Williams test driver Narain Karthikeyan will shake down the Oxfordshire based team’s interim car for the winter at an English circuit this week.

On a trip to western city Mumbai this week, the Indian told reporters that, in preparation for the first winter test of the 2007 pre-season beginning next Tuesday, he is scheduled to run the Toyota-powered FW28B at the Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire.

“Basically, it will be checking software,” Karthikeyan added, revealing that he will drive at Kemble on Thursday.

Although slotted into the secondary test spot this year, and forced to be content again with a shared role in 2007, Karthikeyan insists that joining Williams was the right move.

“I don’t regret joining Williams,” he said, denying that he is considering becoming a race driver in the A1 GP series. “I should have probably started off as a test driver (in 2005) but I’m still young enough to have a long career in F1.”

[GMM]