Andreas Zuber will spearhead the Minardi-Piquet team in this year's GP2 Series, after joining the team from iSport.

The Austrian-born driver, who is now a UAE national, tested extensively for a number of team's over the winter, but elected to join the squad that ran Nelson Piquet Jr to the runner-up spot in 2006 behind Lewis Hamilton.

"I had several opportunities thanks to successful GP2 tests in November but, after a lot of consideration, I decided in favour of Minardi Piquet Sports as the team had been vice-champion in 2006 with Nelson Piquet," Zuber, 24, said.

"It is a highly professional team which can help me to reach my goals, and I am completely confident that it will provide me with a correspondingly fast car.

"If so, it should be possible to further improve my balance in the GP2 Series. So far, I have celebrated one victory in each year - 2006 in Istanbul and 2007 at

Silverstone - but I want to be counted among the favourites.

Zuber, who was the team-mate to champion Timo Glock last year, blotted his copybook by driving into his team-mate off the startline in Magny-Cours, but was robbed of good results in four races as clutch problems prevented him from even getting off the grid.

Last season was his best in the class, finishing ninth overall.

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport