The move will set up Kirchhofer's fifth year on the junior single-seater scene, the 21-year-old having taken back-to-back titles in ADAC Formel Masters and German F3 with Motopark back in 2012-13.

He then stepped up to GP3, where he finished third for two consecutive years, driving for ART Grand Prix and securing six wins in total.

He tested with Hilmer in the GP2 post-season test in 2014, but did not run in the same event at the end of last year.

The German is the first driver to join Carlin's GP2 stable for the upcoming season.

The team had taken second in the teams' standings in both 2013 and 2014, before falling down to ninth place last year as it fielded six different drivers throughout the campaign.

2016 GP2 line-up so far: