Merhi keeps Manor seat for Malaysia

The Spaniard completed Manor's line-up alongside Will Stevens ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but he admitted he was unsure how many races he would do with the team, as he has no financial backing.

Manor did not turn a wheel in Melbourne, and so Merhi did not have the chance to drive the car for the first time.

But the team confirmed on Monday he will be in action this weekend at Sepang.

"I'm very excited about the prospect of making my F1 debut in Malaysia," Merhi said.

"Obviously Sepang is a challenging environment, so I have been doing all I can on my side to prepare for that to be able to manage the heat and humidity.

"The last race weekend was disappointing for everyone in the team, but I know how much work has gone into getting us fully operational again and it will be great for everyone to finally see wheels turning."

Team in a different position

Team boss John Booth insists Manor is a very different situation compared to Australia, and he is convinced the cars will be running from the start of the weekend.

"We headed back to the UK to regroup technically and bolster the work we had completed in the field in Melbourne, and as a result we are in a different position to the one we were in two weeks ago," he said.

"Again, the rate at which we are progressing, when one takes into account our circumstances pre-season, is very impressive and everyone in the team is to be commended on a huge continued effort.

"Sepang always throws up its own unique challenges, thanks to the combination of fierce heat and a well-timed downpour, but we look forward to debuting the car and our two young drivers and to finally start getting down to business on the racetrack."