Louis Deletraz will race full-time in the GP2 Series in 2017 after joining Spanish team Racing Engineering.
Deletraz, 19, finished as runner-up in the Formula V8 3.5 championship in 2016, losing out at the final round of the year to Tom Dillmann.
The Swiss racer made his GP2 debut in Abu Dhabi with Carlin, retiring from the feature race and finishing 17th in the sprint.
Deletraz will now return to GP2 for 2017 with Racing Engineering, having enjoyed a successful three-day test with the team in Abu Dhabi following the conclusion of the season.
“GP2 is where I want to be in 2017 since after the strong season in Formula V8, it’s the natural next step in my career,” Deletraz said.
“It’s the final category before reaching Formula 1 and getting to F1 is my primary goal. Racing Engineering are a good team and have produced some top results during the last five years.
“For me, there’s no better option and I am very happy with the choice.”
Deletraz will race alongside Gustav Malja, who was announced as one of the team’s drivers last week, through 2017.