Jaime Alguersuari's stint away from a F1 cockpit will soon be over with Pirelli signing the Spaniard as their official tester for 2012.
Alguersuari was left without a drive for this season after being axed by Toro Rosso, prompting him to take a role as a BBC commentator.
However, the Spaniard's days outside the car are numbered as Pirelli announced that he would be one of two drivers used during their four development tests at the wheel of Renault's R30 chassis.
"I'm very happy indeed to have this fantastic opportunity," said Alguersuari.
"A week ago it was my birthday, when I turned 22, and now Pirelli has given me the best possible present. I can't wait to get started with this very important and challenging job of developing the new tyres for the future, which I'm looking forward to a lot.
"I have a huge desire to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car again and return to competition, so this is a brilliant chance for me."
The other driver is former Virgin Racing man Lucas di Grassi.
"I'm delighted to be back for another year with Pirelli after an extremely successful first season of collaboration," said di Grassi.
"We learned a lot together and so we are both very happy to continue.
"This is a good opportunity for me to carry on the work that we started last year, which allows me to compare and contrast with all the tyres I have tested so far. These tyres are now a fantastic feature of Formula 1."
