The Manor F1 team has announced Pascal Wehrlein as one of its drivers for the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The German driver was quoted by Auto Bild confirming the news, but Manor has now made it official.
Wehrlein won the DTM title in 2015, as well as holding the reserve driver role at the Mercedes F1 team. He completed several outings for the world champions and also tested for Force India.
He will make his F1 debut next month at the Australian Grand Prix, driving the Manor MRT05. The Banbury-based squad has also confirmed that he will take part in both pre-season tests.
The announcement means there is just one space left on the 2016 grid, the second Manor drive alongside Wehrlein.
"Manor Racing is a great place for me to start my Formula 1 racing career – I’m very pleased to be here," he said. "It’s a small and totally focused team and I soon hope to know everyone. Though it’s my first F1 season my aim is to help Stephen [Fitzpatrick] and the guys achieve their goals.
"It will be a tough challenge but I think we should be able to challenge for points along the way. It’s going to be good fun."
Stephen Fitzpatrick, Manor owner, added: "Pascal is a sharp driver with a very promising future; Manor Racing is excited to have him aboard. We’re a small team up for a big challenge this season, so we’ve chosen a driver with the talent and hunger to match our own on-track ambitions.
"Pascal has impressed in testing for Mercedes and Force India, together with commanding performances in DTM, culminating in the championship win last year. Manor Racing is perfectly placed to help Pascal make a big impact in his first season. We’re looking forward to it."
Discussion about this post