sure."

Doornbos claimed a career-best 13th place finish in the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in August, and he was delighted to out-race his former team-mates in the Jordan cars - as well as Albers, his team-mate at the time. He believes the team has the best spirit amongst all of the Formula One squads, even though points finishes are a rarity, and he can see why so many drivers like Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber began their careers there.

"You could see in the team that when we started fighting with Jordan, for example in Turkey, where I finished in front of the Jordan drivers and my team-mate, it was like a small victory for us. Minardi is a great place to make your debut and, for sure, I'm very happy with what happened last season. Everybody is enthusiastic about the season. For sure I made some mistakes, but I am still learning."

Doornbos wants to stay in Formula One and has targeted a test and reserve role with a top team for next year. He said the experience of regular laps for a large squad will be more valuable than a race drive with an under-funded team.

"We are fighting for a seat absolutely. I'm not exactly sure what teams are on top of the list at the moment and where the chances are to drive. The best teams to be with are the manufacturers like Toyota, but if you can jump in as a test driver in a team like Williams, who switched to Bridgestone tyres, then that would be great. I have one year's experience on Bridgestones and it would be valuable for them to have me in the team. And it would be a good chance and experience for me. For sure, I want to stay in Formula One. It is the only thing I think about."