Ferrari F1 team signs Esteban Gutierrez as test and reserve driver

Esteban Gutierrez will become test and reserve driver for the Ferrari Formula 1 team next season, after losing his seat at Sauber

Mexican racer Gutierrez lost his race seat in F1 when Sauber decided to replace him and 2014 team-mate Adrian Sutil with Caterham's Marcus Ericsson and Williams reserve Felipe Nasr for 2015.

Gutierrez, 23, will now have the opportunity to prolong his F1 career with the Scuderia, following two seasons racing with its engine customer team.

"It is an honour to become part of the Scuderia Ferrari family, a team with such an exceptional history," said Gutierrez, who began his F1 career as a reserve at Sauber.

"It is the beginning of a new path for my future and I'm going to do my utmost to contribute to the achievement of the targets set by the Scuderia.

"I want to thank everybody for their belief in my potential; this will bring a great opportunity for me to develop further and get to the top in the near future."

New Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said Gutierrez's role would involve simulator work for the Scuderia.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars," Arrivabene said.

"I am sure he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator.

"Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers."