Kevin Magnussen (Photo Credit: SRO)
2011 British F3 runner-up Kevin Magnussen will drive for Carlin in Formula Renault 3.5 next season.
The Dane, who raced for the same outfit in British F3 this year, will stay on with the team that took him to seven race wins in the category in 2011.
He will have big shoes to fill of course given Carlin's dominance of the previous campaign, with Robert Wickens and runner up Jean-Eric Vergne ensuring they took the team's championship with two rounds to spare.
What's more, Carlin have won the driver's championship for the past two years; Wickens won the title in the final round this year as did Mikhail Aleshin 12 months previously.
However, Magnussen showed in the collective tests last week he is more than capable of adapting to the series having ended day one with the fastest time of the session.
Looking ahead to 2012, the 19 year old said: “It's great to have the chance to drive for Carlin next year in Formula Renault 3.5, every step up the motorsport ladder is a real dream come true for me and I thank my sponsors for this chance. It's a big opportunity and I intend on enjoying it and making the most of the upcoming year.
“I know the team really well and feel completely at home there. I can't wait for the start of the season!”
Team Principal Trevor Carlin added: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce Kevin as a Carlin FR3.5 driver for 2012. He has been extremely impressive in British F3 this year, especially in the second half of the season and is a driver very much in demand.
“We're very proud that he has chosen Carlin as the team with which to continue his career and based on his performance in official testing so far, believe he will have no problems at all adapting to the FR3.5 car.”
