Hopeful Spanish outfit Epsilon Euskadi has begun wind tunnel testing a scale model of its 2011 formula one car.

The Azkoitia based team, involved in single seater categories as well as Le Mans with a prototype car, has applied to fill the 13th F1 team entry for next year.

It is believed the FIA has already turned down some 2011 applicants, while the GP2 team ART and American group Cypher have pulled out of the running due to lack of funding.

It emerged this week that the governing body will interview the remaining contenders – probably Villeneuve/Durango and Stefan GP – in Paris next Friday.

It would also appear that Epsilon Euskadi, headed by former F1 team members Joan Villadelprat and engineer Sergio Rinland, is still in the running.

Rinland told the Argentine publication Corsa: “Last week we put the model in the wind tunnel for the first time.

“It went alright.  The design is well advanced,” added the former Williams, Brabham, Forti, Benetton, Sauber and Arrows engineer.

Rinland said Epsilon Euskadi has not even begun to think about a driver lineup.

“We have absolutely no thoughts (on drivers),” he said, albeit admitting that it would be “fantastic” if his Argentine countryman Esteban Guerrieri won the seat.

“But as I said, the issue of drivers is not being contemplated at this time,” added Rinland.

F1′s governing body is pushing ahead with the selection process to fill the final spot on the 2011 grid.

Amid reports the FIA might prefer to keep the space open for now, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has made it clear he would even be happy if one or two of this season’s new teams do not survive beyond 2010.

And Ross Brawn, Mercedes team boss and also head of the FOTA group’s technical arm, warned that time is now tight for 2011, even though Lotus – the best new team this year – prepared its campaign in mere months.

“But it’s very difficult,” Brawn insisted  “So it looks pretty marginal to me to get a team together in time for next year.

“I think we’ve also got a pretty healthy grid now.  24 cars is a pretty good size and I don’t think it’s a disaster if a 13th team didn’t come in.  What we need to do is keep the teams we’ve got,” he added.

The competitive GP2 team ART has pulled out of the running for the 13th place for financial reasons, as has the American group Cypher.

But it is believed the Villeneuve/Durango collaboration, as well as Epsilon Euskadi and perhaps also Stefan GP, are still hoping to debut next year.

It has therefore emerged that the Paris-based FIA has invited the remaining contenders to a meeting in the French capital on 13 August — next Friday.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport believes the governing body has already turned down some applicants.

“One or two” of F1′s existing twelve teams might bow out of formula one before November’s Abu Dhabi finale, Bernie Ecclestone has warned.

“I think there are a couple of teams in formula one who really shouldn’t be there. They are a bit out of their depth at the moment,” he said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

Losing two teams would drop the grid down to 20 cars, but the FIA is in the process of perhaps allowing Villeneuve/Durango, Epsilon Euskadi, Stefan GP or Cypher Group to debut next year.

But Ecclestone insisted: “All we ever want is 10 teams. Lotus is a good name. I wouldn’t want to lose them. But in general this year has been a bit of a nuisance because it has cost money to keep these (new) teams in.

“It has cost a lot of money to pay for them to compete.”

It is likely the Briton is referring to HRT, who are now shuffling around drivers with the deepest pockets for the two race seats, and Virgin, whose main sponsor Sir Richard Branson said last year the team would have F1′s smallest budget.

“The bottom line is they haven’t really and truly given us value for being there,” said Ecclestone.

“If suddenly these teams don’t turn up at races then I don’t think the crowds will get any smaller, or the TV sets will turn off, or the newspapers will stop writing, will they?” he added.