Merhi gets second Manor Marussia seat for 'opening rounds'

The Manor Marussia  team have announced that Spanish driver Roberto Merhi will race alongside Briton Will Stevens "for the opening rounds" of the 2015 season.

The 23-year-old who last year finished third in the Formula Renault 3.5 series behind winner Carlos Sainz and fellow Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly, drove three practice sessions for Caterham last season, in Italy, Japan and Russia.

“I am incredibly excited to be making my Formula One debut with Manor Marussia  in Melbourne this weekend. It is a big responsibility but I feel ready to make this step in my career and to show that I can make an important contribution to developing a team," said Merhi in a team statement.

The news of Merhi's signing, whatever the duration. was accompanied by the announcement that Jordan King, son of the team's interim chairman Justin King, has been signed as a development driver at the team.

“It is fantastic to welcome Roberto and Jordan to the team," said team principal John Booth. "Not only are they very talented young drivers with exciting futures ahead of them, they have also been ‘graduates’ of Manor Motorsport in the junior formulae, which is obviously very rewarding for us, given that the development of young talent is an important part of our philosophy.”

King spent the past two seasons in the FIA F3 European Championship, racing with Carlin. Last year he claimed seven podium finished to finish in seventh place in the championship behind drivers such as winner Esteban Ocon, second-placed Tom Blomkvist, Max Verstappen, Lucas Auer, Ferrari academy driver Antonio Fuoco and Antonio Giovanazzi.