Williams put off driver announcement to New Year
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[December 16, 2017]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Formula One team
Williams have put off until the New Year an announcement on who will
partner Canadian teenager Lance Stroll next season.
A team spokeswoman confirmed no driver news was planned before
January, with the 21-race 2018 season due to start in Australia on
March 25.
Russian Sergey Sirotkin appears favorite for the drive, the only
remaining vacancy on the starting grid, rather than Poland's
comeback hopeful Robert Kubica.
Williams have said their decision would be based on performance and
have given few hints about who is likely to succeed now retired
Brazilian Felipe Massa at the former champions.
Sirotkin, a 22-year-old development driver for the Renault team this
year, has been backed by Russian billionaire Boris Rotenberg and his
SMP Racing.
Rotenberg's brother Arkady is a close ally and former judo partner
of President Vladimir Putin.
Leaving aside his significant backing, the Russian impressed in
post-season testing in Abu Dhabi after he was passed over by Renault
when that team were looking to replace Britain's Jolyon Palmer.
Both he and Kubica, 33, were at the factory last week for debriefs
and further assessment, with media reports suggesting Russian Daniil
Kvyat was also in the frame after being dropped by Red Bull and Toro
Rosso.
Russia, which pays handsomely for the right to host a grand prix in
Sochi, currently has no Formula One driver contracted to race next
year.
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Renault's Sergey Sirotkin in action during the first free practice.
REUTERS/Albert Gea
Kubica was tipped as a future champion before a 2011 rally accident
partially severed his right arm, and while there are some lingering
doubts about his ability to race without full movement the Pole has
said he has no problems and is fitter than ever.
Kubica has tested twice for Williams this year, as well as with
Renault, and his case for the seat is being argued by former world
champion Nico Rosberg, who is acting as a go-between.
Williams' head of performance engineering Rob Smedley said last
month he hoped a decision on the driver would be made by Christmas
but that the team was in no hurry.
"There’s no reason for us to rush into it," he said then. "We are
the best remaining seat so we have that advantage in our armory. We
can wait and we can evaluate every little bit and do all the due
diligence necessary."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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