Force India run still in the works for Lucas Auer

©WRI2

Force India still hasn't confirmed that DTM racer Lucas Auer will test for the Silverstone-based outfit this summer, but all signs point to the fact that it will happen.

Auer is a Mercedes protégé and the nephew of former F1 driver Gerhard Berger.

The 22-year-old is also sponsored in DTM by the BWT water company which supports Force India's pink-liveried chargers.

"When we are ready to announce something, I am sure you will be happy," said Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer.

"We are impressed with Lucas -- he is doing a great job in DTM," he told APA news agency.

Lucas Auer talking to several F1 teams

Szafnauer denied however that Auer's test run - expected to take place at the post-Grand Prix younger drivers test in Hungary - will happen as a result of the common BWT sponsorship between Force India and his Mercedes DTM team.

"It must be a combination," he said.

"If he is a good driver, and it is someone who we want to see how he goes in a formula one car, we give them the opportunity.

"If it is Lucas, you can be sure that it is not just a commercial deal," he added.

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.