Jules Bianchi has joined Force India as their reserve driver for the 2012 Formula One season, the team announced on Friday.
Frenchman will be team's reserve driver in 2012
Jules Bianchi has joined Force India as their reserve driver for the 2012 Formula One season.
The French driver finished third in Formula One support series GP2 in 2010 and 2011 and was Ferrari's reserve driver last season.
The 22-year-old will take part in at least nine Friday practice sessions during race weekends, similar to the programme current Force India drivers Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg enjoyed in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Bianchi said: "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.
"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."
Commitment
Team Principal Dr Vijay Mallya said he was happy to continue the tradition of giving young talent a chance.
He added: "I am delighted to welcome Jules into the Sahara Force India family.
"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.
"We are proud of our track record in this regard and I have no doubt that Jules will quickly settle into the team and make a valuable contribution to our efforts on track this season."
