According to an ever-growing number of reports, French driver Charles Pic is set to sign for the Virgin Racing team for the 2012 season, and could be confirmed alongside Timo Glock as early as the Brazilian GP this month.
Pic has been increasingly linked with Virgin over recent weeks, and will test for the backmarkers on Tuesday and Wednesday at this week's Young Driver Test.
And reports from the F1 media have now suggested that a deal has been agreed, with Pic set to replace Jerome d'Ambrosio at the team.
Unsurprisingly, the deal is said to involve a chunk of funding being supplied to the team by Pic, as he prepares to move into the role of 'unremarkable ex-GP2 midfielder alongside Glock' for 2012.
Reports suggest that the deal could be confirmed as early as the season finale at Interlagos.
Asked about the Pic rumours over the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, d'Ambrosio admitted that he was aware of negotiations taking place.
"From what I know, nothing has been decided by Marussia Virgin for next year," he told the Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure.
"Although it is clear there are ongoing discussions with Charles Pic."
But team boss John Booth was merely quoted as saying: "As we have said before we are evaluating all our options and we will make a decision after Brazil."
Pic has driven in GP2 and GP2 Asia for the last two seasons, winning four races and taking five pole positions.
The Frenchman finished fourth in the standings this season for the Barwa Addax Team.
He was reported to be set to test for Lotus at the Young Driver Test this week along with his Virgin commitments, but he has pulled out of that deal, heightening speculation that a Virgin deal is done.
Should d'Ambrosio lose his Virgin drive, the prospects for the Belgian remaining in F1 would be thin.
With the vacant seats at Force India and Toro Rosso all being contested over by the team's current roster of drivers, the Belgian would be forced to aim for an unlikely Renault seat, or a role at HRT.
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