Williams hands Aitken FP1 outing in Abu Dhabi

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Jack Aitken will be back behind the wheel of a Williams F1 car in Abu Dhabi in December when the Briton takes part in the final FP1 session of the 2021 season.

Aitken, who enjoyed a one-off outing with Williams at last year's Sakhir Grand Prix, has fully recovered from the collarbone and vertebrae injuries sustained in last summer's Spa 24 Hours.

Just hours into the endurance event, the 26-year-old crashed heavily at the top of Raidillon and was then collected by his oncoming Lamborghini teammate.

Aitken returned to the GT World Challenge series earlier this month with a clean bill of health.

Read also: F3 charger Logan Sargeant joins Williams Driver Academy

"It’s a long time since I’ve gone two months without driving a car," Aitken told The Race recently.

"At least for the first month, I was completely dependent on people around me because I couldn’t drive myself on the roads anywhere.

"I couldn’t be by myself at home because I couldn’t cook or anything like that, but most of the time it wasn’t too frustrating because a lot of the time I’m happy to accept that you just need to rest and that’s the best thing you can do."

Now back in shape, Aitken is ready to fulfil once again his reserve driver duties with Williams and "close out this year out the right way".

This year, Williams entrusted its FW43B to F2 racer Roy Nissany on three occasions.

F1's third most successful team on the grid recently confirmed that Nicholas Latifi and F1 returnee Alex Albon will constitute its 2022 line-up.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.