Schumachers' stepbrother for A1 GP

Although 27-year-old Stahl has spent most of his career in saloons and sportscars, including a handful of European Touring Car appearances with the works Alfa Romeo team in 2003, he has some single-seater experience from Formula Koenig and Formula Renault.

"I'm just as familiar with formula cars as I am with powerful V8 normally aspirated engines," Stahl said. "However, the combination of two such elements in an A1 Grand Prix racer is new to me.

"There is a great deal of high-calibre names in the A1 Grand Prix series, including drivers with Formula One experience.

"I want to reach the finish of both races, and as close to the front as possible."

Stahl has been recruited as previous Team Germany drivers Timo Scheider and Adrian Sutil will be otherwise engaged during the Shanghai weekend.

Scheider is now concentrating on his DTM programme, while Sutil will be undertaking Friday testing duties for Midland at the Australian Grand Prix.

Germany took their first A1 GP podium with Scheider in the last round. Team manager Willi Webber accepts that Stahl is unlikely to replicate that performance.

"We certainly don't expect him to go one better than the second place we scored in Laguna Seca in his first outing," Weber said.

"We would, however, like to make a respectable finish to our debut season in the A1 Grand Prix series.

"I'm convinced that Sebastian will help us to achieve this."