German Maro Engel will be behind the wheel of one of the new Mercedes for the 2013 V8 Supercars season after being named as Erebus Motorsport’s third driver.
The 27-year-old will partner Lee Holdsworth and Tim Slade in the SP Tools team as a replacement for New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, who departed at the end of last year.
Erebus, who acquired Stone Brothers Racing during the off-season and have brought German manufacturer Mercedes to the V8 circuit, signed Engel to a multi-year contract.
Speculation suggested Erebus was interested in recruiting a European driver, with former Formula One’s Christian Klien also believed to be in the mix.
Erebus general manager Ross Stone said Engel, a former DTM (German Touring Car Masters) driver, adapted very quickly to the car during a recent test drive.
“Maro tested our 2012 spec V8 Supercar back in December and exceeded our expectations,” said Stone.
“He adapted to the car very quickly and showed that he had the determination and skill to race in the category.”
Engel becomes the second full-time European pilot in the series with Frenchman Alex Premat.
Erebus is rushing to complete its trio of Mercedes-AMG E63 V8s in time for the start of the season at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide from March 2.