Aucklander Nick Cassidy will drive in the third day of the GP3 pre-season testing at the Estoril circuit in Portugal on Friday (February 22).
The opportunity comes two weeks after the 18-year-old Aucklander won the New Zealand Grand Prix and the International Toyota Racing Series at Manfeild for the second year running.
Cassidy will test for the Marussia Manor Racing team; the British-based team that also competes in Formula 1 with drivers Luiz Razia and Max Chilton.
The Portuguese testing is the first opportunity for drivers to experience the second-generation GP3 car. Development tests have shown the new GP3/13 car is around three seconds faster than the previous GP3/10. It has a new look with a revised nose, sidepods and engine cover. Power has been increased from 280hp to 400hp with a new 3.4-litre six cylinder engine.
In the first two days of testing at Estoril, Marussia Manor have run British driver Dino Zamparelli who has already been confirmed with the team for a full GP3 season. Marussia Manor have also tested with Cypriot driver Tio Ellinas and Italian female driver Vicky Piria.
Ellinas has been third fastest overall in both the Wednesday and Thursday test sessions. Cassidy will take over his car for the two Friday test sessions, running alongside Zamparelli and Piria.
Wet conditions have disrupted both the Wednesday and Thursday sessions. In the limited dry running the pace has been set on both days by Carlos Sainz Junior in the car run by MW Arden, the team Mitch Evans took to the 2012 GP3 title.
The GP3 teams will have a further two days of testing at Barcelona in Spain on March 12-13. The eight-round seasons begins at the Spanish Grand Prix between May 10-12.
Nick Cassidy is still in discussions about his plans for the 2013 European season.
