In the most widely expected annou🌜ncement of the last couple of weeks, Westley Barber has fiওnally been handed the vacant seat alongside Antonio Pizzonia at Manor Motorsport.

The young Briton has been linked to the drive sin𒁏ce replacing Argentine Juan Manuel Lopez for a test at Snetterton three weeks ago, but no confirmation has been forthcoming from either Manor or Barber himself. Now, with the trip to Holland for the Marlboro Masters out of the way, the team's official web-site has broken the news the 18-year old will partner Pizzonia for the rest of the season.

Although there are just four rounds remaining in the 2000 campaign, Barber has landed the perfect platform from which to show that he is deserving of a full-time seat with the most successful outfit of the past two years. There were suggestions that the former Formula Campus champion would link up with Manor for the whole season, but Barber plumped for Alan Doc𒅌king Racing instead.

An amicable split, after a string of poor results, coincided with the departure of Lopez from Manor, and Barber now finds himself landed with the best and worst seat in contemporary F3. If he performs well against Pizzonia, his immediate future will be assured. If he doesn't manage to impr🐲ove on his ADR ꦿform, however, it may be over.