Williams has signed Formula 3 Euro Series frontrunner Valtteri Bottas as its official test driver for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

The 20-year-old Finn, who is managed by former world champion Mika Hakkinen, steps into the role vacated by GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg, who has been promoted to the Williams race team this year.

“This is a great way to start 2010,” said Bottas. “I am very honoured to have been selected by a team as prestigious as AT&T Williams, one of the most significant names in the sport.”

Bottas pledged to do his utmost to justify Williams’s faith in him.

“This is an important step in my career but now the real work starts to get to the top,” he said. “I am sure I will learn a lot with the team and I trust that together we will achieve great results for the years to come.

“This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula 1 world champion one day.

“I take the opportunity to thank Sir Frank Williams and the senior management of the team and also to thanks my management and my sponsors for all their work and support so far.”

Bottas finished third in his F3 Euro Series rookie season last year with top team ART, and is among the 2010 title favourites having completed a deal to stay with the squad.

Sir Frank Williams added: “Valtteri’s CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae. We hope that the role of official test driver in our squad will provide him with another step in his development. We wish him all the best in the Formula 3 Euro Series this season.”

British Formula 3 team T-Sport has signed Menasheh Idafar to compete in the National Class this season.

The 18-year-old tested for the team at the end of last season and will graduate from Formula Renault this year.

“I’m so happy to be joining British F3 this year, it’s what I’ve wanted to do since first testing an F3 car,” he said.

“Everyone at T-Sport is fantastic and that can only be good for the season ahead.”

The 30-race British F3 season begins at Oulton Park on Easter weekend, April 3-5.

Thor-Christian Ebbesvik has joined Le Mans Series outfit Team Bruichladdich for the 2010 season.

The 26-year-old Norwegian will share an LMP2 class Zytek 09Sb with Tim Greaves and Karim Ojjeh in this year’s LMS and Le Mans 24 Hours.

“I am extremely excited by this tremendous opportunity,” said Ebbesvik. “The LMS is a massive step in my career and I am very grateful for the faith Team Bruichladdich has shown in me. I will be doing everything in my power to repay that faith on the track.”

Ebbesvik raced in Formula Ford in Britain in 2005 and ‘06, and competed in Spanish F3 from 2007-09.

Thor-Christian Ebbesvik has joined Le Mans Series outfit Team Bruichladdich for the 2010 season.

The 26-year-old Norwegian will share an LMP2 class Zytek 09Sb with Tim Greaves and Karim Ojjeh in this year’s LMS and Le Mans 24 Hours.

“I am extremely excited by this tremendous opportunity,” said Ebbesvik. “The LMS is a massive step in my career and I am very grateful for the faith Team Bruichladdich has shown in me. I will be doing everything in my power to repay that faith on the track.”

Ebbesvik raced in Formula Ford in Britain in 2005 and ‘06, and competed in Spanish F3 from 2007-09.

Daniel Ricciardo and Brendon Hartley have been appointed as the reserve drivers for Red Bull’s two Formula 1 teams in 2010.

Both men have been supported by Red Bull’s young driver programme and, after shining during the young driver test days back in December, the duo will share reserve duties throughout this season.

Red Bull announced that Australian Ricciardo, the reigning British F3 champion, and New Zealander Hartley will alternate the reserve driver duties on a race-by-race basis.

The drivers will sit-in on team meetings, spend time with the current race drivers and familiarise themselves with how Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso work so they are ready for action in the event of getting called up to compete.

Will Buller kicked off his Formula 3 career by winning his debut event in the category, the Brazil F3 Open at Interlagos.

The Hitech Racing driver, who will compete for the same squad in British F3 this season, made a terrific debut by taking pole position for the first of two heats and then winning it in wet conditions after passing Andre Negrao’s Cesario Formula car late on.

A third place in the dry second heat, followed by second in the wet semi-final, gave 17-year-old Buller a front-row spot for the final alongside polesitter Negrao.

Having held his position at the start, the Northern Irishman lined up his rival coming up to the end of the first lap, and after running alongside Negrao for the length of the pit straight, grabbed the lead at the Senna S before pulling away to a seven-second victory.

“Winning this race feels amazing,” said Buller, whose last race weekend had also resulted in a win – in Formula BMW Pacific in Macau.

“It’s been a terrific experience to come to Brazil and race on such an historic circuit and against some pretty talented guys. Hitech has been great though and it really gives me a lot of confidence to take into my British season with them.

“I think this was a good event too. With the testing ban in Europe at the moment, it’s great to come and get some race experience. Sure it’s the first time this event has been run, but I’d like to come back next year, hopefully with more drivers and teams from Europe.”

Formula BMW Europe champion Felipe Nasr has been signed up by Robertson Management – the organisation that oversaw Jenson Button’s early career and manages Kimi Raikkonen.

Nasr has been added to David and Steve Robertson’s stable after joining the affiliated Raikkonen Robertson Racing team for this season’s British Formula 3 Championship.

Steve Robertson is already confident that the 17-year-old Brazilian can emulate Button and Raikkonen by winning Formula 1 titles.

“Due to the success that we’ve had as a management company we have been inundated with drivers approaching us,” said Robertson. “We’ve always been very particular regarding the drivers that we get involved with, and we want to make sure, as far as we can, that the next driver follows on and is as successful as the previous driver.

