Norris returns to defend his TRS title

The British driver will once again drive for the M2 Competition team that helped him to six wins and eight poles in the 2016 campaign, where he finished 135 points clear of his nearest rival - Force India protege Jehan Daruvala.

“I'm really excited to be heading back to New Zealand to contest the Toyota Racing Series. The aim is obviously to successfully defend my championship title," Norris said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed racing in the TRS at the beginning of this year, which put me on the road to an incredibly successful 2016 season in which I ultimately won three championships.

"I'll return to race with M2 Competition again - a great team and talented bunch of guys who helped me achieve 11 podium finishes this season.

"The five tracks are really interesting and will get me race sharp again for when I return to the European season in 2017."

Since winning the TRS, the 16-year-old went on to clinch titles in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 NEC series respectively in his rookie season.

Having made his European Formula 3 debut in October, the Brit sensation will round off the 2016 season racing in the Macau GP later this month with Carlin.

Meanwhile, it is expected that Force India man Daruvala, who won three TRS races in 2016, will also return to the series, aiming to beat his FR2.0 teammate Norris.

The only driver apart from Norris confirmed for the season so far is the 2014/15 NZ Formula Ford champion Taylor Cockerton.