Williams development driver Stroll to race at Daytona

Williams Martini Racing development driver Lance Stroll will make his sportscar debut next month at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The 17-year-old, who finished fifth in his maiden FIA Formula 3 European Championship this year, winning a race outright and registering 17 top-six overall race finishes, will compete with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, linking up with Brendon Hartley, Alex Wurz and Andy Priaulx.

Stroll will now drive the 3.5-litre, 600-bhp Ford EcoBoost Prototype for the first time during the three-day "Roar Before The 24" test next week (January 8-10).

Beyond that, and beyond the race itself at Daytona from January 30-31, he will do a second season in the Euro F3 Series in 2016 with the Italian Prema Powerteam.

"I'm focused on single-seaters in 2016 but when an opportunity comes along to compete in one of the world's greatest and definitely North America's most famous sports car race, with one of America's most successful teams in Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, and racing at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, it was too great an offer to turn down," said Stroll.

"I'm very excited to be driving for Chip [Ganassi] whose various auto racing teams have been ultra-successful for over 25 years.

"Ganassi's Rolex 24 history is unrivalled having achieved six wins and two second place finishes between 2006-2015 and is the only team ever to win the race outright over three consecutive years.

"The Roar will give me an opportunity to acclimatise myself to driving a prototype and learning the DIS track for the first time. I'm looking forward to working with Brendon, Alex and Andy, who each bring a lot of experience to our car, and of course the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team. The race week itself should be a real blast! The test and race will help keep me race-sharp and in shape over the winter in readiness for the Euro F3 season that starts in early April."