Sauber have announced that Ferrari Academy driver Raffaele Marciello will take up the role of test and reserve driver for the 2015 season as the Swiss outfit.
The Italian won the European F3 Championship with 13 wins in 2013 before moving up to GP2 where he finished eighth overall with one victory at Spa-Francorchamps and another two podiums.
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn confirmed the 20-year-old would participate in some free practice sessions throughout the season to give him some additional F1 experience on top of his recent Ferrari test.
“We are pleased to announce Raffaele Marciello as our test and reserve driver for the 2015 season. He proved his great talent in junior formulas, and his season in the European Formula 3 Championship with 13 wins and the title victory was particularly impressive,” she said.
“We will give Raffaele the opportunity to become familiar with Formula One, which also includes him taking part in some free practice sessions on Friday. It’s great for our team to be part of his way to F1.”
Raffaele Marciello added: “I am really pleased to become a member of the Sauber F1 Team, which has a long tradition of building up excellent drivers. I really think that this is the best choice for my future career.
“I am also happy to compete for one more season in the GP2 Series, which, together with my new F1 role, will give me a very busy 2015 season. I want to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy for giving me this important opportunity, and now I really can’t wait to start delivering my best.”
