The Mercedes team have confirmed 19-year-old Pascal Wehrlein as their official reserve driver.

Wehrlein seems to have the resume of a real up and coming Formula One star – even at such a young age. He finished 2nd in the Formula 3 European Championship in 2012 and has been competing in DTM since the start of 2013. He claimed his first Formula 3 win at the Lausitzring on Sunday.

We may not all have noticed him, but Wehrlein has been seen quite a bit in the F1 paddock so far this season. He’s even completed over 30 days of work in Mercedes’ simulator.

Wehrlein also received his first taste of F1 action in Portugal last week when he tested the Mercedes W03 at the Portimao circuit.

“I was delighted when I learned that I would be completing a Formula One test for Mercedes in Portimao,” he said.

“It took me a few laps to get used to the incredible speed, the very hard brakes and the high cornering speeds – it’s in another league compared to the DTM,” he said. “But I adapted quickly and was able to improve in each of my short and long runs. In total, I drove 500 km and didn’t want to head back into the pits!

“The test was simply the greatest experience I have had so far in motorsport. There weren’t any nerves, which surprised me – I just felt ready for it. The feedback from the team and from Toto [Wolff] was very encouraging and I think that I did a good job. It certainly helped that I have been working hard in the simulator since February. For me, it is a nice recognition of my efforts that I have been nominated as reserve driver for Mercedes.

“For me, it’s a dream come true to have completed this test and now to take on my new role. All my life, I have worked hard to get the opportunity to drive an F1 car. And it was always my goal to do it with Mercedes-Benz.”

Pascal Wehrlein Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas