Van der Garde to be Sauber's reserve driver

Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde will not be racing for Caterham in the 2014 Formula 1 season after he was announced as Sauber's reserve and test driver Tuesday.

He made his F1 debut with the Hinwil-based Caterham last season.

The 27-year-old had his first taste of F1 from 2007 to 2009 and then in 2012 testing for various teams. He competed for four years in GP2.

Sauber said van der Garde "will be driving during some Friday sessions and several tests in the 2014 season".

Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said: "We are happy to have Giedo van der Garde on board. He has four years experience in GP2 and he drove one year in F1. These are good credentials to work successfully with our team. Many times Giedo has shown his talent as a race driver. At the same time the team would like to support him to further develop his skills. Giedo has the right attitude to take the next step forward."

Van der Garde said: "I consider this an important step in my career. It is my goal to help the team with the development of the new car. But, of course, I am a racing driver, and I want to show the team and everybody else what I am capable of and that I deserve a race seat with the Sauber in 2015.

"I am very thankful to Caterham that they gave me a chance to get a taste of Formula One. I enjoyed a fantastic season with the team and I have learned a lot. The experience gained will surely help me during the rest of my career."