German Touring Car (DTM) champion Pascal Wehrlein will race for British Formula One team Manor this season, German media reported him as saying on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old German, whose mother is from Mauritius, became the youngest DTM champion in 2015 when he won the title with Mercedes.
Wehrlein was a reserve driver for world champions Mercedes in Formula One last season.
“A dream comes true,” Wehrlein told Autobild. “Since I was six and went to see my first Grand Prix I wanted to be a Formula One driver.”
Manor will use engines provided by Mercedes this season but the manufacturer had initially played down speculation Wehrlein could be part of the deal, arguing that the former Marussia team needed drivers who brought sponsorship with them.
Manor had American Alexander Rossi, Britain’s Will Stevens and Spaniard Roberto Merhi racing for them last year but have yet to confirm any drivers for this year. Indonesian Rio Haryanto has also been linked to a 2016 race seat.
The DTM pits Mercedes against rivals Audi and BMW in cars that resemble production models but whose performance is closer to single-seater racers.
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