SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Force India will give British driver Paul di Resta — cousin of IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti — and American talent J.R. Hildebrand a chance to test for a full-time role with the Formula One team.
Force India team owner Vijay Mallya said Tuesday the two drivers were being considered for a test and reserve driver role with the team next season. The three-day session will run in Jerez, Spain, from Dec. 1-3.
"Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing," Mallya said. "We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010."
Di Resta, 23, finished third in German touring series DTM with Mercedes last season. Hildebrand, 21, is the IndyLights series champion who becomes the first American to drive an F1 car since Scott Speed in 2007.
The test session, the first since the end of the season earlier this month, is designed to give young drivers more experience since in-season testing is banned.
"It's an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it," Di Resta said.
Hildebrand said he can't wait to get his first taste of F1.
"I know it's a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it," said Hildebrand, who holds a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but has been granted a two-year deferral to pursue his racing career. "As an American we don't necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that's so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice."
The BMW Sauber team, which is pulling out of F1, said it will go ahead with a test for 18-year-old drivers Alexander Rossi and Esteban Gutierrez. The German team said it had promised the duo a chance to test drive an F1 car before it decided to withdraw from the sport, and that going back on their pledge "was not an option."
Rossi, an American from Nevada City, California, finished fourth in the International Formula Masters series this season. Gutierrez won the 2008 Formula BMW Europe title.
