Hispania sign Liuzzi

Liuzzi, who lost his place at Force India to Britain's Paul di Resta in January, said he was always hopeful of a seat for the new season which now starts in Melbourne on March 27 after the Bahrain Grand Prix was called off.

"I never lost hope to be in Formula One as I know I have the experience and the right attributes for a young and ambitious team," said the 29-year-old.

"I face a new challenge now and this excites me. I also face a lot of hard work in guiding Hispania Racing through the development of our new car," he said, thanking team principal Colin Kolles and owner Jose Ramon Carabante for the opportunity.

The Spanish-owned team made their debut in last year's championship and signed Indian Narain Karthikeyan in January.