The Virgin Racing team have confirmed their long-rumoured race deal with Charles Pic for the 2012 Formula One season, with the Frenchman set to join the backmarkers to drive alongside Timo Glock next year.
Pic will replace Belgian driver Jerome d'Ambrosio at the Virgin team, which will run as Marussia from the start of next season.The deal had been rumoured for some time, and Pic drove for Virgin during the recent Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi to give him his first taste of life in a slow F1 car.
The team confirmed the deal just hours after the conclusion to the 2011 season in Brazil, and Pic said that he was ready to do a "good job" for the team in 2012.
"I'm very happy to be making the step up to Formula 1 with Marussia Virgin Racing," Pic grinned, "As a driver you always feel you are ready for the next opportunity but in Abu Dhabi last week it was a tough test.
"The team gave me some fantastic opportunities to learn new things but I also knew that I had to impress them and show them I was ready to do a good job."
He went on: "I was pleased with my performance, and obviously the team were too, so a very good start but this is just the beginning and I know that a lot of hard work is ahead of me to reward this chance.
"I like the team a lot; we worked well together in the test and I feel very comfortable. They want to do things the right way and I can see that there is a lot of determination to succeed, so it is very special for me to be part of that.
"I'm looking forward to working hard in every area over the winter to ensure I am ready for the start of testing and my first Grand Prix."
Virgin Racing team principal John Booth added that the team had been following him for some time.
"I'm very pleased to welcome Charles to Marussia Virgin Racing as Timo's team-mate for 2012. We naturally keep a close eye on the junior formulae and Charles is certainly someone we have been watching over the past few years," he muttered.
"The real barometer however was our Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last week, where we put him through a series of tough tests to thoroughly evaluate his potential.
"This was his first time in a Formula 1 car so it should have been quite daunting, however Charles was extremely focused on what needed to be done and absolutely rose to the challenge. He continued to improve in every area but his race simulation work particularly caught our eye."
He added that: "Winter testing will be upon us before we know it, so it is actually a relatively short space of time ahead with a lot for Charles to get used to, but he is an extremely determined young guy and he worked very well with the team last week.
"He has an extremely mature head on young shoulders, so I have no doubt that he will be working very hard over the winter to prepare for his debut season."
Booth also took time to pay tribute to d'Ambrosio, who competed in all 19 races in 2011 for the team, posting best results of 14th place in the Australian and Canadian Grands Prix.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jerome D'Ambrosio for his hard work and important contribution to our team over the past 12 months or more," Booth smiled.
"He has an exciting future to look forward to I'm sure and we wish him every success."
Pic raced in GP2 in 2010 and 2011, picking up three race wins. He finished fourth in the championship in the 2011 season for Barwa Addax.
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