Argentine driver Jose Maria Lopez confirmed Friday to join the new Formula One team USF1, according to his spokesman Miguel Mattos.

The 26-year-old, will debut for the American team at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will kick off the 2010 world championship on March 14.

Local media said the USF1 team will officially present the driver on Monday as the USF1 team's co-owner Peter Windsor and Lopez's sponsors reached agreement in the Argentine capital after several days of meetings.

A former Renault test driver, Lopez won Argentina's TC 2000 and Top Race V6 categories last year, will be the first Argentine to race in F1 since Gustavo Mazzacane, who raced for Minardi in 2000 and Prost in 2001.