Williams' second seat goes to rookie Sergey Sirotkin!

As widely expected, Sergey Sirotkin will be racing for Williams in 2018, the 22-year-old Russian succeeding Felipe Massa alongside 19-year-old Lance Stroll at the Grove-based outfit.

After testing for Williams at the Abu Dhabi post-season tyre test last November, Sirotkin became a surprise contender for the coveted seat which many believed would be filled by Robert Kubica.

Siroktin's impressive performance at Yas Marina however, coupled with a hefty sponsorship package put together by the driver's long-time backers SMP and worth a reputed $20 million, landed the F2 racer the plum drive.

"After an extensive driver evaluation process, I am thrilled to have our 2018 line-up finalised, and I’m excited to see what next season brings," said deputy team principal Claire Williams.

"We have taken our time to evaluate all the available options, and I’m confident Lance and Sergey can deliver the best results for the team. The Williams philosophy has always been to promote and develop young talent and Sergey fits right into that ethos.

"Lance has had a record-breaking debut season, and with a year now under his belt, he will be ready to hit the ground running in 2018. We have a talented driver line-up for 2018, that we are confident will deliver some exciting results for the team."

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Born in 1995 in Moscow, Sirotkin graduated from karting to single-seater racing in 2010, competing in Formula Abarth and winning the junior series in 2011.

He moved on to the Auto GP World Series in 2012 with Euronova Racing, dovetailing his commitment there with runs in the European and Italian F3 championships, finishing fifth in both.

Sirotkin then raced for two full seasons in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, finishing in the top ten in his first year and improving to fifth in the final Drivers’ standings in his second.

In 2014, he joined Sauber as the Swiss outfit's test driver, an experience which helped him build his knowledge of F1 and earn him his Superlicence.

The young Russian stepped up to GP2 in 2015 and 2016. He collected 13 podiums in two years, including three race wins, and finished third in the series' drivers' standings in both seasons.

Sirotkin also joined the Renault F1 team as the French squad's test driver, a move which led to several FP1 outings in 2016 and four Friday sessions with the French outfit in 2017.

"To say I’m happy and proud to join such a famous team like Williams is an understatement," says the Russian.

"It took a huge amount of work to get where I am, and I’m really happy and thankful to everyone involved. The result of our combined efforts has helped me achieve my dream, and rest assured the team can rely on me to deliver my best."

Sirotkin's nomination leaves Williams with the youngest driver line-up on the grid, but also the least experienced, something fairly untypical for the British team.

The recruitment also puts an end - perhaps permanently - to Robert Kubica's dream of a sensational F1 comeback, an ambitious plan the Pole had worked hard for last year as he underwent a testing programme destined to gauge his physical ability to race once again at the highest level after a rally accident in 2011 left him injured and unable to compete in F1.

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