Formula One legends Ferrari have named Mexican Esteban Gutierrez as a test and reserve driver for the 2015 season, the Italian outfit said on Monday.
The 23-year-old — who drove for Sauber in 2013 and 2014 finishing a career best seventh in the Japan Grand Prix in 2013 but failed to register a point in the season just ended — will provide back up for the team’s two lead drivers.
Ferrari already have two world champions on the books in Kimi Räikkonen and the four-time winner Sebastian Vettel, who took over from Spaniard Fernando Alonso who left for McLaren.
“We have complete confidence in our two wonderful drivers, but I’m delighted to welcome Esteban Gutierrez into our team,” said new Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene.
“Esteban is young but has a great deal of experience in modern Formula One and will make a huge contribution to our development.
“This also means we have opened our doors to a Mexican driver, a country where Ferrari has a great deal of fans like we did 50 years ago with the Rodriguez brothers (Pedro and Ricardo who both drove at some point in their careers for Ferrari and were killed in crashes the former aged 31 in Germany and the latter at 20 in Mexico),” added Arrivabene.
Formula One returns to Mexico City in October 2015 after a 20-year break at the Rodriguez Brothers circuit.