Weber impressed with Vietoris

Vietoris, who only raced for the team once last season, is expected to lead the team this season as Nico Hulkenberg concentrates on his own career.

"With Christian we rely on a new driver, but his fastest lap at the test shows that he will also be among the front-runners for Team Germany," said Weber.

Vietoris was the rookie driver for the team last year, and the reigning champions have not yet named any other drivers for the upcoming season.

Weber admits that there is a lot more pressure on the team this year, but he admits that they are ready for the challenge, even if it is without Hulkenberg.

"Nico Hulkenberg and David Sears Motorsport fulfilled a dream for us by winning the championship last year," he said. "Nico now takes the next step in his career.

"The benchmark is obviously very high after winning the championship and the strong competition means we can't afford to rest on our laurels.

"The demands on us as defending champions are high. Our target is to justify these expectations."