Christian Klien has turned down Red Bull’s offer of a funded seat in the American Champ Car category for season 2007.

The Austrian will be replaced at the Formula One team by incoming Mark Webber at the end of this year, but the energy drink-owned squad’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, arranged a Champ Car spot for Klien.

Marko did, however, impose a deadline of September 10th for the 23-year-old to accept it.

“So far he has rejected the Champ Car offer,” Dr Marko was quoted as saying by Die Presse.

He explained: “(Christian) said he does not want to live in Indianapolis. But he has to be there, because the (Champ Car) is developed there. ”

It is understood that if Klien issues a definitive ‘no’ to the offer at Monza, then the Champ Car ride could be given to Toro Rosso’s tester Neel Jani.

Further speculation insists that Klien, now desperate to remain in the F1 circle, is pushing to be retained by Red Bull as a test driver.

His father, Johannes Klien, told motorline.cc: “Naturally we are having conversations with Red Bull at the moment. I don’t want to go into the details.”

[GMM]

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