“As far as Felipe is concerned, the BMW championship is on the F1 calendar so we’ve had the opportunity to watch him very closely. Last season was his first year of car racing, and he dominated a very competitive championship with pole positions, wins and podiums.

“I see a lot of the same qualities that I first saw in Kimi. He’s super quick, he’s got unbelievable car control, and he doesn’t make mistakes. He has that special talent that doesn’t come along that often, and he has the right mental attitude as well, which is another big thing that a driver needs.

“We don’t just want a driver who’s going to get to F1 – that’s not good enough for us. We want a driver who’s got the potential to be world champion.”

Nasr added: “It’s the best thing that’s happened in my career so far. I want to get into F1, and I know that they can make this dream of mine come true.”

Mirko Bortolotti says he would rather focus on a return to Formula 2 in 2010 than on speculation linking him to F1.

The 20-year-old tested for Ferrari after winning the Italian F3 title in 2008 and finished fourth in F2 last year before being called up by Toro Rosso for the F1 young driver test at Jerez in November.

Rumours had linked Bortolotti with a role at Toro Rosso, but he has since parted company with the Red Bull Junior programme.

“F2 is a major option for me in 2010 and I am not even thinking about F1 at the moment,” he said. “I think it’s vital that you’re fully prepared in speed, experience and consistency before you make that step.

“There are so many things to learn and I want to reach Formula 1 when I am in the right moment of my career. F1 is not a game, so at the moment I am better to focus on learning and improving for the future.”

Bortolotti says he hasn’t yet finalised his plans for this season, but has an eye on taking the F2 title if he returns.

“It’s an exciting possibility,” he added. “I really don’t know where I will be, but if I am racing in F2 then I will definitely be targeting the championship.”

P1 Motorsport has announced a rookie pairing of British Formula 3 championship runner-up Walter Grubmuller and 2009 Le Mans Series title-winner Jan Charouz for the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 championship.

For the past three years, 22-year-old Charouz has focused his efforts on sportscar racing in the LMP1 class of the LMS. Prior to this, the Czech driver also found success in single-seater racing, winning the 2006 F3000 International Masters series.

Charouz acquainted himself with Formula Renault 3.5 machinery by sampling RC Motorsport’s car during testing at Motorland Aragon and Barcelona at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

“We don’t think the tests Jan did were representative of his ability,” P1 Motorsport team boss Roly Vincini told AUTOSPORT. “He was about a second off, but he thinks, and we feel, there is much more to come.”

Speaking about his upcoming season, Charouz said: “P1 Motorsport is an excellent team and very professional – I’m looking forward to the experience I will gain in the World Series by Renault. I hope to get accustomed to single-seater racing again, so that I can achieve some good results in 2010.”

Austrian Grubmuller joins the team after a competitive third season in British F3, during which P1 Motorsport assisted with the development of the 20-year-old’s Hitech Dallara.

“This marks a new stage and challenge in my career, as I believe the World Series by Renault is the best feeder series to F1, having produced drivers such as [Sebastian] Vettel and [Robert] Kubica,” said Grubmuller.

Vincini added: “With Walter, we considered pairing him with an experienced World Series winner to help him develop, but what’s the point? At some time he has to stand on his own two feet.

“If he can drive the way he did in Formula 3 at Oulton Park last year, I’m sure he will do a good job.

“While we will be targeting podium finishes for both drivers, as the season progresses we can hopefully begin to compete for race wins.”

P1 Motorsport lifted the 2008 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title with current GP2 racer Giedo van der Garde. A 2009 title assault with James Walker was disrupted by a fire that gutted the team’s Snetterton premises. P1 has now settled at Hethel Engineering Centre in Norfolk, expanding its operation from one unit to three over the winter.

Super Nova has signed GP2 rookies Marcus Ericsson and Josef Kral for the 2010 season.

The team is the third GP2 outfit to announce an all-rookie pairing for the coming season, following ART with Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird, and Ocean Racing with Max Chilton and Fabio Leimer.

Ericsson clinched the Japanese F3 title last season as well as winning twice on guest appearances in British F3 and finishing fourth in the Macau Grand Prix. The 19-year-old is currently driving for ART in the GP2 Asia Series.

“It’s great for me to be in GP2 and with Super Nova,” Ericsson said at AUTOSPORT International on Thursday. “Because of their track record I’m sure they’ll have a very competitive car.

“You always strive to try to win so that’s what I’m going to do. It will be tough but we’re not here to finish second.”

Fellow 19-year-old Kral finished third in International Formula Master last year, and previously finished runner-up to Ericsson in Formula BMW UK in 2007. Kral is also racing in GP2 Asia and finished on the podium with Super Nova on his debut at Abu Dhabi in November.

“I’m really pleased to be joining this series with Super Nova,” said Kral. “I think we can be successful and I will give the maximum with the team. I had a good result already in Abu Dhabi with Super Nova so I hope to continue this form.”

Super Nova boss David Sears believes his team be competitive with two rookies, having seen the approach work for champion team ART with Nico Hulkenberg last year.

“We’ve had a complete change of policy,” Sears said. “ART have done it with rookies, why can’t we? I’ve been very impressed with Marcus and Josef for a long time. They took the British Formula BMW title down to the wire together, banging wheels, and we’ve kept an eye on both of them since.

“Marcus came and introduced himself to us at the British Grand Prix in 2007, as a 16-year-old with no father, no manager with him. He said he’d like to drive for us for one and I was impressed, so we kept an eye on him since then.”