Oliver Jarvis has been promoted to a full-time driver in the Audi World Endurance Championship team for 2015, replacing retired Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen.

The Dane - a nine-time winner in the 24 hour endurance classic - announced he was hanging up his helmet at the end of the 2014 season after a long and successful career in the discipline.

Prompting a search to replace him, Audi duly maintained its policy of promoting from within by selecting Jarvis, who has been affiliated with the German marque since 2008 with stints in DTM, the FIA GT series and three Le Mans 24 Hours appearances.

Indeed, having twice finished on the podium at Le Mans - driving Audi's traditional 'third' entry -, Jarvis is thrilled to be getting the chance to return across a full World Endurance Championship campaign,

"It's an early Christmas present and at the same time a fulfilment of a dream. I've got some big shoes to fill in replacing Tom, a nine-time winner at Le Mans and last year's world sportscar champion, but I look forward to rising to the challenge.

"I joined Audi in 2008 and raced in DTM but it was always my dream to compete at Le Mans which I fulfilled in 2012. But to now contest the full WEC championship and fight for a world title is just amazing and something I strived to achieve."

Jarvis will partner Loic Duval and Lucas di Grassi in the team, with the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours winning trio of Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Andre Lotterer continuing in the sister car.