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JEREZ, Spain - The tide has turned for French drivers in Formula One and Toro Rosso rookie Jean-Eric Vergne (above) hopes one day to be riding the crest of a wave.
The 21-year-old, despite his lack of experience, can dream of scoring on his race debut in Melbourne on March 18 but the glittering prize could be further down the road with a possible vacancy at champions Red Bull in 2013.
Vergne, known simply as 'Jev' by the Italian-based team, was reluctant to look that far ahead on Tuesday as the new Toro Rosso took to the track for the first time in testing.
"I don't have much mileage in an F1 car but I can learn quick and I feel definitely ready," he told reporters at a bright but chilly Jerez circuit.
Toro Rosso are Red Bull-owned and seen as a feeder team for the champions, who could lose Mark Webber at the end of this season with his contract up.
"I am not thinking about 2013...obviously there is probably a chance for 2013 with Red Bull Racing but I will not answer these kinds of questions because at the moment I don't want to see too far ahead," Vergne said.
"2012 is Toro Rosso. I will do my best for this year and then see what happens for the future," added the Frenchman, one of three compatriots on the starting grid this year.
It has been quite a renaissance for the French. When Olivier Panis retired at the end of 2004, the country that gave motor racing much of its language and heritage as well as four-times champion Alain Prost was left without a driver in Formula One.
HAIR SALON
Frank Montagny, whose other interests included owning a hair salon in Barcelona, put in a brief appearance in 2006 while Sebastien Bourdais arrived at Toro Rosso in 2008.
He was replaced halfway through 2009, the year in which Romain Grosjean played a stand-in role at Renault, and the French were again absent in 2010 and 2011.
The last time the sport saw three Frenchmen start a race was in 1999 with Jean Alesi, Panis and Stephane Sarrazin.
This year there is Vergne, Grosjean at Lotus, Charles Pic at Marussia and Jules Bianchi enlisted as Force India reserve.
"It's a good period (for France)," said Vergne. "The FFSA (French federation) has a good programme that started maybe five or six years ago when they took me out of karting. They have like a French team. This is the only federation to have this.
"Thanks to them, I went from karting to single seaters and I got the Red Bull deal as well...they followed me to F1 and they are doing this with other drivers."
Vergne has been a reserve for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who gave Sebastian Vettel the car for his first race win at Monza as a 21-year-old in 2008 and provided a springboard for the future double champion to move to Red Bull in 2009.
"I don't want to be in F1 just to be one of the drivers in the field. I want one day to be on the top of this list of good drivers. So I don't need anybody to put the pressure on me,"said Vergne when asked about the opportunity he had.
There will be six world champions racing this season, including the most successful of them all in Michael Schumacher.
"It's going to be quite something on the starting grid in Melbourne," said Vergne. "When I am on the grid I won't think about it. He (Schumacher) is just going to be a driver with a helmet that I want to beat."
 
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