KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's Brendon Hartley will join the elite of Grand Prix racing when he participates in his first "open" test of a Formula 1 car at the Jerez circuit in Spain on December 15.
The British-based Red Bull Racing team (RBR) will draft in both its regular test
driver Sebastien Buemi and British Formula 3 star Hartley to cover for Mark Webber's absence at the pre-Christmas Formula 1 test. All the major F1 teams and drivers are likely to take part in this final testing of the 2008 season.
Webber has been ruled out for the whole of the winter testing programme after breaking his right leg in a road accident in Tasmania last weekend, although he fully expects to be fit to start the 2009 season in March.
The Australian had been due to test alongside new teammate Sebastian Vettel at Jerez on December 15-17, but RBR has confirmed its altered plans which will see rising stars Buemi and Hartley get time in the RB4 chassis.
The German and the Palmerston North teenager have shared accommodation in Milton Keynes this season, in close proximity to the Red Bull Formula 1 factory.
While Buemi, who has emerged as favourite to secure one of the two vacant drives at sister Red Bull team Toro Rosso, will drive on all three days, Hartley will drive on the opening day before new recruit Vettel takes over for the rest of the week.
Hartley, who turned 19 just two weeks ago, will be completing a full Formula 1 test outing for the first time. Early this year he was entrusted with a "private" shakedown test of the new Ferrari-engined Toro Rosso F1 car in Italy and he had a brief run in a Renault-engined Red Bull car at Silverstone before it was rushed to the Japanese Grand Prix as a replacement chassis for David Coulthard.
"Brendon is one of the shining lights in the junior team and an opportunity has arisen to allow him to get some time in a Formula 1 car," said RBR principal Christian Horner.
Hartley finished third in this season's British F3 championship taking five race wins - and capped his strong year with a fine recovery drive from 20th on the grid to third place in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix two weeks ago. Hartley set a stunning new lap record in the Macau race.