The Sauber F1 Team has confirmed Giedo van der Garde will serve as its test and reserve driver for the 2014 season.
The 28-year-old made his Formula 1 race debut in 2013 with Caterham, having tested in the series from 2007 to 2009, and again in 2012. He also gained experience during four years of racing in the GP2 Series.
“I consider this an important step in my career,” said van der Garde. “It is my goal to help the team with the development of the new car. But, of course, I am a racing driver, and I want to show the team and everybody else what I am capable of and that I deserve a race seat with the Sauber F1 Team in 2015. After all, my ambition remains unchanged and I am highly motivated to succeed in Formula One, especially in the long term.
”I am very thankful to Caterham that they gave me a chance to get a taste of Formula One. I enjoyed a fantastic season with the team and I have learned a lot. The experience gained will surely help me during the rest of my career. For now, I am really very excited to have signed a contract with the Sauber F1 Team. For every driver it is a dream to work for a well established team such as Sauber.”
“We are happy to have Giedo van der Garde on board,” added Team Principle, Monisha Kaltenborn. “He has four years experience in GP2 and he drove one year in Formula One. These are good credentials to work successfully with our team. Many times Giedo has shown his talent as a race driver. At the same time the team would like to support him to further develop his skills. Giedo has the right attitude to take the next step forward.”
