Sutil not returning as Williams F1 reserve driver in 2016

Adrian Sutil will not return for a second campaign as Williams reserve driver, with the German seeking fresh opportunities outside F1, according to Adam Cooper.

Sutil last raced competitively in the sport with Sauber in 2014 before the Swiss outfit dropped him in favour of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.

He then found refuge at Williams and was formally offered the reserve role following Valtterri Bottas’ lower back injury during last year’s Australian Grand Prix qualifying. Sutil’s appointment came after the British outfit said it wanted a seasoned driver with previous experience of the 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged power units.

Cooper also reports that the 33-year-old has shown interest in competing in the World Endurance Championship and DTM, with Japan’s Super GT also a possibility.

Although he is poised to leave F1, Sutil is still asking for a £2.4m compensation over its lost Sauber seat.

A veteran of 128 grands prix, the ex-Force India racer has the unwanted record of having made the most F1 starts without recording a podium. Sutil’s best result to this date remains the fourth-place finish he secured at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix.

With last year’s test driver Susie Wolff now retired from motorsport, GP2 Series race winner Alex Lynn is the prime candidate to take over the reserve job. The Briton already served as Williams development driver in 2015, completing his F1 debut at the post-Spanish Grand Prix test in Barcelona.

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Key dates for the 2016 F1 season