New Zealand's Brendon Hartley will join the elite of Grand Prix racing when he participates in his first 'open' test of a Formula One car at the Jerez circuit in Spain in a fortnight.
The British-based Red Bull Racing team will draft in both its regular test driver Sebastien Buemi and British Formula 3 star Hartley to cover for the injured Mark Webber's absence at the pre-Christmas Formula 1 test.
All the major F1 teams and drivers are likely to take part in this final testing of the 2008 season.
Hartley, who turned 19 just two weeks ago, will be completing a full Formula 1 test outing for the first time. Early this year he was entrusted with a 'private' shakedown test of the new Ferrari-engined Toro Rosso F1 car in Italy and he had a brief run in a Renault-engined Red Bull car at Silverstone before it was rushed to the Japanese Grand Prix as a replacement chassis for David Coulthard.
Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner says Hartley is one of the shining lights in the junior team and an opportunity has arisen to allow him to get some time in a Formula 1 car.
Hartley finished third in this season's British F3 championship - taking five race wins.
