Adrian Sutil says he intends to "make the most" of the second chance handed to him by Force India.
Last year was a difficult one for the German as he lost his seat on the grid and was also was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and fined £167,000 after he was convicted for causing grievous bodily harm to Lotus executive Eric Lux.
However, all that is in the past and he will make his return with the Silverstone squad in Melbourne this weekend after the team chose him over Jules Bianchi.
"It's all happened very quickly, but I've received a warm welcome and it's good to see lots of happy and familiar faces once again," Sutil said.
"It's clear the team has grown, but I am working with my old race engineer [Brad Joyce] and this team still feels like 'home'. It's a new beginning; my second chance in Formula One and I intend to make the most of this opportunity."
He added: "2012 was an interesting year because I experienced life away from Formula One and in many ways it has given me a new perspective. I think it helped me grow as a person and I feel mentally stronger as a result.
"I feel fresh and energized, and ready for the season. When I was back in the car for the first time in Barcelona it felt natural - almost as if I had never been away. I was back on the pace and able to push hard straight away."
Team principal Vijay Mallya is confident his squad made the right decision to pair Paul di Resta with Sutil.
"I am very happy about our driver line-up and I am particularly delighted to welcome Adrian back to the team," he said.
"Over the winter we thought long and hard about the decision, but I'm sure we have made the right choice. Adrian is very quick and has a great history with the team - he has been with us from the very start and is truly part of the family. Everyone was impressed by his performance during winter testing in Barcelona: he was able to deliver great pace right away.
"Paul has matured into a very good driver and in his third season with us we are confident he will deliver the results his talent warrants. He has gelled with the team perfectly and following a strong winter he is well prepared for a great season. Adrian and Paul make up the driver pairing that brought us to our best-ever Championship result in 2011 and there is no reason why we can't have a similar result this year."
