Test for the Champ

2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand will fulfill a young race driver's dream when he joins Force India F1 for a two-day test at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain on Dec. 1-3

Hildebrand, 21, from Sausalito, Calif., will be joined in the rookies-only test by Scotsman Paul di Resta, whose cousin, Dario Franchitti, won the 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.

"I'm ecstatic about being given the chance to drive a Formula One car for the Force India F1 Team," said Hildebrand, who is currently in England preparing to drive the Mercedes-Benz-powered Force India VJM02 Formula One car. "I know it will be a challenge but I'm ready to take it on, and look forward to getting as much as I can out of the whole experience. It's an incredible way to cap off an already very special year and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Hildebrand's test-drive follows an impressive showing in Force India's F1 simulator in England last month.

"We are delighted to have Paul and J.R. join us for the young driver test," says Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India.

"Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we've always said, nationality isn't the primary selection criteria - it's talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both."

Hildebrand was introduced to Mallya several years ago and following his Firestone Indy Lights title-winning season, was invited to try out the team's F1 test simulator.

"I thought I did quite well," Hildebrand said. "I knew there was room to improve but I felt I accomplished my goal, which was to learn and improve throughout the day. It took a while for the team to analyze the data but when I got the call to say I was going to have a chance to drive the car I was ecstatic. It couldn't have come at a better time."

By indycar.com