Lotus have recruited Adderly Fong as a development driver for the 2015 season.
The 25-year-old from Hong Kong worked with Sauber last season, but will now juggle his time with Lotus with GP3 and GT Asia commitments.
"This is a great opportunity to further my racing career," he said. "I'll be able to learn how an F1 team operates during race weekends as an integral part of the team and these invaluable experiences are going to lay the foundations of my future development as an F1 driver.
"I am happy but I am not going to get carried away, for this is only the first of many steps.
"I aim to become the first Chinese driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix which will assist to promote the sport in China and also in Hong Kong.
"There is great potential for me with Lotus F1 Team so I can't wait to get underway in my new role."
Fong joins Carmen Jorda as a development driver at Lotus, while Jolyon Palmer is the team's reserve.