Maro EngelĀ is V8 Supercars' newest recruit, having announced today that he will drive for Erebus Motorsport in the team's brand-new Mercedes Benz E63 AMGs.
After driving for the team in a one-off GT race last year, the German undertook a secret test in a Stone Brothers Racing Falcon last December and did enough to convince the team that he was up to the task of competing in the #9 SP Tools Racing E63.
Engel, 26, will be engineered by former Brad Jones Racing engineer Chris Stuckey.
But where did the German start, and does he have the credentials to compete in the toughest touring car championship on the planet?
Engel started his racing career in karting, competing between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, he drove in Formula BMW before graduating to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2003, becaming an AMG ambassador.
In 2005 he switched to the Italian Formula 3000 Championship, finishing in seventh place overall. In 2006 and 2007, Engel competed in the fiercely contested British Formula 3 International Championship, finishing the 2007 season in second place behind Marko Asmer.
Engel switched to the DTM in 2008, remaining in the class until 2011, finishing with a best result of 12th overall in 2009.
See below for career statistics of Maro Engel.
2012: AMG Customer Sports (multiple international races with the SLS AMG GT3), Phillip Island 1st place
2011: DTM for Mercedes Benz factory driver, MĆ¼cke Motorsport in a 2008 spec car. Ā 13th Overall (Best 2008 Mercedes)
2010: DTM for Mercedes Benz factory driver, MĆ¼cke Motorsport in a one year old (2008) spec car. 15th overall
2009: DTM for Mercedes Benz factory driver, MĆ¼cke Motorsport in a one year old (2008) spec car. 12th overall
2008: DTM for Mercedes Benz factory driver, MĆ¼cke Motorsport in a one year old (2007) spec.
2007: British F3 International Ā – 2nd overall, 3 wins, 4 pole positions, 8 podiums
2006: British F3 International – 5th overall, 1 win, 3 pole positions, 8 podiums
2005: 5 Races (of 8) Italian F3000 championship Ā 7th Overall
2004: 1 Race Recaro F3 Cup (German F3)
2003: 4 weekends of F3 Euroseries with team KMS
2002: Formula BMW Germany 8th Ā Overall, 1 win, 3 podiums, 1 pole position
2001: Formula BMW Junior Cup 3rd Overall, 3 wins, 9 Podiums, 4 Poles
1996-2000: Karting (4th European Junior Karting championship Sarno)