The DAMS Team has announced that it has signed Nicolas Lapierre as one of its drivers for the 2007 season GP2 Series.

The 22-year-old, from Thonon-les-Bains, France, will attend a testing session during the first week of October at the Paul Ricard HTT circuit.

GP2 series testing kicks off next week at Circuit Paul Ricard (October 3-4), with the second winter test planned to take place at the same venue on October 31-November 1. Testing resumes one week later in Jerez on November 6-7, with the final test of 2006 taking place where this season kicked off, in Valencia on December 1-2.

Nicolas boasts an impressive motor racing career. He began karting in 1993 at the age of nine. At seventeen, he moved into the French Formula Renault Series where he raced for two years while also racing a full season in the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup in 2002 where he finished the championship third with two poles, one win and six podiums to his name. Lapierre also competed two races in French Formula 3. 2003 saw Lapierre's break come when he moved to Formula 3 Euroseries. He claimed victory in the legendary Macau Formula 3 GP. He was the youngest ever winner of the famous Macau race at just 19-years-old.

Lapierre stayed in the F3 Euroseries for 2004 claiming three victories, seven podium finishes and three pole positions. Most recently, he has raced in the highly competitive GP2 series for 2004 and 2005. Nicolas Lapierre is all set to mount the defence of his title as World Champion of the A1 Grand Prix Series when the new season kicks off at Zandvoort, The Netherlands, on October 1.

Jean-Paul Driot commented: "I have decided for Nicolas Lapierre. I have seen him race last year in the A1 GP winter Series. We will do a good job together. He is a tough driver."

Nicolas Lapierre added: "I have got to know better the working habits from Dams as I raced in the A1 GP winter Series where A1 Team France was the first winner of the A1 Grand Prix Series, The World Cup of Motorsport. I decided to have a better look at the team. I have appreciated its excellent superficies."