Force India has announced that Lance Stroll will drive the team’s car on both days of the post-season Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi.
Stroll has been heavily linked with a move to Force India for the 2019 season, after his father Lawrence led a consortium of investors in purchasing the team during the summer.
Shortly after the acquisition, Stroll reportedly had a seat fitting at Force India despite eventually completing the full season with Williams.
Williams confirmed on Thursday that Robert Kubica would step up from his reserve driver role to partner George Russell in the team’s race seats next season, leaving Stroll without a drive.
Following Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Force India confirmed on Twitter;
.@SChecoPerez and @lance_stroll will be testing for @ForceIndiaF1 in the @pirellisport test next week.
Schedule:
Day 1 – AM: Sergio
Day 1 – PM: LanceDay 2 – Lance
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) November 25, 2018
While the team is yet to formally confirm Stroll as its 2019 driver alongside the already re-signed Perez, Esteban Ocon’s departure from the team to become Mercedes reserve driver in 2019 leaves a vacancy.
Stroll has faced a challenging second season in Formula 1, with Williams finishing bottom of the constructors’ championship. Stroll scored six points in total, with rookie team-mate Sergey Sirotkin bagging just one.
