Virgin Racing confirmed today that they have brought Jérôme D'Ambrosio on board to drive in Friday practice sessions. The move is so the team can evaluate D'Ambrosio with an eye to signing him up for 2011.

The Belgian will participate in at least four of the next five race weekends, and it looks like Lucas di Grassi has drawn the short straw and will hand over his car for every practice session D'Ambrosio appears in.

Jérôme is looking forward to the challenge:

This drive is a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to helping the team in every way I can, as well as gaining experience on four of the most demanding tracks of the F1 calendar. Looking at the 2011 season, this will be very useful.

- Jérôme D'Ambrosio

Meanwhile, Virgin Racing are clearly looking to the future:

We have a contract with Timo Glock for another two years and an option on the services of Lucas di Grassi for next year. Both drivers have done an outstanding job for us in our debut season. We are always looking to progress new racing talent and the team out of which Virgin Racing was born has a long history of this.

- Graeme Lowdon, CEO

They already have test driver Luiz Razia on board, and earlier this year reserve driver Andy Soucek left the team, complaining about the lack of time he was given in the car. Testing Friday drivers is the norm in F1 these days, but Virgin seem to like some drivers better than others.