Bell

LONDON -- American Townsend Bell had his first taste of Formula One with the BAR team on Tuesday when he began straight-line aerodynamics testing at the Lurcy-Levis track in central France.

"Today was amazing," said the 28-year-old Formula 3000 driver after driving the BAR-Honda 005.

"It's the fastest car I've ever driven. I was too busy smiling to be too analytical on the first run but it was great gradually working up to higher speeds.

"I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days."

There are no U.S. drivers in Formula One, which has had American world champions in the past like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti.