Juncadella raced for Mercedes in DTM between 2013-16, before going on to compete in the Blancpain GT series - both the Sprint and Endurance Cups - last year.

He will return to DTM during what will be Mercedes’ final year in the series, ahead of its switch to Formula E.

Juncadella, along with F1 outcast Pascal Wehrlein, replace Formula E driver Maro Engel and IndyCar-bound Robert Wickens in Mercedes’ DTM roster.

"I arrive with charged batteries, super-motivated after a very good year of transition, to enjoy the races again,” he told Motorsport.com.

“I have learned a lot and I have re-find myself, especially at the end. I arrive with the desire to make a very good season and achieve that result that has resisted me in the past.

“We will see more action than other years and with 18 drivers on the grid there will be more options for everyone.

“Being the last year of Mercedes in the DTM we want to finish it in style and say goodbye with the Championships.

“My main objective is to win a race at least and if you can fight for the championship, great, but that will depend on many factors such as the start of the season.

“I want to continue working to try to get to Formula E in the future and I hope to do the maximum possible races of the Blancpain GT, in addition to the 24 hours of Spa and Nurburgring.”

Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport DTM Ulrich Fritz added: "Daniel knows the team really well from previous years and was present at race weekends during 2017 as a test and reserve driver.

“So he won't need much time to settle back in. He knows the car and the team members from the past and will have no problem settling back in with the squad.

"I'm confident that he'll be able to support the team really well this season with his experience and speed."

Interview by Sergio Lillo

Full DTM 2018 line-up: