Ferrari starlet Jules Bianchi has been named as Force India's test driver for the upcoming Formula 1 season.
The Frenchman is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) and is expected to race for the Italian giants at some point in the future, but will work for Vijay Mallya's team in 2012.
“I am delighted to welcome Jules into the Sahara Force India family," said Mallya. "We always keep an eye on young, talented drivers and his performance in GP2 certainly impressed us all.
"By giving Jules the opportunity to be part of our 2012 campaign, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to young drivers.”
Bianchi will take part in pre-season testing next month, before driving in at least nine Friday practice sessions over the course of the campaign.
“I’m obviously excited to join Sahara Force India and the chance to get track time during race weekends is an important step for me,” said the 22-year-old. “Being regularly in a current car is the best way to learn quickly and I hope it will put me in a strong position to one day move into a race seat.
“The next few months will be really exciting as I get to know the team, see how they work and prepare for my time in the car. I would like to thank everyone for believing in me and especially Sahara Force India for giving me this great opportunity.”