16-year-old Chinese driver Zhou will follow in the footsteps of former FDA man Lance Stroll, who had won the series in 2015 with M2 Competition.

"As we decided last year with Lance, again in 2016 one of the drivers from the Ferrari Driver Academy will participate in TRS,” said FDA boss Luca Baldisserri.

“We are certain that testing and racing is the best training method to achieve the best results. This series perfectly suits motorsport training during the winter weather of the European off-season.

"TRS is an impeccable organization and a fantastic environment. It’s a fun and professional competition. As it did for Stroll, I hope [Zhou's] training will be enriched from this experience."

Like Stroll, Zhou has spent his first season in car racing in Italian Formula 4, where he finished runner-up to Ralf Aron, racking up a hat-trick of wins at Monza.

His prior accolades in karting include titles in the UK-based Super 1 National series and the Rotax Max Euro Challenge.

The Chinese driver will run with M2, becoming the third driver to sign up for the reigning champions - with Pedro Piquet and Lando Norris already confirmed.