With no F1 drive again in 2014, former Renault, Lotus and Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov is to test for Mercedes with an eye on DTM.

The Russia, who lost his seat at Caterham at the end of 2012, despite scoring the all-important 11th place in Brazil that secured the team 10th in the Constructors' Championship, had been linked with a number of F1 teams for 2014, especially in light of the country hosting its maiden Grand Prix.

However, with the last of the seats taken, Petrov, whose activities in 2013 were limited to demo runs, is to test with Mercedes today with a view to securing a DTM drive this year.

The 29-year-old, who got his first taste of series last year when he drove in the Moscow City Race around Red Square and made his DTM debut at the Moscow Raceway in a Mercedes-Benz DTM racing taxi, will test a DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupe at Portimao in Portugal.

"I'm absolutely delighted and really grateful to Mercedes-Benz for inviting me to test drive one of their DTM cars," said the Russian. "This test is a great opportunity to get back in the cockpit of a high-performance racing car.

"I got my first impression of the DTM last year when I drove in the Moscow City Racing event and took the wheel of a DTM racing taxi for the Moscow Raceway during the DTM race weekend. I had never driven such a car before and the demo laps were fantastic fun. I've been especially impressed by the way the DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupe handles in the corners. The DTM is top-class and one of the most competitive touring car series in the world."

"Russia is a highly significant market for the DTM and for Mercedes-Benz," admitted Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. "Following the success of the DTM debut at the Moscow Raceway last year, the interest of Russian fans in the series has grown considerably. Vitaly has been aware of these developments and expressed a desire to test drive our DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupe. We were only too happy to make his wish possible."

Chris Balfe