Williams sign Nakajima as test driver

Nakajima, currently racing in the Formula Three Euro Series with Manor Motorsport, will take up his place as an official test driver following the end of the season.

He will work alongside Indian Narain Karthikeyan and race drivers Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz on the development of the Toyota-powered FW29.

Twenty-one-year-old Nakajima is the son of former Formula One driver Satoru, who raced for Lotus and Tyrrell in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. 

Nakajima, a member of Toyota's young drivers' programme, is yet to drive a Formula One car.

"Kazuki has consistently demonstrated his potential through karting and other junior Formulae," said team boss Frank Williams. "Having assessed both his potential in the car and his aptitude out of it, we believe he has the necessary ingredients to graduate to Formula One in a testing role."

Nakajima added: "For anyone with an interest in motor racing, Formula One is the ultimate objective and I am delighted that Williams, one of the senior names in the sport and a team that exists solely to race, has given me this great chance.

"I look forward to helping as much as I can with the team's transition to Toyota power for 2007. It will be a great honour to be the first TDP driver to graduate to Formula One."