Jules Bianchi is set to take over the role at Ferrari currently occupied by Giancarlo Fisichella.
The Italian team announced on Thursday that Frenchman Bianchi, a frontrunner in the GP2 series this year, will be a Ferrari "test driver" in 2011.
But Ferrari has not yet clarified if this means Bianchi will be taking over from Fisichella as the third/reserve driver.
Italian publication Autosprint believes he will.
The report said Fisichella will instead "be concentrating on racing touring cars" in 2011.