Klien given opening Red Bull drive
 |  Klein drove for Jaguar last season - his first in Formula 1 |
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LONDON, England -- Austrian Christian Klien will partner David Coulthard at the opening Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing have confirmed.
The 22-year-old, who raced for Jaguar in his debut season last year, has been battling it out with Italian F3000 champion Vitantonio Liuzzi for the second seat at Red Bull this year.
Liuzzi, also 22, will perform the third driver testing duties in Melbourne where the season opens on March 6.
The decision will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and has been taken following the team's intensive testing programme in Valencia, Jerez and Barcelona.
"We are very fortunate to have two talented young drivers, who have both impressed the team during pre-season testing," team boss Christian Horner said.
"Christian will undoubtedly benefit from David Coulthard's considerable experience and will hope to build on last year's performances," he added.
Klien, the youngest driver in Formula One last year, was delighted.
"I'm very proud to have the privilege of starting for Red Bull racing at their first race in Melbourne," he said.
"I'm honored that the decision has been made in my favor -- it's got me even more motivated," he added.
Red Bull have replaced Jaguar on the F1 grid after Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz bought the Ford-owned team in November and gave it the name of his energy drink.
Klien has been backed by Red Bull since his mid-teens when he wrote to them seeking sponsorship.
The earring-wearing former sheet metal worker from the Austrian Alps struggled in his first season in Formula One and earned just three points from a sixth-place finish in Belgium.
Liuzzi, who has been hailed as one of Formula One's most dazzling prospects, was thought to have a good chance of securing the drive as he is co-managed by Red Bull's director of motorsport Helmut Marko and raced for Horner at Arden.
"I extend my congratulations to Christian, but I'll obviously be trying to get an opportunity to race myself as soon as possible," the Italian said.
Both drivers signed one-year contracts with Red Bull at the start of January.
