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Mercedes-backed Wehrlein to test for Force India

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Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein will drive for Force India on two of the four days at this week's pre-season test in Barcelona.

The 20-year-old German has the backing of Mercedes and currently competes in DTM. He took part in a single day at the post-season Abu Dhabi test for world champions Mercedes, but with testing time a valuable commodity for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg ahead of the start of the season he will drive for Force India this week, which is an engine customer of Mercedes.

Force India will run last year's car at this test while it works on getting its new car on track in time for the final pre-season test next week. The plan is to evaluate the new 2015 tyres on a car that it is familiar with this week and Wehrlein will be behind the wheel on Thursday and Saturday. Race drivers Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg will test on Friday and Sunday respectively.

"I am very happy that Sahara Force India has offered me the opportunity to drive their car for two days at the official test in Barcelona and that Mercedes-Benz has supported me to make this happen," Wehrlein said. "As a young driver, any time you can spend in the car is extremely important and you can learn a lot. I know the simulator already, but I don´t have much experience on the track. My first goal in Spain will be to do a great job together with the team, to learn as much as possible and to give good feedback to the engineers.

"I have already driven the World Champion Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid and the comparison with Sahara Force India will be very exciting for me: the way the team works, how they improve the car and handle problems - all this will help me to gain experience and to reach the next level in my development. Everybody knows that lap times only play a secondary role when you're testing. But, of course, I want to be as competitive as possible. Sahara Force India delivered a very strong performance in the last season and I hope I will be able to make a small contribution to push the team forward and be ready for the opening race in Melbourne."

Wehrlein will also drive for Force India at both in-season tests this year following the Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix.

"I'm pleased to give Pascal a chance to work with us in Barcelona," Force India team principal Vijay Mallya said. "He's an exciting young talent who has already proved he has what it takes to be successful at the highest level in motorsport. As a reserve driver for Mercedes-Benz, he's clearly destined for a career in Formula One and I'm sure the test will be a positive experience on both sides. Being able to call upon Pascal for testing duties is also a clear demonstration of our strong working relationship with our engine partner, Mercedes-Benz, and I thank them for their collaboration."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added: "This is a great opportunity for Pascal to develop his Formula One knowledge with our friends at Force India and shows the good working relationship within the Mercedes-Benz family. Pascal impressed us with his approach to the Abu Dhabi test last year and I am sure his feedback will be useful to Force India also. It is also a valuable opportunity for him to work with another team and gain more experience. This is an important year for Pascal with his primary programme in the DTM, and also these tests to build his F1 experience. We will be following his progress on both sides with great interest."

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