Mercedes gives Gutierrez Formula E reserve role

Former F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez will serve as Mercedes' reserve and development driver in Formula E this season, the Mexican working alongside double DTM champion Gary Paffett.

Gutierrez, who competed in F1 with Sauber and Haas, raced in FE for Techeetah during the series' 2016-17 season and tested Mercedes electric Silver Arrow in Majorca last summer.

The German outfit's main lineup for the 2019-20 season which kicks off in Saudi Arabia next week includes Stoffel Vandoorne and 2019 F2 champion Nyck de Vries.

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Mercedes said that Gutierrez and Paffett will alternate in their reserve role at FE events, with the Mexican in attendance at the opening round in Riyadh.

"I'm very much looking forward to continuing my journey with the Mercedes family by joining Formula E as a reserve and development Driver," said Gutierrez, who conducted simulator work in Brackley for the Mercedes F1 team.

"I would like to thank the team for giving me the chance to join them as they embark on this new and exciting chapter."

After getting acquainted with FE last year through its support for the HWA RaceLab team, Mercedes tackles the all-electric series as a works outfit for the very first time.

"We will face a lot of challenges in our first season in Formula E, so I'm really pleased we've been able to acquire the services of Esteban, another experienced driver," said Mercedes FE team boss Ian James.

"He did an excellent job during testing in Majorca, fitting in perfectly with the team.

"He has a lot of experience to offer from racing in a number of different series - Formula 1, Formula E and IndyCar - and has also gained a lot of know-how in the simulator about how to develop and setup a car.

"We are certain that he will be of enormous help with the tasks we face in our debut season in his joint role as reserve and development driver with Gary."

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