Scotland's Paul di Resta and the United States' JR Hildebrand will test for Force India next week in Jerez as part of the three-day young driver test, the team confirmed on Tuesday morning. The test takes place in a week's time, between December 1 and 3, and is open to any driver with two or less Grands Prix weekends under their belt. Force India picked Paul and JR after impressive performances in their simulator last month.

Di Resta, from West Lothian, is a Mercedes works driver in the German touring car series DTM, where he finished second and third in 2008 and 2009 respectively. At 23 years-of-age, his CV also includes winning the 2006 F3 Euroseries championship, while also winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award in 2004.

Hildebrand, from California, also boasts a number of junior formulae championships, winning Formula Russell in 2004, Formula Ford USA in 2006, and the Indy Lights championship this year, IRL's feeder category. He also raced for A1 Team USA at the season-engine race at Brands Hatch earlier this year, taking fourth place in an impressive debut.

Vijay Mallya, Force India-Mercedes (Team Principal):
“We are delighted to have Paul and JR join us for the young driver test. Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we've always said, nationality isn't the primary selection criteria - it's talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both.”

Paul di Resta:
“I am thrilled to be joining Force India for this test. It's been a while since I last tested an F1 car but I've been working hard in the simulator and giving it my all in the DTM so I'm confident I'll be up to speed quickly. It's an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it. I'm realistic that I've got a lot to prove and that I need a bit more experience of the cars and the F1 environment before getting a permanent seat but this is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very bright future with Force India. I'd like to thank Mercedes for giving me this opportunity and to Force India for being so supportive.”

JR Hildebrand:
“I'm ecstatic to get my first taste of F1. I've heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I've ever sat in before. I know it's a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential. As an American we don't necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that's so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, I can't wait to get to Jerez.”

JR will test on the morning of day 1, and the afternoon of day 2, while Paul will take to the wheel on the afternoon of day 1 and the morning of day 2. The third day's line-up has not yet been confirmed, and depends on how the test progresses on days 1 and 2.