Justin Wilson was given the all-clear to get back onto the track in Brazil for the first time since being temporarily paralysed in Malaysia.
Wilson was given a check by Formula One's medical chief Professor Sid Watkins in Sao Paulo before being allowed to step into the Minardi cockpit.
"Justin's been cleared to get on with it," said a team spokesman. "As far as we are concerned he is clear to race."
Wilson lost movement in his arms after the HANS (Head and Neck Support) safety system worked loose during the race in Malaysia 12 days ago.
It took Minardi mechanics eight minutes to get him out of the cockpit after Wilson finally succumbed to the excruciating pain and retired from the race.
"The only time I felt more pain than that was when I trapped in a car with a broken leg and a broken arm after I had just started racing cars," said the Sheffield-born driver.
"The brakes failed going into Paddock at Brands Hatch and I hit the wall, the car crumpled. I was trapped in the car for two hours in extreme pain.
"In Malaysia it felt like someone was stabbing me in the shoulder. The guys wanted to lift me out but I didn't want to have to move my arms because of the pain and I had got into a position where I felt comfortable."
Wilson finished the two hour private test session at Interlagos ninth and bottom of the timesheets just over 2.3 seconds off the pace set by Renault's Jarno Trulli.
Trulli finished just over 0.2secs ahead of Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia
Reserve driver Allan McNish was sixth fastest for Renault while Jordan's Ralph Firman was eighth having been forced to stop on the track with a mechanical problem.
PA