Pizzonia is Williams' second test driver behind Marc Gene

And Pizzonia is hoping he and his former Jaguar team-mate, Australian Mark Webber will fill the vacancies.

"It looks like there are going to be two seats available," he said.

"It would be great for me if we could race together again. That's what I'm hoping for at the moment - myself and Mark Webber on the team."

Montoya is moving to struggling McLaren at the end of the year while Schumacher, whose contract expires at the end of 2004, has been linked with Toyota.

Pizzonia could be in the frame to replace Schumacher, though there are other candidates such as his fellow test driver Marc Gene, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, Briton David Coulthard, New Zealander Scott Dixon.