Page last updated at 15:28 GMT, Friday, 26 August 2011 16:28 UK
By Andrew Benson
BBC Sport at Spa-Francorchamps
Vergne is currently racing in the Renault World Series
Red Bull protege Jean-Eric Vergne is set to be given a chance in Formula 1 by feeder team Toro Rosso.
The Frenchman, 21, is expected to run in first practice sessions once he finishes his campaign in the Renault World Series.
The season finishes at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on 9 October.
Race drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi will alternate in making way for him at Toro Rosso.
It is the next step in the ongoing Red Bull junior driver programme following the company's decision to move former Toro Rosso reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo into a race drive at back-of-the-grid HRT.
The Australian was given the HRT drive as Red Bull try to work out whether to promote him to a race drive at Toro Rosso in 2012.
JEAN-ERIC VERGNE PROFILE
- Born: 25 April 1990
- Birthplace: Pontoise, France
- Racing series: Renault World Series
- Current team: Carlin
- Current championship position: 2nd
- Renault World Series wins: 4
Red Bull are trying to establish which of their junior drivers - if any - are good enough to replace Mark Webber as Sebastian Vettel's team-mate at the headline team when the veteran finally decides to retire.
There is also potentially a race drive at Toro Rosso up for grabs next season, with both Buemi and Alguersuari under pressure.
Ricciardo was promoted at the British Grand Prix but the jury remains out following three races alongside the experienced former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi.
Ricciardo beat Liuzzi at the last race in Hungary, but was outqualified by the Italian there, as he has been at all three of their races together.
Webber has remained cagey on his future this weekend, admitting that he has talked to team principal Christian Horner about continuing with the team in 2012.
"We'll let you know shortly," he said. "Things are going the right way."
Asked to put a figure on the chances of him continuing at Red Bull, Webber said: "Pretty good. 50-50."
Vergne is lying second to Virgin Racing reserve, Canadian Robert Wickens, in the World Series by Renault with one race to go, at Spain's Circuit de Catalunya next weekend.
Credit: BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)
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